Why is No One Taking Roller Derby Seriously?

Wow, just the second post in this blog--when I was involved in derby I was too busy... and then I got busier in my work-life... too busy for derby and writing. In any case, here is a post--there may not be another for a while...

There was recently a post in Canadian Derby Frontier (Why Roller Derby is Not Ready for the Olympics) - all of which I agree with. But there are a couple other reasons which are quite obvious so I'm going to address the elephants in the room--things which I'm sure have been brought up by others but I feel bear repeating. And I'm going to address them because I think it's a shame that the sport is not seen by the public as "a sport." It's making it hard for leagues to find practice spaces (especially tough for junior players--which the sport desperately needs to grow), get mentions in mainstream sports reporting or the attention of the public. Why is this? It really should be as prevalent in mainstream sport as hockey or football!

Let's face it, it's still regarded by the public as more of a sideshow--in league with burlesque, lingerie football, whip cream wrestling and pillow fights... with the spectre of Skinny Minnie and staged fights hovering over its' head. 

The athleticism that roller derby requires is what drew me to it initially. It's also been a haven for alternative types and rebels. That's something that also drew me in. Independent, strong women coming together to kick ass! And party, let's not forget the famous after-parties. For some, it's heavy on the latter--not that there's anything wrong with that!

To anyone who remains in the sport beyond the first couple of years, however, getting bench-marked, regularly practising and bouting--you know how physically tough it is and the kind of shape you need to be in to stay in the sport and not get injured. It takes a lot of athletic prowess and dedication--working out and healthy living trump partying for those serious about the sport. And the time and dedication it takes to successfully keep a league going is a labour of love requiring a herculean feat of organization and more than a generous amount of time. It is a sport that deserves to be recognized and taken seriously.

What to do... 

First of all, we have to start using our real names in bouts. You do not need a pseudonym unless you are a "professional" wrestler, stripper, porn star or are mocking the Qur'an. And people will not take you seriously when you use names of alcoholic beverages and make-believe super-heroes; or which are cute metaphors for ass-kicking, sex acts or lady parts. Although many professional athletes have nick-names, with the exception of the aforementioned "professional" wrestlers, these names do not appear on team rosters. (Metta World Peace does not count as he legally changed his name.) And you will not hear mainstream sports announcers talking about a sport where Amber Von Carnage  (name from Roller Derby Name Generator) scored an amazing amount of points in a sensational jam. 

Secondly: while there may be a historical precedence for war paint (and some small  semblance of that remains with the use of zinc oxide sunscreen in outdoor sports; the make-up and crazy costumes should go. You will not see clips of fish-net and scantily clad women in a serious television sports cast. Luckily there is a trend toward more athletic-looking attire on the track that should prove to be more practical for players and less distracting for the audience (it's tough to focus on the game when you're noting fishnets, asses and zombie make-up--as nice as it is!). Why not leave the sideshow antics to the cheerleaders and the half-time shows.

Icon I've actually used in the past...

At the moment, to those that have not actually seen roller derby and for some of those attracted to it; it straddles a line between bawdy entertainment and sport--being heavy on the bawdy entertainment. It's time to get it out of the strip club mentality and into gyms and sports arenas where it belongs and start attracting the attention of a wider audience who can appreciate it for the truly athletic endeavour that it is.

Rulz Vixen Verna Chan,

(in Hiatus) Roller Derby Referee

There’s something for everyone in the world of Derby!

My derby journey started just over a year ago when a woman tentatively approached me after a fitness class I was instructing, and asked if I was interested in helping her start a roller derby team in our small community.  I can honestly say that that thought had never crossed my mind. I was intrigued though. As a person who has always appreciated athleticism and strength (having been a personal trainer for many years with a great love of weight training and pushing athletic boundaries, especially for women) the thought of a sport that required strength, balance, and toughness along with some quick thinking game strategy was definitely interesting to me!

I soon found myself a pair of trad. roller skates at the local thrift store for under $5 and got rolling. Skating on these was an adventure! People down the block could probably hear me coming—the bearings were completely shot and the wheels, well, let’s just say you won’t find those on anyone’s wish list. When I tried on my friend’s derby skates to compare, there was no going back—I pooled my pennies and got the best pair I could afford as soon as possible and was completely hooked!

But now what? I loved skating, but, after watching a couple of bouts with established teams, and after a couple of near-miss falls myself, I had to stop and think about what I was really going to do with this new love. I consider myself pretty tough—especially after instructing boot camps and other classes for many years—but, in order to keep teaching, I had to continue to not be injured and, and at the ripe old age of 52 (and old enough to be some of my team-mates’ grandmother), I have to admit, healing takes longer and becoming a player seemed a bit ridiculous (though in the back of my mind, I’m still considering it ;-).

Watching bouts, I realized there was more than one way to participate—there was even more than one way to skate and still participate! I noticed that refs got a LOT of skating time… check out the jam refs and outside pack refs at the next bout! Not only do these positions require great skating skills and stamina, they require a thorough knowledge of the rules, a keen eye and cool demeanor!



I attended a reffing workshop at a derby boot camp given by one of the nearby leagues and decided to get involved with a bigger league close by. At the earliest opportunity, I joined The Terminal City Roller Girls Authority Figures. Along with other newbie “reflings” for the past few months we’ve been busy working on our skating skills, learning rules and getting to know each other—we’ve just gone through our first round of skating skills testing and I’m happy to say I passed with flying colors and am on my way to becoming a WFTDA Certified Ref! I’ve loved every minute and each and every one of my new extended derby family! I’ve been a Non-Skating Official (NSO) at a few bouts now and, in the last couple of days, decided on my derby name.

Terminal City Authority Figures (I'm left of the giant tape ball that was the track for the bout the night this pic was taken) - Photo: Linda Bandiera

Rulz Vix'n reporting for duty. See you on the track—and watch those elbows!

I'll be sharing more of my views on the ups & downs of derby life --including gear, training, rules, drama-- in this blog in future posts.