fiveonfive | issue 9 | Fall 2010

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK DERBY ASSOCIATION (WFTDA) ISSUE 9, FALL 2010

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fiveonfive contents 30

4-5 advice

ask dahmernatrix and suzy hotrod!

WFTDA The WFTDA annual Meeting: Oh!Con gets it done

6-9 business writing a press release league ownership

10-14 health and fitness heart palpitations endurance

40-41

16-23 games and coaching

belts in derby

2010 regionals preview blowouts

Should your team shed this bout-fit accessory?

24-29 gear 34 JRDA juniorcon

36-39 rookie recreational leagues rookie refs

48-50 international derby 52-55 art and media 57 classifieds 60 horoscopes

Jules Doyle

skate breakdown how to get the most out of your boot

46-47 2010 RollerCon recap Bigger, better, smarter, faster – and hot like always

editor she who cannot be named rocky mountain rollergirls copy editor vera n. sayne rocky mountain rollergirls content manager annsanity rocky mountain rollergirls art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls contributing writers dahmernatrix san diego derby dolls

from the editor Welcome to the ninth issue of fiveonfive magazine, the official magazine of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)!

suzy hotrod gotham girls roller derby

Greetings Derby Folk!

el efino quad city rollers

As I write this I am en route from Pueblo, Colorado back to Denver after a night

lorna boom rat city rollergirls

of derby at the State Fair. It never ceases to amaze me how this sport can bring people together no matter what the setting – college basketball arena, outdoor

john rudoff, m.d., facc portland, oregon

hockey rink, live music theater – we’ll take it! Another thing that makes me misty

sinful sally rockford rage roller derby

is the sense of passion that is ever-present when in conversation with fellow

catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls

derby peeps. Rookie, vet, ref, NSO, announcer – no matter the level of involvement, the demonstration of love for the game is profound and this was not

justice feelgood marshall derby news network

lost on the crowd at the Colorado State Fair. So, it was a nice way to wrap up the

coach pauly edmonton, alberta, canada

summer and start looking toward the fall.

racer mcchaseher detroit derby girls

The fall season can mean only one thing for WFTDA peeps – tournament time!

As we ramp up for what has been dubbed the “Bataan Death March” of derby,

g. no-evil puget sound outcast

it’s important to remember why we give this fabulous sport our all – because of

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the love and enthusiasm that it generates. Not only are the WFTDA Big 5

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Tournaments a showcase for the top level of competition in women’s flat track roller derby, they are a demonstration of what people can accomplish when they

betty ford galaxy seattle derby brats

come together with a common goal in mind. In this issue, we have a great

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preview of the whole shebang from DNN’s own Justice Feelgood Marshall (page

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16). Check it out, and start speculating!

ginger snap gotham girls roller derby

This issue also features some new contributors. To name a few: Racer McChaseHer of Detroit Derby Girls gives us her take on blowout games (page

thomas gerbasi new york city, new york

22), Pelvis Costello channels Siskel and Ebert with his review of Blood on the Flat

psycho fox adelaide roller derby

Track, the story of the Rat City Rollergirls (page 54) and Thomas Gerbasi muses

tracey o’donnell new orleans, louisiana pelvis costello boston derby dames kylie of backlash denver roller dolls

about the UFC/Derby Connection (page 42). If you’d like to join the ranks of these awesome contributors, send your story ideas to content@fiveonfivemag.com. Or, if you’d just like to rant, rave, send praise or what have you, drop a line to editor@fiveonfivemag.com. We’d love to hear from you!

cover photo joe schwartz joerollerfan.com fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com facebook.com/fiveonfive fiveonfivemag.com

She Who Cannot Be Named #88 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Denver, CO editor@fiveonfivemag.com

contributors

Many thanks to our contributors who come from all over the roller derby community and share their knowledge based on their countless hours of dedication to this sport!

Check out additional contributors at fiveonfivemag.com.

G. No-Evil

John Rudoff, M. D., FACC

Betty Ford Galaxy

G. No-Evil met derby in 2007 after his wife morphed into a derby girl while he was away on a six-month deployment. From then on until 2009 he coached and volunteered with SCRV. In 2009 he went full time playing for the Puget Sound Outcasts.

G. No-Evil opened Leadjammer Skates in 2008, which offers custom built skates for every type of derby skater. He has contributed to research and development for companies such as Bont and Sure Grip.

John Rudoff aka “Johnny the Knife” is a cardiologist, competitive rower, derby groupie and photographer for the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon. He raises his daughter Hannah and is married to Joanne, a mesomorphic jock gynecologist.

Betty Ford Galaxy skated for the Throttle Rockets of the Rat City Rollergirls for four seasons before making the switch to coach and skater for the Camaro Harem of the Jet City Rollergirls. In 2007 she started the Seattle Derby Brats, who are now in their third full season.

Pelvis Costello

Sinful Sally

Racer McChaseHer

Steven LaFond is a freelance writer and current student in Bennington College’s low-residency MFA program. In addition to writing, as Pelvis Costello he is the “mouth” of the Boston Derby Dames and New Hampshire Roller Derby. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts with his wife, Dreadnought who skates on the Boston Derby Dames’ 2009 Fez Cup Championship team, the Nutcrackers. You can check up on his recent exploits at derbywidow.blogspot.com.

Sinful Sally joined the Rockford Rage Women’s Roller Derby four years ago. She has worn many hats including Special Events Coordinator, VP, President, PR/Marketing Coordinator and Training Staff to her current position as WFTDA Relations Coordinator. On the track she prefers to wear the star or the stripe and would rather be on all 8s than on the floor. Her background in sports medicine and exercise physiology provide a solid base for staying healthy on and off the track.

Racer McChaseHer started derby in November 2006 and is the current President of the Detroit Derby Girls. She has been the travel team captain since 2008 and was MVP of Eastern Regionals in 2007, MVP of Detroit Derby Girls 2008 and 2010.

Racer has been a competitive speed skater since age 8 and is an attorney by day.

advice

Suzy Hotrod

Dahmernatrix

Gotham Girls Roller Derby, New York, NY

San Diego Derby Dolls, San Diego, CA

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, I’m a third year skater and assistant captain of my home team. I’ve never been athletic, I’m certainly not a great skater and I had to work really hard to get better. This helped me to learn about what it takes to get better. But, there are athletic rookies that think they don’t need to listen to me, because they don’t see why they’d need to listen to someone that’s not a better skater. How do I make them see that the best coaches aren’t always the best players?

-CAPTAIN CONUNDRUM

DEAR CC, Is Gotham Girls Roller Derby in some magical happy pants lala land? This stuff really doesn’t happen here. Yes, roller derby utopia is possible. It’s here in New York City and it can happen for you too. I’ve never met you, but I know that you are certainly athletic right now and an experienced skater because you work really hard at practice, you lead others and you took the time to write this question. Sadly, the people that need to read this answer are not the skaters that make it a point to read WFTDA’s official magazine. So take this magazine, roll it up and physically smack these girls over the head with it. When my shipment of “Suzy Hotrod thinks you’re an asshole” stickers arrive I can give you a roll of them.

However, truthfully, Suzy Hotrod thinking anyone is an asshole is not how to fix problems.

You fix things by fixing who’s directly involved: the skaters themselves and also the leadership. I actually think the solution starts with the leadership and then the skaters.

The leadership – disrespect for leadership is fatal to the health of the team environment.

Leadership must be firm and consistent in communicating that the roles of the coaches command respect and that the coaches also respect the skaters. Firmness and good communication are crucial. No one wants to be yelled at, but everyone does need to be told what to do. Find the productive balance to lead your skaters. Skaters need constructive criticism, positive reinforcement and challenging realistic goals. If you are the leader there is no room for self doubt. You may not be able to do a skill perfectly, but your experience in this sport does know how the mechanics of the skill work and how to see when someone needs help improving. Personal confidence in your skating experience is crucial to being a great leader.

The skaters – they need to respect our sport. This thing just started. Experience and knowledge is limited and extremely valuable. There is no roller derby manual. We are living through history in the making; an independent female athletic revolution led by women that were not necessarily athletes at all in the beginning. This is the soul of the entire sport. The best skater is the skater who always learns something at practice and is always looking for ways to improve. They find challenge in every task presented to them. They have great attendance. They are never satisfied and thrive on being challenged by every coach.

Actually, getting back to the leadership, part of its role is to literally talk out loud to your skaters about these qualities. Get them excited! If none of this works, beating them senseless with a rolled up magazine couldn’t hurt.

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DEAR CC, I’m going to answer this question a couple of different ways because it’s not immediately clear to me what’s going on. Are they ignoring your advice and rolling their eyes at you, or does it go so far that it’s disrupting practice when you’re coaching?

It’s obvious that if they are interrupting practice something needs to be done. Skaters have enough to think about, they shouldn’t have to divide their attention between rival voices at practice. If they are arguing with you about drills as you’re trying to run them, I suggest you find a way to let them know that mid-practice is not the appropriate time to change plans, but they are welcome to meet with you at a later date to collaborate on preparing future practices, or they can join the training team to lead practices of their own. It’s important that when you convey this message you do it in such a way that they get the sense they are genuinely being invited to redirect their energy in more productive and appropriate ways, and not that you are using different words to tell them to shut up.

If they are not listening by ignoring your advice to get lower, or push harder, or what have you, I don’t want to sound insensitive, but why do you care? If they are unable to appreciate your coaching, that’s their loss, not yours, so don’t waste your time worrying about it.

I have a feeling they will come around when less athletic newbies start to improve and surpass them. And if they don’t, that’s their choice and there’s nothing you can do about that. Unfortunately, life outside the jam timer is a lot more complicated than life between the whistles, and you can’t make anyone listen to you as easily as you can force them out of bounds or on the ground. You can do your best to be a great coach, but if they won’t listen then what are you going to do?

In a conflict such as this, generally the more you try to force it, the less it’s going to work, so all that’s left to do is something else.

Different people are motivated by different coaching styles, and if this is a bad dynamic you’re better off flourishing by coaching the way that comes naturally to you and reaching the people that are receptive to it, and hope another league coach is able to resonate with the others.

It almost sounds to me like your confidence in yourself has been shaken by these girls’ attitudes. Lady, you are giving them way too much power! You may have come to athletics later, but you already pointed out the most important thing: aptitude is not everything, and your experience has given you a unique perspective that allows you to help others in a way a lot of people can’t. I couldn’t agree with you more that often the best coaches are the ones such as yourself that had to struggle and figure it out on their own. I’ll bet you’re indispensable at explaining your skills and troubleshooting other people’s struggles! I say just continue to do what you’re doing, improving as a skater and coach, and don’t let these little distractions slow you down!

DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, Our league has a policy that skaters are expected to assist with the workload of running the league. This would include things such as being on a committee, doing publicity engagements or events. You do not have to do everything, but you are expected to help somehow off the track. What do you do if you have a really good skater who says that they are not there to do anything other than skate?

-NO WORK, ALL PLAY? NO WAY!

DEAR NWAPNW, I think the answer to your question depends on your interpretation of, “By the skaters, for the skaters.” Does it mean that the league is run by the same skaters that get to play in the games, or does it mean, “By the skaters (that suck), for the skaters (that don’t suck)”? If it’s the latter, well then there’s no problem here and she is absolutely right. You are, however, setting a problematic precedent by allowing her to dictate which skaters can be exempted from league work on the basis of their ability. Why should it stop with her? Why shouldn’t all of your All Stars quit their league jobs and spend that time training? They will all get better and your rankings will soar!

This sounds awesome, right? Awesome if you’re an All Star that is, not so much for everyone else.

It’s nice to have a highly ranked team and everyone in the league should feel a swell of pride when their All Stars win, but really the ones who feel it the most are the ones on the track and in the spotlight. Winning games benefits the ones who aren’t playing only somewhat, and if you start setting up the league so that the people putting in the work aren’t the ones reaping the benefits, that won’t last long because the worker bees will eventually figure out they got a raw deal. They’re not getting paid, not getting track time... it’s starting to sound less like “volunteer” and more like “slave.”

Not only that, but there already tends to be something of a division between teams, including between All Stars and non-All Stars. I’m concerned that if you remove All Stars from their league jobs you are eliminating an opportunity for people to bond across team lines. It sucks to be a newbie and to have your clock cleaned by someone on a regular basis, but if you remember that she’s also the nice girl who helped you pass out fliers last week it’s not so bad. If all you ever know about this person is that she brings the pain, I’m concerned league relationships will suffer.

There’s no way to get around it – it’s tough sometimes to maintain good relationships with people you spend a lot of time playing against, and it’s important to facilitate teamwork as often as possible, both on and off the track. So giving this girl a free pass out of committee work is robbing her and everyone else of the opportunity to maintain a good relationship through cooperation.

In her defense, it is hard work to be a top notch skater, and if she’s putting in a lot of hours of training time she deserves credit for that. It’s possible that she feels overly responsible for the team’s success and this is her way of coping with the stress (is she a jammer? They tend to be prone to that particular type of crazy). But instead of encouraging her to continue to shoulder this burden alone, this is something the whole team needs to work on together. A single player can only carry a team so far, and if you continue to let one person do everything you will find that it will stop working as you start to play better teams. Not only that, you’ll develop a great disparity in skill level between one or a few players and everyone else, causing the team to be far too dependant on a small few.

I suggest that you do not make an exception for this person, but instead approach her through appropriate league channels in an open way to find the cause of her attitude. Like I said, maybe she’s just stressed out and feels overwhelmed by all she feels she needs to do to help the team, in her backwards individualistic way. If that’s the case the last thing she needs is a guilt trip about how much MORE she needs to be doing; she might just need a friendly reality check. If your league tries to ask her to cooperate and she still refuses, and it turns out that she wasn’t coping with stress and really is just being selfish, then I don’t know what to tell you. Is your league so desperate for success that it’ll take it at any cost, including allowing your star skater to take advantage of everyone else? I hope not. Worst case scenario, after you press her to contribute she’ll quit. Your league’s rankings may slide momentarily, but there are worse things that can happen. For example, spending multiple seasons as derby slaves for a self-absorbed glory glutton!

DEAR NWAPNW, Again, is Gotham Girls Roller Derby some magical land of wonderment? We seriously do not have this problem. It is absolutely unacceptable to not do your part to help the league off-skates. If you do not meet your off-skates requirements you are not allowed to bout. It’s not only your off-skates committee work that counts it’s also about paying your dues on time. We’re as fiercely competitive as they come and our league would not exist without the equal hard work from the strongest travel team skater to the most inexperienced rookie. The pipe dream of “I just want to skate" is a bit laughable to anyone who actually understands how a skater-owned and operated roller derby league works. Actually, you know who could really tell you how a roller derby league works? Ask our loved ones, they learned very fast that it’s not just on-skates time that keeps their rollergirl away from home.

Yet again, the skater that needs to read these answers isn’t being a good girl and reading her fiveonfive magazine either is she?

Or she would understand that WFTDA leagues are skater owned and operated. Who is supposed to do the operating? “I just want to skate” is going to have to accept her side work or needs to be clearly told that roller derby is not for everyone. Remember in grade school when your mom paid some money and magically you were on a T-ball team? Nice try. There are no soccer moms in roller derby slicing shit for you in the real world.

Much like the previous question I just answered, this is a twopart solution. You may have a potential jerk skater on your hands here, or you may have someone that has time commitment issues.

Try to work with her to find a committee that fits her lifestyle. There are tons of derby jobs and most of my league mates are doing league work that is related to their professional trades and fits their diverse schedules. We even host a job fair the first month of fresh meat probation where they are required to sign up for a committee and can ask questions of the committee heads to find a good fit.

OK, now what if you just have a big jerk on your hands?

Ask yourself this: Has the league been firm and clear about these requirements from recruitment time through fresh meat period?

Do they ever bend the rules or let stuff slide? I shudder to ask this question, but is the league voting to make exceptions for talented skaters to be an exception to the rules just because they’re good and there’s a bout coming up? Choices like this light the match to burn your league to the ground. Maybe the whole league is guilty of casting votes like this. But I really can’t stress enough the importance of laying down rules and sticking to them. I’ve skated since 2004.

I’ve seen many girls come and go, and I’ve seen some stick around and work their asses off. Those girls are the reason we exist.

I am sympathetic if your league is one that is so small that you can barely keep a core of 20 skaters to form one team. But please trust me. You have to be firm in your requirements for the longevity of your league’s health. Make sure girls know from the very beginning what is expected of them and make sure it is clear what the consequences are. I recommend making sure you have these rules in writing and have the skaters sign the handbook of rules every year. You don’t want to be making case-by-case decisions about anything. In closing, I’m kind of sad that both of my questions this month deal with trouble skaters. Keep your heads up. In 2004 we were crying all the time trying to build Gotham Girls Roller Derby.

Now we’re laughing and loving what we’ve accomplished and hopefully leading you guys with our experience. Best of luck!

need advice? email advice@fiveonfivemag.com fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 5

business

writing a press release E L E F I N O , Q UA D C I T Y R O L L E R S

All derby leagues and teams need to get information out to the public. Maybe it’s information about a bout. Maybe it’s information about a fundraiser, recruitment event or appearance. The point is that you need to let people know what you are doing and if your team is anything like other derby teams, you need to do this without spending money if you can help it. Here is where the Press Release comes in.

A Press Release is simply a way to succinctly get information into the hands of the press (be they print, TV, radio, etc). Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind: • You want publicity but you don't want to pay for it. You need to help the press help you.

• Newspapers/websites/TV stations need content. They exist to provide information to their consumers, but just because you send them your information does not mean that they are going to do anything with it. Never assume that you have exposure coming to you!

• The press is much more likely to use what you have sent them if you arrange your press release in a format that will allow them to basically “cut and paste” (or read on air) your information without doing anything (or much) to it. If you can disguise your Press Release as more of a small stand-alone story (that happens to have info that you want to get out) then you are much more likely to get a positive response and get your information out there. There is a formula to making a press release. You should make a template, that with a few simple modifications, you can change to meet your needs. the formula Unless you want your release held until a particular date, note FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE at the top along the left margin.

Consider sending out the release about a week before you want it to be covered. If you send it earlier it might very well get forgotten about. Send it later than that and there is a much 6 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

smaller window of opportunity for them to help you. Even if they plan to run your information, if you only give them one or two days when it is relevant, you run the chance of being bumped for a hotter story.

Under “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” list who they can contact for more information. This person should be someone who is reliable and can be easily contacted during any day of the week – especially during business hours. Responding to a media request three days later might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is a huge deal for a media outlet. Be prepared to immediately assist with more information.

Now it’s time for a grabber headline. Center it and make it bold, but not all in caps as that’s just bad form. Your headline should include something so that people have an idea of what is to come, so make sure you include the name of your team, or, at the very minimum, specify roller derby. Try to be catchy, darn it! This might be the only chance you have to grab someone’s attention. Make it work for you!

Your first paragraph should include the who, what, where and when. Your last paragraph should give wrap-up info and include a “Call to Action” – what do you want people to do (buy tickets, enter a contest, call for more information on recruiting). If you are giving a donation, and it’s not the whole theme of your press release, add that at the end so the last thing people see is that you are assisting with a cause. What goes between your first and last paragraphs? This is where you make it specific to your intended audience and add quotes.

Making it editorially specific makes it seem more like a story and less like a commercial. Think infomercial. They are selling something, but it’s wrapped up in the idea that it is cool, helpful and entertaining. If you are aiming for a sports radio broadcast, mention that roller derby has exploded in the last few years and is totally a real and exciting sport. If you want to get listed with healthy living TV exposure, make your middle section more about an alternative way for women to get exercise. If your target audience is the family section of the newspaper, stress that derby has something for all members of the family to participate in from children to husbands. Want something for the church bulletin? Feature a member who teaches Sunday school in the mornings and then plays derby that night. Tattoo publication? That one writes itself! There is

almost always a way to make roller derby relevant to the audience that your press is trying to reach.

Making sure that you have quotes from skaters, refs and/or fans also tends to lend an air of authenticity to your release and makes it much more likely to be published. Quotes can range from how excited skaters are to be playing the next week, to a quote from a fan on how much fun they always have when they attend derby. Most publications will frown

with your release. Just send the press release as text in your e-mail. You can mail or fax a hard copy but most people in the press will appreciate having a copy simply emailed to them.

This way no one has to retype it and also makes it much easier to pass along to the appropriate individuals. Asking people to make an effort to get your information is sort of rude – they are essentially helping you to get free exposure. You want to make it easy on them. And, be an adult. If you get exposure, send

on publishing just a derby name, so make sure that you include the skater’s real name in parentheses behind the derby name.

It goes without saying that a raunchy derby name is not a good choice for a resource in a press release and can torpedo your chances of yours being picked up by the media. Consider citing your quote providers carefully.

End your release with # # # centered at the bottom as an industry standard that your release is done. other tips Do not send your press release as an attachment as many are loath to open attachments from sources they do not know.

You are also wasting their time by asking the media to open an email, read your email and then open your attachment

a thank you card and maybe a derby sticker. It shows gratitude, which many in the press do not get. It also puts you back into their thoughts after your coverage has run and puts you in a good position to receive additional exposure the next time your information passes their desk.

Building a good relationship with the media will help you get more exposure, more quickly, for less money. But you have to help them help you. Whether you are trying to get exposure from TV stations, print media or radio broadcasters; a catchy, concise press release backed by professional and prompt follow up is a great way to start your relationship with the press. Do it well and they will start showing you love with more and more exposure.

business

league ownership L O R N A B O O M , R AT C I T Y R O L L E R G I R L S

WHO OWNS YOUR LEAGUE? Most modern roller derby leagues pride themselves on ascribing to a “For the Skater, By the Skater” philosophy. They shun the notion of having a rink manager or a promoter-type league owner. However, many leagues may not realize that their registered business structure may not match their philosophy. Most roller derby leagues are registered as one of several common business types: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Company or Cooperative or Non-Profit Organization.

Sole Proprietorship (Individually Owned – For Profit) Sole Proprietorships are owned and run by one individual who is personally liable for all debts incurred by the business.

Partnership (Individually Owned - For Profit) Partnerships are composed of two or more persons (usually not a married couple) who agree to contribute money, labor, or skill to a business. Each partner shares the profits, losses, and management of the business and each partner is personally and equally liable for the debts of the partnership.

Limited Liability Company or Cooperative (Corporation – For Profit) LLCs are formed by one or more individuals or entities through a specially written agreement which includes provisions for membership, management, assignability of interests, and distribution of profits and losses. LLCs are permitted to engage in any lawful, for-profit business or activity other than banking or insurance.

Cooperatives differ from the traditional

8 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

corporate business structure in that they have members who share decision-making authority instead of shareholders who rely on the Board of Directors to make decisions.

Non Profit Organization (Corporation – Not For Profit) NPOs are created by one or more individuals and their purpose is typically to further a goal or ideal rather than to generate profit. Many non-profits serve the public interest, but some engage in private sector activities.

Individually owned and operated companies are inexpensive to register, simple to operate, and often enjoy greater flexibility of management (no need for bylaws or complex governance structures), fewer legal controls, and fewer taxes. In contrast, a corporation is a more complex business structure which has certain rights, privileges, and liabilities beyond those of an individual. Doing business as a corporation may yield tax or financial benefits such as limited personal liability, but these can be offset by potential drawbacks, such as increased licensing fees or decreased personal control. Additionally, corporations typically have a clearly defined governance structure, like a Board of Directors, which is responsible for oversight of the company.

As Do-It-Yourself (or DIY) organizations, many derby leagues are formed by would be rollergirls who are hell bent on building a team or league, but who frequently embark on their venture with little or no start-up capital. Registering as an individually owned business is often the quickest, easiest, and least expensive way to establish a business. Unfortunately, many individually owned leagues have not taken steps to protect their league and its

members against some of life’s most common financial and legal tragedies.

Risks of Individual Ownership of a Derby League While it would certainly be a suck-worthy situation if your league’s president were crushed by a bus or decided that she didn’t want anything to do with the league, and it might even be emotionally stressful to the whole league if she were going through a heated divorce battle, the legal and financial ramifications for the league could be extremely serious and should not be ignored. Most state laws do not provide any recourse for the members of an individually owned league in the event that the registered owner gets divorced, dies or decides to dissolve the business.

A disgruntled spouse entitled to half of the business or devastated family members entitled to all of the business are probably not the best thing that could happen to your league. Unless the new owners are willing to give the business to the skaters without any strings, you are looking at finding ways to purchase the league, re-establishing it as a new business entity, or learning to love your new owners. In the later case, you simply have to cross your fingers and hope that they don’t want to participate in making business decisions or expect a cut of any profits. An ideal situation this is not, even in the best of times.

Precautionary Measures While it is human nature to assume the worst will always happen to someone else, it makes good business sense to take some simple precautionary measures to ensure that the future of your league is as secure as it can be. If for some reason your league

is unwilling or unable to change its business structure from an individually owned entity to a corporation, there are a few steps that can be taken to reduce the risks associated with divorce, death or dissolution.

Postnuptial Agreement State laws on equitable distribution, division, or community property that would otherwise dictate how assets should be handled in the event of a divorce can be overridden with a postnuptial agreement.

To ensure protection of your league, the postnuptial agreement must provide that the business interest remains the separate property of the owner spouse even if the non-owner spouse provides help (directly or indirectly).

Buy-Sell Agreement Buy-sell agreements are a type of contract that deals with the death of a business

partner. Under this type of contract, when a business partner dies, her share in the company is sold back to the remaining partners. However, those partners must have the money to make the actual purchase. The most common way to ensure that there are funds available is to purchase a life insurance policy for each of the businesses owners. If a business partner dies, the funds from the policy are used to buy her share of the business from her estate. It is important to note that this type of agreement must be reviewed annually in order to adjust for the current value of the business.

Dissolution Agreement Any time a partner leaves a business, the partnership is, in essence, dissolved.

However, the remaining partner or partners may carry on business as usual after a dissolution agreement is signed. The agreement should set forth terms under

which the partner is leaving. It should clearly state any property of the business that the partner is taking with him/her, the rights of the business to retain present customers, any monetary terms agreed upon, who retains the right to the name of the business, and any other key points which would allow the business to continue.

While templates for these types of agreements can be found for free online, only your lawyer can answer your business’s legal questions and verify the types of agreements that are appropriate for your league and its ownership. Having legally binding agreements in place can go a long way toward protecting the skaters of an individually-owned league, and owners who take the time to prepare these agreements clearly are operating their business with the “For the Skater, By the Skater� philosophy taken to heart.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 9

health and fitness

if you’ve got rhythm, who could ask for anything more?

J O H N R U D O F F, M . D . , FA C C

Palpitations, funny or hard heartbeats, missed or extra heartbeats, fast or slow heartbeats and irregular heartbeats are ubiquitous in cardiology practice. They are by far the most common reason young women see cardiologists. The purpose of this article is to describe our thinking about such problems, to avoid unnecessary worry, and to help with proper and rational investigation in the uncommon circumstances when this is required.

When I’m not photographing roller derby, my day job is a cardiologist. I see people with heart rhythm problems daily.

I hear questions like: “My heart skips a beat, and then I get a huge hard beat in the chest.” “I’m sitting there and suddenly my heart runs away, and starts beating out of my chest.” “I’ll skip a heartbeat, and then I feel a rapid pounding in my neck.”

“I’m too aware of my heartbeat at night.” “My heart rate is too fast, and my stamina and endurance have decreased in the last several weeks or months.” “Funny heartbeats make me lightheaded.” Then there is the very rare but bad stuff: “Recently my chest has been hurting during practices, and then I have abnormal heartbeats.” “I passed out cold after abnormal heartbeats.” (Passing out is an article all on its own.)

When cardiologists hear such presenting complaints, we ask some short, simple questions (we are usually short, simple people). These questions are designed to distinguish between harmless complaints and indications of potentially serious structural problems. We ask ourselves what relevant information we know about the patient. Do the complaints suggest underlying structural, mechanical or electrical heart problems? Do the complaints suggest systemic problems – usually thyroid or lung related?

Last, what are the funny heartbeats? This sounds weird to the non-physician. Most people want to know exactly what the palpitations are. Cardiologists instead want to primarily know: is the heart sick or not? Is the patient sick in some other bodily system or not? What the abnormal rhythm is usually is less important.

What do we know? Well, most rollergirls are young, female,

10 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

and athletic. Right off the bat, this suggests a low likelihood of coronary disease or underlying heart muscle disease. Some are overweight, which is a long-term risk for hypertension or diabetes, but usually does not directly cause palpitations this early in life. Too many rollergirls smoke. This is a lethal longterm risk factor both for coronary disease and for lung problems, both of which are the main systemic issues we are concerned about in potentially dangerous rhythm problems.

And roller derby floats on an ocean of high-octane energy drinks and alcohol; more to follow on that.

When you go to a doctor, here are some things to keep in mind: Evaluation of a complaint of palpitations above all should begin with a careful question-and-answer, descriptions of exactly what you feel and in which circumstances you feel these heartbeats. This is time-consuming but there is no substitute for it. How long have these heartbeats been happening? Are they sudden or gradual? Can you make them happen or make them stop? Are the heartbeats regular or irregular? Do they make you feel like you’re going to pass out?

(Or, very rarely, throw up?) A history should always include careful, honest answers about whether you have ever used drugs, particularly cocaine or methamphetamine; both of these can predispose to rhythm abnormalities, even years after stopping. You should discuss very carefully any supplements you take, especially if they contain ephedra, guarana or anything sold to you by naturopaths or other “alternative practitioners.” Many of these are clearly associated with rhythm abnormalities. If any of your family members have died suddenly, especially young, it is extremely important that your physician know about this: very few rhythm abnormalities are dangerous and can be inherited.

The physical examination should seek evidence of thyroid or lung disease, valve disease (very rare in young Americans), abnormal blood vessels or congestive heart failure (even rarer).

Testing in cardiology can be expensive and occasionally unpleasant (at least for the patient). It should be precise, targeted, thoughtful, and, in an athletic young female

population, sparse. Ask your physician what each test precisely is looking for and what you will do with the results. If someone prescribes tests x, y and z in a “shotgun” approach, especially if they have not done a thorough history, find another cardiologist. There are lots of us out there.

One baseline test is a good idea: an electrocardiogram (EKG).

This evaluates the basic electrical output of the heart and transmission of the electrical signals. It is the basic test in cardiology and honestly is a necessary way to start assessing nearly any question of rhythm disturbance. (Side note on EKGs: If you have what Sid Worseley in Officer and a Gentleman called “bodacious ta-tas,” anything much larger than a small B cup, insist that the EKG be done correctly. The sticky electrodes must go on the chest wall, under the ta-ta, not on the ta-ta;

occasionally useful, particularly if the physician finds some peculiarity on a careful physical exam. They are safe, but expensive; use them only after careful consideration. Ask your physician: Exactly what are you looking for with the echocardiogram? Simple blood studies can evaluate thyroid, cholesterol, and electrolytes. These are cheap, easy and probably should be done once.

Two cautions. First, caffeine, sugar and other contents of

energy drinks can increase heart rate (both at rest and with exercise) and decrease hydration. The scientific community does not uniformly condemn these drinks as causing rhythm abnormalities, although we are suspicious. If you are feeling abnormal heartbeats, it’s wise to avoid such energy drinks for several weeks. Second, absolutely avoid anyone who wants to if this is done wrong, the EKG may treat you for rhythm disturbances until there Caffeine, sugar, and other incorrectly imply that you have had a heart is a thorough evaluation and diagnosis of attack. This can lead you on the mother of precisely what the rhythm abnormality is. contents of energy drinks all wild goose chases. I actually see this in can increase heart rate (both Most of the medications we use to treat my referral practice at least once a month.) rhythm disturbances are dangerous or have at rest and with exercise) Many non-cardiology physicians will start side effects, or both. They should be used and decrease hydration... evaluating anyone with a rhythm complaint only if needed, and in young healthy roller If you are feeling abnormal by means of doing a treadmill (or “stress”) derby populations, usually they are not. test. This is usually a waste of time, A couple of things to watch out for: heartbeats, it’s wise to avoid especially in a young female population. most investigations into palpitations are such energy drinks for The reason is that unless you are looking benign, especially in roller derby several weeks. specifically for rhythm abnormalities that populations; but things that raise our level are brought on by exercise, you risk causing a lot of wild of concern include passing out or having exertional chest goose chases with relatively little yield. Treadmill tests most discomfort. If you are adequately hydrated, otherwise commonly are done to evaluate chest pain and to diagnosis comfortable, and suddenly completely lose consciousness, possible coronary disease; they are frequently abnormal in this does need to be investigated very aggressively. If you have young women, usually do not provide useful information, and a family history of dangerous rhythm disturbance or sudden risk starting more questions than they solve. Stress ultrasound cardiac death, then palpitations might be taken a bit more and stress nuclear studies are extremely expensive, highly seriously. If you are having chest discomfort, particularly of complex, and should rarely be used in the initial evaluation recent onset, and this is associated with palpitations, then you of rhythm abnormalities, especially by non-cardiology doctors. deserve immediate evaluation by your physician and probably A Holter monitor (a 24-hour or 48-hour EKG recording) is a quick trip to a cardiologist. usually an expensive waste. If your physician suggests one, In summary: most complaints of palpitations in young ask instead about what is called “event monitoring,” “loop healthy athletes lead to very benign answers, if to any answer recorders,” or “outpatient cardiac telemetry.” These are at all. Testing for rhythm abnormalities can be expensive and gadgets (cardiologists love gadgets!) that record your rhythm must be done very thoughtfully. The best “test” is a careful for somewhere between 7 and 30 days; they are cheaper history, especially if taken by a cardiologist who is experienced than Holters and have a better yield. These are particularly with athletes. Avoid supplements and their salesmen. Above all, useful when you are having rhythm abnormalities avoid any treatment for rhythm disturbances without a crystalinfrequently but not every day. clear diagnosis. The “cure” frequently is more dangerous than Echocardiograms, ultrasound studies of the heart, are the “disease.”

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 11

health and fitness

endurance S I N F U L S A L LY, R O C K F O R D R A G E WO M E N ’ S R O L L E R D E R B Y

en·dur·ance (\in-ˈdu̇r-ən(t)s) n. the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity In competition we typically perform short bursts of activity lasting two minutes or less, with some rest breaks in between. However, we have to maintain that level of intensity for two 30-minute periods. This type of activity taxes the body’s metabolic systems and can be absolutely exhausting unless you train your body to tolerate that metabolic stress. metabolic systems Physiologically there are three basic metabolic systems that your body uses for energy. Time for a science refresher course: 1. ATP-PCr system (phosphagen): The body’s quick energy reserve which is stored for immediate use.

It’s readily available but only in limited quantities and is used up quickly (in about 15 seconds).

activity with short rest periods and repeating several times.

2. Anaerobic activity (glycolytic): Activity lasting between 30 seconds and 2-3 minutes which does not require oxygen for energy production.

The chart below shows work to rest ratios for interval training which can be performed to tax the different systems.

• Short, fast bouts of work can be used for speed and speed endurance.

• Short, very intense intervals with short rest periods will stress the anaerobic system.

• Longer, but lower intensity exercise with short rest intervals can be used for aerobic endurance.

3. Aerobic activity (oxidative): Activity lasting over 2-3 minutes which requires oxygen to produce energy.

All systems are used during activity; however some get used more than others. In derby competition we use the first 2 systems (ATP-PCr and anaerobic systems) most frequently. how to train endurance One of the best ways to train your skating endurance is with interval training. Interval training requires flipflopping moderate to vigorous intensity

12 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

There are a ton of drills that can be utilized for endurance training, which gives you options AND keeps skaters from getting bored. Some examples are listed in the chart on the following page and are broken down into which system is predominately being trained.

With the guidelines below for interval training, it becomes very easy to create and build your own endurance drills.

And remember, you can make any drill into an endurance drill by limiting your rest periods, so utilize practice time wisely even when working on agility and footwork!

Interval Training for Different Energy Systems % of Maximum Anaerobic Power

Energy System Taxed

Interval Time

Work:Rest Ratio

90-100

Phosphogen

5-10s

1:12 to 1:20

75-90

Fast glycolysis

15-30s

1:3 to 1:5

30-75

Fast glycolysis and oxidative

1-3min

1:3 to 1:4

20-35

Oxidative

> 3min

1:1 to 1:3

From Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, NSCA (2000)

system

drill

set up

time duration

Phosphagen (ATP-PCr)Quick, immediate energy

quick sprint

Line up at one end of practice space.

Race to other end of practice space.

1 all out fast sprint of 5-10 seconds.

Anaerobic (w/out oxygen for energy)

suicides

Line up at one end of practice space.

Race to opposite end and back to start; then race to half way and back to start; rest (You can always add another length at the end making it down, back, half, back, down, back, rest).

Between 15-30 seconds sprinting. Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat.

Aerobic (w/oxygen for energy)

1 minute skate

Skaters start on pivot line. Skate as many laps either individually or in pack; rest and repeat.

1 minute skate with 2-4 minutes, rest and repeat.

As speed improves, increase number of laps performed.

Combination of 3 systems

partner laps

Split into partners.

Spread out groups of partners around outside of track. One skater skates a lap; then partner skates a lap; build upwards adding a lap each time until reaching 5 or 10 laps; then come back down.

All out sprints for shorter distances (1-5 laps).

Fast sprints but working on strides and breathing for longer distances (5+ laps).

Skaters rest while partner is skating laps. Rest duration increases as skating duration increases.

pyramid drills

Several options, but here is one example: 30 second sprint 30 second active rest (skating) 45 second sprint 30 second active rest 1 minute sprint 30 second rest 1:15 minute sprint 30 second rest 1:30 minute sprint 30 second rest 1:35 minute sprint 30 second rest 2 minute sprint 30 second rest Then come back down from here!

Take 20-30 minutes of practice with active rest periods that either stay the same, get longer or get shorter as the skating goes on.

*remember, these are just examples – there are so many more drills out there!*

Sport specific training is super important but there are a slew of other things you can do on your own to help boost your endurance: general health – stay hydrated, eat healthy foods that are nutritious for your body, exercise daily and quit smoking. Seriously – you wonder why you can barely make it through a full two minute jam without sucking wind?

off skates – cross train (run, bike, swim, bootcamp, cross-fit, etc.) and don’t forget the option of intervals. on skates – skate daily for 20-30 minutes outdoors. other tips – learn to breathe properly, i.e. pursed lip breathing; breathe in your nose and out your mouth (“smell the roses and blow out the candles”).

Remember that endurance doesn’t come naturally to some, but it really can be trained. It takes hard work, dedication and time to build your endurance. Keep working at it and eventually a two minute jam with no lead jammer will be a walk in the park.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 13

health and fitness

Protein Power Pasta Catholic Cruel Girl, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls

Packed with protein – made to eat about an hour after intense physical activity to help repair muscles and speed recovery time. pasta makes 10 cups ingredients: 4 cups Kamut pasta spirals 1 cup cooked organic green split peas (using dried peas and cooking yourself results in a more desirable texture) 2 cups finely chopped spinach 1 cup shredded carrots (a large box shredder works great or you can buy pre-shredded carrots) Ginger Citrus Vinaigrette makes 2/3 cup ingredients: Ÿ cup sesame oil Ÿ cup rice wine vinegar 1 medium shallot, minced 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons ginger, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions.

2 whole red bell peppers, diced (either roasted or raw – roasted will have a sweeter flavor) 1 cup chopped almonds ½ cup raw sunflower seeds 3 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds (these can be found at most health food stores. If you cannot find unhulled, regular will do)

Cook green split peas according to package directions.

While pasta and beans are cooking, chop spinach, dice peppers, shred carrots and combine with almonds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds into a medium mixing bowl.

When pasta and peas are done, drain and immediately rinse under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen towel.

Stir together pasta and peas in a large mixing bowl. Once mixed, add remaining ingredients and thoroughly combine.

Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. (You will most likely have some leftover dressing).

2 teaspoons agave nectar 1 teaspoon soy sauce Zest of 1 lemon Juice of ½ lemon

Questions, comments and feedback are welcomed at recipes@fiveonfivemag.com

photo by Jean Schwarzwalder

Whisk together all ingredients until completely combined.

14 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

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games and coaching

2010 regionals preview J U S T I C E F E E L G O O D M A R S H A L L , D E R B Y N E W S N E T WO R K

This September, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association begins its fourth annual regional tournament cycle. Like 2009, this year finds 10 teams from each of the WFTDA’s four regions competing for the top three slots in their regional tournaments.

Those twelve teams will advance to the 2010 WFTDA Championships, this year being hosted by the Windy City Rollers in Chicago, IL. There’s one noticeable tweak to the structure this year.

In 2009, the WFTDA used a non-traditional “modified equitable" seeding structure, which had the effect of leaving some middle-level seeds facing a tougher opponent that they would have under a traditional structure (in particular, the #6 seed from each region was quickly eliminated as they played their first bout against the #1 seed). This year goes back to a straightadvantage structure, with two play-in games for seeds #7 through #10. The #6 seed this year will face the #3 seed in their first bout, while the top seed faces the winner of the #8 vs. #9 game.

As in last year’s structure, losing teams will drop down to a loser’s bracket, allowing for every team to get three games out of their trip. The losers of the two semifinal games remain alive for a shot at Championships when they face off in the third-place game, but any team that loses its first game has no chance at advancing to Chicago.

photos by Jules Doyle

16 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

North Central Regionals September 10-12, Milwaukee, WI The top seed in the North Central, Chicago’s Windy City Rollers have never lost a game to a team in their region and won last year’s regional tournament final by an overwhelming 150-56 over Madison. However, results in 2010 suggest that Windy City might not have quite as easy a road to victory this time out.

In May, Madison (the #3 seed for this tournament) came much closer to WCR in a 115-104 final – not to mention that #2 seed Detroit defeated Madison 139-114 in June. If that trend holds, Windy City might finally see their regional win streak come to an end. #4 Cincinnati has traditionally been the dark horse in this region, but has the talent to potentially put an upset on any one of those three teams to qualify for the Championships.

Making their first appearances in a WFTDA regional are #9 Naptown (vs. #8 Arch Rival) and #10 Omaha (vs. #7 Minnesota).

Naptown had a decent showing in May at Fort Wayne’s Spring Roll tournament against tough Detroit, hanging very close for the first half before losing it in the second, and Omaha turned in a surprisingly close performance against the South Central’s Kansas City, losing by just 11 points in April.

Eastern Regionals September 24-26, White Plains, NY Last year, the Eastern Regionals featured one of the most thrilling championship matches in derby’s history when #2 seed Philly ended #1 Gotham’s 18-game winning streak by just one point in a 90-89 final. One year later, both teams are in the same slots, and seem very likely to clash once again in the final. #3 seed Boston has already lost solidly to both Gotham (82 points) and Philly (85 points) this year, while #4 Charm City was overwhelmingly defeated by Gotham 201-75.

The scramble for third might be particularly compelling in the East this year – Boston edged out Charm City in 2009 and they’re the favorites to return to the third-place bout, but #5 Steel City and #6 Montreal have been coming on very strong this year and can’t be counted out as spoilers. Steel City faces Charm City and Montreal takes on Boston in their first bouts – the losers of those bouts will be eliminated from Championships contention.

Montreal and #9 Dutchland make their WFTDA-tournament debuts in White Plains.

#4 Rose City and #5 Rat City face each other in the opening round, which means one will be eliminated from contention immediately. Rose City will likely be particularly hungry for a win here – in 2009 they had the #3 seed but were stunned by #8 Rocky Mountain in the first round, and in 2008 they missed the Nationals tournament they were hosting in Portland due to a tough loss to Bay Area.

Top seed and 2009 WFTDA champs Oly have won a recordsetting 20 straight games, but their path to a repeat Western championship is by no means assured. In February they barely squeaked past Rose City 157-149, and in May #2 Rocky Mountain came within 20 at 121-101. Oly will likely face either Rose City or Rat City in the semifinals, while the other semifinal looks likely to be a rematch of the third-place grudge match of last year’s WFTDA Nationals – Rocky Mountain vs. Denver. #6 seed Bay Area will have a chance to spoil that one if they can knock off #3 Denver in their opening bout.

Everett, WA’s Jet City and hosting league Sacred City debut against one another in a play-in game, with the winner facing Rocky Mountain; #8 Duke City and #9 Tucson face off in the other play-in, with the winner up against Oly.

Western Regionals October 3-5, Sacramento, CA Late 2009 and 2010 have seen the center of power in derby swing back toward the Western Region after Eastern teams took three out of four top spots in the 2008 tournament. WFTDA only ranks teams within their region, but the unofficial national Power Rankings of the Derby News Network place five Western Region teams in the overall top #7 – Oly, Rocky Mountain, Denver, Rose City and Rat City. That’s good news for derby fans in the West, but not good news for the teams themselves, as there are only three slots available for the Championships.

South Central Regionals October 8-10, Lincoln, NE Like Windy City in the North Central, top seed Texas has been in control of their region for a long time – they haven’t lost to a SC team since a one point squeaker to #3 seed Kansas City in mid 2008. They easily dispatched Kansas City in their most recent meeting at the 2009 SC tournament 153-70. Texas seems very likely to cruise to another SC title here, but both the #2 and #3 slots look up for grabs.

Kansas City was solidly in the second slot for most of the history of the region, but Atlanta scored a narrow 124-111

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 17

games and coaching upset on them in May and took over the #2 seed. If KCRW survives their opening challenge from improving #6 Tampa Bay, the semifinals will see what’s likely to be an intense rematch between ATL and KCRW. Meanwhile, #4 seed Dallas recently suffered a regularseason loss to #6 Tampa Bay, 104-101. And #5 seed Nashville actually beat Atlanta by 35 points early in the year, but a number of injuries and transfers seem to have sapped their strength somewhat since then. On paper, though, the South

Jules Doyle

© Basil M. Gravanis, 2010

Stephen DeMent

DRILL drill: stopping short

purpose: practice hitting a jammer out of bounds, staying in bounds and preparing for offensive hit

Pair up with a partner about equal in size, one wearing a jammer panty. The skater not wearing the panty is the hitter and the skater wearing the star is the hittee. Have the jammer skate on either the inside or outside line on the track. Hitter hits the jammer out of bounds with a hip check, but before going out of bounds herself needs to stop or slow on the line and brace for a hit coming from the jammer’s teammate. Make sure the hitter does not look at the jammer as the jammer will have to come in behind her. Have the jammer stop on the line and look at the hitter’s feet to watch for the hitter going out of bounds (which will let the jammer back into play). This can also be done with three skaters (blocker and jammer from the same team) and opposing blocker. As the blocker hits the jammer out of bounds the jammer’s blocker hits the hitter out of bounds enabling the jammer to come back into play.

S U B M I T T E D B Y T H E R E V, M O N T R E A L R O L L E R D E R B Y

18 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

Jules Doyle

Jules Doyle

Central looks like it has the potential for the biggest shuffle from preliminary seeding to final results. #9 seed Hard Knox (Knoxville, TN) is the only team debuting this year – they’ve got a play-in game against tourney hosts #8 No Coast, with the winner up against Texas; on the other side of the bracket, #7 Houston has had some rough times since reaching last year’s WFTDA Nationals and will face #10 Memphis, with the winner up against Atlanta.

Check out DerbyNewsNetwork.com for tournament brackets.

coach’s corner by coach pauly

know your roll

part 9: How Does the Track Translate Your Strategy

Since the first interleague bout was played our sport has

skater that can operate in this lane can do it

grown and evolved into a very complex animal. We have

all, she has the speed to go to the front of

come up with new names for positions and new duties

the pack and then make it to the back of the

to assign each player. What I have found more and more

pack to do more damage. She has the speed

is a larger gap in the knowledge of the game between

to take a hit or miss and return back to her

advanced and new skaters. Being new to this crazy chaos

position with ease. Every jam and every pack

can be a sobering experience, especially for a person

go through the steps and put yourself in the

that has never taken part in a team sport let alone been

lane that best fits you. You have an easy unit

exposed to its culture and attitude. This can also be just

of measure built into each skater, the stride is

as disconcerting for a seasoned veteran of organized

your guide. Now you will see it all come

sports. Over the past few years we have been using a very

to light on the track.

specific position set. We set our lineups and hand out

We need to add one more ingredient to this mix:

the helmet covers and away we go. But how do you get

Honesty! We have talked before about using truth in

everyone on the same page in understanding what to

skating; using track lanes will only work if you

do and when? I think I have found a way to help this

put yourself in position based on your abilities and the

situation. Cut the track into “lanes”…

abilities of your pack mates. Each skater does their job

At the 2008 Blood and Thunder camp in San Diego

and they will naturally stay out of the way of their

I tried out a new theory that I had been toying with

teammates instead of fighting for the same space.

on my derby travels. Whether you are a sprinter, a jogger

This is the most basic use of this method. You can add

or a soccer player, the one thing you know about the track

multiple applications to it to make it work for your

that surrounds the football field is that it has lanes painted

group of skaters.

on it that clearly mark separate lanes of space. Now in

The “waterfall” is another method that I developed

your mind’s eye apply the lanes to our derby track and

which when used in conjunction with the lanes approach

place yourself honestly in the lane that best represents

allows you new combinations to your strategic tool box.

your skating ability. Apply this to our track and set your

Skaters yell “inside”, “outside”, “high” and “low” to

mind free as well as help your new skaters find where their

move the pack into position which has been a common

skills are best used.

methodology. Now imagine you have top skaters skating

From the inside line take one stride to your right, you

under the “lanes” method; all a skater has to do to get

are now in lane 1. Skaters in this lane can hold the line

help from her teammates is yell “one”, “two”, “three” or

and play the game in this space with ease. One stride from

“four.” At this higher level of game play all your skaters

the line and one stride forward or back is where they live.

can skate any lane anytime which allows you to flow to

Does this mean that they can’t venture from this position?

close the holes and meet your competition quickly. Mix

No, it just gives them a specific landmark that they know

and matching strategies is so much easier when you have

they can be effective in. From the outside foot of your lane

a baseline to build from. Always strive for more knowledge

1 blocker take one stride, you are now in lane 2. Lane 2

and you will pave the way for your future success.

blockers can operate 2 strides from the line and 2 strides front to back effectively, and always know where to return.

Lane 3, as you may have guessed, is just one added stride to the right and front to back. The last lane is lane 4. The

‘Til next time, see you on the track…

If you have any questions, comments or feedback please email me at derbywhisperer@gmail.com.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 19

Hosted by:

Sacred City Derby Girls

October O cto tobe tob ber er 1– 1–3 Memorial Me emo mo or ria ia al Au Aud Auditorium udi dit ito tor or riu iu um Sacramento, Sac Sa ac crame cr men ent nto to o, CA o, A For ticketing and travel information:

rollinontheriver.net

games and coaching

blowouts Have you ever had a favorite pair of jeans? What do you do when you get a small hole in them? Do you leave them in the closet and wear other ones? Do you patch the hole before it becomes worse? Or do you make that tiny hole a huge opening to make a statement?

The way I see it, blowouts are just like your favorite pair of jeans. You have three choices: avoid them, embrace them or flaunt them.

If you would leave your favorite jeans in the closet and wear other ones: Don’t even schedule bouts that have the potential to become a blowout. We all know there are games out there that are predictable enough that we should just not play them. If you are ranked anywhere in the top 25 WFTDA leagues in the country, you really have no business playing against a brand new league. I realize there are quite a few reasons why you might do so: To help them become an apprentice league; to give them experience; to play into a nearby city rivalry; heck, even to promote roller derby as a whole. While all of those may be viable excuses for scheduling a bout against an up-andcoming league, there are other avenues to take to avoid blowouts, at least publicly. We have seen an increase in non-public bouts or more formalized scrimmaging. This is a way to allow those new leagues a chance to play against their big sisters in an official capacity and not turn fans away from derby. Granted, there are people out there that will stick around to watch the finish of a 451-8 point game, but

22 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

there aren’t many.

We have to keep in mind why we play this sport. Is it for the fans or is it for the fun? If there are no fans, there will be no financial backing. With new derby leagues popping up all over, sometimes it is difficult not to take advantage of the short travel distances. But save the fans the trouble of buying a ticket if you know it’s going to be a blowout and schedule something more low-key.

If you would patch the hole in your favorite jeans before it became worse: Do damage control if you find yourself in a blowout situation. You can make significant adjustments to your bench to prevent the score from skyrocketing. You can bench your more experienced players and only allow the weaker end of your bench to play for the rest of the game. They will benefit from and appreciate the extra playing time and hopefully it will slow down the swelling point spread. Plus, it will give your announcers a chance to maintain the audience interest by talking about players that don’t get much publicizing or track time.

You can also play skaters in different positions. This not only gives them a

Joe Schwartz / JoeRollerfan.com

RACER McCHASEHER, DETROIT DERBY GIRLS

chance to try something new, but also keeps the crowd interested. Give your big-name blocker a chance to don the star. Educate your fans on something not seen all that often by performing a star pass mid-jam. Put your jammers out to block and see how they do. Keep it fun for both teams involved and the people watching will forget about the lopsided scoreboard and have fun themselves.

If you would turn that tiny hole in your favorite jeans into a huge one and let your cheeks hang out: You might be interested in running up the score.

Records are made to be broken and the

Joe Schwartz / JoeRollerfan.com

only way to break them is to go for them. The top five largest blowouts reported on Flat Track Stats are 451-8 (Texas Rollergirls vs. Oklahoma Victory Dolls); 420-26 (Pikes Peak Derby Dames vs. Slaughterhouse Derby Girls); 409-22 (Charm City Roller Girls vs. River City Rollergirls); 391-14 (Denver Roller Dolls vs. FoCo Girls Gone Derby); and 353-25 (Kansas City Roller Girls vs. Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby). With the exception of the Texas/Oklahoma bout (5/30/09), all of these massacres have taken place in the past six months, which is actually quite surprising. I’m not really sure why. It just is.

It’s hard to say how large of a point differential is considered a blowout. According to Wikipedia, the largest blowout in NFL football was the Chicago Bears over the Washington Redskins 73-0 in 1940; in NBA basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148-80 in 1991; and the Detroit Red Wings outscored the New York Rangers 15-0 in 1994 for the most lopsided NHL hockey game ever. I’m not certain there is a comparable sport to determine what might be considered a blowout in roller derby. My own unprofessional opinion is that 200+ points in a derby bout is a blowout (and I don’t say that because I was on a team that won by 199 points once). I have played in more than one game where we lost by 150 points and it didn’t feel like a complete waste of time. We definitely learned a lot from those games, but it was almost like there was too big of a difference in skill level. When you lose by 100 points, you can still put up a good fight and keep the crowd interested. A few 30 point jams and you’d be right back in the mix. Once you reach that 200 point mark, there is pretty much no hope for a turnaround.

So, what’s the problem with blowouts? Well, last time I checked, there weren’t many examples of blowouts that were actually a good thing. Think about your tire on your car. Your ear drum. Your flip flop. Your ass. If you don’t see the problem with these types of blowouts, then maybe you can start devising a plan to break the 443-point differential for the largest blowout to date.

For those of you that want to help promote the sport of roller derby, and continue to have fans fill your stadiums, treat that favorite pair of jeans the right way. Take care of them by leaving them in the closet and wearing your other jeans. And if you insist on wearing them anyway, make sure you patch the hole before it gets too big. We all know how good our favorite pair of jeans makes our butt look.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 23 fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 23

gear

skate breakdown G E N O “ G . N O - E V I L” G U E R R E R O , P U G E T S O U N D O U T C A S T I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H K N O C K ’ E R S O C K S O F F, O LY R O L L E R S

I PASSED... AND NOW I NEED SKATES, AAH! Is this you? “OK I passed the first test, I can do this; right? I am going to be a rollergirl” (aah!...deep breath). “OK, first I need to get off these rentals. What to buy?”

Or, “My beginner skates are not going to hold up much longer, is there something better out there that isn't going to cost me a fortune?”

With so many package skates out there and some great deals, what are you really getting for your money? Skates have so many components and every single one of them is important, but not everyone looks at all those individual pieces. I really want you to be able scrutinize skates so you can actually see if they will work for you, and then you can decide what your best options are.

Before choosing skates, ask yourself some questions: 1. How much can you really spend? a. What is your budget, do you have wiggle room? You may want to upgrade some of the components to fit your needs best.

2. How much experience do I have skating? a. This will help in choosing between a stiffer speed boot or the softer recreational boot.

3. Where do you skate? a. This will help choose wheels best suited for your skating surface.

You may have to compromise in some areas to make a smart purchase within your budget, and hopefully after reading this you can feel confident in your final decision. If after reading this article you can’t see the benefits of certain model skates being offered to you, my advice is to purchase the lesser priced one. OK, let’s talk components:

Boots

Plates

Wheels

Material – most boots are made from leather, but the quality varies, and not all use it for their inner lining. Most speed boots take time to break in because of this.

Material – there are both plastic and metal options. Many skaters want to go with the most lightweight product, but that may not always hold up to your demand.

Material – Urethane, which is a form of plastic that can have different qualities. There are many manufacturers that make the wheels for the companies we all know and love.

leather Quality and thickness effects price and initial wear comfort (break in). Please make sure you are fitted correctly, leather does stretch but they don't get longer. So if your toes are cramped, they don't fit.

Leather is very durable especially in the higher end boots that use a thicker hide.

nylon/plastic There are a couple different types here; one is the basic injection molded plastic frames and then the others are made with fiber material in the mix for added strength.

indoors First thing here is to understand the hardness of the wheels and what it means to you. Most indoor wheels range from 88a-98a. The lower the number means softer the wheel, which in turn gives you more grip. Now this doesn't come without a sacrifice. If the wheels are grippier they are creating more friction which will give you less roll and make it hard to keep your speed up. It’s nice to find a happy medium between grip and roll for your skating surface.

The people most in the know will be your league mates, ask them what works for them and why.

synthetic Man-made materials like vinyl are usually common on $100 packages. Some nicer synthetic leather is used on others like the Divine boot from Riedell.

These low cost alternatives are used mainly on recreational skates. The boots are usually very comfortable like a tennis shoe fit, but lack in durability.

metal You have aluminum and magnesium options for metal plates. Aluminum is more commonly used, and comes in varying degrees of quality and construction.

outdoors These wheels are a much softer wheel that may not have a hub and are solid urethane. This is to increase rebound by adding more material.

You’ll find this important when skating outside when you want to roll over pebbles instead of kissing the concrete. hybrid This is a combo of both wheels for those crazy wicked surfaces like slick indoor concrete.

They have a hub but have a softer urethane to increase grip, so you can maintain control coming around the derby track. Examples of this would be the Atom Poisons, Radar Shadows or Sure Grip Optics.

24 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

We’re going to look at some starter skates, often classified as recreational or session skates, they go a bit higher at the ankle and are typically easier to break in. Then we will look at some rookie skates which give you more of a low cut, speed boot design. Both groups have great value and offer some good components for the price.

Beginning with starter skates, let’s take a look at the more common ones from Riedell and Sure Grip, offered in the $99-$169 price range. First thing many veterans will tell you is they all had to get new wheels, which is very common in the lower priced package skate. Keep this in mind if you’re going to upgrade, most decent wheels start at the $50 range. The skate packages on the higher end of the $169 price range do come with decent wheels like the Fugitives from Sure Grip and Flat-Outs or Tuners from Riedell.

Riedell RW Outlaw

Riedell Dash

Riedell R3

Riedell Rogue

Sure Grip Rock GT-50

Sure Grip Rebel Fugitive

Price: $99-169

Price: $129

Price: $99

Price: $169

Price: $99

Price: $149

Details: Riedell introduced its value line and recently introduced the package called the Outlaw. It is a synthetic boot constructed with a rubber sole which is normally glued on. The inside is built with a foam lining to give a sneaker fit.

A nice thing they added is a leather toe for durability.

One very cool thing is they give options to upgrade to any Radar wheel and Kwik bearings.

Details: A new entry into the market for Riedell is the Dash. If you look closely it’s an R3 with heel tabs instead of the speed strap.

The heel tabs allow you to use your laces to keep that heel securely in the back of the boot. This can be an issue with many of the recreational skates since they are built for comfort, the foam may break down and eventually you start to get heel slip.

Details: Riedell’s popular introductory skate package.

It is a synthetic boot constructed with a rubber sole, which is normally glued on. The inside is built with a foam lining to give a sneaker fit. I would have to say the majority of derby skaters started on this boot or at least owned one.

Details: Riedell’s best introductory boot in this price range. The 795 is a leather boot that looks very similar to 965. Though it may not be made from the same quality material, it has some of the same features, like the closed-toe design and lace cover. This boot is focused toward the derby skater who may want to spend a little extra for a better boot. Great boot for this price range. Good sticky Flat Outrageous Wheels which are narrow to help with footwork.

Details: Sure Grip’s entry line called the Rock is similar to Riedell’s RW line.

It is a synthetic boot that is constructed with the glued rubber sole and fits like a sneaker. At the $99 level, you are getting a skate that is a compromise between value and durability.

Details: Sure Grip’s Rebel is a leather boot that is constructed with a glued rubber sole and fits like a sneaker as well. It comes with a rolled collar and cinch strap to keep that foot properly placed in the boot.

This package is highly sought after since it comes with a balanced set of components. Like the Riedell Rogue this is a package that leads the group.

The Rookie Skates are focused more on durability and may even market themselves as Derby Skates. But again I want you, the skater, to look at all the components and see what you are getting for the money and will it work best for YOU. All these skates are reasonably priced and will give you a boot modeled after a speed boot. For those not knowing the difference, a speed boot gives counter support, which is a usually moisture proof leather or moisture resistant fiberboard that is cemented to the lining and upper and attached to the insole.

It provides support when pushing through those turns, which is important when you’re trying to get going fast. Another upgrade will also be an aluminum plate which provides a stiff chassis to transfer all your power to the floor. Once again wheels will be on the average side, but you may already have some go-to wheels, so check out the following page to see what this price range has to offer.

What if you only need boots and plates? You may already have those superstar wheels and bearings that work for you and your floor.

The combinations of boots and plates are seemingly endless and you can put together a sweet skate for yourself. As you may know, I am fan of the DA45 plate design. I believe the action is well suited for roller derby, giving you quick maneuverability that isn’t available on longer speed plates. Please take note that when building your own skate/plate combination, a mounting charge may be added to your overall cost. You can mount them yourself, Dahmernatrix has written a great DIY article on plate mounting featured in Issue 7.

Another option to consider is used skates, you can find a complete package or components from skaters upgrading their skates, your local skating rink, Craigslist, EBay, or my personal favorite, Skatelogforum.com.

From the beginner starting your career in derby, to the rookie upgrading your skates for something that works better for your play, I hope that I have helped you wade through the many choices available to you when purchasing your skates.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 25

gear

Riedell Vixen

Riedell She Devil

Riedell Wicked

Sure Grip Rebel Invader

Sure Grip Challenger

Sure Grip XL 95

Price: $199

Price: $299

Price: $399

Price: $235

Price: $256

Price: $335

Details: The Vixen has a 165 boot that is very soft creating virtually no breakin period. Coupled with the PowerDyne Triton plate and Radar Flat Outs makes this a great value for its price.

The Riedell Vixen comes in at a perfect price point and a nice soft leather boot, giving this package an easy choice for skaters who are looking for great value.

Details: The She Devil comes with a 126 boot which offers the new D/B last, which is a D width for the ball of your foot and a narrow B heel offering a better fit for women’s feet.

This package rounded out with the Triton plate and Radar Tuner Wheels. The 126 boot is my personal recommendation for value.

Details: The Wicked comes with the classic 265 boot design that has also received the D/B last conversion. Comes complete with the DynaPro plate and Radar Tuner wheels.

This has been a popular package for a long time.

The recent D/B boot last upgrade is a huge improvement. The Dynapro plates are on par with the Triton plates offered on other packages.

Details: The Rebel Invader was born from the DA45 plate innovation. The Rebel is a leather boot, coupled with the DA45 Invader plates, Fugitive wheels and Qube Juice bearings.

Sure Grip coupled a great plate that is mounted with the axles at the perfect sweet spots to increase maneuverability, with an intermediate boot to come up with a price point that is perfect for the majority of new skaters.

Details: The Challenger is a XL75 boot constructed with leather uppers and a comfort padded lining. It’s mounted to the 15 degree speed XK4 plate and rolls out on Fugitive wheels.

Details: The XL95 is Sure Grip’s premium leather boot.

Mounted on Probe plates with Fugitive wheels makes this a good value for a package skate. Also, plate substitutions are offered, so you can upgrade to those DA45 Invader plates. The XL95 is Sure Grip’s newest boot that is very supple and claims to have no break-in time. This package is built on request, it really means that you could easily modify it to fit your needs better.

DNN BRINGS IT TO YOU live coverage from all the biggest events!

SCORES

HIGHLIGHTS

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how to get the most out of your boot YI-NAN "DOUBLE EASY" ZHANG, DENVER ROLLER DOLLS

One of the fundamental parts of the skate, your boots can easily make or break your derby experience. Wearing a boot that does not fit you properly can be very uncomfortable, not to mention a hindrance to improving your game. Picking a new boot to buy can be a tough decision with all the different models out there. And, if you don’t like your current boot, but you can’t afford to buy a new one, are you stuck with what you have until you can shell out the $150-$500 to spend on a quality boot? what to look for in a boot: fit Our feet are multi-dimensional objects, so it doesn’t make sense for bootmakers to label boots with only one dimension. Luckily, just because they only use one dimension to label them does not mean they manufacture the boots so that all the other dimensions are the same. They just don’t tell you what the other dimensions are! All boots are not created equal: Some boots have a generally wider fit, some boots are narrower, some boots are wider and some parts are narrower in others.

Most speed skating boots are designed with men’s feet in mind. That’s why they usually come in men’s sizes only.

Women may have a tough time fitting into men’s boots because our feet tend to be wider in the ball and narrower in the heel. material Boots are generally made out of three different materials: a hard leather or fiber sole, a soft leather or cloth lining

and a soft-ish leather upper. There are boots made out of 100% synthetic materials, but a boot made out of highquality leather is your best bet as it will mold to your feet. Generally, the more expensive the retail price of the boot is, the better the quality of leather used to make it. You get what you pay for! But even for the same model of boot, if you get a different color, the leather may be different. If you are considering getting a custom color but are concerned about the quality of leather, call the manufacturer and ask about it. For a non-custom leather boot, make sure the fit is snug if you are getting a brand-new boot. Leather will stretch to fit your feet, so it generally takes a few hours in the boots to make them comfortable. If your boot is comfortable right off the shelf, it may not be comfortable in a few weeks. heel Speed skating boots traditionally have a flat heel, whereas artistic skating boots have a very high heel. For most of the suitable boots for roller derby out on the market today, you have a choice of a flat heel or a 1/4” stacked heel. That doesn’t sound like a big difference, but 1/4” can end up making a large difference in the precision of your movements, especially if you are already very much used to one over the other. What are the advantages of a stacked heel versus a flat heel?

A flat heel means that there is no extra heel weight, so your boot will be lighter.

A higher heel means that your body weight will be centered more on the balls of your feet, making you less likely to fall on your butt.

different boot makes and models that are popular in derby Riedell is the most popular roller skate boot manufacturer. They are based out of Red Wing, Minnesota and make both quad roller skate boots and ice skate boots. They also make the Powerdyne brand of roller skate plates and the Radar brand of roller skate wheels.

Riedell makes four different types of boots that are popular for roller derby: 265 The Riedell 265 was the first boot specifically aimed at the roller derby market and it is still the most popular boot for roller derby today. The 265 has a leather upper and a cloth lining, with a stacked heel, a rolled collar and a speed strap. It is made from a “combo” last: D in the toe and B in the heel.

595 / 695 / 122

These are all made on the same “B” last, so they have the same narrower fit.

The 595 and 695 have full leather uppers and linings. The 122 and 125 have leather uppers and cloth linings.

The 695 and 125 have speed straps, while the 595 and 122 have snug ties.

All have a small stacked heel EXCEPT for the 595. Riedell has been making these boots for years and years, and they are considered traditional speed boots.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 27

gear 126 The 126 is a fairly recent addition to Riedell’s catalog, born from someone’s bright realization that men’s boots didn’t fit women properly.

The 126 is just like the 125 except that it is made from a “combo” last: D in the toe and B in the heel. It also has a rolled collar like the 265. So to sum it up, the 126 has a leather upper, a cloth lining, a stacked heel, a speed strap, a rolled collar, and a combo last.

965 / 1065 The 965 was Riedell’s 2009 answer to quad hockey boots, which are becoming popular in derby, mostly due to the success of the Oly Rollers, several of whom sport Meneghini brand hockey boots. The 965 is full leather, has a combo last, a stacked heel, a rolled collar, a lace cover, a high cut, and thick padding. If you compare a 965 with a 695 or 595, you can feel that the boot itself is much thicker. The 1065 is basically the 2010 model of the 965.

Many Denver Roller Dolls sport Bont boots. Bont is an Australian manufacturer, well-known in the inline skating world. They offer several styles of quad skate boots. These boots can be semi-custom (heat-moldable to the shape of your feet by placing in a special oven) or full-custom (send them your foot measurements or have a Bont representative measure your feet and make a boot just for you). Bont boots are also some of the lightest boots out there.

Most of the DRD skaters in Bont boots have the “Bont Quad Racer” designed for quad speed skating. Bont also has

28 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

a line of boots designed specifically for roller derby. These boots have a higher cut than the Quad Racers, along with a power strap and material designed to be scuffed at the toe.

Quad Racer These come in three types: cloth lining/cloth upper/fiberglass sole, leather lining/leather upper/ fiberglass sole, and leather lining/leather upper/carbon sole. These are low cut and made for speed skating. If you are considering buying Bont boots, you should probably get one of the leather ones, as the cloth ones will probably wear out very quickly due to their thin material.

tips and tricks to make your boot fit better socks: We are playing a sport in which your feet play a huge role. Do not skimp on socks! The nice thing about socks is, even if you buy the most expensive pair out there, it probably will not cost more than $20. The same cannot be said of boots, plates or wheels. One hundred percent cotton is not a good choice for roller derby socks, just as it is not a good choice for any piece of athletic clothing. Cotton is heavy and it absorbs moisture. At the end of the night, you will have a heavy, WET sock. You also do not want to have a super thick sock or to double up on socks. Competition-level skiers like to wear the thinnest socks possible so that their feet have better contact with their boots, thereby making more precise movements. If you wear super thick socks, your feet won’t be able to feel the boot, compromising your agility. Look for high-quality athletic socks that are moisture-wicking, are

thinner in the right places and thicker in the right places and have well-made seams (seams that are almost invisible).

Try a light ski sock. If you are skating hard all day and feel your socks getting wet, follow Lieutenant Dan’s advice from Forrest Gump: Change your socks frequently! insoles: The stock insoles that come with most boots are pretty good.

However, they do wear out somewhat quickly, especially if you skate three to four nights a week. Also, if your feet have arch support issues, you may want to get special insoles right off the bat.

The best insoles are custom-made orthotics that you need to see a doctor to get. Most of us will be able to get away with store-bought insoles, though.

What should you look for in an insole?

The most important thing to keep in mind is that we are playing a sport, so you don’t want an insole designed to make it more comfortable to walk in high heels around the office all day.

Most $2 drugstore insoles are not going to cut it, and you definitely do not want anything with “gel” on the packaging.

A thick, soft insole will only absorb your energy, making it tougher for you to keep up. If you want a high-quality athletic insole, try Superfeet. They run about $30/pair and are thin and hard, with strong arch support. laces: Laces come in different lengths, widths and materials. Depending on how you like to tie your laces, you may need to do some experimentation to figure out what the best length for you is. Most skate laces come in lengths that are 12 inches apart, starting from 72” and ending at 120”. The width of your lace may make a difference depending on where you’re lacing and the material of your boot. Laces hold your boot together,

Brian Murphree

so they will put pressure on your feet. The wider the lace, the more distributed that pressure is. If you have a super narrow lace, extra pressure may be put on parts of your feet that will cause pain. However, if your boot has thick leather, it may not make a difference. You might have seen skaters with two different laces on one boot.

This is a common solution to the “widetoe narrow-heel” problem. You lace the first lace loosely and tie it midway up your boot so that your toes and the balls of your feet can be comfortable. Then you lace the second lace tightly starting in the middle of your boot so that your heels can sit tight. Another way to deal with this is to use waxed laces. Waxed laces have a coating on them that causes friction. So if you lace a waxed lace through an eyelet, it will stay where you put it and not slip. lacing: There is more than one way you can lace your boots! One common variation is for skaters to start lacing at the second, third, or even fourth set of eyelets from the toe of the boot. If your toes feel horribly squeezed, this could be a solution for that. You can also skip eyelets anywhere to create comfort zones. Beware, though, that creating a comfort zone in one place by skipping

a set of eyelets there can cause extra pressure somewhere else.

Check out Ian’s Shoelace Site – fieggen.com/shoelace for different ways to lace your boots. Another thing to check is the lace eyelets on your boot.

Some boots come with fairly straightforward eyelets. Others come with eyelets in unusual places, hooks or D-rings instead of eyelets, or snug ties. These things are definitely not for decoration. If you think your boot could fit better, consider looking into what the boot manufacturer recommends to do with these extra eyelets and such.

Chances are these small details can make a big difference! On the other hand, if your boot only comes with straightforward eyelets and you don’t like the way your boot fits, you could take your boots to a cobbler and have extra eyelets added to them, in the places that you want, for a very nominal fee. tying laces: Believe it or not, most of us are probably tying our laces wrong without realizing it. Do you feel like your knots are always slipping, and you have to retie your laces after every jam or drill? You are probably tying a “Granny knot” or “slip knot”. See Ian’s Shoelace Site for more info.

booties and pads: If you consistently have hot spots on your feet where you get blisters, you may want to consider protecting those spots especially with eZeefit booties, Clear Clouds, cosmetic

sponges, etc. These can be a lifesaver!

You can also make your own “booties” from neoprene beer coozies. Be careful adding a bunch of extra padding between your foot and your boot, though. When you take pressure off of one spot, you are usually adding to another. At some point, it’s worth it just to get a better-fitting boot.

Remember that without a properfitting boot, your skating experience will be very uncomfortable. If you have feet of an exceptionally unusual shape, you will probably have trouble fitting into most skating boots, whether they are heat-moldable or not. You can always request custom fits from manufacturers.

However, this may cost quite a bit extra.

But it’s better to spend a little now than to spend a lot more later, both on medical bills and on the proper-fitting boots. Invest in your feet!

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 29

wftda

2010 wftda meeting CRACKERJACK, TEXAS ROLLERGIRLS

The WFTDA annual meeting gives us a moment to look back at the

development, WFTDA stats, administering skating skills tests

past year and forward to the next; we gain focus and perspective

(whew, that’s just a start!) around their leagues.

from the real, live face time we get with each other. These intense,

There’s nothing like a little face time to spark a lot of

work-filled weekends once a year have fueled the growth of the

collaboration, networking and pranks. Derby wives were reunited,

WFTDA, and my oh my, those five years just raced by! From the

new BFFs were established, chicken fights and porning ruled the

humble United Leagues Coalition in 2005 to full-blown WFTDA

pool. League reps got to confab with the other reps in their region.

in 2010, with insurance, employees, almost 100 member

Plots were hatched (but remain closely guarded). Perhaps most

organizations, international and apprentice membership and

importantly, the reps got the opportunity to talk in real time about

a nonstop schedule of WFTDA-sanctioned bouts every weekend,

the important issues of the day – gender definitions, the future of

the women of the WFTDA have exceeded the five-year goals

tournaments and regions and 4-3 vs. 5-2.

we imagined at ChiCon in 2005.

The 2010 WFTDA annual meeting –

WFTDA officials attending Oh!Con got to participate in the first-ever WFTDA

Oh!Con – was held in downtown

referee training clinic. The six-hour clinic

Columbus, Ohio. WFTDArds shared the

consisted of both on-skates and classroom

hotel – and the rooftop pool – with the

sessions and served as beta testing for

International Gay Bowlers Association to

the release of nationwide WFTDA clinics

the enjoyment of pretty much everyone.

this summer.

There’s just something about a group of

After the clinic, the skaters got to test

gay bowlers in neon sailor hats who say,

the refs on their comprehension at the

“Going down? Don’t mind if I do!” every

annual scrimmage. The scrimmage time

time they descend from the rooftop pool.

never fails to be one of the high points of

Sets the mood.

WFTDACons, this year we had more skaters

The first five WFTDA meetings were mostly working meetings, where committees and reps applied themselves to the issues and goals of the organization,

participate than ever; no injuries, no fights = Good! No beer in the parking lot = Sad. The WFTDA welcomed a new President to the Board of Directors – Grace Killy of

discussed strategy and set their workloads for the next year.

Milwaukee’s Brew City Bruisers. Grace has been in derby for 4+

At Oh!Con, we stepped away from that nose-to-the-grindstone

years, and has been a pivotal member of WFTDA Games for 3+

approach. One of the main goals of the weekend was to give the

years. We expect great things from her. She has very, very, very big

WFTDA’s accumulated and vetted knowledge back to the leagues,

shoes to fill. Crackerjack is now Past President for a two-year term,

for application in their operations and their relations with the larger

Siouxsicide Bomb was elected into a two-year term as secretary

WFTDA world. For the first time, for this reason, leagues were

and The Ruffian and Loco Chanel each have one more year in their

invited to bring a non-rep league leader. WFTDA reps usually come

terms as Vice President and Secretary, respectively.

home from the annual meetings with a renewed sense of purpose

Big huge thanks to Bloody Mary, Alli Catraz and all the Ohio

and a fire in the belly for the derby. We sure hope those leaders

Roller Girls for putting the meeting together and making it the

caught the WFTDA fever as well and are spreading the best

best one yet. Everything went off without a hitch because of

practices and processes they learned for sponsorship, league

your dedicated love for the WFTDA!

governance, financial management, PR and social media, web

30 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

jrda

jrCon B E T T Y F O R D G A L A X Y, S E AT T L E D E R B Y B R AT S Geo Joe

August 6-8, 2010, over 100 girls from 11 states and one skater from the UK came to Seattle, WA for the world’s first Junior Roller Derby Convention.

Geo Joe

JrCon had been discussed around the Seattle Derby Brats and I-5 Rollers for some time when Chris Hunter started a drive to making it a reality and enlisted the help of the JRDA (Junior Roller Derby Association) and The Seattle Derby Brats. The three units worked as one to create an amazing memorable life-changing weekend for the junior girls and the coaches themselves.

Chris worked on logistics and s ecured two rinks for us. The event was held in Lynnwood Bowl and Skate and the Edmonds Community College gym. The Jet City Rollergirls donated their floor for the Edmonds gym for the event including helping lay it down and picking it up after.

Betty Ford Galaxy (me) recruited coaches for the clinics and the clinics schedule. From The Rat City Rollergirls we had Ima Handful, Selma Soul, Primp Daddy, Wiley Peyote, Re Animate Her, Clobberin’ Mame and Anya Heels along with myself. From the Jet City Rollergirls we had EZ Rider, Nasty Nikki Nightstick, Anna Mosity and Devlin Inside. From Rainy City Derby Girls – BenjYa Over and from the Seattle Derby Brats coach Katie Did-it. Rounding it up with the legendary Miss Pia Mess from Silicon Valley Rollergirls. It was truly amazing to see all these powerhouse players take time to give back and support the future of roller derby.

Friday afternoon began at Lynnwood Bowl and Skate. All the girls arrived to register and have a skills assessment then they got an open skate/meet and greet with the other girls. The girls were broken up into three skill levels for the next day clinics. The ones (non hitting) and twos (light beginner hitting) would have clinics at Lynnwo od and group three (the advanced hitters) would be at Edmonds. Around 7pm the party was moved to the Vera Project – a Seattle non profit venue for all ages shows and events – for a Derby Prom. Excitement was in the air and all the girls had a great time. Like any good rollergirl, they soon made their way outside the venue and found a large fountain to play in.

Saturday clinics started at 8am. Each gro up had five clinics prepared for their skill level which included strategy/basic derby, jamming, hitting, rules and agility/plyos. The skaters were able to take away a great deal of different and advanced drills that they

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can take back to their respective leagues.

Saturday after dinner there were two full bouts. A junior and an adult NW Adhoc team from local leagues and featured many of the coaches who played a great game after being on skates all day working with the kids.

First The Seattle Derby Brats travel team, the Galaxy Girls, coached by myself and Inter Planet Janet, played the I-5 Rollergirls coached by Nasty Nikki Nightstick and Trixxies Trashen’ Em. It was one of the most amazing bouts I have ever seen. Both teams wanted the win so bad. The I-5 Rollergirls were able to pull out a triumphant victory with a final score of I-5 210 and Galaxy Girls 186.

Next up the adult bout was the Black List vs. Agent Orange. As a good show of true sportswomanship Trixxxie, Nikki and myself all played on the Black List. It was a nice way to show the girls that even though you can compete fiercely against each other in one bout that in the next you can be on the same team because really we are all derby sisters. The Black List took the win in that bout 188 to 113.

Representatives from Riedell, Fast Girl Skates and One World Derby were on hand for the bout.

Sunday there was one clinic and then black and white scrimmaging for the rest of the day.

The one clinic was for all the girls and was called “Size Doesn’t Matter.” The clinic was run by Pia, Anya, Anna, Mame and myself. The class was more of a panel discussion on skates with some demonstrations. All of us are very different sizes and heights. We each spoke of how we can use our size, no matter what size we are, to our advantage and how we play with and against players of other sizes. Our goal was to empower them to know that they are perfect for derby, just the way they are.

After the groups were split into black / white and skill level.

For the next five hours the girls bouted and cheered and bonded.

For the first of its kind JrCon 2010 was amazing, successful and unforgettable.

I would love to thank all the coaches, parents, refs, NSOs and volunteers. We could not have done it without you. I would especially love to thank all the young ladies who came because they were amazing and well behaved and they are the future of the sport we love so much.

l DISTRIBUTION

rookie

recreational leagues MIDNIGHT RIDER, WRECKIN’ REBELS

A recreational league creates a place where girls can play derby without the level of commitment required by a competitive league. It can be a place for retired skaters who still want to play but don’t have the time to make the practice, committee and social requirements. It can also be a point of entry into the derby world for skaters who lack the skating experience to make it into a competitive league.

When starting a rec league it’s important to have a clear vision for what your league will do. For us, starting a rec league in a city with some of the top ranked leagues in the country meant first defining our place in the derby community. It was important that we positioned ourselves as a resource that supported all derby and did not compete for fans, revenue or ticket sales. We wanted a place where girls could come and skate regardless of ability or availability. We wanted a place to skate hard and enjoy the benefits of a derby network without the intensity of a competitive league.

Thinking about starting a recreational league?

There are five steps to getting one going.

First, contact existing leagues in your city. They may have a program in place that’s filling the need that you could become a part of. If nothing exists then your new rec league could become a valuable asset to your local derby community by providing a place for new or retiring skaters to stay involved.

It’s important to clearly explain to a local competitive league that you plan to play only for fun and that you will not sell tickets or become competition.

Next you’ll need to find a practice space. Skating rinks are a good place to start but a warehouse or outdoor hockey rink can

work too as long as it has a smooth surface and you can lay a track. So you have rink time; you’ll need to price liability insurance. It’s likely your practice space will require a certain level of coverage so find that out before price shopping. The cost of practice space plus the cost of insurance divided by how many skaters you can recruit will determine your season’s dues.

Now you need to recruit skaters. Contact retired skaters because they may still have a desire to skate but may not have had the time to skate competitively. Nearby leagues can refer skaters who may be retiring. They can also refer girls who want to skate before tryouts or those who did not make tryouts but are looking for a place to build the skills to try again.

You’ll need to be prepared to lead practices that will benefit skaters from total beginners up to total rock stars. Once you get your beginners up to a basic safety level you’ll want to start scrimmaging – after all you’re there to play the game. While the object of a rec league is not to be competitive it can be a lot of fun to set up informal scrimmages with your local league’s B team.

Once your league is up and running be prepared to turn it over to its members. Elected leadership is much easier to follow and you’ll want to have time to enjoy what you started without so much responsibility. One point of caution: we originally set out to bout newly formed leagues well outside our city limits but this turned out to be a mistake. Bouting added much stress and division to the league without adding much value.

If we had it to do again we’d set up scrimmages instead of bouts. Scrimmages fulfill the need to have a team goal and an opportunity for friends and family to come watch.

David Roth – uzziel@gmail.com

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om

rookie

welcome to team zebra Q UA M A S U T R A , H U B C I T Y D E R B Y DA M E S

Referees are the only guys you are going to see on skates in the sport of women’s flat track roller derby. They are the voice of neutrality and order in the controlled chaos of the roller derby bout, and in some cases, the most criticized skaters on the floor.

Who are they, how did they get there, why do they do what they do, what was it like to come on to already well-established teams? And for some, what was it like to skate for the first time learning to be a derby ref? This is mostly intended to be a look into the experiences of being a new ref so that those who are interested might have a glimpse at what awaits them, but it is also a way for the derby leagues out there to understand a little bit more about what its new refs go through to become a useful member of the undefeated Team Zebra.

boyfriends, and friends of current skaters or incoming fresh meat seem to be the most common background for referees, since most people outside the sport and its fans are unfortunately unaware of roller derby’s existence. I was friends with members of two different leagues and had no idea that our local team had ever grown past a few individuals that practiced together. In fact, my derby knowledge as a whole was provided by a certain 2006 reality show, and thus I could not figure out where they could have hidden a banked track in this small town. It was at this point that, at the urging of whom I now know as Hazmat, I attend a scrimmage between our team and the local Southern Misfits. Needless to say I attended, came to work the next day with a copy of

Joe Schwartz / JoeRollerfan.com

Who the heck are these guys and how did they get here?

Most refs are going to be connected to the team in some manner before they even consider volunteering. Husbands,

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the 3.1 rules to get a better understanding of the game, and then after a couple visits to practice, found myself ordering skates a few days later.

new ref, old league: let the lessons begin Here’s where the informative part begins, ironically where most things in derby begin, at the rink. So you walk into your first practice, and if you’re like me, you haven’t skated since you were five; and even then you could count the days you spent skating on one hand. Where do you start? You start with falls, since that’s how you’re going to spend your next few weeks, on the ground; or more specifically on your way to or up from the ground. The next thing that you need to know is that unless the league has a very dedicated and sizable ref squad already, you are going to be spending a lot of time figuring things out on your own, because as a whole, the league is going to take its time to feel you out. You aren’t the first new ref they’ve had and they have certainly had their share of guys volunteering to referee who are there for the view or to find themselves a girlfriend. In fact some teams have had the pleasure of yet-to-be convicted felons try to be refs, so it’s going to take a few days for them to make sure you aren’t a creepy stalker or a potential murderer.

When you aren’t trying to figure out why the floor and gravity are conspiring against you, you will spend a lot of time watching drills and scrimmages. It is extremely important that even if you aren’t yet able to skate around the inside of the track as a pack ref, that you watch every minute you can from the inside. Watch the pack and listen for what the referees are calling, see what it looks like when someone is about to use an elbow, how to shift your vision to the track to see position for blocking out of bounds calls. Every bit of this can be done without having to skate an inch and is vitally important because you can memorize the rulebook from cover to cover, but if you don’t have the eyes for the game you will miss more penalties than you will ever catch.

It will help more than anything if you can find another ref that is willing to mentor you in the finer points of penalty calling and rule clarification, especially when it comes to the hundreds of ridiculous hypothetical rule scenarios that will pop into your head at midnight that will demand immediate resolution.

will have to skate as much as the skaters do, but you don’t get to sit out for any jams and if you’re an outside pack or jam ref you are going to be skating hard all night. As much time as the skaters spend with team meetings and league business, you will spend at least that much time memorizing rules, going over the newest rule updates and keeping them straight from the last rule set and getting rule clarifications from more knowledgeable colleagues. At some point there are questions as to why we do what we do, there always are. First off, there are the usual “love of the game” reasons simply because roller derby is the greatest sport in the world, but there are a lot of other reasons as well.

As a whole, no matter what league they are a part of, derby girls are some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. They skate several hours a practice, several days a week; including those endurance practices that anyone is lucky to walk away from. Those that can’t skate due to injury still show up to practice to support their teammates. They are the biggest family you will ever see, accepting of anyone that has ever put on skates in the name of derby. Every bit of this they do without a paycheck. They are the ones you are fortunate enough to referee for and it’s a responsibility that should never be taken lightly. All that being said, welcome to the greatest job you will never get paid for. Welcome to Team Zebra.

so here’s the skinny All right, after gaining a somewhat decent grasp of gravity, forward momentum, and whatever revision of the WFTDA rulebook that happens to be current at the time, what’s next?

Well let me tell you, next comes the fun part. On average you are going to put in as much time skating as the teams do. You should take part in everything the team does. Stretching, falling drills, snake drills, sprint ladders, even those suicides that would kill normal human beings; you should do them all. In bouts you Joe Schwartz / JoeRollerfan.com

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 39

feature

belts in derby G I N G E R S N A P, G OT H A M G I R L S R O L L E R D E R B Y

I hate your belt.

Derby pet peeve number one? Crappy halftime bands. Number two? “Whipping belts.” Or, as I like to call them, “finger manglers.”

“Whipping belts” assault every nerve in my derby body. A well-executed whip is a beautiful thing, but clutching at your teammate’s belt is like microwaving a filet mignon because you never bothered to learn how to use the stove.

You won’t want to eat it, your friends will be disappointed and you’re left with a big waste of a potentially great meal.

A strong whip happens when you’re aware of your teammate and working as a unit, communicating verbally and with body language so the assist is as productive as possible. A great whip also requires being in the right place to start and complete the whip. After transferring her momentum, the whipper stays up on her skates, in a strong position, ready to find her next task in the pack. The whippee gets exactly where they want, at the speed they want.

Belts shortcut all those invaluable elements of whipping success.

Replacing those fundamental skills – positioning, communication and control – with the use of a belt discourages skaters from moving their feet, being focused in the pack and communicating with each other.

In short, belts make derby Jeebus cry. safety first I have a background in choreographing stage combat and I’ve seen far too many broken and severed fingers. Getting your

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thumb caught in a strap of armor, in someone’s costume, or, yes, someone’s belt, has ‘ER’ written all over it. I’ve been there – it’s not pretty. Derby is dangerous enough.

Fingers, hands and wrists are fragile and precious. Getting them caught in a belt at high speeds while the ‘bad guys’ are throwing themselves at you is a risk you don’t need to take. A sturdy teammate booty is a much more stable and effective bedrock for a jammer to use than a belt – a belt which is usually way off that blocker’s center of gravity to begin with.

One dictum that I’ve taken with me from the stage and onto the track is that the “victim” (aka the person being pulled, pushed, thrown or tossed) should always be the one in control. If the whipper is in control, they are going to give you a much more effective assist than a whipper whom you claw at and spin around as you sling yourself past.

Most derby girls have plenty of booty available as a stable platform – it’s a better launching pad for a good assist than a flimsy strap that may well rip off your digits.

You might ask, “Snap! I see people take whips off of uniforms all the time – isn’t that the same thing?” No my darlings, it is not. A uniform or a thong or a skirt is not a studded leather belt – it’s not going to break off a finger. Spandex gives – leather or nylon doesn’t. lazy training Belts are a huge training crutch.

Reaching and grabbing for belts to pull

you through the pack is a shortcut for moving your feet and being in control.

Everything in derby comes from your feet, and executing a whip, block or any other move requires your feet to be in the right place. At practice, take every opportunity to work on getting your feet and hips where they need to be so that you never have to desperately reach for a belt like it’s the last beer in the fridge at the party.

Your spring-loaded legs and quick feet should be your primary weapons as you bob and weave through a pack.

Using a belt to claw your way through a pack will not make you a better skater – it’ll have you leaning forward, off-balance, clutching for solutions.

As you claw forward to grab a belt, what happens if you miss? Your feet have stopped moving, and now you’re off-balance – a dead duck.

To paraphrase Glinda the Good Witch, the solutions to your problems were on your feet the whole time.

Some captains and coaches require their skaters to wear “whipping belts” to help jammers through the pack.

Please take responsibility for your training and don’t use this ‘belt’ shortcut. Instead of practicing spinning your hapless teammates around and tossing them to the ground, focus on training tools that will give you the control, strength, speed and power needed to play at top levels. communication The biggest part of giving and getting assists is the mutual teamwork and

Joe Schwartz / JoeRollerfan.com

awareness required. Jamming is not about desperately grabbing your way through the pack – it’s about working within a cohesive unit to make things happen. Derby isn’t just about slamming and smashing. It’s about control, positioning and teamwork.

When a jammer suddenly grabs an unsuspecting teammate’s belt, it’s a pretty safe bet that that blocker is going to fall, possibly tripping their jammer and some other teammates on the way down. Belts discourage the

constant talking and awareness required in a pack. Jammers who train with beltwearers can learn to think: “Why tell her I’m coming when I can just grab her belt?” Or, a belt-wearing blocker can say “I have a belt on – if she needs my help, she’ll just grab for it.”

The zen-like, hive-minded pack doesn’t go desperately pawing and scratching at each other. Players in strong packs talk, they warn, they ask for what they need and eventually they develop ‘derby ESP’ with their

teammates. These skills win bouts.

Don’t rob yourself of any opportunity on the track to talk and touch and communicate with your teammates. If you don’t talk to each other in practice, you won’t know each other’s vocabulary in a game when it counts. You won’t win the bout and you probably won’t even win the after party. After all, it’s hard to grasp enough tallboys to win when you left your thumb and forefinger in your teammate’s belt.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 41

feature

the derby/UFC connection T H O M A S G E R BA S I , N E W Y O R K C I T Y, N Y

The walk from the arena to the parking lot at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida should have taken no more than five minutes tops. For Mike Swick, it took more than a half hour, but the welterweight contender for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) didn’t complain about signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. For him, it’s just part of the job.

“It’s important to give back and help and motivate future generations,” said Swick. “When I was growing up, I was motivated by actors and fighters, but they weren’t accessible at all. That (meeting those people) is something I would have loved to been able to do when I was growing up, and if I’m put in that position where people want to meet me, say ‘hi’ or hang out, I think it’s great.”

Okay, so you’ve picked up this magazine and stumbled onto a story featuring quotes from a mixed martial arts fighter. But bear with us, because you’re in the right place. In fact, the success of the UFC in the last five years may be a precursor to the same kind of success women’s roller derby is on the verge of. Yet while getting a quick and easy ‘perfect storm’ to break through to the mainstream would be nice, in the meantime, a grass roots effort is necessary to build the momentum that can take the sport to the next level. And it all starts with the fans, as Swick’s colleague, lightweight contender Kenny Florian, points out.

“There’s nothing like making some type of connection with a fan,” he said. “And the fact that they have the ability to come up to us, shake our hand, talk fighting, or get an autograph, really helps make that connection.

These fans really don’t have that opportunity with the other athletes that they follow. You can’t just go up to Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and hang out with them and talk football. With us, they can and it’s a unique availability that UFC fighters provide for the fans.”

Derby leagues around the country are taking notice of the importance of establishing these connections with fans, with some, like New York’s Gotham Girls Roller Derby, even educating their rookies in the fine art of dealing with the public.

“When they (the rookies) jump in, they don’t only learn how to skate,” explains Gotham Girls standout (and fiveonfive advice columnist) Suzy Hotrod. “They also take a press class and understand the facts about who we are and what we do. And this is part of the deal, isn’t it? Athletes don’t get out of the spotlight any more than a movie celebrity does. Athletes, a lot of times, do the same types of junket-type things and it’s important. If people enjoy talking to me or want to talk to me, I’ll always talk to them.

I don’t have a need to run out and seek it, but if it comes my way I’m naturally comfortable fielding it. I’m not somebody who runs around constantly taking pictures of my own head (laughs), but if other people want to take a picture of me, I’m not gonna say I’m uncomfortable with it – it’s fine, I love it and it’s great.”

These interactions also turn into opportunities to educate while also clearing up misconceptions about the sport. Here, the task is to let people know that this isn’t your grandmother’s roller derby, a spectacle that came complete with left hooks, pro wrestlingtype antics, and other things that have no place in the modern game. It’s similar to the path followed by UFC fighters who have had to clear up a host of assumptions about mixed martial arts that bore no resemblance to the sport that currently captivates the nation.

“The things I heard were that there weren’t any rules, that pretty much the guys involved were savages, that you can eye poke and hit to the groin, and that it was illegal in the United States,” said Florian, a Boston College graduate who was a Senior Project Manager for a Harvard based Translation Services Company before becoming a full-time fighter.

“There were a lot of misconceptions, and the main one was that we didn’t train and that we were just guys who liked to fight and got into the cage and beat each other up.”

Yet Florian, who also serves as an analyst for ESPN, took such questions with grace before letting people know the realities of his sport. “Every time it happened, I saw it as another opportunity to basically convince another person that what we’re doing is a legitimate sport, it’s real, and that there’s a lot of skill and technique involved.”

Ultimately, once the fans are connected and educated, it will be impossible for them to walk away, and the rest of the world will want to know what all the commotion is about.

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The same thing goes for derby and Suzy Hotrod embraces her role in helping a new generation of fans understand the sport while also bringing old-school aficionados up to speed on how things have changed since the heyday of the game in the ‘70s.

“The average person doesn’t really know what it is, or maybe they’ve kinda heard about it, and that’s a positive and a negative,” she said. “We have this ancestral roller derby that people are pop culture-familiar with, and they have that one blip in their brain, but they don’t know much more than that. So we have a responsibility to educate if we have the opportunity, like spinning questions in a way where we can include a lot of information about what we do and clarify the vague ideas that people may have. But it’s a growing pain for sure. People don’t understand that it’s not on a banked track, they don’t understand that we don’t flip over chairs and stuff, but if they know enough to actually walk in the door, that’s a big win for us, and I can’t see that anybody would walk away not interested.”

Ultimately, once the fans are connected and educated, it will be impossible for them to walk away and the rest of the world will want to know what all the commotion is about. In the meantime, the job for derby skaters – or any athlete for that matter – is a simple one: keep doing it for the right reasons.

“I got into the sport for different reasons than what some people might get into it now for,” said Swick. "When I got into it, there wasn’t a lot of money, it was banned on Pay-Per-View, and I truly got into it for the love of the sport, and that’s really important. You have to be a little stubborn, you have to take chances, and you have to push forward, no matter what.”

Or as Suzy Hotrod puts it, “I haven’t done anything as well as I do this, so whatever happens doesn’t matter. It’s (already) so rewarding. All the work that goes in shows a very concrete reward, and there are people there and they’re not people I begged to go there, so it’s really fulfilling.”

And rest assured, derby’s time is coming.

“We are obviously not at the level of popularity as skateboarding, but with this whole alterna-culture becoming mainstream and cool right now, it’s the perfect time for us to jump in on that. With skateboarding, you used to get arrested for skating through a park; now every town has a skate park, and it’s only been like ten years ago that skateboarding wasn’t a crime. So we’re coming in at a really nice time. The Olympics have aggressive snowboarding and stuff like that, and it keeps getting to where edgy is more mainstream, and this is a safe edgy.”

feature

2010 RollerCon Las Vegas, July 28. 105 degrees in the shade?

Non-stop opportunities for learning, fun and a bit of chaos? It can only mean one thing to the derby mind – RollerCon! Ah yes, the five-day derby institution rolled out every summer by Ivanna S. Pankin’ and her dedicated crew is in the books for 2010. Over 1500 skaters, refs, coaches and fans made the trek to the Silver State from all over the U.S., Canada, Europe and New Zealand.

Perhaps the biggest change this year was the host hotel. We said farewell to the Imperial Palace but bid hello to Hooters (yes, Hooters). While the DealerTainers were sorely missed from our old haunt, you couldn’t knock the $1.50 beers and the 24-hour pool access granted by the new digs.

The folks who hunkered down at the Tropicana were sharing space with the Buffalo Soldiers’ Motorcycle Club – an interesting mix! The lodging locales were much closer to the skating events at the Las Vegas Sports Center – no more Las Vegas Blvd gridlock on the shuttle!

Another significant change was the floor at the Sports Center. While the slick concrete at the LVSC provided a unique skating challenge in 2009, the organizers this year secured the use of a beautiful Skate Court Floor for the plethora of on-skates seminars, pickup scrimmages and noon challenge bouts.

For those pining away for a more oldschool DIY surface experience, the Fremont Street Challenges and black and white scrimmage at Flamingo Banks were in effect to provide some good old-fashioned competition on concrete.

Once again, the Black and Blue Ball, the Derby Wedding and the Skatepark tour were featured events. A new event featured this year was the Riedell Meet and Greet which featured prize giveaways and 80s jam skaters. Some of the return scrimmage challenge team matchups included: Shortbus vs.

Amazons, Team Awesome vs. Team Sexy and Team USA vs. Team World. There was plenty of action in the Black and White scrimmages that were offered every night from 9 to 11, as well.

WFTDA rolled out a demo of the video game that Frozen Codebase has been working on, complete with a life-size promo cutout of Suzy Hotrod to draw folks to the booth.

Some more fun Rollercon facts: • Over 600 rooms counted toward the Rollercon “blocks” • Five derby tracks total; two training, one regulation at Sport Center and two more regulations at Fremont Street and Flamingo Banks • 8 Shuttles: including two double deckers, two 25-passenger van limos and four fancy pants big tour bus “coaches” • On Skates Training classes: 14 coaches offering 52 hours of on-skates classes.

Seminars and Off-skates training:

18 leaders offering an estimated 52 hours of instruction • Number of attendees at the Black n Blue Ball: 800+ • Average Hooters’ pool party attendance at midnight each night: 200+ • Vendors: 64 with over 40 vendor booths • Raffle prizes: An estimated $23,800 retail value in rad stuff, including eight pairs of skates • Staff: 326 staff members scheduled for 1964 hours. Ended up with 338 staff members and still calculating how many hours they actually worked • Attendees that saw the sunrise at least once from staying up all night: One too many • Average daily number of trips to Whole Foods per attendee: two And, the organizers’ favorite stat: • 2009 Registration line average wait estimates for Wednesday: about five hours 2010 Registration line average wait estimates for Wednesday: about 20 minutes The Rollercon organizers are already hard at work planning RC2011. There’s tons of great stuff in store for next year – old favorites and new additions alike.

If you are interested in volunteering for RollerCon next year, please contact info@rollercon.net.

Get there!

46 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

Barry

Barry Mulling Jim Cottingham

Barry Mulling

Jim Cottingham

Barry Mulling Jim Cottingham

Jim Cottingham

Barry Mulling

Barry Mulling

Jim Cottingham

Jim Cottingham

Jim Cottingham

international

the great southern slam P S Y C H O F O X A K A K AT R I N A F I N L AY S O N , A D E L A I D E R O L L E R D E R B Y A N D F L I N D E R S U N I V E R S I T Y

The Great Southern Slam tournament was held in Adelaide, South Australia, from June 12-13, 2010. Around twenty leagues travelled great distances from all across Australia and New Zealand to skate in the first ever Asia-Pacific region roller derby tournament. Adelaide Roller Derby’s Psycho Fox reported trackside for fiveonfive magazine.

There’s something really messed up with the clocks in Adelaide and it’s making me crazy. Time dragged and dragged and dragged in the weeks leading up to the Great Southern Slam tournament. The clocks even stopped completely a couple of times, hands convulsing, digital eyes staring, unblinking, before sputtering into motion again. And then suddenly there it was: sightings of roving packs of rollergirls at Adelaide airport, in the local derby-loving bars, mobbing skate shops and supermarkets.

The Great Southern Slam was an important event in roller derby history. Due to the vast geographical distances between leagues, some derby family connections have been made here and there through travels, interleague bouts and derby camps, but this was the first Asia-Pacific regional tournament. It was always going to be huge. Huge even in worldwide roller derby tournament terms. The tournament started out with fifteen teams competing for the trophy and, including challenge bout skating, a total of over twenty leagues registered as skating participants. And the size of the combined zebra herd would have made any safari buff faint.

Each starting pool for the Group Stage preliminary rounds consisted of three teams; one more experienced, one intermediate and one younger league, to help seed the later stages of the competition more evenly. The schedule also aimed to match up teams that hadn’t met on the track before.

Big finals contenders to watch for were: Adelaide (ADRD) and Victoria (VRDL), who have played each other in mighty overtime-jam battles for the Skate of Origin trophy the past two years; Sun State (SSRG) from Queensland, another league that’s been around for a few years and has clashed titan-style with Victoria; and Pirate City (PCR) from Auckland, New Zealand, as

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the longest running Asia-Pacific region league, and also a mostly unknown quantity going into the tournament. Some teams combined the derby forces of two younger, smaller leagues, like the Geelong and Ballarat team, the Maulrats, and the merge of Western Australia Rollers with Richter City Roller Girls from Wellington, New Zealand.

Newcastle, Wollongong-Illawarra and the Towns Villains league from Far North Queensland also borrowed a little strength from sister leagues. And then there was the Pot Luck team: a fifteenth team formed by drawing names from a hatful of self-nominated skaters across all participating leagues, and a sentimental favorite for many supporters.

Saturday, the tournament got underway early, the first whistles sounding at 10:00 a.m. local time. The preliminary rounds saw some exciting derby but no major upsets, with the most experienced team from each group winning their bouts to move into the quarter finals: Adelaide, Victoria, Sun State, Pirate City and Geelong/Ballarat.

The bracketing also provided for three group runner-up teams to slide through based on point differentials, spots earned by Sydney, Northern Brisbane and Perth. Time blurred and suddenly it was Saturday afternoon and quarter finals time.

Damn clocks. Adelaide played off against Geelong/Ballarat and the G/B Maulrats gave ADRD a run for their money, but Adelaide took the win 152 to 102 through pack domination and strong jamming. Against Perth, Pirate City displayed some excellent pack communication, repeatedly building walls of three and four at the front. The Pirates also demonstrated just how you bounce an opposing jammer between a front wall and a back wall, and Perth just couldn’t get a foothold, as Pirate City rolled home to win 207 to 51.

Sun State Roller Girls and Northern Brisbane Rollers are divided geographically by little more than a Queensland highway, but Sun State created a much larger divide derbywise, smashing a path to the semi-finals by beating their neighbors 184 to 28. Victoria similarly announced in no uncertain terms that they were moving on to the next round,

At A Glance: The Great Southern Slam had over 500 skaters from Australia and New Zealand participate, over 70 of them were referees and officials.

Almost 2,000 members of the public attended on both days taking the entire audience somewhere near 4,000.

Jonathan Carmichael

forcing Sydney to crumble under contingent of travelling league supporters relentless pressure and winning and by the time the bout started at 11:00 234 to 19. a.m., many of the Beer Squad were already Sunday morning arrived cold and grey, sucking down cold ones and chanting and but inside the Adelaide Showground it singing and waving their arms. Adelaide was bright and adrenaline-filled. Two played a great game but Sun State played semi-finals bouts better. By around decided who would three quarter time it “Australian roller derby will play for the trophy in was pretty clear never be the same after this the Grand Final and Sun State would be tournament. Sponsorship interest who would play for playing in the Slam has dramatically increased in bragging rights in Grand Final, and SSRG Aussie derby, WFTDA has invited third place. The went on to win 124 to Aussie leagues to join the seeding from 60. Victoria and Pirate association and eventually Saturday meant City have an uncannily Adelaide and Sun similar skating style, compete in the world State were vying for with a lot of attention championships in the not one Grand Final team too distant future. There are plans on pack speed and box, and Victoria and player combination for leagues to begin boutcasting Pirate City for the hits and their semis local games, multiple regional other. While I tried bout started out tournaments and interleague to wait patiently incredibly close, with exhibition bouts are in the works trackside for the low scores to prove it. semis to begin, time When one of their key and many international friendly played the fool again. bouts are in negotiations already.” blockers was ejected The time between the from the game around Marshall Stacks Publicity Coordinator, Adelaide Roller Derby first pack line ups ten minutes in, it assembling on the looked liked trouble pivot line and the starting whistle was at for VRDL, but, in one of the lowest scoring least three hours. Damn clocks. bouts all weekend, Victoria wrestled the Adelaide lined up to play Sun State. bout from Pirate City, with a final score of Sun State brought the largest and loudest 94 to 69. In the playoff for third, both

There were 15 teams in the official tournament which consisted of 23 bouts over two days. The top four teams played five bouts in two days.

There were also 14 challenge bouts played between special edition themed novelty teams put together especially for TGSS. With tournament bouts and challenge bouts 37 bouts were played on four tracks over two days making TGSS one of the biggest roller derby events ever held.

TGSS is the first large scale derby event ever held in the southern hemisphere and also the first time anyone can claim to be derby champion of that region.

Victoria Roller Derby won the tournament and are the first women’s flat track roller derby champions of Australia and New Zealand in history. The trophy they won was a bronzed thong with roller skate wheels.

TGSS was the first Australian event ever to be boutcast live on the Derby News Network (DNN).

Superstar derby commentators Hurt Reynolds and Dumptruck travelled from the U.S. to cover it and the finals have been archived and are available to view at derbynewsnetwork.com.

fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 49

international Adelaide and Pirate City brought it to the track in an incredibly exciting bout. Front walls built by Adelaide were answered by back walls from Pirate City with jammers equally trapped.

Unsurprisingly, scoring was pretty even, with Adelaide leading slightly for much of the bout. Both teams pushed two key jammers to the line time and time again, which resulted in some highly entertaining jammer games toward the end of the bout. In the final few minutes, with Adelaide leading, the Adelaide jammer was sent to the bin and Pirate City was given a chance to catch up. The Pirate City jammer broke through the pack and then lapped it enough times that most people lost count of the points gained. Pirate City supporters preemptively

teams, with points given and taken so evenly that SSRG maintained their lead. But when an SSRG jammer went to the bin fifteen minutes down, VRDL seized the opportunity to slice the differential to one point. More wrestling over one and two points signaled this would be a close game to the finish, and then, at six minutes left on the clock, another SSRG jammer visited the bin and VRDL took the lead. Running down the clock, VRDL displayed excellent pack discipline and deployed their signature fast pace line defense.

But here’s where time got really weird. While I’m pretty sure the entire final bout until this point had taken only five minutes, the final jam seemed to last about an hour, maybe an hour and

Matt Walker

broke into celebrations as the jam ended, but at the final count it was Adelaide who took the bout and the Great Southern Slam Third Place with a final score of 93 to 89. And then it was Grand Final time. (Really? Already? Damn clocks.) An estimated 2,000 spectators from participating leagues and the general derby public lined the track, ready for some action.

The Grand Final bout was a distillation of the weekend’s skating: fast and clever. Both Victoria and Sun State displayed a sophisticated understanding of advanced roller derby strategy, slick skating skills and juggernaut endurance levels.

From the first whistle, we saw some text book roller derby of the spectacular kind, with a pack pace that began lightning fast and stayed that way and closely matched scores. The first half saw both teams skating down a player or two for most jams due to penalties; VRDL sent more skaters to the box but their jammers stayed on their feet more reliably. The lead changed a few times but always stayed close. But with less than five minutes left in the half, SSRG capitalized on a VRDL jammer naughty-bin visit to take the lead to SSRG 43 to VRDL 30, and held onto an eleven point lead going into half time.

The second half brought some more fierce derby from both 50 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

a half. And I really don’t know how I held my breath for that long. The jam began with VRDL leading 78 points to SSRG’s 73, with Chop Chop on the jam line for SSRG and Swish Cariboom for VRDL. Chop Chop made it through the pack first but not as lead jammer. Swish Cariboom just had to make it through cleanly and call it off for a win, but with fifteen seconds left in the jam, Swish Cariboom was sent to the bin. It looked like major trouble for VRDL, but their defense just didn’t let up.

SSRG played like the almighty champions they are but were unable to get the final couple of points needed, with VRDL taking out a heart-stopper victory at a final score of VRDL 78 to SSRG 76. These are the roller derby moments we love.

Almost before the weekend began, it was over and everyone rolled home. So many new derby loves, so many new bruises, and a big fat reminder of just why we love roller derby – not that we ever really forgot, but isn’t it so sweet to fall for an old lover all over again? How is it possible that the weekend flew by in just seconds but I’ll remember it as long as I live? Those damned Adelaide clocks have some explaining to do. Evil clocks: I’m watching you closely until the next roller derby down under tournament.

CoCoonjuice.com

com

art and media

running of the bulls TRACEY O’DONNELL, NEW ORLEANS, LA

It started with a crazy idea.

Established in 2007 as an homage to the famed Encierros (bull runs) of Pamplona, Spain, the festival of San Fermin in Nueva Orleans has become the new “must do” in New Orleans for the month of July.

Co-founder Mickey Hanning braved the real bulls in Pamplona in 2004 and, upon seeing a friend dressed as a correro (runner) on Mardi Gras Day in 2007, he envisioned doing a similar event in New Orleans. After discussing the event with his wife Beth, and friends Dylan and Tracey O’Donnell, they decided it was something that just had to be planned. With short notice and a dream they created “San Fermin in Nueva Orleans” or the “Running of the Bulls in New Orleans.” The Nola Bulls, as they called themselves, began to craft this small dream in hopes that it would become an institution for years to come.

The original plan was to have girlfriends and wives of friends create their own impressions of the bulls. Various ideas were tossed around, such as having Tracey and Beth dress in brown paper mache suits with giant bull horns attached to their heads, chasing their men down the streets.

Maybe they could use alligators instead of bulls?

Or dogs? Maybe make bulls out of grocery carts?

But Tracey, then a member of the Big Easy Rollergirls, suggested to the group that she ask the roller derby team if they would be interested in acting as the bulls. Actually, she said something along the lines of, “I know a few badass chicks on skates who would LOVE to put on some fake horns and knock a few people down!” But the group decided that derby-style hitting would be a safety concern, and opted to give the girls light plastic bats to use instead. The rollergirls gladly accepted the invitation, and the inaugural 2007 run was a small success with about 200 correros and 13 rollergirls.

The rollergirls were now the “RollerBulls” and have become the featured attraction of the festival.

Their dream had become a reality.

To give their guests something more to do while in New Orleans, the 2008 festival expanded to include its very first Friday night Pre-Party, or El Txupinazo (pronounced choo-pee-NAHT-so), at a local Spanish seafood restaurant. This event sold out quickly. The publicity exploded when the local media caught wind of the newest, and certainly hottest, festival in town. Articles by the local Times-Picayune newspaper and the Associated Press spread the word and the 2008 encierro drew a much larger crowd, estimated at 1,000 revelers total and featuring about 30 RollerBulls. News of the celebration was 52 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

picked up locally by WDSU New Orleans and then nationally by CNN Headline News. A follow-up article by the Associated Press was featured the next day throughout the United States and dozens of countries. The official newspaper in Pamplona, El Diario de Navarra, even covered the event for the second year in a row.

Instantly, thousands of people from around the country and beyond started talking about traveling to the 2009 San Fermin in Nueva Orleans festival.

Now armed with international exposure, the need for more events led the Nola Bulls to expand their festival to three days. The 2009 festival featured El Txupinazo on Friday, the Encierro and Post Encierro Fiesta on Saturday morning, a live concert on Saturday night, known as La Fiesta de Pantalones, and finally the Pobre de Mí (Poor Me) on Sunday afternoon. The festival’s first Pobre de Mí closed out the 2009 festival with a tapas brunch, an Ernest Hemingway Contest co-sponsored by the literary troupe NolaFugees, and more Spanishthemed revelry. The 2009 festival drew an estimated attendance of over 4,000 people and 80 RollerBulls from five different leagues in the Gulf South.

Preparations for 2010 got off to a late start, what with the New Orleans Saints winning the Superbowl and then Mardi Gras directly following that celebration. But, eventually, planning did get underway and the group began to formulate the changes necessary to make the 2010 festival run as smoothly as possible.

For starters, the festival was growing at a rate of double or more each year. There were not enough bulls to accommodate all the runners in 2009, resulting in a packed, slow-paced encierro. So, the first order of business was to get more RollerBulls. Tracey swiftly reached out to roller derby teams across the country, but really focused on teams in and around the South. There was an immediate response. Over 300 rollergirls from 15 roller derby leagues signed up to act as the infamous New Orleans RollerBulls. Those 15 teams were the Big Easy Rollergirls, Red Stick Rollerderby, Pearl River Roller Derby, Cajun Rollergirls, Mississippi Rollergirls, Tragic City Rollergirls, Acadiana Good Times Rollers, Texas Rollergirls, Spindletop Rollergirls, Houston Roller Derby, Southern Misfits, Burn City Rollergirls, Mobile Roller Derby, Assassination City Roller Derby and Dixie Roller Derby.

Another major change was the location of the Post-Encierro Fiesta, the block party that immediately follows the run. The crowd was getting too large for the park used in previous years, and it was

decided a bigger, more festival-friendly location was needed. This also meant that the route had to be changed. However, the team decided it was of the utmost importance to keep as much of the run within the streets of the French Quarter to maintain the authentic Spanish feel of the encierro. (Brief history lesson: the famous ornate architecture of the French Quarter is actually accredited to Spanish influence during the country’s control of the city.)

A crazy idea became a crazy, fun festival.

With 300 RollerBulls, a new route, and a new party location, the team feverishly began booking bands, restaurants, and planning exciting new activities for the festival.

Once again, El Txupinazo kicked off the fest on Friday, July 9th but this time featuring five local Spanish restaurants catering the event. A paella cook-off between the restaurants, a raffle and live flamenco band were also featured. The up-and-coming Spanish restaurant Pamplona, based out of Lafayette, Louisiana took home the top prize for “Best Paella.” Prizes given out during the raffle included swag from the Big Easy Rollergirls, paella gift baskets, a two-night stay at a local hotel, restaurant gift certificates, wine baskets and framed artwork of the official 2010 poster by local artist Matt Rinard.

For Saturday morning’s encierro, the team wasn’t about to just stop with a simple run. Tracey encouraged the group to add another two competitions to the line-up, but this time just for rollergirls.

The two categories were “Best Horns” and “Best Dressed.”

The competition was stiff. Olive Torture of the Cajun Rollergirls wore a burlesque-style bout-fit, complete with a red corset and feathered helmet. Abita Hoedown donned real bull horns over a foot in length, a flowered helmet and furry red and black leg warmers. Thirty rollergirls competed in the two contests, with two Big Easy Rollergirls winning top prize in both categories. Joan Cougar Menstralcramp took home “Best Horns” for her Saints-themed Lombardi Trophy Superbowl horns and SmasHer took home “Best Dressed” for her

fanciful red and silver hand-beaded corset. The girls each received a trophy (a glittery horned crown) and a gold medal (a decorated cow bell).

Nearly 10,000 people came out to the 2010 Encierro, and the festivities continued until late in the afternoon with live music, sangria and tapas. Saturday evening closed out with a live concert

by New Orleans only Latin Boogaloo band, the Los Poboycitos, at the Fiesta de Pantalones.

By Sunday morning, with the long weekend winding down, the Nola Bulls, the RollerBulls and the crowd were ready to relax and relive the past 48 hours. So, they all gathered for the 2nd annual Pobre De Mí tapas brunch featuring the nowfamous Ernest Hemingway Literary Competition, hosted by the NolaFugees.

Teams participated in readings, dramatizations and trivia.

Pobre De Mí closed out the festival with a bang – a screening of the final match of the World Cup was projected on three different screens, with Spain taking home their very first world championship trophy.

The 2010 San Fermin in Nueva Orleans Festival was a huge success, to say the least.

In 2007, the Nola Bulls had a crazy idea. By 2010, that idea was an explosion. The team has already started taking notes for 2011. With continued marketing, strong teamwork and the love for a crazy idea, the festival should continue to grow and become a New Orleans institution for years to come.

To view more photos and videos, visit nolabulls.com.

For more information on how to get YOUR roller derby team involved with the Running of the Bulls in New Orleans, please contact Tracey O’Donnell at tracey@nolabulls.com. fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 53

art and media

blood on the flat track P E LV I S C O S T E L L O , B O S TO N D E R B Y DA M E S

Roller derby, and WFTDA-sanctioned and affiliated leagues in particular, have been in a state of adaptation since the ladies of Austin, Texas first strapped on quad skates and decided to resuscitate a game that had been lost in the apocrypha of American sports. Gone are the days of the penalty wheel, fake fights and game-interrupting spectacles. Many of the women lacing up skates today are more jock than rock star and with some travel teams beginning to skate under their government names, the tradition of taking a risqué or clever derby name may soon disappear from tournaments and perhaps home games. I’ve heard from skaters, both in my own league and those I travel to see, mixed emotions about some of these changes. It is true that some of the old ways of doing things interrupt game play and make it hard to prove the legitimacy of the sport to the average sports fan, but I think it unwise to dismiss the short, action-packed history of derby in favor of the progressive voices.

As an announcer and derby widower, I remember my wife’s rookie season in a series of well-documented injuries on Flickr and Myspace (talk about “ancient” history) and for the numerous packages that would be delivered to our home containing wheels, pads and various derby-themed items.

Among them was the documentary, Hell on Wheels. It was 2007, and while we watched it, I couldn’t believe the difference a few years had made to the sport. The bawdy penalties and sideshow burlesque feel of Texas’ leagues appeared fun, though were noticeably absent from Boston, however, the derby and team names (and rivalries) still remained a vital part of the sports tradition. Now anyone in the derby world understands how the game evolved as the ladies (and in some places men) wanted to focus more on the competition than the spectacle that first drew us all in. What Lainy Bagwell and Lacey Levitt achieve in Blood on the Flat Track, is to clearly show how Rat City rose to a prominent place in the derby pantheon as the first rules that govern our sport were being drafted as it went along in a way that’s entertaining and comprehensible to the derby neophyte or nonfan.

If Hell on Wheels is the saga of the roller derby dragging itself out of the depths of obscurity and onto the shore of competive sports, Blood on the Flat Track is the tale of derby sprouting skates. The movie starts with footage of the 2005 54 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

Championship game between the Derby Liberation Front (DLF) and the Throttle Rockets. The cinematography here is good as we’re given only a montage of the better plays and after the DLF is crowned, Bagwell and Levitt jump into the history of the league’s founding.

Rat City’s success at drawing record crowds is owed to the organization of its founders and the motivated skaters who market their brand so successfully, they should teach classes.

From the get-go, founding member Rae’s Hell speaks of how attendance at the early meetings kept swelling each week and marvels at how the league was able to take off in only ten months. Keeping a watchful eye on the “present,” the film then introduces many of the skaters at an almost jarring pace, allowing us to see the faces what make up the four home teams of Rat City.

From the hard-partying of the Throttle Rockets, to the Cheerleader-esque demeanors of the Socket Wenches, we hear from all the skaters on how their individual and team personas have created another life outside of what they do for a living.

Clever sound bytes from interviews, juxtaposed with the action of the track are engaging, while the skaters and staff featured in the films are given the filmmakers’ full attention as they describe their home lives, practices, and favorite derby moments. The energy and excitement of the women as they extol the virtues of getting to wail on someone on the track and still be friends may be cringe-worthy to the more uptight skater of today, but it captures the energy (and sentiment) that those same critics likely felt when they joined their leagues.

Rat City’s evolution unfolds in front of our eyes, where we see the shedding of the penalty wheel as it slowed the bouts to a halt, and the phasing out of fighting (both real and otherwise).

The latter comes at a bittersweet moment as the DLF loses a critical game due to an ejected player fighting with the opposing team’s jammer. The footage of the event doesn’t focus on the fight, but drives home that Rat City is attempting to grow beyond themselves.

photos by Michael Coyote

In terms of pacing, Bagwell and Levitt are very keen on allowing the skaters, their widows and support staff ample time to explain their thoughts on the sport. Folks like the Tammacio sisters who currently play with 2009 champs, the Oly Rollers, and Basket Casey, steal the film away with very compelling and humorous interviews, while N Professor Stratton and Clobbering MaME’s relationship is sickeningly sweet (and hits me way too close to home). While there are gems in each interview, it does tend to lag. One of the major thrusts of the movie, the formation of a travel team with aspirations to take on the Texecutioners at the first Bumberbout, is established early; it comes much later in the movie and after the home team’s 2006 Championships. While it is chronologically correct, I was emotionally fatigued after the season ender, to the point that the game against Texas did not have the same resonance on film as it did in person.

Perhaps if the interviews had been shorter, the pace would have remained consistent through the whole film.

This film succeeds in giving us an accurate and exciting look at Rat City as they formed, grew and stamped their name on derby history as our 2007 Hydra Cup champions. Regional tastes and philosophical differences aside, this film preserves the days when derby girls still relished in fighting a little dirty, inciting the crowd and still seeking fun wherever it was to be found. In the years since the movie was released, rules have changed and many attitudes have become alarmingly serious.

To some I’ve spoken with Blood on the Flat Track is like the high school photograph of them in their favorite outfit. Some are exceedingly proud, others happy that they outgrew those days. Regardless of how derby evolves, Blood on the Flat Track is a key link in derby’s evolutionary chain, and with Rat City’s continued success it’s one that we can look at with pride, both for our sport as it is, and for how wonderful and exciting it was when we first got involved. Admit it, you loved that old hoodie and combat boot ensemble you rocked all senior year.

Check out Whiskey7’s featured derby art – her very own for FM Derby Girls!!

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010 fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2010 | 55

classifieds Want to get rid of that old gear? Need to get the word out about something to the derby community? Searching high and low for something you just can’t find?

Submit your classified text (up to 50 words) FOR FREE to classifieds@fiveonfivemag.com to include in our next issue!

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FOR SALE PowerDyne Dynapro Plates, size 4. Used for one year. Asking price $60.00. Please contact Hellionboi@gmail.com.

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horoscopes P R OV I D E D B Y Y O U R D E R B Y P S Y C H I C , K Y L I E O F BA C K L A S H

GEMINI

S A G I T TA R I U S

May 21-June 20

November 23-December 21

You have been having difficulty staying present in the moment. What is going on around you requires all of your attention. If you cannot stay focused, it may be time to consider taking a small break until you can get your head back in the game.

Your teammates are listening and responding to your advice and suggestions. Now may be the time to implement that new move or strategy you have been thinking about. Everyone will take notice and you and your team will benefit from your creativity.

CANCER

CAPRICORN

June 21-July 22

December 22-January 19

Recognizing everything that must be accomplished on the track could make you feel overwhelmed at times.

Don’t let this get in your way! Clear your mind and stay focused on your goals. Your game play will be elevated and your team will appreciate your clarity.

You sense that something has been happening behind your back and this has been affecting your game play.

Do less thinking and take your frustrations out on the track. Be physical and quit worrying about it, others will take notice and the situation will pass.

LEO

AQUARIUS

July 23-August 22

January 20-February 19

Take advantage of your increased stamina and energy.

You and your teammates will be amazed at how far you have come. Stay focused and don’t allow personal issues to hold you back on the track.

Focus on the details, not the big picture. Take every practice seriously and work on the little things that make a big impact on your game play. Taking this approach will elevate your skating and bouting abilities tenfold.

VIRGO August 23-September 22

PISCES

You will find that eating right, clearing your mind and focusing on your team’s strategies really improve your skills on the track. When you are at practice that is all you should be thinking about. Don’t let a teammate’s remarks affect you negatively, they are only trying to help.

February 20-March 20

LIBRA

ARIES

September 23-October 23

March 21-April 19

Open communication with your team is key. Realize that not everyone is open to your ideas and suggestions but don’t let that stop you from trying. You are seeing the game a bit differently lately and that insight will ultimately prove advantageous.

You may be feeling overloaded these days with all your derby related responsibilities, but now is the time to embrace and excel. Don’t be afraid to ask your teammates for help, they will be more than willing.

SCORPIO

TA U R U S

October 24-November 22

April 20-May 20

Practice, practice, practice! You have been feeling tired and out of sync on the track, but getting back to basics will bring back the confidence you have been lacking.

Your level of play will be elevated once you tackle this mental block.

Your life is far from dull these days. Teammates seek you out for advice as well as your strengths on the track. Enjoy this attention and share all that you have learned. This will only strengthen your position within your team and your league.

60 | Fall 2010 | fiveonfivemag.com

This is your time to shine! All of the dedication and hard work you have been putting into derby will pay off. Now is the time to unleash the fury you have been feeling. You and your teammates will be surprised at what you can accomplish on the track.

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