Words by Le-Anne Johnson
Pics Supplied
Roller skating has always been a popular pastime in the United States of America, and endurance races were particularly popular in the early 20th century. Held on both flat and banked tracks, these races were coined 'derby' events by the press, meaning multi-race events with multiple participants. Promoter Leo Seltzer and sports writer Damon Runyon are credited with modifying these endurance competitions during the 1930s by emphasizing and maximizing the physical contact and teamwork between skaters and making it part of the game, effectively creating the spectacle known as roller derby.
During the 1940s and 1950s, roller derby's popularity exploded across the United States, attracting tens of thousands of spectators to live bouts, as well as television and radio coverage. This popularity continued throughout the 1960s under several different guises and within several separate leagues across the country. As time went on, roller derby became increasingly scripted and staged, its popularity declining in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The sport effectively died out with the collapse of most operating leagues due to poor revenue and lack of public interest.
Fast forward to Austin, Texas, 2001: a new revival of roller derby emerged, establishing a focus on athleticism, community, sisterhood and sassiness. As word spread, all-women roller derby leagues, founded from a grass-roots, skater-owned-skater-run philosophy began to emerge across America and, soon after, all over the world.
By 2006, roller derby had gone global and diversified. Currently there are just over 500 amateur all-female, co-ed or male leagues skating flat-track and/or banked track roller derby in 15 countries around the world, with over 20 leagues in Australia alone. With over 20,000 participants worldwide, roller derby is the fastest-growing female-focused amateur sport in the world.
The roller derby resurgence spread to Australia a few years ago, and today there are over 25 flat-track roller derby leagues in Australia, with more starting up all the time, due largely to the DIY community attitude roller derby fosters. While each league runs completely independently, most flat-track roller derby leagues adhere to WFTDA regulations and we define ourselves as being part of a global derby family.
Here's some info about a newly-formed league on the Sunshine Coast, the Coastal Assassins Roller Derby, right from the league's founding member, Cecilia Morton:
Okay, so a few of us gal pals on the Sunshine Coast wanted to play derby. When we found out there was no league I looked into how to start one, we made a commitment and it has snowballed from there. With some help from various leagues we formed in April with about 12 skaters in our first training session. Now two-and-a-half months on we regularly get around 20 at a session and have about 30 registered league members.
Fishnets and having an alter-ego are great draw cards to roller derby, but also having a tough, positive extreme sport that women can excel at is a really positive thing. And the camaraderie is unbeatable.
We are busy building up the skills needed to be bout-ready and don't actually have teams in our league yet. We aim to be bouting at some point next year, can't wait!
Roller derby really seems to be taking off in Australia and I would love to see it spread to an international playing field. Cheering on an Aussie team would be amazing!
If there are any people in the Sunshine Coast area that want to don some skates and join in the mayhem then send an email to coastal.assassins@y7mail.com and Bloody Fiasco, our Fresh Meat Officer, will get back to you with some info.
With scary names such as these: Buzza, Slam Von Carnage, Bloody Fiasco, Heavy Petal, Veronica Dodge, Pink Vengence, Gansta O'Derby, Gnrl Grievance, Dr Roadkill, Quiet Riot, Billy Machete, Bella Donna Deadly, Rusty Vixen, Karmina X Bones, Lady Savage, Hippy Hellraiser, Dirty Torque, Bandsaw Betty, Senorita Smash and Dee Dee Dainja, why wouldn't you join up?
So ladies over the age of 18 years, if you need an outlet for your pent-up anger (and let's face it, we all have some) why not try roller derby?! What you need as a beginner is skates, a helmet and protective gear - start-up is expensive but protection is important!
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