Fishnets and Four Wheels - a Guide to Modern-Day Roller Derby

They’re big. They’re bad. They’re wearing…old-fashioned roller skates?

That’s right, roller derby is back and it’s more raucous than ever. America’s home grown roller sport is experiencing a revitalization in a roller rink near you. 

The term “roller derby” may bring up nightmarish visions of cheesy polyester shorts and exploitative girl fights on syndicated television, but today’s derby girls have put a sassy, feminist spin on the sport. Their homegrown leagues (23 to date) have sprung up all over the nation, sporting playful names such as the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls or Bay City Bombers. These organizations are run by and for the sake of a nearly obsolete women’s sport that’s easy to play and fun to win, and the action couldn’t be more exciting.

Roller derby was invented in the 1930s by sports promoter Leo Seltzer, who placed players on a banked track in a marathon-style race. The sport enjoyed its first heyday in the 1940s and 50s, but only became a full-contact sport during the 60s and 70s before fading into pop culture obscurity. Fueled by post-punk energy and post-feminist tongue-in-cheek, the sport has made a renaissance in homegrown all-girl leagues that draw thousands of rabid fans to watch the spectacular pileups and speed skating that popularized derby in its early days.

The sport itself is simple – five-member teams form a “pack” that circles a flat or banked track. During each “bout,” two “pivots” at the front of the pack set the pace, while each team’s three “blockers” try to prevent the other team’s “jammer,” or scoring skater, from reaching the front of the pack. Points are awarded for each opposing team member passed by the jammer. Though derby isn’t the free-for-all sometimes depicted in the media, pileups, falls and injuries do occur – to the amusement of fans who come for the rowdy, high-energy atmosphere and stay for the excitement of the fast-paced jams.