Photo by Cole Breiland
Thunder Bay Roller Derby League kicks ass, takes names, and is ready for more
Stacey Goyan
News Editor
It doesn’t take long for derby to evangelize you. Surrounded by drama props and music stands, fifteen women skate in a taped oval in the basement of the old Eaton’s Centre. They zip past in an intense blur of fishnets and stripes.
Two skaters come up from behind, wearing “panties” on their helmets marked with a star—they are the jammers. These women fight through the pack of “blockers” to get through and eventually score a point for their team – that is, if they’re not knocked out by members of the opposing team. They hit each other, they fall flat on their faces, and they laugh uncontrollably while doing it. This is roller derby.
The Birth of Derby
Roller derby is said to have been birthed by Leo Slatzer in 1930s Chicago. It began in the form of marathon roller skating, in which a team of one male and one female would take turns skating 57,000 laps or 4,000 miles.
Once it was suggested that body contact would boost audience attendance, Slatzer revised the sport to look more like what is seen today. Despite this, the sport experienced a decline during the ‘70s, but saw a resurgence with the introduction of aggressive all female teams.
Two distinct forms of derby emerged: flat track and bank track. Bank track, a form of derby on a slanted elevated surface, has been popularized through films like “Whip It,” and televisions shows such as “Rollergirl.”
Flat track is considered the more athletic of the two, requiring skaters to rely more on their own abilities than the track. As well, flat tracks can be set up anywhere and involve very minimal start-up costs. This means that sponsors aren’t necessary, giving more control to the individual skaters on how their team is run.
In 2004, a small number of flat track teams gathered to form the United Leagues Coalition. By 2005, the league had amassed over 30 teams and changed its name to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The WFTDA coordinates games and provides insurance and resources for flat track teams.
Thunder Bay got its first taste of roller derby in November 2008 when Judzilla, a new girl in town, decided she wanted to make some new friends. She gathered a group of women and held some meetings. After teaching themselves the sport, they shared their experiences with new skaters, spawning the Thunder Bay Roller Derby League. Once they had honed their skills, they formed the Babes of Thunder, their first full competitive team.
Recently, the Babes competed against Winnipeg’s Murder City Maidens in a “First Blood” bout. Despite losing the match, the Babes say they are happy with their performance. “We made them work for their points,” says Brandy Poulice, a.k.a. Brandy Brews.
Home, not-so-sweet home?
It’s not easy coordinating derby in Thunder Bay. The girls found a home this summer at the Penalty Box, but once the rink was flooded for winter, they retreated to the basement of the old Eaton’s centre in downtown Port Arthur.
The track is formed with tape around three cement pillars that threaten to painfully halt a distracted skater in her tracks. As well, because the floor is tiled, the surface is much more slippery, making control more difficult than on a regulation surface. This makes holding games a challenge during the winter months. It’s a safety issue that the girls have to keep in mind; as one skater put it, “it’s frankly dangerous.”
So why not go somewhere else? Because no one will have them. The skaters are turned down from better facilities because owners fear damage from the skating and the rough play they see in Hollywood movies.
The girls say these ideas are misconceptions. Most roller derby skates are designed to not cause marks on surfaces, thus preventing damage. As well, there are no WWE style fights in this form of derby. The Babes of Thunder emphasize strategy and skill over crude blows and flat out violence. Regardless, finding sufficient practice space has proven a lingering challenge for the league.
This is not “Whip It”
Ladies looking to deliver a solid blow to the face will not find what they are looking for in Thunder Bay’s roller derby scene. While the league acknowledges the general accuracy of Drew Barrymore’s directorial hit “Whip It,” they are quick to point out the differences between the two different styles of derby.
First of all, forget throwing blows to the face. Babes of Thunder play a distinctly different type of roller derby called flat track, as opposed to the bank track featured in Barrymore’s film. In a flat track game, tripping or hitting with the arm is considered a minor penalty. A player who accumulates too many penalties will get sent off the track for a one-minute time out. Fighting or gross misconduct will get a player thrown out of the game.
Second, it’s not just about fashion and attitude. As Jolene Desbiens, aka Snach Drag’n, points out, “people forget we are athletes [and that] this is an athletic sport.” By the end of the practice, the girls’ hair is matted and their makeup starts to mingle with streams of sweat. Some Facebook pictures even boast markings from where fishnets have dug into their legs and left lingering marks. Despite this, women just old enough to drink play alongside middle-aged moms in the league, often with equal ability.
Third, and most importantly, derby isn’t a one-size-fits-all sport. Virtually every skater in “Whip It” fits the slender Hollywood female stereotype, as exemplified by Ellen Paige. Derby welcomes women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels. “This is the only sport… that is all female, where it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like,” says Desbiens. “Nothing matters here; Everybody’s accepted equally.”
Derby girl culture
While it is first and foremost a sport, derby culture emphasizes individuality and camaraderie as much as it does beating other girls up. While “Whip It” emphasizes the glamour and fashion of derby culture, Brandy says that each girl brings their own expectations and experiences to the sport, ultimately resulting in a very unique manifestation of their derby girl persona.
Self-definition plays a large part in derby. The skater name has become tied to the sport and the icon of the derby girl. Sometimes a skater will pick something significant from their past, emphasizing personal experience. Other names emphasize things that are specifically female (Clint Taurus), aggression (Juanna Piece), or just plain funny (Jamburglar). There are no rules about how a skater can name herself. While she may choose a name right away, she is also able to take her time and name herself later on.
The derby girl’s image is her own to create. While the girls do wear team shirts with names and numbers on the back, accessories, hairstyles, and any other form of dress are left to the individual. Some women wear studded belts, fishnets, and skulls, while others simply skate in something comfortable. Snach Drag’n, a spritely blonde woman, skates wearing her signature “snachie” underwear. She says she’s so attached to her fishnet stockings, she wears them under her pants at work.
Sometimes the derby girl doesn’t come out at all. While attitude and a kick-ass persona are hallmarks of the sport, they aren’t requirements. What’s most important about roller derby is the game – the rest is just a bonus.
Wanna be “fresh meat?”
Diane Meronyk, also known as Clint Taurus, wanted to get involved in the league but wasn’t into hitting. Sporting white-and-black derby skins, Diane referees the scrimmages, making sure the girls follow the rules.
“I think that there’s some misconceptions that we’re really violent,” says Meronyk. Even terrifyingly named techniques like the “triangle of death” involve little more than the type of shoulder checks you would see in a hockey game. Two skaters on either side knock the middle girl with their shoulders. The hits aren’t alarmingly hard, and are intended to get the skaters used to the contact.
Moreover, the “fresh meat” decide when they are ready to start hitting and taking hits. The first few practices for a newbie involve learning how to skate and take a fall. A new skater won’t be hit until she says she is ready to be. Pulice says the only pain you’ll feel after the first practice is from the workout.
But before that, a skater needs her derby gear. While the league has spare equipment in the back for those looking to try it out, adequate equipment can range from $200 and up. Skaters require derby style skates, protective pads, helmets, and a mouth guard. The safety of the skater is the main priority.
Once the newbie has her skating down, the girls take the rest fairly slowly. Most of the skaters on the Babes of Thunder are self-taught and share their knowledge with newer skaters. When the skaters feel like they need more practice on something specific, they break off into smaller groups to work on the techniques they feel they need to improve.
While the first group wants to practice snowploughing (a blocking technique), another moves to a darkened corner to work on their tomahawk, which is a quick turn, and a third practices hitting. Males are also welcome to participate in the league, but not in the sport. Men looking to help can serve as coaches, volunteers, or referees.
Looking to the future
Ask any skater and they will agree that what bonds the league together is a friendship that is quick to form, and persistent. Derby is more than just a sport, it’s a sisterhood. Someone without a clue about roller derby could walk in and instantly make fifteen new friends, which is exactly what they are hoping for.
With one bout under their belt, the Babes say they will be looking to improve their skills. Fresh meat coordinator Maarit Wolfe, aka “Kwik E Mart”, says that the league will also be focusing on recruiting more skaters, volunteers, and referees to fortify the team before their next bouts. While no dates are finalized, the Babes of Thunder are hoping to bring the Winnipeg team to Thunder Bay for a few bouts over the summer.
Individuals interested in participating in the Thunder Bay Roller Derby league can find more information on their website, www.tbayrollergirls.com, or come out to their fresh meat information session on Sunday March 28th in the basement of the Eaton’s building.