(Credit: Julie Patterson)

Ring of fire

The Texas Rollergirls re-define full-contact sports

By William Bass

Published April 13, 2011

Save for the mosh pit at Red 7 on a ladies night, there is only one place in town where you can find intimidating women moving dangerously around in a circle with the secret intention of taking each other out: the roller derby at the Austin convention center.

To the naked eye, Roller Derby can seem like a mass of whirling chaos. However, the sport is a complicated dance that involves offensive/defensive strategies, athleticism, and old-fashioned brute force. In the modern day incarnation of the sport, players skate around a flat track while designated scorers, called “jammers,” attempt to lap opposing team members in order to score points.

The Texas Rollergirls pioneered the D.I.Y. flat track roller derby approach in 2003. As of today, there are over 300 flat track leagues around the world, and this is no backyard wrestling league, as roller derby has a strict set of rules, divisions, and an overall governing body.

Unlike the more campy and staged antics of roller derbies that were popular during its heyday in the 70’s, the modern incarnation of the sport is all too real, and often busted lips, severed friendships, and broken dreams are just part of a day’s work.

“It’s a full-contact sport, there aren’t many of those sports out there for women,” said roller girl and Chief Communications Officer Jule Regretit. “You get to skate fast, hit hard, and be involved in an all women run business with some amazing people.”

Likewise, as impact sports seem to be the arena of testosterone-crazed males, roller derby offers a refreshing sight of gender role reversal as women get to have the full-contact fun that men have done their best to keep them away from for so long. “I was bored with my exercise routine and was looking for a change.The full-contact aspect is what drew me in and it has been an amazing experience,” said Regretit. “There’s nothing like coming to practice after a bad day at work or school and being able to take that frustration out legally and positively on my league mates.”

For most roller girls, roller derby isn’t just an excuse to kick ass and take names, though it certainly includes that. The sport is a mental, physical, and social outlet. “Roller derby offers a whole package of things that appeal to me: it’s a serious athletic endeavor; it’s an intellectual challenge (playing offense and defense simultaneously requires mental overdrive sometimes); it’s a community full of dedicated and talented women; it’s DIY,” said roller girl and UT grad student Beck Wise.

One of the most unique aspects of modern roller derby culture is the grassroots fashion in which the operation runs. Unlike most sports, which are dominated by hierarchical bureaucracies and crafted into the image of the sponsors, roller derby is about the derby, fans, and the community, all dictated by the skaters themselves. “This is an athletic culture that was built from the ground up by the people playing, in which all the work is done by the players,” notes Wise.

“That level of control, agency, and autonomy is something that isn’t present in most traditional sports. Governing bodies are often removed from day-to-day play and experiences of the sport.”

At the same time, roller derby’s bottom-up approach to their organization makes it possible for anyone to get involved, whether they’ve skated an inch or have gotten in trouble for “jamming” in elementary school.

“Derby also allows women of all backgrounds and physical characteristics a place in the game,” said roller girl Summer Smith.

“Some sports cater mostly to one type of woman, while derby has a spot for everyone. You can be successful no matter your previous experience.”

“It is a welcoming sport where even women who have never played sports can come and be a part of a team. The Texas Rollergirls are made up of scientists, CEOs, teachers, engineers, bartenders, hair stylists, and many other professionals.”

Nevertheless, while some locals have still yet to come out and witness the carnage of Austin’s thriving and homegrown sport of flat track roller derby, they are surely missing out on the most intimate, crazy, and bone-crushing action in Austin this side of Red River.

“Sports spectators and the general public should come see flat track roller derby because it’s not like any other sport they’ve ever seen,” said Regretit.

“The action is fast, the hits are hard, it’s a genuine athletic competition, and it’s the most fun you can have in fishnets and spandex.”

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Getting Involved:

Tired of watching all the action from the sidelines? The Texas Rollergirls offer a recreational league that gives women from all athletic backgrounds the opportunity to participate in this full-contact and high-energy endeavor. Whether your feet have never seen the smelly inside of a roller skate or you’re a natural bruiser that is almost ready for the big leagues, the Texas Rollergirls recreational league has an infinite number of ways for amateurs to get their skates on the track and their elbows in someone’s face.

The next derby is on April 17 a the Austin convention center. More information regarding the roller girls, the recreational league, and tickets to the derbys can be found at www.texasrollergirls.org

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