It’s like football—on wheels. Lacing her skates for a drill, this is how Rizzo, No. 76, spitballed on the essence of what flat-track roller derby is.
Around us, the team sat or glided around the black light neon decor of Cal Skate, Rohnert Park, a venue that still smells nostalgically of hot dogs and teenage pheromones.
Humor seems essential to the sport too. And that humor extends—from player names and numbers (Scarlotte Brawntë, No. 421; Honey Baked Slam, No. 554; Shredder Cheese, No. 37) through the easy, wise-cracking camaraderie of team practices. Does that humor begin with the sport’s premise, the merging of football and roller disco?
I can’t say. I can say the sport is serious. As serious as the hits—landed by players with shoulders or hips at speeds between 12 and 20 miles an hour as the two opposing teams race around an oval track. It’s one thing to take a hit at full running speed flat-footed; it is quite another to take it while standing on eight greasy little wheels—full falls are common in play.
The competition is fierce. These women are in it to win it as they fight through the bracket through regional, state and national championships. They’ve earned our cheers—they carry our colors as North Bay Derby.
For this week’s brief encounter, I sat down with one of the stars of our team, veteran starter, “Lucille Balls.”
Balls, could you give us nubes the basics of the sport?
It is a point based sport. Each game or “bout” is divided into two halves, and those halves are divided into “jams” of not more than two minutes each. In each jam, each of the two opposing teams fields one “jammer” and four “blockers,” making for 10 on the oval track. The jammers are the only players that can score points initially.
So the jammers are the running back and the ball?
Yes. When the whistle blows, the jammer’s objective is to get through the defending blockers. And for every pair of hips they pass, they get a point. As a defending blocker, my objective is to not let the opposing jammer through. As an offensive blocker, my objective is to clear a path for my jammer. There is a lot of strategy. Some people think we’re just out there punching each other—not so. (laughs)
So it’s set up to be a high scoring game with many dramatic reversals of fortune.
Entertaining. How long have you been playing?
Twelve years. Our team has players that have been playing between 1 and 18 years. It’s very age inclusive. And inclusive of body type—it’s advantageous to be large or small or tall or solid or quick in this game.
Derby really does include everybody. There are people in derby you would never think
We used to have a city council person; we have teachers, lawyers, lots of moms, massage therapists, doctors—I’m an ER nurse. And it’s a great outlet … for all kinds of stuff.
What kinds of stuff?
If you have a stressful job—or life, it’s a great outlet to blow off steam. You can legally hit people. (laughs)
Does it hurt much ?
During the game, there is enough adrenaline that you don’t feel it too much. (laughs)
Learn more. North bay derby wants members. The team is having its next entry level 12-week training camp Sept 22. Their next home game is a double header Nov. 1, at our home venue, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. northbayderby.org/events.
