Take Back The Night...On Skates!

On September 15th, I and several of my league-mates volunteered to be safety-sisters for London, Ontario's Take Back the Night march. For those who don't know (and until recently, that included me) Take Back The Night is a rally and march, held internationally, that brings women and allies together to protest violence against women, partriarchy, and the simple fact that as a twenty-three year old woman living in a city, I get nervous walking home alone at night.

Photo Credit Mike Maloney London Community News

Our London-VP suggested we volunteer for the march as a way of continuing our league's commitment to community involvement. Several skaters attended, some, including myself, on foot. We were safety-sisters, which meant that we wore orange and yellow reflective neon vests and walked or skated along the street median, so marchers would know not to walk past us and cars wouldn't hit anyone. It was honestly a little bit harrowing. Several times vehicles sped up as they passed us, potentially endangering members of a crowd of about 400 people. But we cheered and chanted anyway.

On my way to the rally, I was in a wretched mood. But when I got there, I was stunned by the joy and passion of the crowd and the organizers. When we marched, women shouted and waved to pedestrians and cars and drivers honked back. A contingent of male supporters applauded us from the sidewalk, holding up a banner that said "Men Against Violence Against Women". I was buoyed up by all the positive energy, all the intensity of feeling that rode through the street, contained only by a dotted line of women in neon vests.

As is probably obvious by now, my roller derby is feminist. I put on my skates as a feminist activist and I love the sport for many reasons, but chiefly because it is a sport that encourages women to know one another, to work together, to compete productively. For me, having roller derby players skate for a feminist march is not merely logical, but also the coming-together of two things I fiercely love.

What's next on my feminist agenda? I'm going to improve my transitions because I'm back on skate this week!

Fat Derby + Five Things You Can Do to Encourage It

What does it mean to be a fat roller derby player?

As discussed in a previous post, the face of derby is usually a very particular one: slim-waisted and large-breasted. Team logos and posters and other facets of the public persona of derby almost always feature slim women or stereotypical pin-up proportions. This is odd given that derby in actuality embraces lots of sizes. You do not have to be a size 4 (and a D cup to boot) to block, or even to jam, though smaller players are often assumed to be jammer material.  You can be a large player and still kick derby behind. It can be difficult, however, for players to speak and act the fat-acceptance the sport seems to encourage, while derby culture simultaneously places fat players under erasure.

(A side-note on language here: I am not using the word fat in a derogatory way. I am a believer in fat-acceptance and an enemy of body-shaming. Size is not a sure indicator of health. Fat-acceptance activists continue to work on reclaiming the word 'fat' and I'm going to respect their work enough to use it myself.)

by winterbutterfly81 on DeviantArt, quote from Julie Garwood

Derby needs players of all sizes. The greater our base of would-be players, the better our sport can be. That's not to say that we should overhaul roller derby for the masses and that we should rob the sport of what makes it wonderful, namely the DIY aesthetic, the focus on women working together, and the sport's ingrained humour. But we do need to look critically at how, regardless of our intentions, we actively encourage some women to play and discourage others.  As players and supporters of the sport, we have a hand in shaping it every time we play, every time we hang out with each other, every time we tack up a bout poster. Are you doing enough to encourage women of all sizes to join the roller derby family?

Some people might say that fatness is inherently at odds with being a good derby skater, that athleticism requires being slim and toned. I must call bull-shit on that one. A player's skill on the rink relates to their dedication, practice, endurance, speed, and a host of other things that are not necessarily dictated by a player's weight. Fitness is the key there, not weight. There are players in my league who are fatter than me but frequently skate circles around me.

Even more importantly, roller derby is not just a sport, it's a movement. It's one of the few women-focused areas we have that isn't solely defined by outmoded stereotypes of what women 'should' be. We have a duty to the women we play with to keep roller derby a positive space for women.

So how do we do this? How do we help roller derby progress? Here's five ideas.

1) We look more closely at how we brand our sport through logos, posters, and league websites. We make those representations of players more inclusive by featuring different sizes, by talking to the artists we work with.

2) We demand better from the companies we buy from. If their knee-pads only go up to an M/L and that's not big enough for you or some of your league-members, write to the company. Tell them they need to do better and they just might.

3) We demand more from the third-party companies who don't make merchandise, but do sell it. Ask where their fat models are. Offer to be one. Suggest merchandise with sizing and/or support for players of all sizes.

4) Eliminate body-shaming from your derby vocabulary. Stop saying "Oh, my thighs look awful in these short-shorts" when the player next to you, regardless of size,  might have thought she looked pretty fine in her hotpants right up until you said that.  Self-hatred has no place in roller derby. It catches. Judge yourself by your skill and dedication, not your size. Encourage your fellow players to do the same.

5) Talk. Organize. Educate yourself on the challenges fat players face. Look up fat derby bloggers and activists and get in touch with them. My league president has a fab fat derby blog at Vansterdamn XXX: True Adventures of a Big-Ass Derby Girl. Consider blogging yourself. We need more voices if we're going to have a good conversation.

In short, love your derby self and make damn sure you're encouraging your team-mates to do the same.

Fresh Meat Resources

Today, we link. Below are fresh meat resources, divided roughly by area and type. This list is by no means exhaustive and if you find a good resource, please include it in the comments! Lessons learned while researching this? I'm a little in love with Bonnie D. Stroir, but who isn't? Also, we need more posts and pages devoted to derby skills and skating technique training.

Meat chunks above, information chunks below.

Fresh Meat Basics / Misc.


Rollergirl's Fresh Meat File : basic but wide-spread in terms of coverage. A must.


More generally, Rollergirl's Info Page with basic skating, sizing, and gear maintenance This might save your skates.


Roller Derby Endurance Tips: Overview of suggested workouts to up your endurance, a must on the track. 


The Roller Derby Resource: Roller Derby Skating Skills. These people know everything.




Skills and Technique


(This area was especially lacking in my searches. We need more info!)


Bay City Bombers' Training Guide Comprehensive, drawn from a great deal of experience.


Striding Techniques for Skaters: Some links are outdated but it's a good start.



Instructional Videos (all on Youtube)

Derby Form by Stray Cat of Central Coast Roller Derby

Stops by Stray Cat

Crossovers by Stray Cat

Pack-Skating Basics by Stray Cat

Backwards Skating by Stray Cat

Sideways Skating by the San Diego Derby Dolls

Knee Slides by Stray Cat

Double Knee Slides by Stray Cat

Power Slides by the SDDD

Whips and Pushes by Stray Cat

Leg Whips by the SDDD

Backwards Whips and Blocks by the SDDD

Endurance by Stray Cat

Blocking by Stray Cat

Destructive Blocking by the San Diego Derby Dolls

Juking by the SDDD

Transitions by Expertvillage

Evasive Transitions by the SDDD

Specific Blog Posts


Roller Derby Disorder: Keeping all your derby crap clean. Know this from day one. Excellent linkage.

Derby Girls Blog: Guest Post by Rockquelle Damage of the Denver Wreckin' Roller Rebels. Great tips on how to increase your chances of derby success by making small changes in your day-to-day life.

Queen of the Rink's top seven tips for fresh meat. Concise and smart.

The Paper Ecdysiast: Fresh Meat Tips. In case you missed last week's  outing.

Fresh Meat Blogs

Fresh Meat: Tales From Derby Wannabes Their substantial archive is particularly noteworthy for the edification of freshies. More anecdotal than instructional, but awesome all the same.

Diary of a DerbyWannabe, particularly their Ten Goals in Ten Months Section Bright blog, great insight into the fresh meat tenderization process.

Start your own. Here, for example. Or here.

Zebra Love

The zebra was one of my favourite animals when I was a kid. It was like a horse, but with a cooler paint job. Today, the zebras I interact with are human ones - the fine referees of roller derby. Assuming you're not playing renegade derby, you need refs if you want to play the game. And derby is a damn complicated game.

Some of my favourite leagues, like Terminal City, list their refs as a kind of team all their own. When it comes down to it, refs have to pass their own skills testing, they have to know WFTDA rules inside and out and they have to deal with derby girls. It's not glamourous, but it is pretty bad-ass. As the Montreal Roller Derby Referees' page says, "No pain and no glory, not vain nor scary, just a simple concoction: Respect, rules and execution." Our zebras are part of what makes the derby machine run. They tell you that you're the lead jammer, they send you and your booty-shorts to the penalty seat.

When I first started practicing, I was struck by the seeming fact that refs were almost always male. Women's derby has two particular roles men can play, namely referees and coaches. At first, it irked me that these positions of authority were held by guys. Couldn't women ref? Couldn't women coach? Wasn't patriarchy one of the things we went to derby to escape, at least for the duration of a two-minute jam? It bothered me that a sport I identified as feminist just seemed to reinscribe tired gender stereotypes by having the women in fishnets and the men in positions of power. I've since learned that lots of women do both of these things, but the majority of women prefer to skate because that's what they came for. Skating is the sexy part. Reffing is a different kind of hard.

My league has several refs we know and love and these range from home-grown officials to volunteers we've borrowed from other leagues. My refs have taught me how to manage the penalty box and my refs have shown me how to handle my gear better. Referees are crucial resources for players, especially new ones, to learn about the game, their gear, and skating technique. So, in short, I say show your zebras some love today and ask them a question. These folks know their stuff.

Fresh Meat Tips

Today, we're going to go over my top five tips for fresh meat before, during and after their first few skates. Mostly these are things I wish I had known or wish my mama hens had shouted at least one more time so it might get through my baby duck head. Without further ado...

BEFORE skating

1) Stretch. Stretch, stretch, stretch. Try to get in the habit of doing it every day. It's good for your body.
2) Get to know your equipment. Check out resources like Rollergirl's guide to skate maintenance.
3) Hydrate. Fill a glass of water. Drink it. Repeat. Skating will have you sweating and being dehydrated will slow you down and distract you from learning.
4) Know your derby. Look up instructional videos on Youtube, like this one on skating. Check out the full rules on WFTDA and, again, Youtube for the basics.
5) Relax! You're a baby duck. You'll learn as fast as you need to.

WHILE skating

1) BEND YOUR KNEES. Seriously. You think you're low? Get lower. Bending your knees will improve your balance and leave you with less distance to cover when you fall.
2) Speaking of falling, practice falling on your knees. One knee, both knees. Do it until your body does it automatically when you start to lose your balance, otherwise you will fall on your bum and risk serious injuries.
3) Ask questions. Your league should have trainers, but I don't know a derby girl who  isn't invested on getting the skaters around them to skate better.
4) Remember that hydrating? Do it some more! Afraid you'll need a bathroom break? If you haven't gone to the bathroom in skates, you haven't lived. Also, you can take your gear off. There is always time for bathroom breaks.
5) Pick a skater whose skills you admire. Watch how she skates. Imitate her. This will engage your learning and very possibly get you a date.

AFTER skating

1) Stretch! We often cool-down by skating only and stretching is a key habit to get into.
2) Socialize! Go out to the bar afterward (even if you don't drink) or get in on social events. Getting to know the other girls can be hard at first, but the better you know your league, the likelier it is you'll keep going.
3) Analyze your successes and areas for improvement, but don't punish yourself. Ask your trainers if they noticed anything you really need to practice, then do so.
4) Find other skating opportunities. The more you skate, the better you will be. Look up local arenas if the season isn't outdoor skate-friendly. Offer to drive / pay for gas with other girls.
5) Use the internet to supplement what you've learned on-skate. Check out derby blogs. They're a 24-hour resource and the internet is a big place.

In closing, skate on, freshies. Everyone starts out fresh. Learn and pass on what you learn. Maybe even blog about it?

Derby Wifery

I do not have a derby wife. It's not that I disapprove of derby marriage, it's more that I'd feel awkward, perhaps even silly asking one of the girls in my league to be mine. Would they think I was secretly hitting on them? Would I be? Do I want to be a derby husband instead? These are the questions I'm faced when I consider foregoing my derby bachelorette-hood.

Some of you might be asking, "What exactly is a derby wife, again?" A derby wife is a woman, presumably on your team or in your league, who is your go-to girl, your derby soul-mate. A surprising number of definitions online describe her as the one holding your hair back while you vomit, which either tells us something about roller derby or about the people trying to define the sport's culture. Simply put, your derby wife is your  number one support - she might keep you motivated to stay skate-ready, she might untie your skates for you after you've hit the ground and are too dazed to deal with things like shoelaces, she might call you on your shit when necessary. Your derby wife is your partner.

There are some criticisms of the convention of derby wives. There's concern that this kind of pairing off of besties is a retreading of the kind of cliqueish behaviour that drove so many of us away from the society of other women in the first place. It can be easy to feel excluded when surrounded by intense bonds. I think those concerns have merit. Everyone in a league deserves the best possible chance of feeling welcomed and sometimes we forget how hard it can be to take those first steps into making friends with total strangers. If we are to support derby wife culture, we need to make sure we don't forget about the single ladies putting their hands up.

Because the derby wife phenomenon can be a wonderful thing. It's at the heart of what makes derby great: women coming together to support and challenge each other. Female friendship is incredibly fraught with societal pressures about competing with other women, particularly for male attention and the various successes of womanhood, namely marriage, babies, etc (which are not in and of themselves bad things). It can be incredibly hard to have healthy friendships with other women while operating within that system.

As I've said before in this blog, so many of my friends in derby have said, "I've never really had many female friends before roller derby". Roller derby creates a space where we compete on the track and we leave it on the track. When the clock isn't going, we allow ourselves just to be friends without the heinous fuckery of worrying our friends are thinner, prettier, and more adequate women than we are. And whether we want to identify one player as the focal point of that friendship and support or (like me) stay a derby lothario, we still engage in a community of female friendship that can be crucial to a woman's self-care.

So, I say, if you have your eye on a derby girl, feel free to make an 'honest' woman of her. But don't forget your sisters of skate, at least not once the honeymoon is over.

Slight delay

Today's blog post on derby wifedom will be showing up later tonight, my time. In the mean time, here's a picture of the Kitchener LOCO logo. Their Roll-a-Thon will be taking place on September 25th. Further details from their poster below!



Join your Kitchener LOCO Roller Derby skaters for a roll down
the Iron Horse Trail, from Victoria Park to Union Blvd and back!


Roll with us on your roller/inline skates, skateboard, or bicycle.

Any donation amount is welcome & appreciated! (Cash only please)

25% of all profits will be donated to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.

Meet @ 2:00 pm, Victoria Park Pavillion (Parking available)
Roll out @ 2:15 pm.  Rain or shine.