When I was a kid, roller derby was extremely popular, airing on weekends and making household names of skaters like Skinny Minnie Miller. It was a rough and tumble game that featured women skating on small, elevated tracks, and flying over the railings. It was more entertainment than sport, and lost popularity as wrestling, using the same formula, took hold. Roller derby still exists these days, and I have seen teams and games advertised on my travels, but I have never had the chance to watch one until now, in Alaska of all places.
Roller derby consists of leagues, and there are 455 leagues around the world, all under the auspices of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Each league has several teams that might play each other over the season, or take on teams from nearby leagues. Rankings are maintained worldwide, and there seems to be tournaments held to declare champions, but clear documentation is difficult to find. In Anchorage, the league is known as Rage City, and I only found about them by checking Wikipedia for sports in Alaska. Rage City has a B team called Sockeye Sallys, who were hosting the Boom Town Derby Dames from Wasilla in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, about an hour from Anchorage.
The bout was being held at the O'Malley Sports Complex, a small collection of sports facilities that includes a trampoline park. Having driven over from Alaska Airlines Center, I arrived a bit late and was astounded at the number of cars in the parking lot. Were all these people here for roller derby? Well, not all, but most. It seems to be more popular than the college sports, with at least 600 people on hand (again, there is no game summary, so actual attendance is unknown). Tickets at the door were $15, but of course, there are no actual tickets, just a smiley face is written on your hand. One section is reserved for adults and requires ID as beer is served. The other section is for families and there were plenty of those too. The track was simply outlined on a basketball court with green tape (visible above). The benches nearest the track are labelled Suicide Seating and you have to be 18 or older to sit there, though I never saw any skater come close to hitting a fan.
Roller derby rules are simple. Each 15-member team has five skaters on the track: a jammer who wears a star on her helmet and who is the only one who can score points, three blockers, and a pivot, wearing a striped helmet, who blocks to start but can become a jammer if passed the star. Bouts consist of two 30-minute halves, with the clock running non-stop unless a time-out is called. Each half is comprised of several two-minute jams. The jam begins with both jammers trying to break free of their opposition blockers, who can use their hips, rear, and shoulders to block. The first jammer to succeed legally (without going out of bounds or committing a foul) is called the lead jammer and gets a point for each opposition member she passes on the next go around. The lead jammer can call off the jam at any time, and often does so after scoring points and before the trailing jammer has had a chance to reach the pack. There are penalties that require the offender to spend 30 seconds in the box, which gives quite an advantage to the other team.
There was a program with both rosters, and each skater is listed only by a nickname, which is either slightly risqué (HellaButt, Franny Panties), slightly violent (Lorelei Kill-More, Pain Maker Sally), or just odd (So Sorry..., Cornfed). Even the coaches and officials avoid real names; the clock guy is Time Lord, which makes sense at least.
The bout turned out to be the most exciting event of my weekend in Anchorage. Boom Town was losing 121-120 as the last jam began, but they managed to get the lead jammer and she skated past the four Sockeye blockers, ending the jam as the clock expired to give the Derby Dames the win. I have no idea how this impacts either team, but I really enjoyed the experience.
With 455 leagues around the world, I'll definitely keep my eye open for other events while traveling. New York's league is called Gotham Girls and they have eight teams, with one bout per month from March through June. There are leagues throughout the States, so if you are looking for something different, check out the WFTDA Leagues page and try to find a bout near you. Every league seems to be looking for officials and coaches as well, so if you want to get involved in a sport that doesn't demand too much of your time, this could be an ideal fit, and certainly give you something to talk about at your next party.
Best,
Sean
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