Roller Derby - Keep rollin', rollin' rollin'

Roller Derby, the latest American export, has crashed into Britain leaving women thirsty for more.

Roller Derby is a rare all female sport, where men are banished to the sidelines and have to settle for the role of coach or water boy, with women owning the track.

Two five-a-side teams continually circle the indoor flat track, or a specially built banked track, resembling the kind used by speeding track cyclists. Each game consisting of three 20 minute periods, the aim is for certain team members to score the most points by lapping the opposition. Other team members play rough and tumble on skates and must take down their rivals to free the track for their scorers to get past.

It is inevitable that there will be bumps and bruises in this high speed battle but roller derby does has its own rules and regulations enforced by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), founded in 2004.

Teams consist of a 'Pivot' who leads the team around the track, three 'blockers' who stay just behind guarding each other in 'the pack' and a 'Jammer', who can score points after having lapped the opposition. 'Blockers' must knock over their opponents from the game whilst preventing the 'Jammer' from scoring.

'Blockers' can legally tear down the opposition using their arms and bodies to make contact with the opponent's body, from neck to waist. Illegal moves include: grabbing, tripping, elbows in the face and all types of fighting.

Women adopt a different persona when competing, with teams encouraging creative skate names and custom 'sex appeal' uniforms for an exciting image, including short skirts and fish nets, celebrating the innovative blend of the fast and furious with a spot of femininity.

Bee Bentley, 36, who goes by the name Iva Issues, is founder and 'Jammer' for the Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames, the largest UK league to date, with almost 30 regular skaters. She describes it as: “Fast, fearless, fierce, furious and fun! Woman can be athletic, tough and dangerous, whilst still maintaining their feminism.

“If women are tough enough to give birth to the children of this world there's nothing too dangerous for them to face and conquer.”

Originally from America, Bentley was introduced to Roller derby as a child. She has been skating since the age of six and religiously watched it in the seventies: “I was a big fan and enthusiast of skating from a very young age.” She claims herself and friends “scrimmaged after speed skating practice for fun”.
She now trains six hours a week, and whilst she hopes to lead the Birmingham Dames to victory in the UK Nationals this September, “I try to get back to skate with my home team, the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, as much as possible.”

Created over 70 years ago this sport has its own history. Developed out of the Great Depression it began as a long distance roller skating race where competitors circled the track clocking up the miles.

Promoter, Leo Seltzer noticed that the crowd enjoyed the inevitable collisions, as skaters tried to lap each other. Thousands of fans followed until many leagues collapsed in the seventies due to high overheads.

With rekindled popularity, the Americans have dubbed the return as 'a national punk rock derby renaissance'. The UK has teams around the country competing in leagues, willing to take this 'rough and tumble' sport all the way.

All women over 18 can get involved with the twice weekly practices. No previous experience necessary, as Bentley enthuses: “Don't give up – you will get it! Be prepared to work hard but knock them harder... Be safe but don't be careful.”

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