The Beaten TrackThe Anthology of Flat Track

Roller Derby in the Bay Area

Design by Alyson Payne

Table of Contents

04

When most Americans hear the words “roller derby” today, they think of the kitschy sport once popular on week-end television during the 70’s and 80’s. Originally an endurance competition when skaters traveled the equivalent of a trip between Los Angeles and New York, derby gradually evolved into a violent contact sport where the fighting was often ramped up for the audience’s amusement. But after nearly dying out in the 90’s, derby has been making a comeback. Watching roller derby today, you see the results of a rigorous training regimen and countless hours devoted to a labor of love.

But what’s underneath are the girls who walked into their first practice, wide eyed, nervous, and looking for some-thing they had either lost or never had.

No matter how different one skater may look from another, they share one thing in common: they are seekers.

05

Poster by Ellen DeGenerate (Kris Notch) owner of CamelToeStop.com

06

07

Going to a roller derby bout for the first time is an experience unlike any other. Fans huddle around the track beneath the glow of bright lights and the hum of the speaker system. As the skaters hit the track, the whir of the spinning wheels intensi-fies and the raw energy becomes magnetic.

We drive out toward the Richmond harbor to get to Craneway Pavillion, a huge, glass-walled, warehouse like venue where they’ve set up for tonight’s bout between neighboring teams of the Bay Area Derby Girls League (B.A.D. for short). Upon arriving at the pavillion we wait in line at the door and weave through the red tape as if this were a concert. A mix of classic rock and punk is barreling out of the speakers and I have to shout my name so they can find it on the list.

There are rabid fans everywhere and it’s a motley collection of every type of rabble the bay area has to offer: there are punks, bikers, meth heads, gothic ghosts, anarchists, anti-christers, rastas, A’s fans,

homeboys, androgynous horned-rim wearing hipsters, transvestites, cross-dressers, trans-genders, cross-genders, trans-dressers, cross-vestites and every other stripe imaginable, including the parents and family members of the roller girls wearing t-shirts reading “B.A.D. MOM”.

There are people dressed like zombies, dozens of fake mustaches on men and women. It feels like the Rocky Horror Show meets a rave. We see hot pink mohawks, horizontal striped leggings on not so slim legs, acres of butt crack from folks in low rise pants sitting on the floor, and my friend swears he saw a dude in a homemade unicorn costume.

The Venue

08

Its chaos from the get-go as tatt’d promoters strain to organize the growing throngs of derby fans and freaks trying to get through the gauntlet at front entrance of the arena. A mixture of punk a classic rock blares through the speakers.

It’s 9:30 and the action is about to get started. We score a great vantage point to see the track, which is covered with some kind of tiling and an oval track laid out in pink tape delineating out-of-bounds. The place is absolutely heaving with human energy. Easily over a thousand people were crammed into the place for this event, apparently up from last month’s bout pitting these Bay Area Derby Girls.

09

The Richmond Wreck-ing Belles and San Francisco Shevil Dead race around the track.

10

It’s basically Thunder Dome, but Tina Turner has dreadlocks and stud piercings in both cheeks.

Don’t even wonder if they have tattoos; these brawny ladies are living artwork. Hair of every color under the neon rainbow. Each is introduced by the M.C. while shooting out onto the track. This is a tour de force and a parade of intimidation as they swing by the booing Escapees’ fans, bearing boy shorts and all.

As more players are introduced we are surprised to see that they are more feminine, more demure, perhaps a bit more... understated. These girls aren’t all tatt’d up, their hair washed, but they are still strong and determined.

Adapted from Yelp.com Bay Area Derby Girls reviews

11

Fans hold up hand made posters and

signs to cheer on and bash the teams

12

Flat track roller derby is a fast-paced contact team sport that requires speed, strategy, and athleticism. The flat track version of the sport evolved in 2001, and has quickly grown to encompass more than 400 leagues worldwide. This is in large part due to the ease of setting up a flat track. It can be done on any flat surface that is suitable for skating, such as skating rinks, basketball courts, parking lots, and even airplane hangars. This greatly reduces the capital needed to start up a roller derby league, and allows small groups of people to get a fledgling league off the ground. The DIY spirit that drives the sport allows roller derby leagues to create their own unique identities and adapt their structures to reflect their local communities.

A Women’s Flat Track Derby Association-sanctioned bout is a regulation match played between the chartered, or “all-star,” teams from two different member leagues, e.g. Bay Area Derby Girls vs Detroit Derby Girls. These matches are reviewed by WFTDA Games officials before they are granted sanctioning, and the results of the bout count towards the leagues’ ranking. Due to differences in league structures, most WFTDA leagues also play non-sanctioned matches either between local home teams (members of the same league playing against one another), or between “farm” teams of less experienced skaters from different leagues. These WFTDA-sanctioned bouts consist of two 30-minute periods with a halftime break. One bout generally takes around 1 ½ to 2 hours. This is depending on timeouts, injuries, or other interruptions in play and there are always medics standing by just in case.

first commandment: there is no part-time in roller derby

What is Flat Track Roller Derby?

13

above: Competitors take their positions.left: Women who compete in roller appear

in a multitude of different flavors.

14

How Do You Watch Flat Track Derby?

There are three 20-minute periods. Within each period, there are unlimited scoring sessions called jams that lasts a maximum of two minutes. The first jam begins after the teams line up. A signal from the referee allows the pivots and blockers to leave first. After a second whistle, the jammers start and try to pass the pack. There are 30 seconds between subsequent jams in which lineups are not necessary.

Jamming Begins

Each team has five members on the track at one time. There are three types of players, and they initially line up in the following order: one pivot in front, three blockers in the center and one jammer in the rear.

Roller derby is a full contact sport as jammers try to pass through the gauntlet of blockers. Blocking is legal and encouraged, but players cannot grab, pull, or trip one another. Breaking the rules will lead to time in the penalty box. Although safety equipment is worn, players often sustain or inflict injuries such as bruises and broken teeth.

Into the Fray

The team with the most points after the final period is over wins. Overtime will occur to break ties.

WFTDA Standardized Flat Track Roller Derby RulesUpdated May 26, 2010Bay Area Derby Girls Bout pamphlet

Who Wins

This graphic explains how to watch a roller derby bout, what the positions on the teams

are, and how to tell one player from the next.

second commandment: roller derby is a sport

BLOCKERS:

(solid helmet) helps

team’s jammer get

through the pack while

blocking opposing

team’s jammer

PIVOTS:

(striped helmet) begins

in front of the pack. Sets

pace for the pack and

gives direction to the

blockers

JAMMERS:

(star helmet) the only

player who can score,

but in order to do so,

she must pass oppos-

ing team’s players

Points are scored for

every player that the

jammer passes98 -110

15

Derby has taken some pretty hard hits throughout the years, and today’s version is really no different. When many first hear about our budding league, they immediately liken it to what they know of WWF. They expect fights they want brawls. They need fists flying and hair being pulled. It’s not exactly like that—not always at least. I was punched in the face during one bout. Now, nearly a year later, the skater throwing the punch won’t let go of her moment; she keeps the photos of the incident posted on the homepage of her myspace account like badges of honor. Each to his or her own, I guess; we latch onto our greatest moments of glory any way we can.

16

But with my league, as with many other leagues, derby isn’t about the fights and flash. Derby is the best sport going for women. Yes, tempers do fly, but that’s all part of succumbing to the heat of a compe-tition. And if occasionally a fight breaks out—bad on the two ladies involved. They get thrown out.

WFTDA stands for Women’s Flat Track Derby Associ- ation, which is a national governing body for women’s amateur flat-track roller derby in the U.S. There are over 50 all-female, skater-owned and operated leagues nationwide that has united to lead the growing sport.

Killing the Stigma

17

There are still many more leagues out there that don’t yet belong to WFTDA; in the U.S. alone, nearly 200 leagues are active. Derby leagues have to go through an application process to get in to WFTDA, and, once they are in, they’re subject to being thrown out if they don’t abide by WFTDA rules and regulations. One of those rules, fittingly in: sports-womanlike conduct.

Adapted from: Roller Derby Art

...derby isn’t about the fights and flash. Derby is the best sport going for women. Yes, tempers do fly, but that’s all part of succumbing to the heat of a competition

18

“These girls aren’t all tatt’d

up, and their hair is washed, but

they are still strong and determined. ”

—Jim L.

19

”

A game of roller derby is usually referred to as a bout. According to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s rules, a bout is sixty minutes of play, divided into two periods lasting a half hour, with a break in between. Usually a banked track derby bout is also an hour of play, divided into four quarters that are each fifteen minutes long.

No matter which style of roller derby is being played, the action is made up of short periods of play called jams. These jams are races in which the two teams compete to score points. In flat track derby, a jam lasts a maximum of two minutes as opposed to bank track in which jams last no longer than one minute.

At the beginning of each jam, both teams send a group of skaters up to the track and they form the pack. The pack includes a pivot from each team, marked with a cloth cover worn over their helmets with a stripe running down the middle. These helmets covers are very affectionately known as pivot panties.

In addition to the pivots, the pack will consist of an additional three blockers from each team (or fewer if there is a penalty from the previous jam). Blockers’ helmets go commando, or panty-free.

Bout It Out

20

In A Jam

Derby girls race around the track during the bout

21

Whips

Reverse Whip: The person giving the whip skates backwards and often uses both arms to whip the receiving skater forwards.

A jammer from each team lines up several feet behind the pack. The jammers wear jammer panties with stars on both sides on their helmets.

After some scuffling for the position and perhaps a bit of good-natured trash talk, the jam begins when the referee blows the whistle. This signals the pack to take off skating around the track in a counterclockwise direction. Shortly after that, the referee blows the whistle again—this time with two short blasts. That signals the two jammers to begin racing in the same direction as the pack.

When the jammers take off, they skate up to the pack and then try to skate through it with minimal bodily damage. Blockers will do just about anything

Richmond Wrecking Belles players give hits

and take falls.

...they’ll even turn around and slam her to the ground if the rules for that bout permit it

22

they can to stop the jammer from the opposite team. They’ll distract her, skate in front of her, hip-check her; they’ll even turn around and slam her to the ground if the rules for that bout permit it.

Jammers will do almost anything they can to avoid these hits, like a running back dashing around the other team to make touchdown. A great jammer is an agile skater who will quickly slink around blockers and leap over fallen skaters. When she does get knocked down, she’ll bounce back on her skates in the blink of an eye.

Adapted from Down and Derby

third commandment: you will get frustrated

23

24

25

Usually, most of the hitting in derby comes from blockers and pivots, but jammers are allowed to get physical too. A jammer may decide to pass a blocker by knocking her on her ass. Or she might throw a hip at her rival jammer as a way to prevent her from scoring first. A jam comes to an end when the jam clock runs out of time and is signaled by the ref with a series of whistle blasts.

The lead jammer also has the special privilege off calling off the jam, if she so chooses. She signals this by placing her hands on her hips and does so to prevent the other jammer from scoring points. Jam-mers often call off the jam with great flair, drawing thunderous crowd approval for their victory!

Adapted from Down and Derby:

When a jammer makes it out of the pack first, she becomes what’s known as the lead jammer, a stra- tegically important role, as will be explained. Once a jammer manages to roll with the hits and fight her way through the pack the first time, she skates as fast as she can until she catches up with the pack for a second time. Now, every time she passes a skater from the other team, she earns a point.

Jammers can’t earn more than one point from an opposing teammate unless they go all the way through the pack, and pass them once again. When a jammer completely laps the opposing jammer, she’ll earn an additional point, known as a grand slam, each time she passes her again.

The Role of the Jammer

26

Whips

Reverse Whip: The person giving the whip skates backwards and often uses both arms to whip the receiving skater forwards.

27

Whips

Double Whip: Two skaters from a chain by linking arms and they whip a third skater at the end.

Since a jammer earns a point for each member of the opposite team she skates by after the first pass, the skaters in the pack try desperately to beat the living crap out of her. They’ll do just about anything to make sure she doesn’t pick up any points. There are huge wallups, big spills, pile-ups, and collisions that make hockey look as tame as a round of nursing home shuffleboard.

And, there are points scored. Without any balls, bats, sticks, or nets, bouts are won and lost by the ability of women to pass each other on the track. Each time a jammer scores, the crowd goes insane.

At this Wrecking Belles versus Shevil Dead bout, tension quickly mounts as each team takes turns eeking out a small lead over the other. Finally, with just twenty-six minutes on the clock, the Wrecking Belles are leading with a score of fifty-one to fourty-eight. A guy dressed in a Cookie Monster suit runs back and forth in front of the crowd—desperately trying to rally fans of his beloved team.

And then, in the last few seconds of the game, the Wrecking Belles pull it off, scoring enough points to win the game. The crowd rushes in, arms outstretched over the track, offering high-fives to skaters taking victory laps. The Shevil Dead take a few laps too and the crowd is just as excited to cheer them on despite their defeat.

Adapted from Down and Derby

Hail to the Winners, and the Losers

fourth commandment: you will fall down

28

top: Oakland Outlaws outstretch hands to

high-five players on the opposing team.

29

32

30

the sport

33

31

For a derby girl, skating takes a part of her. Some-thing beyond sweat, tears, and even blood. The sport involves tremendous dedication and tenacity in order to cut it. Calling yourself a derby girl is privilege to be earned, and these women work damn hard for it.

We come together three times a week for two hours each practice. The practices themselves are grueling. And that’s an understatement.

We’ve spent hours running, jumping, lifting, and holding our still bodies in positions designed—I’m certain—only for cruel-and-unusual punishment. We’ve completed thousands of crunches by now, even more push-ups, tricep push-ups, leg lifts, side-plank dips, and scissor kicks. We’ve run miles around the rink; we’ve run miles in place; we’ve climbed up and down stairs; we’ve attached other

skaters to our back and run—pulling both them and us across the rink. Occasionally a few girls cry, or hyperventilate, or both. Then when we’re done with all that, we skate.

There are several reasons we put so much into the athletics part of the equation. One, because of the obvious: It’s fun to win, and bouts are tough. We need to be in the best shape possible to last the three all-out periods during which the game is played.

The Practice Experience

32

Competition on the track gets heavy

33

fifth commandment: you will get hurt

But two, roller derby is a dangerous sport. I’m not going to lie. It’s frightening. One of the worst moments for many girls—including myself—is standing on the track and listening to the national anthem. It’s the longest and shortest song I’ve ever heard.

Now, hearing it outside of the track incites insta-fear. When the anthem starts before a bout, it means we have approximately two minutes until the start of play, until the unexpected, until possible pain.

There’s a third reason why training is so important. We respect roller derby for what it is—a sport. Derby is hard; it’s physical; it’s demanding. We aren’t a sideshow act. This is not “Carnival”. We don’t paint our faces—though some skaters do. And yes, we may have short skirts and fishnets, but, consid- ering the practices, trips to the gym, membership dues, event coordination, public and charity events, and possible injuries we face, this is serious busi-ness. It’s damn near a full-time job.

Adapted from: Roller Derby Art

34

Inside the B.A.D. Girl headquarters in Oak-

land, California.

Whips

Leg Whip: A skater uses her leg instead of her arm to give a whip. This move requires excellent balance.

35

“We’ve run miles around the rink; we’ve run miles in place

we’ve climbed up and down stairs; we’ve attached other skaters to our back and run.

Occasionally a few girls cry, or hyperventilate.

Then when we’re done with all that, we skate.”

36

—Tara Armov

Occasionally a few girls cry, or hyperventilate.

37

Top: Coach gives instructions to

teammates.Bottom: Player

waits next to track during a practice

scrimmage.

The roller derby you may have watched in the 70s and early 80s was often scripted and rehearsed. The roller derby of today is real and is thought of as more of a sport than a spectacle. The skaters involved are athletes and take the sport very seriously. They train hard every week and wear their bruises and scars with pride. One reason there are so many referees rolling around is to enforce the rules, which are in place to protect athletes’ safety and preserve fair-ness. Among other things, skaters are not allowed to elbow, punch, grab, head butt, trip, or shove the opposing team. There are still plenty of hard hits, hard falls, and fast action.

Adapted from WFTDA.com

I think the popularity of the all-girl leagues is due to several factors. This is one of the few contact sports that women can play. One doesn’t have to have a tiny little fashion model body to play. It’s still a meritocracy... you get out what you put in. There’s an incredible amount of women who aren’t buying into the Bratz/Paris Hilton/Crack-pack expectations that one constantly that one constantly sees in the media and advertising, and we didn’t find each other until roller derby. The self-confidence boost is incredible, as is the exercise and fit muscles. We now have something to talk about that isn’t vapid and pointless. We draw fans in with unorthodox outfits and names, and we keep them by showing them that just because we’re not sponsored by Nike doesn’t make us any less of an athlete who uses her strength and strategy to win the game. It’s awesome.

Adapted from: Tara Armov of L.A. Derby Dolls

The Female Athlete

38

Whips

Pussy Whip: Not to be confused with pussy whipped. A skater reaches her arm through her teammate’s legs, latches on to her crotch and gives a good solid tug, using that momentum to pick up speed.

39

40

left: signs hang near the door of the warehouse. above: teammate watches scrimmage

below: teammate gives direction to other players on the track.

41

42

the sport43

44

Inside the B.A.D. Girl head-quarters in Oakland, California, a practice bout is about to take place.

45the sport

Whips

Waitress Whip: One skater whips another skater forward and when that skater moves beyond her partner, she turns around and offers both arms to pull the first skater forward.

46

Even if you are wearing all your protective gear, you are likely to get hurt doing derby. Here’s our advice. Listen to your trainers and learn from them. There are ways you can skate and fall so as to minimize injuries. Even so, it’s a rare rollergirl who skates for long without some sort of scrape, scar or bruise, bump, contusion, or concussion.

You have a choice. You can fret about whether you might break your wrist or smash your collarbone. But we believe all that will do is increase the prob-ability of that sort of thing occurring. That’s because

Busting Your Ass

you’ll be so worried about what could happen that you don’t pay careful attention to what is actually happening around you. Or you can recognize there is a potential for danger, and choose to focus instead on skating to the best of your abilities.

If you see a skater heading to the penalty box after laying out her opponent, that means she committed a foul while executing the block. The legal contact zone for blocks is between the shoulders and mid-thigh. It is legal to initiate a block with her back or booty, but not to hit an opposing skater in the back.

47

right: Examples of common bruises and “rink rash” resulting from derbyleft: Player takes a fall during practice scrimmage

sixth commandment: there’s no “sorry” in roller derby

There are plenty of legal ways to send an opponent flying into the third row but, to keep the game play safe and competitive, there are rules governing how and when players can make contact with each other. Throwing elbows, pushing or tripping opposing skaters, and “clothes-lining” opponents by linking arms with your teammate are among the prohibited actions that can earn skaters a minute in the penalty box. Like other sports, more serious offenses like fighting or intentional tripping can get a skater kicked out of the game.

Adapted from Down and Derby& WFTDA.com

Injuries happen to even the best skaters which is why proper safety gear is a must

Crashing and Burning

Some injuries are pretty obvious. If you break some-thing or lose a tooth, you’ll know it. Some injuries leave marks, burns, or bruises. We wear these like badges of honor. Don’t be surprised if you see derby girls pulling down there pants to compare huge purple welts, splotches of burned skin known as “track rash”, or a nice swath of “fishnet burn”—the waffled telltale sign of a fall in fancy stockings.

Survey Study

Doctor Stuart Willick at the University of Utah has conducted a major survey of the injury rates in roller derby. Some of his findings were that 80 percent of the injuries that happen are acute trauma injuries. He also found that 70 percent of those skaters who reported injuries hadn’t fully recovered from the hurt they sustained.

48

Even if you are wearing all your protective gear, you are likely to get hurt doing derby. Here’s our advice. Listen to your trainers and learn from them. There are ways you can skate and fall so as to minimize injuries. Even so, it’s a rare rollergirl who skates for long without some sort of scrape, scar or bruise, bump, contusion, or concussion.

You have a choice. You can fret about whether you might break your wrist or smash your collarbone. But we believe all that will do is increase the prob-ability of that sort of thing occurring.

Down and Derby: An Insiders Guide to Roller DerbyJennifer “Kasey Bomber” Barbee

Alex “Axels of Evil” Cohen

Taking It To The Limit

seventh commandment: roller derby is a team sport

lost tooth

broken ankletwisted ankle

torn tendon

snapped collarbonedislocated shoulder

track rash

bruised tailbonebroken finger

broken wrist

busted chin

broken nose

blown knee

49

50

66

the sport51

Buying GuideBrands preferred by skaters include:

Triple 8: Developed the patented Sweatsaver™ liner that helps elimi-nate the smells, the stinging and the eye blurring that occurs from sweat.

ProTec: The timeless Classic design and equipped it with EPS foam for added protection and to meet CE/CPSC certification. Our EPS foam liner mimics the comfort and feel that they’ve become known for in our soft 2-stage foam skate helmets.

Concussions are not infrequent in roller derby. When you smash your head on the floor, you don’t want a fashion helmet on your noggin, you want a safety-tested and rated helmet.

Look for extreme sports, bicycle, hockey, and skate-boarding helmets that have a sticker inside indicating that the helmet has been rated for safety standards. Some ratings to look for include ASTM and CPSC, among others. These types of helmets will do a better job than non-rated helmets at dispersing impact and helping to prevent concussions and skull fractures. Price is not necessarily an indication of a quality helmet, and many good brands offer low prices. You also need not worry about looking like a bobble head, as many companies make low profile safety-rated helmets that are styled and fit more like fashion helmets.

Helmets

52

Even the best helmet won’t protect you if it doesn’t fit well. Helmets should fit snugly and low on the forehead, and won’t move when you shake your head side to side or up and down. If you have a very round or narrow head, look for helmet models designed to fit your head shape. The helmet strap should be worn snugly under the chin, with the excess tucked under and not dangling from the head. If, after a period of time, the soft foam liner starts to compress and cause the helmet to fit too loose on your head, either replace the liner or the entire helmet.

Once a helmet has protected you from an extreme impact, gets cracked, or when the inner foam begins to feel loose inside the hard shell, it should be replaced. At the minimum, a helmet for an actively scrimmaging skater should be replaced once a year.

Adapted from WFTDA.com

The Triple 8 brainsaver rubber skate helmet

The ProTec classicskate helmet

53

A good skating helmet is a number one prior-ity for being involved in this sport

Buying GuideSome things to look for when shopping for knee pads include:

Thick memory foam and ring- shaped padding on the knee: this keeps pressure off of the kneecap.

Hard plastic cap over the knee, preferably with a flat, rather than curved, sliding surface. Many skaters prefer butterfly back closure style over the pull-on style, so that the pad may be taken on or off without having to remove their skates.

Knee pads are not something a roller derby skater should ever skimp on in the interest of saving money. Quality knee pads generally cost between $50 and $100. If that seems expensive, consider the expense of orthopedic surgery. It’s important to invest in the best quality pads that you can afford.

Inline and recreational skating pads are absolutely not sufficient for roller derby, even for a beginner just starting out. Falling is such a frequent occur-rence in roller derby, that even just a few months of practicing in poor quality or excessively worn knee pads can do permanent damage to the knees.

Most of the high-quality knee pads used in roller derby are designed and manufactured by skate-boarding companies. The pad models best suited for roller derby are usually “vert” or “pool” styles. These pads are designed with thicker padding than other styles, in order to protect the wearer during vertical falls and collisions at high speeds.

Like all protective gear, knee pads are useless if they don’t fit properly. They should fit snugly, with the plastic shell cap positioned directly over the skater’s knee. They should not slip out of place when the

Knee Pads

skater gets sweaty or when performing falls. Be sure to squat, kneel, and shuffle side to side a bit while trying on knee pads to check for comfort and secure fit. New pads often feel awkward during crossovers at first, but most skaters adapt within a few practices in their new pads.

Replace pads when the memory foam begins to compress, or the elastic, Velcro, or stitching wear out. On some models, the plastic shell cap can be replaced if it cracks or wears excessively and the rest of the pad is still in good condition.

Adapted from: WFTDA.com

54

55

A quality pair of knee pads are a skater’s

best friend

Buying VinylVinyl is most commonly found in low-end, recreational skate models. They tend to be good boots for beginners because vinyl does not need to be broken in, has a forgiving fit, and costs substantially less than quality leather. However, vinyl does not stand up well to serious skating, nor does it “breathe.” Vinyl boots can be good for newer skaters, but they will rarely last longer than a season. For serious athletes with ethical issues regarding leather products, vinyl skates can be a good compromise when outfitted with bet-ter quality plates and accessories.

A properly fitted skate boot is snug when new, but not so tight it is uncomfortable. Your toes should be about a quarter inch from the end while standing in the boot. The skate boot should not be too loose or too long, and your heel should not slip when the boot is fully laced. When you start skating, long or loose skates will get even looser. If your feet are sliding around in a too-big boot, you will get painful blisters and calluses, even with thick socks on. Too small boots can also cause blisters, calluses, foot pain, and numbness.

If you have unusually narrow feet, small heels, flat arches, or very wide feet, consider spending a little extra money (usually about an additional $60 for certain standard customizations) to have skates custom made to fit your feet. Another option is to try skates that allow you to custom-mold the foot bed of the skate.

It probably goes without saying, but you need to try on skates before you purchase. Make sure that you try them on with the type of socks you will wear to practice and games. If you wear insoles, bring a new pair with you. Feet swell during the day, and

Skate Fit

most of us play at night, so do your skate shopping in the evening when your feet are at their largest. If you can’t try on skates before you buy, check the store’s return policy before you purchase. If you can’t return them you should not buy them.

Boot TypeMost roller derby skaters choose track, speed, or jam skating boots. Track boots are modeled after speed boots, but with additional features designed specifically for derby. Track and speed boots have more internal support, known as a “counter,” for going fast and turning left. Jam skating boots tend to have less counter-support to allow for ease in making more dramatic lateral moves, and have a lower profile at the ankle. Jam skating boots are not recommended for skaters with weak ankles. Another option, popular with former-hockey players, are roller hockey boots. Roller hockey boots are usu-ally made of a mix of leather and synthetic materials and have more padding than a traditional skate boot. They generally have a slightly higher, softer collar than track, speed, or jam boots.

Adapted from: WFTDA.com

56

Buying LeatherQuality leather boots of the right size will break in to fit the exact shape of the skater’s feet, and will not cause blisters, calluses, or discomfort when skating. Quality leather is also extremely durable and, when cared for properly, can last the duration of your entire derby career.Low-end recreational leather skates are rarely better than vinyl. The pressed leather is usually coated with “stiffen-ers” that make it more difficult to get a proper fit, this can lead to blisters, calluses, and, in some of the worst case, issues with hairline fractures and permanent foot damage.

57

58

Parts Manual

When looking for your first pair of derby skates, you’ll usually be asking for speed skates, or even jam skates, both are very similar.

The GT-50 is a great entry level skate for all types of skating. Fully padded, these are as comfortable as sneakers. These boots are made of synthetic material rather than leather, so there will be minimal deviation from the original fit and feel.

Your First PracticeDon’t forget to bring everything you’ve got to workshops, practices, tryouts, etc. A group of 40+ women that are five feet taller than you on skates, marked with bruises and cuts, whispering quietly on the side, and talking only to each other can be one of the scariest things you’ll have to endure. Yes, they have some bruises and cuts that look they’ve sus-tained some serious toughness, but you will soon look just as bad. Take all that intimidation and turn it around into one huge block during scrimmage. Show these ladies that you aren’t afraid to fall down, and take your derby loving ass to the limit!

Cruz Skate Shop OnlineDown and Derby: An Insiders Guide to Roller DerbyJennifer “Kasey Bomber” BarbeeAlex “Axels of Evil” Cohen

Required GearThe following equipment is mandatory for every skater who participates in roller derby:

helmetmouthguardelbow padswrist guardsknee padsquad rollerskates

This graphic represents to compo-nents of a typical roller skate with

some parts specific to the GT-50

Padded synthetic boot

ABEC-5 Bearings

Adjustable laces

and straps

Rock GT-50 wheels (indoor)

Taping the front of your skates or wear-ing a toe guard is a

great way to prevent holes in the toe

59

Trucks and Axels

Plate

(frame)

Axel Nut

60

61

Each woman involved in roller derby has fought some sort of battle to be there. Whether it’s work-ing to form your own league, conquering inner demons, or finding the strength to pick yourself up off the floor one more time, roller derby is a transcendence. On the other side, you find some-thing in yourself that you didn’t know was there.

Forming the Team

Jennifer Love Screw It September 12 I’ll be 4 years off of pain pills—it was about September 20, three years ago I walked into Chico roller rink and I saw a team skating there. My husband had arranged for me to go to a practice, a skater named Slap A Ho was the first one to contact me, I laughed about it, I didn’t take it seriously. [But] I truly believe to this day that’s the only thing that kept me straight.

I lost my mom in August which brought me back to the bay area and I knew it was life or death for me and I knew if I didn’t have something positive in my

life, I was gonna use and if I used it wasn’t gonna be pretty, I would lose everything positive that surrounded me. So I grabbed a couple friends and thought it would be as easy as learning the rules and calling ourselves derby girls, we’d practice and get to play games.

Not so much how it works. Derby is an actual busi-ness, you have to apply for a business license and you have to trademark, you have to recruit, you have to flyer, you have to get a venue. It was a lot of work in a short time.

62

Member of GSRG get ready fro practice at Val Vista Skate park

63

eighth commandment: this ain’t fight club, you do talk

about roller derby... all.the.time.

We started in October, this is our third venue, these are brand new girls, each time I changed a venue I lost my core group of girls. So here we are again, third time around.

I don’t want to give up quite yet, that’s why I’m at Val Vista [skate park]. I truly believe in my heart of hearts that we have something great here. I have never been a business owner, I have never been a coach. I am learning as I go with the help of friends. I am getting educated. I am learning because I want this. I want us to be strong women who go out there and kick ass with this team. I eat, sleep, and breathe it, I want it so bad.

I eat, sleep, and breathe it, I want it so bad.

64

Derby WivesShe is the one person in this whole sport of roller derby that the very instant you looked at her, you felt like you’d known her since you were a newborn. She looked just like your best friend from fifth grade, or some-thing she did reminded you of all the things you ever liked in anyone else.

65

Lisa aka Fearlis I had been wearing a necklace that said “fearlessness” for ever and one day I was talking to some of my derby sisters and originally my name was Lisa Licious and it just didn’t fit, it wasn’t me, and one night I was putting on my stickers on my helmet and where I getting ready to put Lisa Licious, “fearless” came up and I thought I could incorporate my Lisa as L-I-S at the end versus fear-less. It just fits me, I was in the military and I’ve served in the past wars, I would say it fits me to a T.

Nikki aka N Heat My derby name is N Heat and the way that came about is there were a lot of different options I was kinda toying with, I didn’t know what

Finding Your Derby Name

I wanted to do. And I thought about, if I needed to go by an alias for whatever reason I think Nikki Heat would be a pretty good alias. I actually went with N Heat because quite frequently I am asked if I am “in heat” so it just worked well with the first initial “n”. I’m thinking I can make a t-shirt with a slogan across the front that says “always” and the back would say “n heat”.

Jennifer aka Jennifer Love Screw It I took a vote on face-book. I lost my original name which was Jenocide that I had for a couple years because it wasn’t regis-tered so I lost it to another skater in another state so I had to re-pick a name and I couldn’t pick one so

66

Derby WivesShe is the first person you call if you ever need to get bailed out of jail.

She’s the one who will be holding back your hair when you puke after drinking too much, and she won’t let anyone take your picture while doing it.

She’ll make her actual spouse under-stand that if (s)he loves her, (s)he’s gonna have to put up with you too.

67

ninth commandment: say hello to your new family

I asked for ideas on facebook. I liked it because it had Jennifer, which is my first name, Love and Screw It. I go by Screw It here at practice.

68

Lisa aka Fearlis My old president of East Bay roller derby, Aunti Social, had a facebook post and invited me to come out to her new league and that was the end of that, I came out and I loved it and then I joined GSRG and haven’t stopped since.

Nikki aka N Heat My first exposure to anything roller derby was the movie Whip It but it didn’t make me want to do it, that was just the first I’d ever really heard of it. And then I actually went into rehab for opiate and I was on the prowl for something I could do on a Friday night that didn’t involve partying and I found a bout in [Richmond] of the Richmond Wreck-ing Belles and the Oakland Outlaws.

Getting Derby

The minute I walked in to the Craneway Pavilion I was just like, I belong here. I’ve had the reputation of kind of being tough way back in the day, getting into trouble and stuff like that and I figured that derby would be a really good outlet for me. I’m not the most physically fit person but I feel like you can learn how to skate, you can’t really learn how to be aggressive. That’s always kind of the way I thought about it. Just after seeing that first bout I was hooked.

69

Members of GSRG get ready and hit the track

70

Lisa aka Fearlis I love to skate so being able to skate and being able to speed up and slow down and get some sort of work out from it, find strategy on how to block your opponent because of the jammer going through the pack. I think that’s just the best thing about it. And it’s fast, it’s fast, it stops before you know it. I can’t do baseball, that’s just way to slow for me. I like something that’s fast. Like soccer, like basketball, it has to be high endurance so that’s why I love roller derby.

Nikki aka N Heat You’re encouraged to do that, you’re encouraged to be aggressive. The best thing for me about roller derby is having that outlet. And it’s out of the box. It’s a completely different sport and it’s kind of a shock factor thing. You tell someone you do roller derby and it’s like, “whoa, really?” I’m always big on the shock factor and I think that hooked me in.

Jennifer aka Jennifer Love Screw It I really like the way they’ve taken a sport and knocked out the entertain-ment side of it and made it more professional now. There’s so much more athleticism. You see women that work really really hard, they’re really fit and their posture is so perfect. That’s what I enjoy seeing out of competing. There’s teams like the B.A.D. Girls that are unstoppable because their athleticism is off the charts for women. You’ve got professional football players in derby and they’re women. They just train like crazy. It’s not a spectacle anymore, it’s a sport.

For the Love of the Sport

Derby WivesShe’ll ride in the ambulance with you when you lose a tooth, break your wrist, or tear your ACL. She’ll make you laugh the whole way to the hos-pital, try to steal your pain medication (lovingly), and sneak your favorite food and beer into recovery.

She may not even be your best friend in the league or the sport, but she’d be the first one to back you up, even if you’re dead wrong. She’ll just tell you you’ve lost your fucking mind later in private, possibly kick your ass a little bit, and then be the only one who could ever talk your hotheaded ass into some reason.

71

garage sales, that type of sisterhood you can’t find anywhere else. We share something in common and I’m not quite sure what it is because nowadays the sport that attracts doctors, lawyers. It’s not all tattooed girls with piercings, it’s a totally different world now. But there’s something that brings us all together and I haven’t nailed it. I’m not sure what it is but we all have a little bit of wild in us, I think that brings us here, to the adrenaline.

Nikki aka N Heat I like knowing that there is a place that you can go for us three days a week where you’re not judged. You can start at the very bot- tom and work your way up and I feel like with the Golden State Roller Girls it doesn’t matter where you start and you’re going to have the support of the other girls along the way because you’re on the same team, you’re working toward the same goal.

Lisa aka Fearlis I think teaching the new skaters, the fresh meat, how to get on their skates, feel confi-dent on their skates, to learn how to utilize [them] so they can become better skaters. To me, if you don’t have the skating ability it’s very difficult and people come here for various reasons. Really for me, after talking to a majority of my derby sisters, my role is to help others, to help the other skaters get to where they want to be because honestly, I think they need it more than I do. To me it’s for fun, for them it’s a necessity, they want to be part of this, so that’s why I love roller derby.

Jennifer aka Jennifer Love Screw It I told somebody today that the adrenaline rush you get on the track doesn’t even compare to the friends you meet through the sport. The bonding that comes with flyering or recruiting or out there doing car washes or

For the Love of Derby

72

You always use a comparison when you go through some life changing event. I went into recovery [for opiate] and I got the correlation between roller derby and recovery. Roller derby is like recovery in the sense that we’re really good at knowing how to fall. I got the falling part down, I know what it feels like to be on the ground, you just have to practice getting yourself back up. It’s just like a radical acceptance and you know, so many different parts of your life you’re not accepted because you don’t do this good enough or you’re not pretty enough or you’re not fit enough. This is one of those sports I feel like it’s accepted.

73

tenth commandment: even the after-parties have winners

74

I’m not sure what it is but we all

all have a little bit of wild in us,

I think that brings us here,

75

I’m not sure what it is but we all

all have a little bit of wild in us,

I think that brings us here,

to the adrenaline.

—Jennifer Love Screw It

Down and Derby: An Insiders Guide to Roller DerbyJennifer “Kasey Bomber” BarbeeAlex “Axels of Evil” Cohen

A Guide to Whips

Reverse Whip: The person giving the whip skates backwards and often uses both arms to whip the receiving skater forwards.

Double Whip: Two skaters from a chain by linking arms and they whip a third skater at the end.

Leg Whip: A skater uses her leg instead of her arm to give a whip. This move requires excellent balance.

Pussy Whip: Not to be confused with pussy whipped. A skater reaches her arm through her teammate’s legs, latches on to her crotch and gives a good solid tug, using that momentum to pick up speed.

Waitress Whip: One skater whips another skater forward and when that skater moves beyond her partner, she turns around and offers both arms to pull the first skater forward.

One skater reaches her arm out and the other skater latches onto that arm and pulls forward. The skater with her arm out transfers her velocity to the other skater by twisting her torso.

Index

76

tenth commandment: even the after-parties have winners

ninth commandment: say hello to your new family

eighth commandment: this ain’t fight club, you do talk about roller derby, all. the. time.

seventh commandment: roller derby is a team sport

sixth commandment: there’s no “sorry” in roller derby

fifth commandment: you will get hurt

fourth commandment: you will fall down

third commandment: you will get frustrated

second commandment: roller derby is a sport

first commandment: there is no part-time in roller derby

The Ten Commandments of Roller DerbyLike the Bible, derby also has ten commandments. They represent the elements that will always be true about the sport no matter where you play, or whom you skate with.

A Guide to Whips

77

A Guide to Derby WivesThis term was first coined by Kasey Bomber during a 2003 trip to Arizona. The words “derby wife” were the best way she could express how she felt about fellow L.A. Derby Doll Evil E.

She is the one person in this whole sport of roller derby that the very instant you looked at her, you felt like you’d known her since you were a newborn.

She looked just like your best friend from fifth grade, or something she did reminded you of all the things you ever liked in anyone else.

She is the first person you call if you ever need to get bailed out of jail. She’s the one who will be holding back your hair when you puke after drinking too much, and she won’t let anyone take your picture while doing it.

She’ll make her actual spouse understand that if (s)he loves her, (s)he’s gonna have to put up with you too.

She’ll ride in the ambulance with you when you lose a tooth, break your wrist, or tear your ACL. She’ll make you laugh the whole way to the hospital, try to steal your pain medication (lovingly), and sneak your favorite food and beer into recovery.

She may not even be your best friend in the league or the sport, but she’d be the first one to back you up, even if you’re dead wrong. She’ll just tell you you’ve lost your fucking mind later in private, possibly kick your ass a little bit, and then be the only one who could ever talk your hotheaded ass into some reason.

78

A Guide to Derby Wives

Down and Derby: An Insiders Guide to Roller DerbyJennifer “Kasey Bomber” Barbee

Alex “Axels of Evil” Cohen

79

Additional ReadingContent for this book was excerpted from the following sources. The third section The People contains original interviews and commentary collected by Alyson Payne from the Golden State Roller Girls.

Down and Derby: An Insiders Guide to Roller Derby Jennifer “Kasey Bomber” Barbee Alex “Axels of Evil” Cohen

Roller Derby Art: Women, Wheels, and Wicked Fun Sherri Cullison Pfouts

Women’s Flat Track Derby Association website www.WFTDA.com

Cruz Skate Shop www.cruzskateshop.com

80

Many thanks to the Bay Area Derby Girls for their hospitality at their bout in March. Thanks to Talulah Wrecks for taking the time to meet with me.

Special thanks to Fearlis, N Heat, and Jennifer Love Screw It for their honest and inspiring words. Thank you Jennifer for inviting me into your home and for so vividly sharing your passion about this sport. And thanks to the entire Golden State Roller Girls team for wel-coming me into your world without question and helping me understand what it’s like to be a derby girl.

81

From left to right: Fearlis and N Heat below: Jennifer Love Screw It