I got my first glimpse of the Murder City Maidens at a practice on a Canadian Forces base late one night last week. Not since junior high field trips to Wheelies, where Salt-N-Pepa’s song Push it was played at least once an hour, have I even seen a pair of roller skates. And never have I seen rollerskating look this rebellious.
With women wearing ripped fishnet stockings, booty shorts and shirts proclaiming names like “Red De Lizcious,” “Chickie McSluggets,” “Eda Dyck,” “Jam Buster,” “Gunna Die,” “Killendula” and “Ani Position” flying past me on roller skates, I was in awe. Their skill, their flair and their dedication were blatant.
After a 30-year absence, roller derby proudly makes its proud return to the city as Winnipeg’s Murder City Maidens prepare to take on Thunder Bay’s Babes of Thunder. Established in Jan. 2008, the Winnipeg Roller Derby League (WRDL) was initially comprised entirely of rookies who faced a steep learning curve. “Without any of us having any derby knowledge, we spent more than a year really learning our basic skating skills and the rules of roller derby before skating outside of our own league,” explains Portage ‘n Maim, number 3.14 of the Murder City Maidens. With four hours of skating practice per week, plus two hours with a trainer, the team played two rookie rumbles in 2009 and skated in their first organized bout against the Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls in front of a sold-out U.S. crowd.
Contemplating reasons for roller derby’s relatively recent revival, Portage ‘n Maim suggests that the resurgence partly stems from women’s general lack of sporting options: “I personally believe it’s so popular because women are really limited in the number of full contact sports they can get involved in, especially if you are looking for a contact sport to join when you are in your 20s, 30s or 40s.” Additionally, she suggests that part of the sport’s appeal may have to do with its role as an outlet for stress: “Women are busy, busy, busy and have just as much if not more stress than men now. After a tough day at work, I love nothing more than heading to practice to take out some of that frustration on my teammates followed up with some socializing and camaraderie!”
On top of being a place to vent, roller derby is a thorough workout that burns a lot of calories and really works the legs and core muscles. The sport accommodates skaters of varying athletic ability, and Portage ‘n Maim explains that the WRDL has room for everybody: “We have a detailed ‘Fresh Meat’ program in place so that women can join with zero to limited skating skills and we teach them how to skate and fall properly.” New skaters are always welcome to join the group.
Because women are at the center of roller derby leagues, the sport has been associated with feminist ethics and punk aesthetics. When asked about the validity of this connection, Portage ‘n Maim responded, “I don’t identify myself as a feminist personally and the term really never comes up in our league. If you call 51 strong, determined women working together and supporting each other towards a common goal feminism, then maybe that’s where the association came from.” Although only women can be skaters in the league, the WRDL is not averse to working with men as referees and as volunteers.
As one of nearly 30 roller derby leagues in Canada, WRDL follows the standards set out by North America’s Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). This means that all skaters wear helmets, kneepads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards and use four-wheeled skates called “quads.” As an additional precaution, all skaters and referees carry sports liability and accident insurance.
A regulation roller derby bout consists of two 30-minute periods that are broken down into two-minute jams. Each jam begins with a typical skater formation that consists of two “pivots” in the front (one from each team) who wear striped helmet covers to distinguish them from the rest of the pack. The pivots are responsible for setting the pace for each jam. Behind the pivots are six skaters (three from each team) who make two rows of three across the track. Following the pack are two “jammers” (one from each team) who wear a star on their helmet covers. With this formation in place, the players are ready to jam.
At the start of the jam, the referee blows a whistle and two minutes begin counting down as the first eight skaters begin to make their way around the track. A double whistle blast is then blown as the last skater of the eight-pack crosses the start line that informs the jammers that they can begin skating. The two jammers are the only ones who can score points for the team and they do this by first making their way through the pack, racing around the track and trying to get through the pack again. It is through the effort of passing players of the opposite team a second time that allows the jammers to earn points for their team.
One point is earned for each player of the opposite team a jammer passes, no easy feat considering skaters are allowed to use their hips, booty and shoulders to block the jammers and to hinder the progress of other skaters. One-minute penalties can be incurred if players trip someone, use their elbows, block above the shoulders or below the thighs or pass out of bounds.
The lead jammer is free to end the jam before the two minutes are up (preventing the other jammer from scoring any more points) by placing their hands on their hips as a signal to the ref to blow the whistle and stop the jam. Thirty seconds later a new jam begins. A grand slam (worth a minimum of five points) can occur if one jammer is able to lap the other jammer on the track. At the end of the hour, the team with the most points wins.
Now that you know the ins and outs of roller derby, you are ready to check out the WRDL’s inaugural bout: First Blood. It is happening Feb. 27, 2010 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, doors open at 6:30 p.m.. Tickets are reasonably priced at $12 and are available online at Winnipegrollerderby.com, at The Standard Tavern and at Ragpickers. In addition to the Murder City Maidens taking on the Babes of Thunder there will be a Red vs. Black rookie rumble and an after-party featuring live DJs.
