Derby Life

by Shakin' Booty Syndrome

When my girls first started derby with the Rollerpunks, RMRG was in a warehouse with no temperature control, no bathrooms, no running water. If you had to go to the bathroom, you had to navigate down cement stairs to the tilted port-a-potties.

In shoes, it wasn't so bad. In skates, it just wasn't good. You had to brace yourself as you pulled up your shorts so you didn't roll out the door, flashing more than your ruffled panties to unsuspecting souls outside.

Then there was the smell.

Dear god...the smell.

"I love it when Aunt Kate visits, she always brings us stuff!" These eloquent words of my niece Kaitlyn recently prove that I have monumentally succeeded at spoiling her and her sisters. You know, I really do want them to expect presents, because that's part of the excitement of a visit! Down the line, they won't remember what I brought them (until I bring them skates) and they won't care (again, skates!), but what they will remember is that act of giving; and how I would show up at random times with surprises and lots of hugs and attention just for them.

Brim Stone’s alarm goes off at 7am and I stumble over to the hotel coffee maker to make hot water for my morning tea. I gather up my almost-dry gear and remember to retrieve my uniform from where it has been “airing” in the closet. I pull on my tights, sports bra and ankle booties and then cover it all up with my sweats and hoodie – not forgetting my team toque! I have just enough time to force down some oatmeal with banana and protein powder before running down to the lobby and getting on the crowded shuttle bus to the venue.

Read this and so much more in Issue 14 of FiveOnFive. Subscribe or order now!

BY: LENORE GORE, DC ROLLERGIRLS

Original flat-track roller derby league, Texas Rollergirls' skater Melissa (skate name: Melicious) Joulwan has been a media darling in our sport since it's beginnings. Melicious is part of the pioneering sorority of skaters who skated for TXRD before the world's original league split, and went on to help form the world's first flat track roller derby league, Texas Rollergirls.

Talented photographer Neil Gunner captured some amazing photos from the 2011 Blood and Thunder World Cup. These are a few of our favorites. View the entire gallery here.

This book is a heartfelt love letter to the sport and culture that is roller derby. In search of the meaning of derbylove, Bane-Ana chronicles his travels around the United States and beyond in pursuit of crowd pleasing antics, rollergirl interviews, and derby solidarity. Like some bizarre banana-suited combination of Woody Allen and Hunter Thompson, his narrative veers from stomach churning pre-bout and airplane jitters to ecstatic pantsless afterpartying, with cartwheels and juggling in between.

Roller Derby is a new sport. While it has been around for decades in various incarnations, it hasn’t been taken seriously until the most recent version under the guidance of the WFTDA rule set. Since it is so new there is still lots of room for innovation. Players, coaches, and fans will come up with new ideas, plays, and strategies as the game evolves and time goes by, but how do they come up with all those great ideas? Simple, by coming up with lots of bad ideas first.

In 5 days, it will officially be three months since my stupid little incident. I have now spent a longer amount of time being injured than I have spent skating. Wow, an accomplishment. I realized last night, that I kind of don't even remember what skating feels like. It will be funny when I do put my skates back on, and my skill level will be lower than the newbies I'd been occasionally assisting. Oh well, square one was an exhilarating place to be in at one time...I'm sure it remembers me and will treat me well.

by Dawn Frederick

For anyone involved in any aspect of roller derby, we all agree that there is real life (work, career, life goals) – and derby life. When those two worlds intersect and result in greater creative collaboration, words cannot truly describe the overall positive experience.