by Undead Miss Red
#smashtag jamming against Ohio’s Gang Green, fueled by tons of great music
Bout day is serious, and roller derby is as much a mental game as it is a physical challenge. With these two truths in mind, what do skaters listen to as they get ready to play? What is #smashtag hearing through her white wires while she walks around the Windy City Fieldhouse? Which tracks get Queefer Sutherland’s head where it needs to be to jump the apex in a tough jam?
The Chicago Outfit Shade Brigade
In their first bout of the season the Chicago Outfit’s Shade Brigade rolled out to the Coachite Skate Center in Roselle, IL, to take on the DuPage Derby Dames. The Outfit had a rough start when Shade blocker *The Apostrofiend, injured her ankle during warm-ups. With no available alternates the Shade continued their pre-bout routine with their minds still set on a win.
At a quarter past six, the first whistle blew. Shade Brigade’s Jenergizer Bunny was paired up against Derby Dame’s Pink Pow Her Ranger. Bunny was lead jammer but was forced to call off the jam as Pow Her Ranger broke out of the pack only seconds after she did. In the second jam, DuPage drew first blood when jammer Beat em’ Tender Hooligan scored four points. The Shade Brigade retaliated in the next jam. Outfit blockers: Celia Coffin, Agony Andy, Jane Flinch, and Lindiana Jones held back Dupage jammer Speed Kate, allowing Outfit’s the Big Lebekski to snag 10 points.
Recently, the Chicago Outfit Shakedown hit the road and headed out to Indianapolis to take on the Naptown Roller Girl’s Third Alarm. Other than a scrimmage against the DuPage Derby Dames, this was our first game of the season. Though we knew we were facing a tough opponent, we were pumped to get our season rolling.
The ladies had been practicing their hearts out for months and it was finally time to put that practice to the test. Upon arriving we all discovered, to our dismay, that the floor we would be skating on was slick and cracked in spots. It was an intimidating space even for skaters who had played past seasons. While nothing throws off your mental game quite like a bad floor, the Shakedown held it together and warmed up together with the same old positive attitude.
For several of the ladies on the team this was their first roller derby bout ever. They may have been a bit nervous beforehand but once the first whistle blew they went out and skated like pros leaving the slick floor forgotten. Though we were behind throughout the game, the entire team became more cohesive and supportive of one-another on the track with each jam and we came out of the bout feeling like more of a team than when we went into it.
Speaking specifically of derby, we can get hit, blocked, counter-blocked, our skates get caught up, and occasionally they just fly out from under us.
As is the case with life in general,
there is absolutely no way to play derby without falling down.
A lot.
After playing with the Outfit for over three months now, I’ve been going through the process of telling my friends, family and coworkers what I’ve been up to. When I started talking to people I knew, I had no idea that roller derby would have its own “coming out” process. It’s just a sport—I had no idea I’d be hearing so many different reactions.
“So, you play roller derby… that’s where chicks beat each other up, right?”
I never saw roller derby on television while growing up, and I have only ever known it through the less violent, more athletic revival. Roller derby of today does have bumping and blocking, but no fists flying or dog piles on the track. When one of my friends likened derby to wrestling WWE style, I was surprised. After explaining the legal blocking zones and block types, they were less concerned for my safety but also less excited about watching a game. Read more
