Welcome to the theatrical, somewhat obscure but wonderful world of roller derby. It is a dynamic, high-octane full contact sport, played on an oval track with the players wearing quad skates (as opposed to rollerblades).
Each team has a player called a ‘jammer’, and it’s her aim to overtake as many members of the opposing team as possible, within two minute periods. The rest of the team have to help their jammer get through, while preventing the opposing team’s jammer from getting points.
Slightly more dramatic than a mere keep-fit activity, the roller derby is an all girl, heavily tactical team sport with the added excitement of competitive violence and witty skate names. The Sheffield Steel Rollergirls (SSRG) are a diverse mixture of students, mums, teachers, and office workers from a range of age groups with a shared enthusiasm for, frankly, kicking some ass on rollerskates.
Originally an American phenomenon, the popularity of the roller derby seems to be spreading like wildfire. Maddy Lamb a.k.a. Parma Violence 101 says, there are teams all over the UK these days, “Everyday it seems like there are new European teams popping up, Berlin and Stuttgart are two notable European teams.” Worldwide, there are more than 1000 teams, on every continent of the world.
Picture: Jason Ruffell
It has even become so popular that the guys want a piece of the action. “I think to begin with it seemed like a totally different sport,” Lamb says.
”Guys being guys were a lot more about how fast you could go, and how hard you can hit, but I think they are now starting to see that the girls way may be more effective, using more tactics and positional blocking.”
Roller derby is by no means just rollerskating in circles, it is acutely tactical and uses each and every team member to score points. The sport has also become more well-known since the 2009 film Whip It, directed by and starring Drew Barrymore. “It really helped to raise awareness of the sport and that the league does actually exist.” says Lamb.
A tender, funny coming of age story, Whip It follows Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) through teenage rebellion, first romance and discovering the underground, exciting world of the roller derby. Cavendar is enthralled by the thrill of the sport, but also finds the support she is looking for and a sense of belonging as part of a team. Lamb says, “The camaraderie in the film is something that I think you will find at Sheffield Steel Roller Girls.”
Lamb emphasised the appeal and importance of the more theatrical element of the sport, including skate names, allowing the players to assume a whole new identity when they’re skating. “I guess it lets people act differently than they perhaps would in every day life.”
This is what the sport is at first glance: a show, a theatrical production, bouts dubbed creatively and cleverly with names like the recent ‘Cirque du Slay’, with members of the Sheffield team assuming identities such as Skate Crasher, Marianne Faithkill and Eva Von Gorier. It’s almost superhero-like, giving women the opportunity to be a student, mother or dental nurse by day and then someone completely different by night. On the SSRG official website, each team-member is introduced with creative biographies dripping with savvy word play and tongue in cheek metaphor.
The description of team member Mallory Hard-Knox reads: “Born bad, there is no way to overcome Mallory’s fearsome track presence. To look into her face is to gaze upon the cold, lifeless eyes of a shark, the bloodied tusks of a crazed boar, and the snarling maw of a hungry gator.”
The girls compete in daring outfits, warpaint, their intimidatingly cool skate names emblazoned across their backs.
Usually, the secret identity of the superhero lifestyle is a lonely one, having to permanently mask your double life from the outside world, but a really striking feature of the sport is the fact that the roller derby is nothing like the solitary lifestyle of your average superhero, as it appears to be a very open, social atmosphere to be a part of.
Picture: Jason Ruffell
Ryan J Finnigan was lucky enough to attend a derby and the thing he picked up on most in his online article ‘Sheffield Steel Rollergirls or: Why Roller Derby is Sheffield’s Best Sport’ more than anything else was the “festival atmosphere, the punk spirit”. There is a sense of community, a team effort as well as a bond with the other teams they’re competing against. All in all, this article gives the impression that the team looks like a pretty marvelous thing to be a part of.
Roller Derby appears to be a dangerous hobby, according to Ms Violence 101 who had to take a year and a half out due to a nasty knee injury.
There is “an odd habit of a rollergirl displaying her injury or bruise like a chav would an ASBO,” she says.
Wearing your injury like a badge of honour may not seem to fit in with your typical girly activity.
This is a far cry from cheerleading ladies and gentlemen, and it’s definitely no trip to the spa.
The SSRG are not just pretty faces, and take their sport seriously, wearing their injuries with pride, a sisterly camaraderie for the girl who’s anything but average.
Although Lamb stresses that it’s not actually as barbaric as it could come across, Whip It is criticised slightly for showing moves that would not be allowed in a normal derby.
“There were a few dodgy moves pulled on the track in the movie that I think if we put into practice we would be sent off by the refs straight away. No punching or clotheslining, I’m sorry to disappoint.”
The team also train specifically to preserve their safety, “how to fall small so as not to trip other players over, and getting used to falling on your protective gear rather than your bottom.”
Yet the list of injuries Lamb mentioned seems to be really quite severe. “A broken collar bone, dislocated shoulders, split chins and chipped teeth.”
According to Lamb, the sport also includes an “awesome social scene with some pretty inspiring ladies from all walks of life.” The sport seems to be a celebration of femininity.
It’s smart, it’s competitive, it’s dangerous, it’s a little bit theatre and a little bit punk, but it’s also a community. The camaraderie is palpable. It’s also way more than just a sport on skates.
It’s a celebration of the fact that femininity can mean a whole range of things including multiple identities, women from all walks of life, a range of age and backgrounds coming together and enjoying being a team.
The roller derby spirit is something quite unique, being a rollergirl seems to be something special, and hopefully the sport will continue to pick up in popularity.
The Sheffield Steel Rollergirls currently have a movie themed charity 2012 calendar on sale, with proceeds going to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
Visit www.sheffieldsteelrollergirls.com for details and more information on the team.
Additionally, to see the rollergirls live in action, the first public home bout of the new year is on January 28 at Ponds Forge.
Thanks for the great article. one small correction our first bout next year is January 28th. Tickets will be on sale soon so make sure you check out our website. Hope to see you then
Sorry about that – we’ve made the change to the article. Thanks for letting us know!