Whip It 3-D

I recently went to the Hartford Area Roller Derby (HARD) season opener at Nomad’s in South Windsor, CT.  Before I went to the event I didn’t know much about Roller Derby, but I figured it was a lot like the movie Whip It, which I also never saw.  So basically I went down there with an open mind and decided to just “roll” with it.  I went down with my boyfriend Ben and met up with our friend Jeff to support his girlfriend Lia on her team The Beat City Bedrockers.  Let me tell you…this is not a sport for the weak of…well anything!

For those of you who are new to this whole Roller derby thing like me, here’s how it works:  Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short match ups (“jams”) in which both teams designate a scoring player (the “jammer”) who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to assist their own jammer while hindering the opposing jammer — in effect, playing both offense and defense simultaneously.  Sounds confusing right?  Once you see it, you catch on pretty quick, but check out this pic for a better visual:

The whole day was really fun! All the players had awesomely badass names like “Bloody Shannonigans”, “Raggedy Anthrax”, and “Lolli POP-U” (who is my friend Lia in this picture here. Even the refs had good names like “Sheila E. Ject’ya”.  As you can see from this picture, they also get to wear radical outfits!

The skating track was set up on a gym floor with chairs all around it. The front row aka the “suicide seating” was where we sat to see the Beat City Bedrockers! We just had to make sure we paid close attention so if any derby girls flew off the track we wouldn’t get pummeled!  Ahh the joys of being a VIP!

First half warm ups – each team took turns on the track warming up. And by warming up, I mean skating, trying to get by each other, trying to knock each other over, practice falling down and getting up, and generally getting ready for some action!!  Once warm ups were done, the jammers and blockers took their marks and really got down and dirty!

Jeff with a Lolli POP U sign for Lia!
GO LIA!! Kick some butt!!

At half time we went outside to get some fresh air. It was literally about 95 degrees in the gym so going outside was completely necessary!

DING DING!! Round 2! The Beat City Bedrockers took the money and ran in the second half. Poor Shoreline (the opposing team) never stood a chance!

What a lovely shot of the winners! This picture makes me miss my high school cross country team – we used to take silly pics like this!

Beat City Bedrockers: 113 Shoreline Roller Derby: 94
Now THAT’S what I’m talkin about!

I wish I could have gotten some more action shots, but the girls were whizzing by so quick they were all blurry!  It was really an awesome way to spend the day!  There was TONS of energy in that room, and it just goes to show that girls are just as tough (if not tougher) than guys! If you’re a lady in the Hartford County area and you’re interested in receiving more information about Roller Derbys or are interested in joining the team, email info@hartfordarearollerderby.com!  There is no experience necessary and all you need to bring with you to Ron-a-Roll (where they practice) is a mouth guard and a great attitude!! Even if you’re not interested in actually participating, I highly recommend that you go as a spectator!  It’s not everyday you see unusual athletes like this!  Crank it!