Tell me about the roller derby!

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, last night at dinner (at The Melting Pot - fantastic, I highly suggest if you have one near you) I was approached to join a local roller derby group, Battle Born Derby Demons. I am immensely tickled by this, and totally think I’m going to check it out, but I want to know what I’m getting myself into.

Flyer and website specify “All shapes, sizes and skill levels”. Do they really mean all skill levels, 'cause the last time I was on roller skates was, oh…about 19 years ago. Do they really mean all shapes and sizes, 'cause while I’m tall enough to pull it off (IMO), I am a chubby girl and nowhere near as ripped as those derby girls you see on the reality shows and such. I have a membership to a gym but haven’t gone in nearly two months (damn if I am going to haul my ass out of bed at 4:45 AM and walk down the street to the gym when it is about 2 degrees outside). I smoke.

OTOH, I am a tall, sturdy chick who can totally kick some ass. And I’ve got piercings and tattoos, which seem to be preferable in this venue (probably why I was approached in the first place). And I could skate once upon a time…how hard can it be to pick it up again?

I know these are all questions I need to, you know, direct to the actual group…I just am somewhat (read: extremely) shy with new people/situations, and I’m afraid of showing up and just getting laughed out the door.

2

Roller derby chicks are hawt, but I like the whole tattooed Bettie Page look that so many of them seem to be into. Plenty of them smoke, so don’t worry about that. That being said, it’s violent and people get hurt. Lots of scrapes and bruises (massive huge multicolored bruises). Some friends and I went to check it out and were amazed how hard these chicks smash each other. It’s like someone combined Olympic speed skating and hockey. Good times though, and everyone was super nice so go ahead and check it out. You’ll probably have a good time.

3

Got no idea of the modern game, but plenty of fond memories of Cousin Harold taking me to the Chicago Amphitheater to cheer on the Pioneers.

Strikes me as an interesting choice for one who is “extremely shy with new people/situations.” But give it a chance. What do you have to lose (other than a few teeth!)

4

I’ll speak from a rugby club’s point of view, if you don’t mind, as I feel the dangers inherent in each sport are very similar.

I just pulled our recruitment card out of my wallet. It says, "SFRFC welcomes athletes of all ages & sizes. no experience needed!!. Yes, we really mean that. Most of our practice drills aren’t too rough, and serve as a first step in separating the wheat from the chaff. It becomes a fairly self selecting sport, in that those that aren’t into the physicality opt-out. Just like in rugby, roller derby has different positions. Some positions are best filled by a big, strong dude with a muscular neck. Some are better filled by a smaller guy who’s really quick and has great hair*. So, based on how you describe yourself, if you played rugby, you’d be a forward (like me). I think the equivalent in roller derby terms is blocker, but I don’t remember the terminology.

Try it out. If they’re anything like us at all (and I’m suspecting they are, based in part on the sport, and in part on how they approached you), they’ll be gentle with you at first. They’ll take you out to the bar after practice to show you a good time, and get you totally smashed after your competitions (games? meets? matches? I have no clue). Maybe, I don’t know, but that’s how we treat our new recruits. If you dig it, you’ll end up looking back in 10 years, wishing you had done it sooner, and wondering why it’s so darn hard to get out of bed on Sundays. You’ll love every second of it. If you don’t dig it, you can stop, no harm, no foul. They understand it’s not for everybody.
*This is a long time running joke about how the forwards are always in the mix, fighting for the ball, while the backs are standing… well, back, and fixing their hair while they wait for some action.

5

Although it may seem like an interesting choice, it would do wonders for self-confidence. That alone will take away a lot of shyness when dealing with new things, knowing you have the ability to get all roller derby on their asses, if need be.

Oh, and Dinsdale brings up another important point. ** Buy a mouthpiece**. I’m not sure if they’re required, but trust me. Catching a roller skate under the chin while falling may hurt with one in, but you won’t get your tongue caught between your teeth when it happens. That sucks. Not to mention all the elbows, etc., you’re likely to be near while they’re flailing around.

6

Yeah, that’s what I’d like. While I tend to be shy with new people and experiences, I also usually don’t let that hold me back and go for it just to say I did it. So I totally know I can do this, I just don’t want to regret it for some reason…like showing up to a room full of (and later be shunned by) stunning, Suicide Girl-replicas giving me the hairy eyeball and wondering why on earth I thought I’d fit in.

But, all the opinions so far make it sound like fun! My husband is VERY INTO the idea, and pointed out that not only is it a good way to get exercise and meet people, but this group is apparently pretty active in the community, which is something I’ve been wanting to get into as well.

Thank you particularly Santo Rugger - it does sound like rugby is a comparable experience…I most certainly think I fit into the “blocker” set.

Oh, and I’m all over the mouthguard idea. I like my teeth in my head, thank you.

7

Everything I know about roller derby I learned here .

8

I went to a local roller derby game (Kansas City Roller Warriors) and had a blast. This is roller derby’s 3rd or 4th incarnation in the U.S., and I think it’s “nicer” than it used to be. The gals had a camraderie that transcended which team they were on.

It was athletic, and there were some spills, but it wasn’t brutal. There was quite an assortment of body types - tall, short, hefty, slim, etc. - so I think they’re serious about “All shapes, sizes and skill levels.” Here’s one of the team photos (scroll down to see the individuals).

My wife’s cousin has a friend who is on one of the teams, and we learned that they came from all walks of life. Name a job description, and it’s probably represented.

And the coolest part is you get to have a roller derby name, like Anna Conda, Kiki Yoasis, or Dominant Jean.

9

Or Nail Bunny. :smiley:

10

:smiley: This might indeed be the way to go, since I have a giant NailBunny tattooed on my shoulder anyway. And I’m sure Helena Handbasket is already taken…that’s always been my favourite.

11

So, NailBunny, is it your understanding that these games are on the up-and-up? That is to say, that the teams play to win by passing the other skaters or whatever it is you do to win in roller derby, and that the physical contact is incidental to that, as opposed to being staged like pro wrestling? I ask because roller derby is historically associated with showmanship and fakery.

12

Honestly I’ve never heard that, so I really couldn’t say.

13

My sister and I and two of her friends started the Rubber City Demolition Dolls in the Canton/Akron Ohio area. We had loads of trouble getting started up. Some of it could have been because the area is a little too spread out for picking a practice location amenable to everyone’s taste and schedule.

Here’s the dilio -

YES, all skill levels wanted. Flat-track derby (which looks like what those girls are doing from the pics) is NOT fast paced. It’s not about knocking people down. It’s about weaving through the pack. There is only ONE skater who goes fast, that’s the Jammer. The rest try to clog the path.

YES, all body types accepted. I’ve seen LOTS of shapes and sizes, teeny tiny skinny things to Rosie O’Donnell. It dont mean a thing as long as you can keep your footing.

My sister and I and about 60% of our girls were tattooed and pierced, but no its not required ha! And we had lots of backgrounds join, aside from the Founders who were in their late 20s to mid 30s it was essentially a very young 20s group. Students, stay-at-home-moms, retail workers, hair dressers, corporate stooges and what have you.

We went to a bout in Columbus to see what it was all about in person, that got us all jazzed up. We founders did lots of research on practice drills and whatnot. We did off-track practices once a week, and skating practices once a week. We weren’t near bouting anyone, but we wanted to get primed! We even had the Akron Beacon Journal do a story on us to try to build interest. We did the fund-raising thing, the Meet & Greets, flyering out the ying-yang etc. We fizzled and never got going because the girls in this area, not all but most, seemed to be only interested in just being able to SAY you were a Derby Girl and decide on a Roller Name, and not really interested in the work of being part of a team. Lame excuses, immature attitudes and too many other commitments kept us from getting off the ground, sadly.

My advice is to Go for It!!! You will NOT get laughed out the door, Derby folk are super sweet, even though they look tough as nails. It would be so much fun!! Please get proper padding though, and if you haven’t been on skates in a while, invest in padding for your tailbone. I broke mine our 3rd skate practice in. You DONT want that torture.

Signed, Duck who is Evil (or Arline Latrine to you Derby folk) :wink:

14

Wow, thank you for all your input! I’m very excited about this now!

What type of tailbone padding would you suggest? :confused: I bruised my tailbone once when I was little, and can certainly live without that agony again!

15

A friend of mine skates with the OC Demolition Divas, on team Death Squad. They are featured in this video . Warning-link has loud sound.

She is a stay-at-home mom with three kids who went to check them out on a whim, and now she is hard core! They have a great time, but lots of injuries (like broken legs). :eek:

The girls used to have a web site, I am looking for it…

16

You’ll laugh, but I jammed an elbow bad down some biking shorts. Looked funny, but I didnt care.

here’s one that looks good:
http://www.sharperedgeskates.com/waxel-tailbone-pad.html

Anything is better than NO padding. Ouchie.

17

Okay,. here’s a story about them, but the website seems to have been taken down…

http://www.squeezeoc.com/squeezeoc/livingitup/hobbiesoutdoors/article_1236353.php

18

Yes, everything I’ve seen indicates that modern roller derby is genuine amateur sport. The previous incarnations I mentioned in my post above had the unsavory aspects you mention, but it’s different thing now.

19

Ditto everything said by ThatDuckIsEvil.

I was one of the first girls to join my team, so I’ve been able to watch all the new girls as they come. A good number of them had no idea how to skate at first, but were kickin’ ass after a couple months.

We have very tiny girls, very large girls, and all sizes in between. Most of our girls are a little chubby, actually.

I’m extremely shy as well, but I bit the bullet and went for it anyway, and I’m glad I did.

Try it out, I’m betting you won’t regret it.