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Last Updated:
Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
The Black and Blue Division
Skating With The Detroit Derby Girls
The roller rink — it’s a forgotten landscape. Once the hot spot for so
many weekend adolescent thrills … I’m long past those days, but a group
of girls have once again drawn me to this cultural relic. I laced up my
skates, contemplating the great tradition of roller derby past. This is
authentic and now a revival of this classic sport has come home. I’ve
come to practice with the Detroit Derby Girls.
I fumbled around on the carpeting for a while before deciding to take a
step onto the rink. I figured a few minutes of practice on the floor
and I’ll be ready to roll with these girls, whirling around the oval
rink with reckless abandon. I’ll spot my opponent and without
hesitation deliver a jackhammer elbow to stun them, then while dazed
I’d quickly flip them off their feet. All the while my eyes would cut
in every direction looking out for girls like Cookie Rumble, who are
just itching to knock out my molars with a stiff fist and a toss to the
hard wood below.
I was only mildly disappointed when Crash Baby (Jody O'Neil) told me
only girls are allowed physical contact during practices. Resigned to
walking out of practice injured, I kept my skates on and figured at
some point I would at least stumble and twist an ankle.
Devil Kitty (Linda Marie Riker) is the leader of the Derby Girls, the
one with the coach’s whistle at practice, running the team through
drills with a driven intensity. No stranger to sport, she swam
competitively for 19 years, including stints with the men’s team at
University of Michigan, and nearly qualified for the 2000 Olympic
Games. When asked about the beginnings of the local league, Devil Kitty
explains, “It just started with a bunch of us drinking together on New
Year's.”
The team has been practicing since May and hopes to be ready for their
first exhibition this November. Practice starts with stretching and
gearing up with pads, helmets and skates. From there the team spends an
hour on skating drills, developing coordination, speed and stamina. The
last half-hour of practice is jamming, practicing formations and
working through the pack.
During the warm-up skate, the girls cruise around, one by one, pads
protecting the bones that may get broke regardless, bruises covering
their bodies. These girls are daredevils from all walks of life, no
strangers to physical pain. “I broke every bone in my body long before
roller derby,” Crash Baby says with pride.
Devil Kitty takes out her mouth guard and blows the whistle. “Okay
everyone, jammer starts.” The object here is to start from a knee and
explode with speed. The jammer is the position that scores the point,
having to bypass the entire pack of players with the assistance of your
blockers. This is the glory position but can be very dangerous. It
takes speed, strength and agility to maneuver through a pack.
From one knee, the whistle blows and the legs pump with coordination to
a full speed push, a quick sprint and a sudden stop. Later, endurance
is tested with a long-winded skating session, designed to test the will
of the skaters. Next lesson, learn how to fall, drop to one knee, then
get up and take off after your opponent to get back in the game. Safely
from my carpeted station, I visualized myself dipping my knee to the
floor like the girls were doing, dropping low then getting up as fast
as I could. Just meditating on the motion made my thighs burn by the
third whistle.
The Detroit Derby Girls do not expect that this will become an
overnight phenomenon, rather they are in it for the long haul. The team
has made guest appearances at clubs and concerts, hoping to gain
attention, raise funds and recruit new girls. It is a long term goal
they plan to achieve. | RDW
Check out DetroitRollerDerby.com for skate times and information.
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