Richmond Roller Derby

We went to the Rivercity Roller Girls "Season's Beatings" match Sunday night at Skateland on Hull St.  All Star has sponsored the team since May, but reluctantly we have never been to a match, even though we've had free tickets!  So Sunday night we made the trek.  Venturing down Hull St. and pulling into the dusty old gravel parking lot, it looked like nothing had changed since the seventies, which made the whole experience that much more authentic.  A quick "wiki" search for roller derby will give you a good introduction into the sport, which has been around since at least the twenties.  It has almost always been dominated by females, but more recently has incorporated co-ed and all-male teams.  The women last night exemplified the sport at its current trend, which is described as campy, athletic, punk, and third-wave feminist (see the wiki entry).  Most girls were dressed in fish-net stockings or knee high stripped socks under their knee pads, and had briefs or short skirts barely covering anything. The crowd was more diverse with families and couples all shapes and styles.  The vibe felt like a little league game, but with beer instead of the soccer-mom concession stand.  Skateland itself probably contributed to the "family-fun" feeling.  It is a very low-budget space that is basically an open floor about the size of a basketball court with old fast-food restaurant tables strewn about the out side of the painted oval "track".  There was a mismatched set list of music played over loud speakers echoing around the hollow room, and an announcer (guy with a microphone) interjecting his personal commentary throughout the evening.    

The match started after some delay.  The two teams were introduced to the crowd player by player.  They had names like "Busta Hyman" or "Brawlin Barista" and as each girl was called she made a lap around the track and "high-fived" all the other girls on each team.  At this point I was merely observing the scene as a passing on-looker.  I had yet to be drawn in to the action of the whole event, until the match began...As the first heat started I realized that I had no idea what was going on, or how the rules of a roller derby worked.  I watched  as a pack of girls lined up at the starting line, and two other girls with stars on their helmets, one from each team, lined up behind the pack.  One whistle blew and the pack started off, then another whistle blew and the two star girls skated off too.  The girls all skated around an inner track outlined by duct tape.  The referees stood in the middle or skated around an outer ring keeping up with the revolving cluster of skaters as they pushed and body-checked each other around the track.  We watched a few matches, which each last about five minutes (or some specified time that I never figured out) and I still had no idea what was happening.  It was all a seemingly organized process, but I didn't understand the exact rules until I asked the guy pouring beers and got the basic jest of it.  He said that the two girls with the stars are the "jammers", and the rest of the pack, maybe ten girls, are the "blockers".  The jammers are the ones that score points by passing through the pack.  They get a point for each blocker on the other team that they pass. Sounds pretty simple, but then you factor in all the penalties, maneuvering (like the sling-shot!), and scoring and the simple game is so much more complex.  Nonetheless, it is cool to watch.  

Before we left, my husband Jamie ended up talking to a guy from another Richmond roller derby team, the Richmond Derby Demons.  He was recruiting for their all-male and co-ed teams.  Jamie was very interested in the idea of us joining their co-ed team, so I may end up having an even better understanding of the sport in the near future!

The attitude behind the sport itself has a very grassroots feeling, which I find appealing. The teams are not backed by major funding.  Most teams are donation and fan driven, and the players themselves are there for the sport rather than for the money.  It is a "Do-It-Yourself" attitude and I admire the passion that goes along with making it happen. Check it out for yourself!!

Local teams: (most updated links)

Rivercity Roller Girls - www.rivercityrollergirls.org or myspace.com/riversityrollergirls

Richmond Derby Demons - myspace.com/richmondderbydemons