Roller Derby

Despite being oh, about a continent apart, Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls have become something of a long-distance rivals to the Rat City Rollergirls. The July 13 bout will be the fourth time the two teams have met in the past four years, and each bout has been exciting (who remembers the time the lights went out at East Coast Extravaganza?) and Rat leads the series 2-1. The last time the teams met in Baltimore last summer, Rat City took the win.  While Charm City has been a fixture at the WFTDA Championship Tournaments since 2010, earning an invitation by placing in the top three at the East Regional Playoffs, the team’s 2013 record has been mixed—big wins over lower ranked teams, but losses (sometimes big losses) at the hands of this year’s top contenders for the WFTDA Championships. The one shared opponent between Rat City and Charm City is Los Angeles’ Angel City Derby Girls, with RCRG getting an 11-point win over the Hollywood Scarlets while Charm suffered a 17-point loss, so if those games are any comparison, fans should expect a fantastic night of derby from these two All-Star teams! In the April WFTDA rankings, Charm is ranked 17th to Rat’s 6th, and the next set of rankings will be released in early July. The July rankings will influence the seedings for September’s WFTDA Division 1 Playoff Tournaments will be released, so this could be the first of several times that Rat City and Charm City meet in 2013. The opening bout of the night features Rat City’s Rain of Terror hosting Sacramento’s Sac City Rollers. Rain of Terror will be playing Sac City’s All-Star team, Capitol Punishment. With only a year of WFTDA membership under their belts, Capitol Punishment has quickly moved up the ranks, currently sitting at #50 (out of 155 ranked teams) and poised to earn an invitation to WFTDA’s inaugural Division 2 tournaments in August. Rain of Terror, not shying away from any play, has two bouts WFTDA All-Star teams this season in their 2-1 2013 record, including a big win over Bellingham’s Blunt Force Trauma and a loss to Australia’s VRDL All-Stars. This will be the first time any Rat City team plays the Sac City Rollers and if last month’s RoT bout against Montreal’s second travel team was any indication, should be a great way to start a night of exciting and competitive flat track roller derby! And for more HILARIOUS NOSTALGIA: check out the Charm vs Rat bout at ECE circa 2009 when we had hamsters running the machines with some  throwback Coveritlive TEXTCASTS.

Glitter and Spite: The topsy-turvy world of roller derby I hope Glitter and Spice is not angry at me for reposting her article (click above); I think it is one of the best, most analytical  pieces written about modern Roller Derby. What if you just want to skate, and not be bothered with anything else…..you […]

The WFTDA released a new ruleset for 6/15/2013. For newer skaters, getting new rules 6 months after getting the last set of new rules may seem blasphemous, but for those of us who have been around for a while, it was weird to not get the 6-month version with clarifications and tweaks. Many moons ago, when our rule sets were numbered, there was a 2.0 and a few months later, after it had been used for a bit, a 2.1 (there was also a 1.0 and 1.1, and a 3.0 and a 3.1) to incorporate the clarifications into the rules so people didn’t have to print out (or remember) pages of clarifications. 6/15/2013 is just that and I really welcomed it! Felt like the old days. One part of the rules which seemed to get a lot of traffic on social media was the part about multiple player blocks (MPBs). I couldn’t understand why because I’ve been referencing the clarification from September 2010 since it came out. Here’s a flowchart on multiple player blocks: Multiple Player Block Flowchart In the following examples I’ll be referencing the diamonds in the order they appear in the above graphic. Test One: How many skaters are blocking the opponent. One – NOT MPB Two or more – go to Test Two Test Two: Is there a LINK being created between the two or more players? No – NOT MPB Yes – go to Test Three Test Three: Is the LINK forming a WALL or providing an ASSIST? Wall – go to Test Four Assist – NOT MPB Test Four: Has an opponent attempted to pass through the WALL created by this LINK? Yes – THIS IS A MPB No – NOT MPT For some it takes examples to really help this set in. A 2-wall blocking an opponent Here’s scenario one: two skaters blocking an opponent in a wall formation. This passes test number one – there are two skaters blocking the opponent. Which means we need to look at test two – is there a LINK between these two skaters? If either of these skaters is creating something that can be defined as a link: grasping teammate’s clothing grabbing the teammate such as holding the outside of their opposite leg or the inside of their closest leg crossing legs hooking elbows Then this is a multiple player block. We have a link and we have a wall. If there is no link, a wall alone is not a multiple player block. Examples of “not a link” include: Touching with an open hand without grabbing or pulling Having hips touching Having side of body touching Here’s another scenario: Only engaging one blocker, not testing link This scenario will never be a multiple player block. This fails test number 4 because the opponent is not attempting to pass through the wall. More importantly, it doesn’t pass test number 1 because the opponent is only engaging with one skater. The engagement between the two red skaters can be any kind of linking or not linking. Arms in back are a form of linking It has been determined that if you put an arm behind your teammate, it is a link. If the opponent attempts to go through this area, then it will be a multiple player block. You do not have to be grabbing or grasping. The act of putting your arm behind your teammate means your arm is impenetrable – because an opponent would have to break your arm to get through it. If an opponent doesn’t test this link, then it is not a multiple player block. Truck and Trailer – Engaging Rear This is a classic truck and trailer arrangement for the red blockers. In my training I call this an “Assisted Block”. Assists are legal under the MPB rules. This fails to be a multiple player block with test one because the opponent is only engaging one skater and engaging her hips. But if that is not clear, test two says it is a link so we have to go to test three. In test three, the link is creating an assist. The front blocker may be slowing the rear blocker or she may be acting as an anchor for the rear blocker to swing. It is not possible to consider this a

Tickets for the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup are now on sale for $127.50, from the official Roller Derby World Cup website. However, if you enter the code "DNN" at check out you get 15 percent off. This code is only valid for the next 30 days, so get your tickets now! read more

The crowd was getting louder and louder at Brooklyn’s Abe Stark Arena in Coney Island, the New York Shock Exchange had battled back from a 53 point deficit to take a one point lead, and Your Mom Men’s Roller Derby team, the defending MRDA champions, were on the ropes with a little over 20 minutes left to play in Saturday’s bout. Then the scoreboard went down. read more

It’s Red Cross Roller Derby Brown Paper tickets blood drive time.. It is happening and we want all Bay area leagues to be part of it. It is official….click on above to see the great posters and tee shirt designs that will be part of the Bay Area promotion for the upcoming blood drive in […]

Filed under: Bay Area Derby Dolls., Influential Derby Skaters, Promotions, Roller Derby, sports, The Fans Tagged: American Red Cross

From a very young age, roller skating has been a passion of mine. I remember lacing up my white, leather skates on the slate steps of my parent's house and rolling down our driveway to the bumpy, gravel street. My whole body vibrated from the the wheels rolling over the uneven pavement. I remember wishing that the town would decide to one day pave our street with smooth black tar. Nonetheless I skated on, body shaking. The best days though were when my mother took me to the roller rink. She skated along side me in her 1940s wooden-wheeled quads. She was so good at it and I practiced everyday to try and measure up. Fast forward to October of 2007, when I made my way over to United Skates and tried out for the Long Island Roller Rebels. I had no idea at the time, but life as I knew it was about to change! As it does for so many members from the start, derby consumed me! It was all I ever wanted to do. I slept, ate and drank derby pretty much on a daily basis. For me it served a great purpose. I was single at the time so it helped fill up my spare time that might otherwise have been spent alone. It also satisfied my insatiable need to exercise rigorously and the distraction of it all helped me through rough times. Best of all though, I met some of the most amazing people who will always be a part of my life. In 2008, I created The Rebel Yell. Initially I started blogging to help promote the league and to help spread news about roller derby in general. The blog ended up serving another purpose. It became a place where I got to share my own stories as well, and boy did I love to talk! I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to record and share my experiences with others.After, five years of writing The Rebel Yell, I've decided that it's time to say goodbye. My current schedule doesn't leave me with much time to spare and as a result my involvement with the league at this point is minimal if at all. That's not to say that it won't some day become more so, but for now, it is. Without experiencing roller derby or being involved with the league, it's harder to bring you news or to write posts with much substance. I am so thankful to everyone who has read even one of my posts! I hope that I was able to at the very least, keep you all informed about the Roller Rebels.As a goodbye, I thought I would share my 25 Random Facts with you. I hope you enjoy reading them!My 251- My birth name is Kris, but those closest to me call me Krissy. I like being called Etta best of all!2- I am 13 years older than my husband.3- I got my first and (currently) only tattoo at age 41 while wearing my roller skates.4- My husband and I were filmed to be on the television show NY Ink, but sadly our episode never aired.5- I have two sisters and one brother, all older than I am.6- I was once on a commercial for David Letterman.7- I have been buying and collecting (and now selling) vintage clothing and housewares since about 1982.8- Running is one of my favorite pastimes and I'm not quite myself when I don't do it.9- My grandparents on my mother's and father's side all come from the same small town in Sicily.10- I studied tap, jazz and ballet for nine years. That's me third from the right11- I have unusually small feet and have to buy a lot of shoes in children's sizes.12- I have been hand-crafting note cards since 2000 and sell them in boutiques both in and out of state.13- In addition to dreaming of becoming a magician and joining the circus, I've always wanted to be a pin-up model. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to model for a few shoots.14- I don't feel fully dressed until I put red lipstick on.15- I love to travel and have been to many places including: Italy, Jamaica, Aruba, Dominican Republic, St. Martin, Bahamas & Hawaii - just to name a few.A photo I took in Maui16- I have been keeping journals since the age of 12 and have a suitcase full.17- I'm pretty certain that seeing the movie Grease as a child had a strong

History will be made at the 2013 Battle for the Boot. Regardless of the outcome in this first ever championship showdown between the Death Track Dolls and the Smoke City Betties, a first time ToRD champion will be named, added to the list that so far has included only the Gore-Gore Rollergirls (2007, 2009, 2010) and the Chicks Ahoy! (2008, 2011, 2012). It’s a historic moment in this early history of ToRD, representing the first true power shift in the league from the early consistent dominance of the Gores and Chicks (who also met in five of the first six championship games). The 2013 season and the 7th Battle for the Boot represent nothing less the beginning of a new era in Toronto Roller Derby. PAST These two teams both have distinct histories. Formed in early 2006 in a pre-ToRD Toronto, the Smoke City Betties joined Hammer City, Montreal Roller Derby and Edmonton’s Oil City as the first wave of flat track roller derby in Canada and would form the pillars that would provide a foundation for the explosive growth of the sport in the country that would follow. At the same time that the Betties exploded on to the scene, another team would rise in Toronto, the Terrors. Both the Terrors and Betties would see their numbers swell by the time that the Betties would host the first ever Canadian inter-league tournament, the Betties D-Day, in August 2006. Leading up to that tournament, the Terrors would split into four teams: the Chicks Ahoy!, the Bay Street Bruisers, The D-VAS and finally, the Death Track Dolls. The Betties and the Gores face off in the 2009 Battle for the Boot. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu) In the coming months, the Betties too would divide, giving birth to the Gore-Gore Rollergirls and the six teams in Toronto would unify to form Toronto Roller Derby. In 2007, the inaugural season, the Dolls would struggle, going winless, while the Betties competed but could not reel in the Chicks and Gores. It was a similar story in 2008 when both the Dolls and Betties would lose in the semifinals. Following contraction in 2009 (when the Bruisers and D-VAS were removed from the houseleague), the Betties surged while the Chicks stumbled and the Dolls slipped to last in the new four-team ToRD. Yet again, the Betties would find themselves held back by the team that had spawned from them, the Gores, in the Battle for the Boot 3. It was a historic loss for the team that would see the core of the squad gutted in the ’09-2010 off season and forced into a complete rebuild. Since that time the fortunes of the Dolls and Betties has ebbed and flowed, with the Betties finishing last in the league in 2010 and 2011, and the Dolls stumbling to fourth in 2012. With losing seasons racking up and top draft picks coming their way, it was only a matter of time before the Dolls and Betties would emerge as contenders. The Dolls dominated the regular season showdown between these teams, winning 265-63. (Photo by Neil Gunner) PRESENT Both teams entered 2013 with high hopes. After a two-year absence, the Betties returned to the ToRD semifinals in 2012 and hoped to build on that this season. The Dolls, on the other hand, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009, but drafted experience and had clearly built a base that looked ready to compete in 2013. While the Dolls got off to a better start, the Betties stumbled out of the gates, losing to the Gores and then suffering the team’s worst loss in history to the Dolls to close out the season. But both have also been on the rise: The Dolls clumsily defeated the Chicks to kick off the season, then lost to Forest City’s Timber Rollers (a WFTDA apprentice travel tram), before taking out the Gores and finally rolling into form against the Betties to clinch a spot in the final. The Betties looked lost at times this season, before finally coming together as a team in the semifinal and eliminating the Gores, ending the Gores’ six-year run as Battle for the Boot participants. In short, both teams are peaki