There are very few sports where the competitors are women only; even fewer of those with, what can only be described as, extreme physical contact. In fact, the only sport I can think of that actually fits that description is Roller Derby.
Roller Derby is, I'll be honest, a little confusing if you just watch videos. So an explanation is probably going to be helpful:
Via bdogdj.
Two teams of 5 quad skaters (I wonder if there are any inline skating teams?) race around a rink. The aim of the game is for the one "jammer" from each team, who start at the back of the pack, to pass as many of the opposition players as possible, scoring a point each time they do. In their way are the opposing teams "blockers" and, at the very front, the "pivots" who dictate the pace of the race and act as a last line of defence. Simple, right? Hmm, having watched some of these videos I seriously doubt it!
If you want more information then Fracture Magazine seems to be a good place to start reading. It has regular articles, features, and information on Roller Derby.
With names like Bee Sting and Hannah Grenade, women from all over the world are making this one of, if not the, quickest growing disciplines in skating. Teams and leagues are springing up everywhere and, from what I've heard, not only do these girls skate hard they also party hard!
So, here are a few videos that show roller derby in all it's glory (or is that "gory" in some cases?):
Here's the LA Derby Dolls demonstrating why this is such a physical sport.
Via LaddVinceWheel.
Obviously in this kind of sport controlled aggression is something you need, but tempers can fray:
Via AIR videos.
I worked in Minneapolis for a while many years ago and, had I been a skater at the time, I would have probably dropped by to see the Minnesota RollerGirls if I'd seen this advert:
Via Minnesota Rollergirls on Vimeo.
Here's something truly crazy: if you've not heard of it the Burning Man festival takes place in the Black Rock Desert (Nevada) where temperatures reach a searing 110F, so why would you want to Roller Derby in that heat!?!!
Via Sk8GodFather on YouTube.
Championing the cause in the UK, along with several other teams, are the London Rollergirls who've put up a highlight reel from the 2008 season:
Via London Rollergirls.
And you know you've made it in the UK if you get on the Richard & Judy show!
Via foxsakeLRG.
For those of you interested in getting involved you might want to try contacting your local team or league. Wikipedia has a good list. If you're in the Birmingham area of the UK you're in luck: The Birmingham Blitz Dames are looking for volunteers (and that includes guys).
Interestingly Roller Derby girls seem to be pretty into their tech as there are loads on Twitter. I'm sure you'll find them as I've given some information in the recent post on Twitter.
Oh, and don't confuse "Rollerjam" with "Roller Derby": the former is like wrestling on skates and comes with the extra baggage of playing up for TV, if the videos I've seen are anything to go by.
That's it for this month; hopefully you're enjoying these and, if you have any suggestions for what to do in future months, please feel free to contact me.
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