Why I love Derby and why you should too

The best description I have come across so far for derby I found on the Texas Roller Derby website: "outrageous production value and fabulous women on skates". This is as accurate and as succinct a summary of this amazing phenomenon as you will ever find. Fabulous is always a matter of opinion, but what sets roller derby apart from other athletic pursuits is that it is owned, operated, managed, and marketed completely by women. I can't think of any other sport in the history of sporting that better represents the empowerment of women. Derby sends a message through the ages, through the races, and throughout the nation that women are just as passionate about their athleticism, and just as committed to their sport as men.

The modern incarnation of derby traces it's roots back to Austin, Texas circa 2001. This explains to a large degree where all the attitude came from. Texas is known for thinking big and acting bigger. One thing I'll give that state is that they don't do anything half-assed. However why they embrace an incompetent Connecticut-born party boy as their president is a mystery to me. Perhaps the creation of modern derby is more about the city of Austin than the state as a whole. "Keeping Austin weird", as the TXRD website proclaims seems to be a driving force behind much of the personality of the Texas derby. Thinking outside of the lines, dancing to your own beat, and not taking shit from anyone seem to be common themes catching on with derby leagues around the country.

As a North Carolinian I'm proud and privileged to say that my home league is the Carolina Rollergirls, based in Raleigh, N.C. (my hometown). The CRG was founded in 2004 by league momma and bad ass skater, "Celia Fate" ( a.k.a. Laura Weakland). According to Ms. Fate her inspiration came while on a cross country trip with her boyfriend that took her through Austin's city limits. She unwittingly excepted an invite to check out this "thing" called derby, and her first impression was, "Holy shit! I gotta do that!." Not long after she was back home starting a movement. I don't know the stories of the other "She-EOs" that started leagues in their cities, but I would imagine that all these women - and they are all women - have a lot of traits in common. In Celia Fate's case she grew up playing sports in jr. high and high school, and her athletic personality formed naturally as a teenager. Her mom gave her skates around age 12, ironically to prevent her from following in her father's footsteps as a motocross racer. I'm sure a lot of mothers and fathers thought rollerskating was a harmless little fad to keep their kids off the streets. Decades later their daughters are skating down Main streets across America in helmets, knee pads and fishnet pantyhose.

My relationship with roller derby began, aptly enough, from behind a bar. During the first year of my weekly DJ show (Neu Romance) at Kings Barcade I got a call from a little spitfire named, Roxy Rockett. Roxy wanted to know if I was cool with the CRG having their after-bout party the same night as my show. Hmmm, girls on skates - the answer was an easy yes. But none of us knew at the time how important derby was to it's fans and supporters, or how marvelous it would be to be their DJ's, their bartenders, and the hosts of their after-parties. In that capacity I had the opportunity to meet and serve skaters, coaches, and fans from all over the country. I saw how hard they "played" at first, and it wasn't until I got to know Roxy and Celia personally that learned how hard they worked, how hard they trained, and how dedicated they were to this sport. Someone asked me recently if derby was "real", or if it was fake "like in the movies". I told him that in the movies everyone is pretending - in derby they only pretend they're not in agonizing pain when they pick themselves up off the track.

I grew up playing football, and I can remember not thinking for a moment about the repercussions of injury or sacrificing my body for a play. But back then I didn't have a mortgage, a 9-to-5 job, or kids to consider. When I think about juggling my career, my family, my social life, my health, e.t.c., around a sport - an athletic event - I wonder if I would have the stamina, courage, or in the words of my 12th grade psychology teacher, the "intestinal fortitude" to endure what these ladies welcome with unparalleled enthusiasm. From the outside looking in I can say with conviction that women nationwide should be proud of what derby has accomplished, and for what it represents. Derby is a stellar business model for the creation of a new business, for marketing, for cooperative ownership, and for the branding of a new concept, among many other attributes. It is not without it's faults or it's detractors, but respect cannot be denied to any one or any group to sees a project through from conception to fruition. Derby is very real indeed, and it's kitsch and entertainment value are borne of the "blood, sweat, and cheers" of all of it's skaters, coaches, trainers, families, fans, and friends.

For more information about the rules and the history of derby the best source I found was a wikipedia site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_Derby) that was amazingly thorough in it's account of everything derby. If you want to know that's where to go. But I encourage all readers of this article to google roller derby to find out which teams are closest to your city. And consider checking out www.carolinarollergirls.com to see how good we have it here, and to get a little insight into why I wrote this article in the first place. Support you local derby!

- Chico Scott