Like fast women and body-rocking hits? Then check out the 2017 International Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Championships, Nov. 3-5 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
Philly Roller Derby hosts this three-day donnybrook featuring 12 elite teams from around the globe. There are also after-parties at Standard Tap on Friday, Woody’s on Saturday and Voyeur on Sunday.
According to Jillian Barrett, who’s co-chairing the event with Niki Cash, there’s a lot to look forward to. “This year, one-third of the competitors are from outside the U.S., which is a big deal,” she said.
Barrett is also psyched that the final game will be shown on television. “The ESPN2 thing is huge, because it’s the first time that women’s roller derby will be broadcast on network television.”
The Rat City Rollergirls of Seattle and the Arch Rival Roller Derby of St. Louis are just two of the teams representing America. The international talent includes the Crime City Rollers from Malmö, Sweden, and the Victorian Roller Derby League of Melbourne, Australia.
A weekend pass is $75, and day passes are available. “It’s definitely worth your money,” Cash said with a chuckle. (For details, visit www.phillyrollerderby.com.)
Barrett and Cash both skate for the Liberty Belles, Philly Roller Derby’s WFTDA chartered team. Although they didn’t make it to the championship this year, local skaters are still enthusiastic.
“We’re 100-percent involved in planning and promoting it in the city,” Barrett said. “We’ve had maybe eight different events where we’re going out into the community to try and spread the word, OutFest being one.” PRD’s skaters have also popped up at a recent Temple Owls football game and at Terror Behind the Walls.
Their goal is to drum up interest in the sport. If you’ve never seen roller derby, it’s a blast. Each game is divided into two 30-minute halves, which are made up of individual “jams” lasting roughly two minutes. The women whizzing around the track are, variously, Jammers, Blockers or Pivots. The action is fast and furious, so the athletes wear helmets and padding.
Philly Roller Derby was established in 2005 and has about 85 members, including skaters, volunteers and juniors. In addition to The Liberty Belles, PRD fields two other teams: The Independence Dolls, the “B” team, and The Block Party, for beginners.
Rest assured, you don’t need to play bass in a death-metal band to belong. PRD’s members include everyone from anesthesiologists and bike messengers to moms and small-business owners. “We have people from all walks of life and all skill levels,” said Cash, who tends bar at Standard Tap when she’s not skating.
Members can be involved as much or as little as they’d like. The season runs March-October. Players practice two to four times a week, and they compete in roughly one game each month. Those who’d like to do more can pitch in with coaching, fundraising, marketing or organizing events.
For the PRD’s skaters and volunteers, that hard work builds camaraderie. “We spend a good amount of time together, and we travel all over the place together, so it is a great way to make friends,” Barrett said.
Roller derby is also LGBT-friendly. In Cash’s estimation, many PRD players, volunteers and fans identify as queer. Some skaters identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming. The WFTDA is supportive too. In 2016, it affirmed its commitment to inclusivity and welcoming “all transgender women, intersex women and gender-expansive participants.”
As Cash put it, “Everybody’s really accepting of one another and there’s not a lot of judgment as far as what you spend your time doing outside of rollerskating.”
Barrett and Cash are hoping that some spectators will be so inspired by the weekend’s competition that they’ll want to try roller derby themselves. They encourage anyone interested to stop by the PRD’s new facility, The Roller Jawn, at 5378 Belfield Ave. in Germantown.
Newbies, affectionately dubbed Fresh Meat, are welcome on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. PRD has loaner gear available and the first practice is free. There’s rolling admission until the end of the year; in January, PRD kicks off a more formal training program for rookies.
In Barrett’s opinion, there’s no reason not to give roller derby a shot; people of all ages, sizes and skill levels are welcome.
“You didn’t have to be an athlete growing up. You don’t have to eat 3,000 calories a day. You don’t even have to know how to eat healthy,” she said, laughing.
Want to get in on all the action? Visit www.facebook.com/phillyrollerderby and follow PRD on Twitter @prdskates.