Besterns: When I Say Go, You Say Wasatch! Bay Area! Denver! Oly? Oi Oi Oi.

by Margie Ram October 8, 2012 - 11:47am

This was the most amazing season for us here at Wasatch Roller Derby. Breaking into the top 10 of the most competitive region in WFTDA was an accomplishment that could only happen with the strength, perseverance and great leadership we have on WRD. I know how hard these women have worked. Through it all, we've been able to maintain a real environment of respect and love, care and nurturing, with very little drama. This time is very special and, sadly, so often fleeting.

As a third wave feminist who fiercely protects everyone's right to establish their own personal boundaries and definitions, I was quite frankly surprised by the controversy surrounding this year's Westerns. Here in derby are the girls who always got along better with the guys because girls are catty, back-stabbing and deceitful. Girls judged and told you that you were too fat, too skinny, too tall, didn't like your hair, make-up, clothes.

Derby embraces the outcast, the raunchy, smart and sexy American woman of today. It was reignited by people a little quirky, artistic, and fun, with potty mouths and tattoos, Harleys, and welding irons. Many of us, the brunt of the so-called mean girl. But not so here in derby. Here is the place to be accepted, to be lifted up when others have squashed your spirit and to finally save your soul. Right?
I find this whole transfer business interesting. Two of my own lovely WRD girls are mid-season transfers. They probably would never consider living somewhere that didn't have derby so when they moved here skated right on to our all stars. What is the big deal that Olympia's Rollers don't live in Olympia? I know skaters that drive hours to practice in different states. How is this different, and why do I care?

When I got to Westerns, the stands were abuzz with hate for Oly. I was just really excited to see derby at its highest level, but I asked those around me why they are saying they hate Oly. I kept hearing that it was because they stacked their team, as this would be the only way anyone could possibly challenge Gotham for the Hydra. Therefore, I was told, the entire Westerns is ruined because Oly will simply stomp every team with their awesomeness. Apparently I have been teleported back to elementary school. I responded that there is no way Riot and Frida and the Goddess Mercy would allow a trouncing. I would be very surprised if it were that easy, I advised.

It was not easy. Not for them, not really for anyone. WRD fought hard and barely lost two out of our three bouts. It was so exciting and my voice is raw from cheering. We cheered for everyone. We attempted to lift everyone up and share our special unity with the Western Region. We even cheered for Oly and I loved watching Oly play. I really did. Yep, I LOVE OLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It pained me that everyone was booing them and wishing they would lose.

The Oly skaters were treated horribly - transfer or Olympia local. The hate was non-discriminating. On their deepest personal levels they were on the defensive and it showed. They won but they were obviously hurt by the hate. Like so many of us when vilified and misunderstood, we put forth a persona that we don't care, it doesn't bother us, we like it, blah, blah. Well I call bullshit. When the mean girls didn't like me and talked shit, I talked shit back when really I was dying inside.

Over the course of the weekend, I talked to Oly, AZRD and everyone else about this. I know about the bad timing and the hurt feelings and the details of the drama but there is some serious shit going down right now in women's politics and the West has a Hydra Trophy to bring home.

So while Pussy Riot is trying to get out of prison for exercising their inalienable right to choose to show their vaginas to their fans while protesting the Putin regime, or my friends are fighting for the right to marry whom they please, this hating here in derby has got to stop. Let's take our angst out on the refs where the sometimes subjective nature of their volunteer positions makes them easy fodder. We derby girls, derby women, derby athletes must ride the fine line between bad girl and fucking bitch.

Good luck at Championships, my Bestern Trifecta. One of you will be victorious!

Section(s): 
Derby Life
Up Close And Personal

Comments

Submitted by Hale Yeah on October 10, 2012 - 10:40am

I don't know any person on Oly. I don't know any person on AZRD. I can't speak with any knowledge as to feelings, conversations, or internal actions by any of the participants. I only know what has been posted by the skaters themselves in regards to these actions, and the actions that have been made public. (Before I enter into anything, I find it is good to start off by saying "I know nothing.")

So on with the thoughts:
I agree entirely that people have responded viscerally to this situation. A fair part of the derby world went crazy. If they created a safe pitchfork to use while on roller skates, I'm sure they would have been bought by the dozens.

Some people have guessed that it is due to Oly's past success. That could very well be true. Some have surmised it is due to the way in which they have managed their rosters previously. Also, could be very possible.

My albeit small, 3,000+ miles away from the actual issue, opinion is this:
Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind.

Yes. I did. Yes. I just quoted Disney's Lilo & Stitch.

As we are wont to do, people react to situations by mentally putting themselves in that position. If you see a friend drinking a concoction of one part milk, one part pickle juice, and three parts slurpie, we scrunch our faces up because we can imagine how it would taste if we drank it. (By the way: its awful.)

I imagine many thought how they'd react if it were their team this was happening to. Not, "Hey, we got three awesome new skaters!" But, "Hey, three skaters I've lived and died next to on the track for this past whole season are getting tossed off our team instead of being next to me at regionals."

Winning is awesome. I speak of this having played sports on some truly awful teams, and when you win one, its damn special. But I think most want to win not because of the influx of incredible talent, but with those they have toiled with all season to get there. And if you lose, you lose with the same skaters who you have laughed, cried, fought, and bled with. The sports stories we pull for are the ones who are all about team. And when that is changed at the 11th hour, we feel hurt.

Sure, we want roller derby to be professional. We want to see competition at the highest level. We want to roll out of bed and catch the highlights on SportsCenter of last night's game. But I feel most still believe in an "us against the world" mentality, and that is both on the micro (our own teams) and macro (our own sport) scale. And to that end, we want to protect our team from the desire to win by roster-turnover, and not through building up the skaters we have this year.

Those are just my thoughts. Well, that and don't take your angst out on refs. Angst is bad.

All the best-

Hale Yeah

Submitted by nocklebeast on October 10, 2012 - 11:39pm

During the westerns championship bout I was sitting next to a roller girl who was cheering for roller girls on both teams.... sometimes during the same jam! I thought that was pretty awesome.

But, yeah, it was a little disheartening to see Onda Sligh pull of an awsome spin move and see Rettig to Rumble stand up at turn 3 to cheer, and then awkwardly sit back down as she was the only one cheering... and lots of others jeering.

Submitted by Margie Ram on October 11, 2012 - 2:11am

I really meant no offense by the ref comment. I have to remember not everyone gets me! I love my WRD refs. They are professional and fair and wonderful support system to me and my team. What I meant to convey is that the audience participation part should remain intact but in a more healthy way. There was a lot of commentary about good/bad calls and I like that part.