Roller Derby has come a long way since its inception in the 1930s. Invented in the United States, the sport is essentially based on roller-skating around an oval track – with two teams jockeying for the lead position. With five players on each team, and a subsequent forty wheels furiously fighting to gather points, it’s an action-packed recipe for an exhilarating good time.
Roller Derby Revival
Although the pastime has been around for decades, its resurgence in the early 21st century has drawn a whole new crowd of participants and spectators. Recent TV shows and upcoming movies, like ‘Whip It’ starring Drew Barrymore, are bringing the sport to mainstream culture, attracting a gamut of eager enthusiasts.
Edmonton-based roller derbier, Jillian Pearse, got her skate in the door after attending a tattoo convention last year, where a local league had setup a recruitment booth. A couple bumps, bruises and scrapes later, she now takes part in regular competitions for the E-ville Roller Derby league. What drew her in? “Well, I used to skate around the block when I was a kid and I was always getting fouled out of the sports I did play,” she explains. “So I thought it would be perfect!”
Who Can Join a League
To join a league, participants need to be over the age of 18, able to skate and most importantly, female. Amateur roller derby leagues across Canada are currently a women’s-only enterprise, although male referees are permitted. (At present, there is only one Canadian men’s roller derby team called the Maple Beats, but they do not compete with the women’s leagues). “We just prefer it that way,” Pearse explains. “Men tend to dominate if you let them and keeping it female only allows roller derby to stay special to us. It is competitive, but we also want it to be empowering.”
And it’s not just young folk from alternative scenes, who get fierce on eight-wheels. Pearse says women from all walks of life lace up to take part in roller derby, including stay-at-home moms, nurses and lawyers. The age range of participants generally spans from 20s to 40s, but Pearse says, “As long as you can skate you can play.”
No experience is required when joining a league, with most teams happy to teach their members the ground rules, as well as techniques and tips. Safety is a key concern in this contact sport, though participants say it’s no more dangerous than football. Mouth guards, helmets, wrist guards, kneepads and elbow pads are all part of the roller derby habiliment. Before each game referees check the protective gear to ensure everything is safe and fitting properly.
“We spend a lot of our time working on core strength to minimize injuries, and learn how to fall, hit and be hit safely,” explains Pearse. “But injuries do happen, mostly knee and ankle injuries.”
Fun Factor
Injuries aside, the sport can be blast to play and watch. Many teams usually dress up for competitions, wearing costumes or special outfits to add to the entertainment factor of the event. What’s more, players are christened with new names, which serve as an alias and often evolve into whole new personas. “Originally people take derby names to hide their identities, because playing roller derby was sketchy,” says Pearse, who is otherwise known as Cee Cee Sickness. And duplicates are not allowed, as names now have to be registered. The all-inclusive list of derby names can be found on line.
Finding an original name is becoming increasingly difficult with more and more women signing up to take part. New leagues are popping up across the country as public knowledge increases and interest grows. “I think it is going to explode in the next year,” says Pearse. “My league has tripled in size in the past year alone.”
In addition to the physical benefits it offers, she says the social factors of being part of a roller derby team are also rewarding. “It is a really great group of girls who will do anything for you. We average over 300 people per game so it is a really great experience to play in front of a crowd like that, when you have all the lights and music and everything.” An added bonus, “Little kids come up and ask for your autograph afterwards!”
Some would say it’s the unlikely combination of fitness and flair that brings this gaggle of gals together. Perhaps it's because roller derby provides a unique arena, where gliding goddesses can turn into wily warriors. Forget stilettos. Think skates. They are women: hear them roll.
Check out the Derby Girls website for details on how to join or check out leagues across Canada, including Edmonton's E-ville Roller Derby League.
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