Diary of a Derby Girl {The Beginning}

Back in 2010 a group of friends and I were looking for something to do on a Saturday evening. Somehow, we ended up packed into a noisy stadium, on uncomfortable tiered bench seats, surrounded by screaming men, women and children wearing a rainbow of colours supporting their favourite team. Rugby? Far from it! We were at a Roller Derby Bout!

All I knew of the sport was that it was an all-girl game on roller skates. I hadn't seen the movie Whip-it (a must see!) or heard anything else about it. The bout (the derby term for game) was an inter-league smackdown to win the Tequila Mockingbird Cup. The teams? Cell-Block Brawlers vs Carnage Acadamy.

The players were introduced by the MC and they rolled onto the track wearing an assortment of ripped tights with short shorts or mini skirts and singlets in their teams colours. They had knee-pads, elbow-pads, wrist guards, helmets and mouthguards. Each singlet had their derby name on it and their chosen number. Names like Rogue Runner, Lawless-Mess, Yank-Tank.

There was a rundown of the game (more on that later) and the teams then lined up for their safety check. Once it was confirmed that all padding was in place the girls lined up for the first jam (derby term for a round or 2min or less). Once the whistle blew all hell broke loose. The teams were in packs trying to stop the other teams Jammer getting through and when that failed, they tried to help theirs break through.

Girls fell, they got wiped out, they performed maneouvers you wouldn't think possible. IT.WAS.AWESOME!

That night I had the time of my life and went home buzzing. It was right up my alley to join but I shrugged it off because my schedule was too jam packed with commitments. I kept following the games that season and got familiar with the rules and the action.



...Stay tuned for the next installment of Diary of a Derby Girl {The Nudge}