Double the derby

Photos by Ivelina Yakimova

Saturday was one of the best days of derby in 2012. Over in Germany, the Auld Reekie Roller Girls and Glasgow Roller Derby were bouting against the best teams Europe had to offer. Closer to home, Dundee Roller Girls and Granite City Roller Girls held a double header in the City of Discovery.

First up was Granite City’s Northern Fights, who took on the Newcastle Roller Girls travel team, the Canny Belters. With GCRG dealing with a lot of issues this year in finding a suitable home venue, DISC became their base for the day, and their cheering support made it sound like they were back up north.

In a fitting tribute, GCRG carried their team flag, complete with the number 69, in honour of Frost Damage, who is currently in a critical condition in hospital in Aberdeen and continuing to fight her way back to health. Many members of the team also wore snowflakes in tribute to Frost.

The Canny Belters started off strong, winning lead for the first few bouts, but Aberdeen weren’t going to let them run away with the bout. Some hard hits on the visitors and main jammers Rockn Riot, Clinically Wasted and Crimson Chaos getting lead brought the scores close.

For the entire bout the scores stayed within 20 points, with the winners changing seemingly after each jam. At halftime the score was 69-59 in GCRG’s favour, but everyone in attendance knew that with the way the bout was going, the win was still very much up for grabs.

The last two minutes were possibly the most nail-biting moments of a bout I’ve ever been at. With just 1.30 on the clock, the score was tied at 120. The penultimate jam saw Ruby Riot get lead and score a single point, meaning that it was down to the last jam.

Clinically Wasted was the jammer for GCRG and when Newcastle’s jammer dropped her star panty, the home crowd went nuts. But the Geordies recovered and managed to score four points, giving them the win and sending the supporters nuts!!

Next up was Dundee’s Silvery Tazers, who were looking to complete their 100% undefeated home run for 2012. Facing them was Severn Roller Torrent, all the way from Gloucestershire.

Most of the first half was a closely fought contest, with the score at one point tied at 62 apiece. Severn fielded a lot of heavy hitters, who were determined to hold back the Dundee jammers.

Dundee used Dr Carnage, Harleen Quinzell and Sabre Tooth, with Milky stepping in on occasion. With Dundee’s jammers gaining more experience all the time, they looked comfortable following default strategy, knocking their way through the Severn walls, which weren’t easy to break.

A power jam took the bout into half time, when the score was 93 Dundee, 62 SRT.

The second half saw Dundee extend their lead, holding Severn back and stopping them from scoring.

A couple of panty passes – including a dropped panty – for Severn failed to have the desired effect, and Dundee continued to pull ahead, spurred on by the noisy home crowd.

Psychomilky managed to narrowly avoid ejection from the game, racking up six trips to the bin. But strong jams by her near the end of the bout redeemed her.

Final score of the day was 170 to 106 for Dundee.

It was a great day of derby, showcasing some of the country’s best skaters and acted as a great inspiration for wannabe derby girls in attendance.

Chronicling roller derby…

Earlier this year, I was given the opportunity to speak to Ellie from Glasgow Roller Derby, aka Cheap Skate, about her plans to set up a National Roller Derby Museum in the city. Located in the Women’s Library, it would show the history of Scottish and UK derby, featuring items donated by leagues.

However, putting together an exhibition taking in that much information was too much for one woman to take on, so Ellie put a call out to other skaters in the hopes that someone could offer some help. One of the people who answered was Auld Reekie Roller Girls’ Bint Imperial, known in everyday life as Kirstie Meehan.

She explained: “I first heard about the NMRD through an email that Ellie sent to Auld Reekie Roller Girls, in which she discussed its aims and what she wanted it to be, and also asking for donations.

“I’m an archivist by profession, so I loved the idea of saving material relating to the early years of roller derby in the UK, so that it wasn’t lost. I volunteered to be ARRG’s liaison, and I turned up to the launch of the NMRD at Glasgow Women’s Library. I met Ellie there, and got asked to co-curate (with Cara Viola and Maulin Rouge of Glasgow Roller Derby) the first exhibition about roller derby in the UK, staged at the GWL.”

The exhibition at the library has recently finished, but Bint added that she hoped to stay involved with the National Museum of Roller derby, “advising on its future and working with the material”.

“The NMRD is still in the early stages, but we’ve already had significant donations of derby-related material from leagues all over the UK, and even from abroad. So the collection – ranging from bout programmes to photographs to costumes and kit – is growing all the time.

“We’re hoping to continue attracting donations, so that we can build up a historical record of roller derby as it develops in the UK.”

Among the items on display were early bout programmes, derby kit (which Bint assured me had been washed before put in the exhibition!!), photorgraphs and even a film of a jam. The materials have become the property of the Glasgow Women’s Library, but, Bint added, it may travel to other locations in future.

And Bint added that she felt the exhibition had helped to raise the profile of the sport. “The reception has been amazing, both from the roller derby community and from the general public. The exhibition we staged at the Glasgow Women’s Library was a great success, and raised awareness of roller derby. I’m sure a few people have been inspired to take it up since!”

But, just because the exhibition is over doesn’t mean that there is no more interest in keeping an archive of derby materials that will help flesh out the sport’s history for the future.

“The GWL would love to receive more derby-related material from skaters, fans and leagues – if you’ve got anything you think says something about roller derby in the UK and you don’t mind parting with it, contact the lovely archive staff at the GWL. They’d love to hear from you!”

Preserving the history of UK derby for the future

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to sit down with Cheap Skate, aka Ellie Harrison, a Glasgow Roller Derby skater who has undertaken the task of establishing a UK roller derby museum, with the aim of archiving as much about the sport as possible.

Cheap Skate started skating with GRD in January and instantly became hooked. But for her it was more than just skating.

“It came about as a result of learning about roller derby and as a result of being asked to work with the Women’s Library, which has been going for 20 years and is currently based in the Mitchell Library. It’s an archive of women’s history or things that relate to the history of women. Everything in the library has been donated, so the entire collection is based on this ethos of collective ownership – if everyone donates, everyone feels a part of it.”

The library, one of two archives dedicated to women’s history in the UK, is continuing to thrive and will be moving into its own venue later this year.

For the 20th anniversary, Cheap Skate was one of 20 artists invited to work with them, and during her work there, she noticed how much amazing stuff was there.

“I started to question why people weren’t going there,” she explained, “and what I could do to help spread the word and make it more inviting to younger women.

“All of that was happening at the same time as I was learning about roller derby.”

Noticing the similaries between the library’s collective ownership ethos and derby’s “by the skaters, for the skaters” mentality, she realised that it would be a good fit together.

“I also realised that because it is a new sport, and the people who are doing it are so busy doing it, there is no-one making sure this story is told.

Mistress Malicious, one of the founders, recently officially opened the museum in the library.

From bout programmes to merchandise, there is a lot of items being created that run the risk of being lost in the backs of drawers or as committees evolve over the years.

“The good thing about the library is that it’s an accredited museum and is open to the public.”

She added: “Since I’ve started talking to people about this, I’ve learned that there’s so many people who are archivists or librarians, so that’s been a great help.”

Cheap Skate said she wanted every league in Scotland, if not the whole of the UK to be represented in the museum, and in an exhibition they are running from the 22nd of September to the 13th of October, called the “Revolution on Roller Skates”, curated by GRD and ARRG skaters.

“It’s only really going to grow and realise its potential if people donate and keep it going.

“Anything relating to leagues in the UK, we want.”

The museum will have a stall at Chaos on the Clyde in Kelvinhall on the 25th and 26th of August, where skaters and league members can chat to people from the library and possibly be interviewed and photographed as part of the archive.

Ultimately, Cheap Skate admitted that she would like to see the museum live up to its name, and become the National Museum of Roller Derby, which chronicles all of the UK derby scene.

“I hope that the collection will build and build, and leagues will get used to it being there and want to become a part of the documented history of UK roller derby. It will become valuable for the UK, for Scotland and for the women’s library. The collection could then travel and create awareness for the sport and have a life of its own.”

Any leagues interested in being a part of the museum – and really, why would you not? – can visit http://www.nmrd.org.uk for more details. The museum also has a Facebook page.

Co-ed derby…it’s not just for the girls

The creation of the Jakey Bites, Scotland’s first men’s roller derby team, has created an interesting aspect of roller derby, bringing the boys off the sidelines and onto the track.

I was lucky enough to attend the first Dundee Roller Girls scrim session that included members of the Jakey Bites, who were preparing for their first bout.

Beforehand, some of the girls I had spoken to were a bit apprehensive about it; others were really up for it. Some thought that the boys would cause more damage on track, others thought it would be great fun. And besides, the boys weren’t as experienced as a lot of the girls.

Everyone who was there seemed to have a great time, and as a spectator, it was interesting to see the difference between guys and girls on track, what the physical differences between men and women brought to, and took away from, the performances.

An interesting observance made to me by a Jakey not that long ago emphasises this point. He told me that men don’t do as much hip checking as women. The fact is, that men don’t have “hips” per se, their waists are narrow while their shoulders are wide, so they will go for a shoulder/side hit. But this may be where co-ed derby can help shape merby strategy: men skating with women can see how moves like hip checks can be effective and start incorporating that into training sessions. And with most male skaters not using hip checks, it could become an interesting tactic that can give a men’s team an edge.

I asked for the thoughts of some fellow skaters (male and female) and although it was mostly positive, there were some concerns.

Fierce Valley’s Frocky Horror said: “ Being a Jakey wife I have seen first hand the damage that boys can do to each other, so I wouldn’t be happy bouting or scrimming with boys. Having said that at FVRG we trained with our refs and learned to hit with them too. We don’t do that now, just right at the start.”

During my time at the Fair City Rollers, this was our situation too. Danimal, our league’s guy ref, often trained with us, to the point where no one really batted an eyelid when we saw him lacing up his skates.

Dundee Roller Girl Gadget said: “I understand the reservations that some female skaters have about skating with boys. I have done it at DRG before and found it be just as much fun as skating with girls. As it stands now, games are more about tactics than just going out and hitting each other. There is much less hitting than there was when I first started. Legal target zones are always an issue, regardless of sex. If you take Psychomilly for example, she’s our tallest skater and struggles with legal target zones, yet is an amazing blocker and hits harder than anyone I know. I think both sides have much to gain from playing co-ed.”

Nasty Nessie Cherry Bow added: “I feel that women have reached a point now where we can comfortably compete and play alongside with our male counterparts on the track. Women can hit hard and are fast just as there are women who are slower and more tactical. We come in all shapes and sizes and so do the men! There are female skaters out there who weigh more than a male skater (myself included) who can take a hit and stay put regardless if that hit is from a man or a woman. Equally we can give as well as receive and I know there’s a few men out there who have been sent flying by a well placed hit from a female skater. Additionally I think this will bring more men into the sport and we need all the fresh blood we can get to make sure this fantastic sport keeps going and evolving.”

She even added that she felt there should be co-ed bouts, which would allow for a “new dimension of play”.

However, a lot of the men don’t take for granted that their presence at scrims will be welcomed.

Former Jakey Bite and long-time GCRG ref Buffy Boiler explained: “In my opinion co-ed is fine on the proviso that everyone, boys and girls, knows what they’re getting into and that there is absolutely no stigma attached to people saying they’re not comfortable with doing it. I would never expect to just rock up to a girls league scrim session and be welcomed to play – it would have to be something agreed in advance.”

Whether or not there will be co-ed derby bouts remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure…men will be welcomed by many at scrims in the future.

Fair City Rollers vs Wakey Wheeled Cats

This Saturday (June 9) the Fair City Rollers bout team, the Fear Maidens will take on the Wakey Wheeled Cats at Bells Sports Centre, Perth.

This will be a rematch, following a bout down south last September. And Maidens captain, Pistol Panties says the team is ready to face their Yorkshire counterparts again.

She said: “It’s probably the most exciting and anticipated bout we have because that was my first bout coming back to FCR and I was made captain.

“So them coming up to play us, we’re interested to see how they’ve improved and they’ll be interested to see if we’ve improved. We are hoping to get a better score this time round, because last time half the team were playing in their first bout.

“And it will be really nice to see them because we we had so much fun at the afterparty and they’re a great group of girls.”

And the Fear Maidens have been working hard to prepare for the bout.

Pistol Panties added: “We’ve been practising a lot and just trying to focus our energy into mentally preparing because there are some people who are fairly new to the team, as well as the more seasoned players.

“We’ve taken feedback from the last few bouts and as far as tactics are concerned we’ve been focusing on default strategy and get our jammers more experienced and improve on our last bout.”

Doors open at 2.30pm on Saturday and entry costs £6.

Popping your bout cherry…

For most skaters, the first time you bout fills you with a mixture of fear and excitement.

You have worked for months to take your place on your league’s bout team, passing mins and then getting to grips with tactics, scrimming as much as possible and talking to more experienced skaters to get hints, tips and advice. You know, deep down, you are ready.

However, as bout day draws nearer, chances are the nerves will start to set in. Skating in front of a crowd, playing well, heck even what you choose to wear on the day can create doubt and nerves.

For Reggie Reg, the Fair City Rollers’ newest bouting member, the trick was to not let the nerves get the best of her during her first bout recently, when the Fear Maidens took on Granie City Roller Girls’ Northern Fights in Scrimmage of the Damned.

Here, Reggie Reg gives an insight to bouting for the first time, and offers advice to any skaters preparing to compete in their virgin bout.

*How long had you been skating before the bout?

Six months

* What was the best advice you got for bouting and who gave it to you?

On the day of the bout, Jill Antonic told me to just enjoy myself; that it didn’t matter if we win or lose; that there is no league table; and that at the end of the day it was all about having fun. This made me feel much less anxious but at the same time motivated me to give it my best!!

* What was your “getting ready” ritual on the day?

Porridge and banana for breakfast, some stretches in the morning to loosen me up, fake tan and lots of dramatic zombie makeup; and I walked quickly to Bells to get rid of some nervous energy!!

* What did you like most about bouting?

I liked feeling part of the team; I loved having my team shirt with my name on it; I liked using all the skills I had learned during training; I liked feeling that I was making a difference to how the team was playing!

* How did it feel going out and competing in front of people?

After the mortification of falling in front of my fans during the skate out, I totally forgot about everyone watching when it came to competing.

* What bit did you not like?

Falling during the skate out!!!

* What advice would you offer first-time bouters?

During the skate out, look at where you are going instead of the people watching! Also, everyone gets nervous but too much can be debilitating. You just need to keep calm and remember that everyone in the sport is very supportive, even the opposing team. So just have fun and do your best!!

Photo by BoutDay.com

Bout preview: Fair City Rollers vs Granite City Roller Girls

 

 

In what should be a brilliant bout, the Fair City Rollers Fear Maidens will take on the Granite City Roller Girls Northern Fights in Perth this weekend in the Scrimmage of the Damned.

This is the second of four home bouts planned for 2012 for the Fear Maidens, who have been working hard to prepare for what is bound to be a hard-hitting and high scoring contest.

With a small number of skaters available, FCR have recruited three guest skaters from the Fierce Valley Roller Girls – Fun Ghoul, Deep Fried Pixxie and Jo Anarchy – to join the fun.

Scrimmage of the Damned will take place on Sunday (April 22) at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth, doors open at 1.30pm.

Newbie bootcamps…how they can help skaters grow and improve

Last weekend, I, and around 50 other skaters from leagues around the country, took part in the Glasgow Roller Derby newbie bootcamp. Afterwards, tired and sore, I lay in a bath and reflected on the day. And for me, it was a boost of not just my skills, but also my confidence.

When I first heard about GRD’s bootcamp, designed to help newbies pass their minimums, I was excited. I’d been stuck in a bit of a skating plateau, and felt this was what would clear the mental block and get me through my tests.

However, the closer it came to April 7, the more nervous I got. I had never really skated with people from other leagues, what if they were miles better than I was, what if I looked like an idiot, what if I couldn’t keep up with what we were doing, OH MY GOD I’M SKATING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE FROM GRD, WHO ARE AWESOME!! My brain was turning me into a ball of panic and anxiety, and I was powerless to stop it. Nightmare!!

Thankfully, a couple of nights before, I voiced my fears to a member of my league, who told me to “do what you could, take breaks when you need to, but get back up and keep going”. This simple sentence worked wonders, and on the day it kept resonating in my brain. It was not about other people, I just had to do the best I could and learn as much as I could.

On the day, the nerves continued as I approach ARC. But inside, I saw the many other girls who had made the trip to Glasgow and realised that many, if not all, were probably feeling the same way I was.

After filling in waivers, we were called on track for a group warm up. I will admit, I wasn’t at my best. The nerves, coupled with an unknown floor (it was my first time skating at ARC) and new wheels (I had borrowed some slim wheels to try out) had me unsteady on my feet. But I got used to it and managed to keep up with the knee falls, stops and baseball slides.

Then, much to my relief, we were allowed to pick whether we went into a basic, or more advanced group. The relief was, we got to pick ourselves, based on how we felt about our capabilities. Had the coaches singled me out and put me in a group I didn’t think matched my abilities, I would have been mortified.

And it was down to business. Throughout the day, we covered laterals, a lot of hitting (lateral hits, close hits), positional blocking, keeping your feet moving (having Viper up your ass screaming “FEET! FEET! FEET!” as you made your way between two pacelines was a daunting experience), transitions and much more. At every step, there were a number of GRD skaters helping, talking you through it, giving demonstrations and advice.

It was a hardcore day, that pushed me to my limit. And as I said earlier, by the end of it I was sore, knackered and incredibly smelly. All I wanted after was a bath, a meal and my bed (which is pretty much how the rest of my evening went).

Here’s the thing…It was probably the best thing I could have done for my skills and confidence. Yes, there were times I had to come off track and stretch my leg (which had been giving me a bit of bother earlier in the week) but I remembered what I was told, took the time and then got back on track. And yes, there are some things that I didn’t manage to master and will need to continued to work on. But I got to meet some new people, see how other skaters were developing (and yes, for every skater that was ahead of me, skills-wise, there was one who wasn’t as advanced as I was), and I got to learn and practice skills that I will use on-track for as long as I do derby. I was taught by some of the best skaters in Scotland, and actually got praise from them!! I broke through that wall that was stopping me from improving, by staying in the game and not letting either my brain or my physical limitations defeat me (although I did have to stop about 20 minutes from the end when my leg decided that it had had enough). I also got advice on nutrition, equipment and being a newbie going through the process of passing minimums.

I know that I’ve got a long way to go, but this bootcamp has shown me that I can do it…if I can skate for nearly seven hours and not pass out, suffer serious injury or die, I can get passed my minimums and hopefully become a pretty kick-ass skater.

Thanks again to Glasgow Roller Derby and to newbies out there….the next time you see a newbie bootcamp, sign up. You won’t regret it.

Fair City Rollers Fresh Meat Night and Scottish Scrims

Hot off the heels of their recent bout against ARRG’s Cannon Belles, Perth’s FCR will host a recruitment night and scrims session.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 27), the Fair City Rollers will hold their Fresh Meat recruitment night, open to women over 18 who want to join the team, and men over 18 who would like to referee. There isn’t even any basic skating skills required, so even if the last time you were on skates they had My Little Pony on the side (like mine when I was youngster) you can come along and give it a try.

The Fresh Meat session will be held in Bell’s Sports Centre from 7pm to 8pm. Anyone interested in coming along should email faircityrollersrecruitment@gmail.com so that the league can bring along their spare kit.

And immediately after Fresh Meat, FCR will host an open Scottish mixed scrims, where some of the best skaters from around the country will meet and play together. Scrims will be held between 8pm and 10pm.

FCR chairperson Terryfying Tink said: “It’s a great opportunity for skaters from all scottish leagues to get together, to learn from each other and have some fun.”

FCR hopes to see lots of skaters there!!

A chat with Brim Stone

When I was given the assignment to speak to Brim Stone I was so excited. But I knew I had to suppress my inner fangirl to take care of the job at hand. However, I couldn’t help but gush a little bit.

Brim, known to her intimates as Kayla Wilkins, skated as part of Team Canada during the 2011 World Cup and also skates for CN Power, the Toronto Roller Derby travel team, and Gore-Gore Rollergirls, Toronto’s home team.

Just starting her sixth year in derby, Brim admitted that she had “never understood the appeal of team sports” before giving roller derby a chance, although she did take part in horseback riding when she was younger.

On track, her favoured position is Pivot, and aside from concussion, she has managed to avoid any serious injuries.

Asking someone who has come so far and achieved so much for a list of their derby idols might seem a bit ridiculous, but everyone looks up to someone and Brim was no exception. “Bonnie Thunders and Joy Collision are at the top of my list right now, but I have so many!  There are so many great skaters out there.”

Making the cut for Team Canada was no easy task. Brim explained that multiple tryouts were held across the country.

“There was a fitness component (push ups, sit ups, agility test, beep test, etc.), a derby skills component, and a mark given for scrimmaging.  Coach Pauly made a long-list at each tryout, and then chose a team of 20 from that list.”

After surviving the gruelling “audition” process, Brim said she was “shocked” to make the team. “I wanted to make the team so badly, and I was so honoured to be put on the roster to represent my country.”

She added: “It [making Team Canada] wasn’t always a goal – I wasn’t very competitive when I started derby – so it was something that developed over time.  I had thought about what an amazing opportunity that would be before the World Cup though, so when it became a possibility I wanted to put everything I had into the tryouts.”

And once at the World Cup, Brim Stone was keen to get stuck in, although she didn’t get to play against everyone.

“I wanted to play against all of the teams!  I really didn’t have a lot of knowledge of what the other teams would be like, so I was looking forward to that challenge.  I have to admit that I did really want to play against the USA, but I wasn’t chosen for that particular roster.  That was ok though, in a team sport the team always has to come first to be successful, and sometimes the best thing you can do as a player is to be the best cheerleader for your team!  And now I’ve got a better idea of what skills I need to work on to be a better skater in the future.”

Despite her preference for playing Pivot, Brim found herself on track jamming a lot during the competition.

“So, my personal best moment was a jamming moment for sure – I took hip off of my team mate Windigo’s shirt, and swung into the inside track, on one leg, and managed to save it and skate out of the front of the pack!  It was so fun!”

And cheering her all the way into the final was her support system, which included her parents, who travelled from their home two and a half hours north of Toronto, an aunt and uncle who flew in from Alberta, Brim’s derby-playing partner, and some of her team-mates from Toronto Roller Derby.

And what did Brim think that first time she heard the Canadian national anthem played?

“It was great – after 5 years of playing derby, I now associate the national anthem with ‘go’ time!  It was especially important hearing it at an international event.”

Following the World Cup, Brim left with a lot of lessons learned, but cites one as the top of the list.

“The most significant was the importance of bringing the international derby community together in one place.  Incredible!  Every country can learn so much from Team USA – how they operate on and off the track – and I think that will push us all to move the sport forward much faster.”

But the competition wasn’t just all business, and Brim shared her favourite part of the experience, off-skates.

“For me it was all of the support and encouragement I received from my ToRD league mates.  That was what was driving me to do the best that I could do on the track because I wanted to make them proud.”

And Brim told me when I asked if she was aiming for total victory at the next World Cup: “Iam always aiming for total victory!!”

* Photo used with kind permission of Sean Murphy. For more of his images, visit his website at www.womenofderby.com.