World Domination: Flat Track Roller Derby Takes Over Dallas for the 2014 World Cup

Team USA successfully defended the World Cup it had first won in 2011. (Photography by Joe Mac)

In the early morning of Thursday, December 4^th, 2014, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, a half-awake group of announcers, volunteers, and staff was groggily standing in line to check in for credentials at the 2014 Blood and Thunder Roller Derby World Cup. Nearby, and snaking all along the interior wall of the cathedral-like mezzanine of the auditorium, were hundreds of fans who’d arrived early to gain entry or pick up last-minute tickets to the event. There was a murmur in the Center, the buzz of half-formed expectations and fully realized anticipation, but it was muted by the early morning hour, by the remnants of jet lag yet to be shaken.

A set of doors at the near-end of the hall sprung open and out walked Team Argentina, unmistakable in their baby-blue and white striped kit, skates in hand, but mostly geared up for warm ups for their early-morning game on Day 1 of the second Roller Derby World Cup.

It took a moment for the groggy mass in the hall to take note of the arrival of the team, but when they did, one part of the sleepy line of fans suddenly erupted: dancing, chanting, singing, flags of Argentina materialized and waved proudly. The singing accompanied the blushing and appreciative team as it entered the World Cup stadium and disappeared from our view.

Yet the singing continued. The dancing continued, and it would do so nearly unabated for the next four days.

It was my first “World Cup Moment” and proved to be just one of a countless number of World Cup Moments that would touch and inspire everyone who gathered in Dallas, Texas, for what would turn out to be—so far anyway—flat track roller derby’s greatest moment, an incredible crowning achievement for a sport only a decade into its very existence.

It’s actually been quite a year for flat track roller derby, a bounce back year in many ways for its leading governing body, the WFTDA, through whom the vast majority of the participants at the event were introduced to the game. The WFTDA Playoffs were an incredible success on the track, including a Division 2 tournament that provided the most parity of any flat track tournament in history, and globally the game had grown far beyond even the thirty teams in attendance in Dallas, evidenced by the donations of gear being collected on site for the emerging league in Beirut and the buzz around the newly formed league in Cairo. And for a potentially defining year in flat track roller derby, the 2014 World Cup proved to be a fitting end.

Team Canada marches during the Parade of Nations at the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup.

No, it was not a highly competitive tournament, though arguably more competitive than some thought it would be, and no the dominance of the United States was not negated, though the Americans were tested more than any thought possible. What it was, was a celebration of the sport, a global coming-out party on a scale that far eclipsed that of the inaugural World Cup in Toronto in 2011. Of course, through the sheer force of evolution, this event was way bigger and way better than that previous one, but that is as it should be, and undoubtedly the next event will be way better than this one (though it is hard to see how it could be any bigger, at least in terms of participation). And along with being a wildly celebratory party, it was also (perhaps most importantly) the largest “swap meet” the sport has ever seen: a sharing of the game, of strategies, of training.

There were some muted grumblings about the one-sided nature of some of the scores, particularly in the round-robin portion of the event where established nations like Australia (515-5 over Italy), Canada (301-23 over Denmark), England (329-50 over Ireland), Finland (312-38 over Mexico), and Sweden (459-0 over Japan) smothered their competition, but it would be hard to argue that anything else was expected in those rounds: Italy did not come into the World Cup thinking it would triumph over Australia, Denmark was probably quite content to score 23 points against Canada, and when Puerto Rican jammer Goomba Toomba managed three points in a 637-3 loss to USA, the room erupted as if they’d just won the very World Cup trophy itself.

It actually isn’t that unprecedented in the history of sport to have initially one-sided international events. For example, in ice hockey’s first forays into international competition at the 1920 and ’24 Olympics, the scores were often absurd (A Canadian amateur team won its three 1924 round robin games by a combined score of 85-0), yet hockey historians universally look back upon those two tournaments as being instrumental in the global growth of the sport; similarly, it’s undeniable that historians will one day look back upon these initial Roller Derby World Cups with the same sort of favour.

And honestly, except for the top four teams (and really just the second- through to fourth-place teams) winning and losing was not necessarily the number one goal. This tournament was about so much more than that.

Even Jerry Seltzer, who has been known to be publicly critical of the flat track game, seemed overwhelmed by the event, and wrote a long glowing piece about it on his blog. It was fitting to see “The Commish” at the tournament, shuffling wide-eyed around the tracks and posing for photos at every turn, always willing to share a thought or a story. Beginning with Transcontinental Roller Derby in the ‘30s and ending with the World Skating League’s RollerJam in the ‘90s, the Seltzer name was roller derby. From patriarch Leo and his brother Oscar through to Leo’s son Jerry and daughter Gloria, the Seltzer named had been the beating heart of the sport for seven decades before the flat track revolution brought the game to a level that transcended any individual name.

And it’s not hard to see why Jerry was so taken by the event. In a 2010 interview at the WFTDA Championships in Chicago (part of which you can see here), Jerry pointed out that “all (Leo) wanted was a legitimate game that could be played at the Olympics.” It never came to pass in Leo’s lifetime, nor even with Jerry at the reigns, yet here it is, not the Olympics exactly, but truly global, and even if growth has slowed somewhat in North American, it is a sport still very much growing on the rest of the planet.

Despite the disparity in some games, competitive growth in the sport was indeed evident. Brazil and Argentina were virtual doormats in 2011 but entered the 2014 event with a certain air of confidence. Winless three years prior, both notched round-robin victories (tight wins over Portugal and Switzerland for Brazil and a dominant performance over Denmark for the Argentinians), before Argentina scored the upset of the event in a very physical 205-143 victory over France in the Round of 16. France had finished 7^th in 2011 and was expected by most to be a lock for a Top 8 finish in Dallas. Similarly, other returning nations like Ireland, Scotland and New Zealand have emerged as leaders of the global game.

Most fans were decked out in national colours all weekend, but Australian fans were particularly noticeable.

And there was shifting at the top too, with England gaining revenge on a Canadian team that had topped them three years before with a hard fought 156-112 win in the semifinals, and then Australia did so as well, taking advantage of a spent Canadian squad with a thoroughly impressive 197-128 victory in the bronze medal matchup. And finally, England shattered all expectations and won over the hearts of the world with a performance for the ages against the Americans, truly winning the silver medal in a 219-105 loss in the gold medal game (no national team had ever held the Americans to such a low total or managed to score so many).

But despite the giddiness of that result (and the 54 points Australia managed against the American juggernaut in the semifinals), lets not kid ourselves too much: USA still represents the best in the world. At the conclusion of the final, England, battered, bruised and exhausted, looked as if they’d truly left it all on the track, while the Americans—still very much bigger, faster, stronger—appeared as if they were ready to play at least another 60 minutes.

There is still no jammer who possesses the blend of speed and strength of Atomatrix or the unflappable composure of Nicole Williams. In the pack, the wily Akers and the bluntly powerful Sexy Sladie continue to be forces, while Smarty Pants remains a marvel, always in the right spot, seemingly teleporting herself around the track, showing an unbelievable intelligence and vision for the game honed through a decade of commitment to the sport.

And to show they too are continuing to grow, this Team USA has also advanced, and has been slowly taken over by a new generation of skaters from jammers Vanessa Sites’ and Scald Eagle’s combination of strength and agility, to the on-track leadership of Penelope Nederlander and Shaina Serelson. Serelson herself—in her heart-on-her-sleeve intensity—harkens back to that first generation of USA skaters as well, now representing the fiery core of the national team once occupied by the sisters DeRanged and Psycho Babble, although Serelson represents an evolution of even those fine skaters, sporting a discipline that allows her to better focus that intensity into controlled, well-calculated aggression.

So even if the bar does not quite seem as high as it once was, it is still the Americans who are setting it.

On so many levels the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup was an absolute success, but interestingly, the greatest harbinger of the sport may have come in an exhibition game. On Sunday, right before the bronze and gold medal games, the Junior Roller Derby Association held an all-star game. It was a stunning bout, a shockingly well-skated game, a display of talent by teenagers who will, in time, change the sport in ways unimaginable.

From the women who trekked from every corner of six continents of the globe, to the boys and girls who left fans with jaws agape in the JRDA all-star game, perhaps the most heartening conclusion to be taken from this World Cup is that the game of roller derby—right now already healthier than it has ever been—is in unbelievably good hands.

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***For full results and links to specific team websites, visit the official World Cup website.  You can also find all the results and stats (where available) on flattrackstats.com.

***Photos courtesy of Joe Mac. Visit his blog here.

Pondering the Playoffs 1: WFTDA’s Eastern Regionals

Pondering the Playoffs

One Nerd’s reflections on the WFTDA Eastern Region Playoffs

The more things change the more they stay the same.

That cliché has never felt truer than after watching this weekend’s WFTDA Eastern Region playoff tournament. When it was all said and done, the same three teams (Gotham, Philly and Charm City) that represented the east at last year’s WFTDA championship were through again, but the group of teams they left behind could not have been more different, and they game they were playing continues to evolve in exciting ways: stronger, faster, smarter seems to be the theme of the 2011 WFTDA playoffs.

The Eastern Regionals were co-hosted by the DC Rollergirls the Charm City Roller Girls.

The first day was one of upsets and, eventually, upset. London Brawling became only the second international team to play in the WFTDA playoffs and the first European team to do so and they made a grand entrance. Despite their high power ranking from DNN, much had been made of their inclusion in the top 10 given their relative lack of sanctioned experience, but they quickly proved those skeptics wrong with a one-sided upset (160-67) over ^7th seed Carolina. It would be the only upset on the opening day (the top four would advance), but it would not turn out to be the story of the first round.

After an impressive 198-117 victory over 9^th seed Maine, 8^th seed Dutchland made the controversial decision to forfeit their quarterfinal bout against Gotham to avoid the inevitable defeat and “remain fresh” for the consolation round. Condemnation of the decision was swift and harsh as social media sites exploded with criticism. The decision, made in the heat of the moment one would hope, is probably one that the team has come to regret, and while the criticism may have been extreme and perhaps even a little too harsh, it was a decision that rankled many because it ran counter to roller derby’s inherent “give it your all” attitude. With a wide disparity even at the highest levels of the sport, the key to a team’s development is to play against those better, and sometimes even much better. Just ask Steel City. They were the team that would eventually fall in front of Gotham in the semifinal on Saturday.  They were slaughtered by one of the largest playoff margins in history, falling 404-30. The second half was particularly harrowing for the Pittsburgh skaters as Gotham thoroughly dominated from pack to jammer. But in deference to the pounding, Steel Hurtin never stopped fighting and continuously adapted to what they were facing. Finally, on the closing jam of the bout, the Shocker managed to pick up the first lead jammer status of the half for Pittsburgh. Facing unspeakable odds she flew into the pack and took the full two minutes to claw and drag her way through to pick up 3 points (of only 7 in the half). When Steel City skated off the track they didn’t look like a team that had been pummelled for 60 minutes: they were exhausted, battered, but there was a particular glint in their eyes as they skated off the track, that undeniable glimmer of pride that comes from facing the impossible and not backing down.

Gotham and Philly's infamous "jam that wasn't" caused some jam-starting refinements that were on display this weekend.

As it’s been since the 2006 Dust Devil, at this early stage in the flat track evolution these championship tournaments are as much a process of sharing and dissemination than anything else. And with increased exposure and the ability to watch the bouts in high definition from anywhere on the planet, the importance of the WFTDA’s Big 5 in the continued development of the sport cannot be denied. The Eastern Region introduced what seems to be the next great strategic leap in the sport: the battle that occurs between the jammer and pivot lines. Particularly in the early going of the championship bout (but seen clearly all over the tournament), it became evident that how teams react in those first seconds after the opening whistle is becoming increasingly important in determining the outcome of the jam. More and more the battle was being taken directly to the jammer line and slow, grinding starts were the norm. There were times during the Philly/Gotham final when the two packs were like one undulating blob slowing inching its way to turn number one; then suddenly a jammer would pop out seemingly from nowhere to take lead. We also saw the end of “dead” starts (such as in this example of a “jam that wasn’t”), the bane of many a fan’s experience, as teams began to find creative ways to create a no pack after the initial whistle had already blown so as not to incur a destruction of the pack penalty (taking advantage of rule 6.10.2.1.2).

London Brawling, featuring 11 Team England skaters, helped provide a World Cup preview.

But interest in the Eastern Region playoffs actually extends beyond just the WFTDA tournament cycle. Owing to the inclusion of London and Montreal in this tournament, more than any other regional playoff it offered a brief glimpse of what the inaugural World Cup of Roller Derby might look like. 10 members of Team USA played in the tournament (including five from Gotham alone), while the cores of both Canada and England populated Montreal (six Team Canada skaters) and London (11 of England’s 20). Thus, the consolation final on Sunday between the Skids and the Brawling offered a little bit of a preview of the two teams who many believe could be in the running for second place at the World Cup. England actually has a huge advantage  in that so many of these players play together regularly and have proven that they are playing the sport as well as anyone on the planet. Montreal once again showed that they have a certain tenacity and focus that allows them to always play a full 60 minutes of straight-up derby every bout and remain calm in the most stressful and dire of situations. And if that extraordinary 5^th place bout (137-135 for London when they held on after being outscored 8-4 on the final jam) is any indication, there is a lot to look forward to when the world comes to Toronto in December.

Gotham has proven beyond a doubt that they are contenders for this year's WFTDA championship.

But the story to carry forward is that Gotham is the real deal. Last WFTDA champions in 2008, they’ve been relegated to the second tier of flat track in the last two years as the top western teams have dominated at the national level. But after a thoroughly dominant performance here that saw them overwhelm a very, very good Philly team in the final (252-97), there should be no doubt that Gotham is ready to contend.

**The highly anticipated WFTDA Western Regionals are next weekend.**

**For bout-by-bout recaps visit DNN.com**

ToRD’s All Stars and Future Stars Initiate the Bunker

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath was on hand to blow the first whistle in the Bunker. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

In December of this year the first ever World Cup of roller derby will be played over three days on two tracks in the Bunker, the new home of Toronto Roller Derby; on Saturday the Bunker got its first taste of action as ToRD hosted a double header welcoming the Royal City All Stars (out of Guelph) and the Montreal Sexpos to the city to initiate the new venue. Both bouts of the double header were played on the smaller, more intimate Track 2 as the main track was still under construction (both tracks will be in use during the World Cup). With special guest provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath on hand to blow the first whistle, the energy level and sense of anticipation for the first action in the venue was palpable. The home league ended up splitting the games in this successful launch.

Game 1: Royal City All Stars 203 vs. D-VAS 42

DVAS pivot Bridget Bones lines up against Royal City pivot Cannonball Doll. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

Having just completed its first full bouting season, Royal City has proven to be a league to watch. The three hometeams had a successful year in Guelph playing out of the Sleeman Centre and had a successful travel season as well: in June the travel team had a fantastic performance at the Blood Spill on the Hill, CWRDA’s Eastern Championship, finishing 5^th overall. The Queens of Pain (a mix of players from hometemas the Killer Queens and Our Ladies of Pain) took an impressive 3rd place at the 2 Fresh 2 Furious tournament in July. This weekend marked their first foray into playing against competition from ToRD. Before the bout, Royal City coach Professor Wrex implied that the team was hoping for a strong performance to prove that they were prepared for competition beyond ToRD’s team of undrafted skaters: After 60 minutes of smart, dominant derby, they certainly proved that point.

For many of these D-VAS, this was their last chance to make a big impression before ToRD's 2011 entry draft. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

The D-VAS were playing far more than just another bout. Just over a month away from ToRD’s annual entry draft (with a large, talented draft pool, this year’s draft has been the most highly anticipated ever), this bout marked the last time the D-VAS had a chance to make an impression on the hometeam captains. It was a multi-generational roster that took to the track on Saturday (including 6 skaters who had just finished Fresh Meat in June, ToRD’s most recent intake), providing a cross section of ToRD’s future stars. While there was a vast array of experience levels (and the problems, such as penalties, that come with it), the skaters fought hard straight through to the end, and were actually successful in accomplishing the mandate of the D-VAS: to gain experience and learn the sport.

The D-VAS actually got off to an explosive start when debut D-VAS Roadside Bombshell roared through to a 5-0 grand slam (she would pick up the most leads for the D-VAS in the first half). But as Royal City settled in and shook off the early bout jitters, their pack slowly took control: with better timing allowing for quicker transitions, Royal City quickly got back into it and took the lead on a Hot Cross Guns jam. Then tragedy for a D-VAS skater: Raunchy Hextall, making a much anticipated return after a long injury absence, went down on her first jam of the bout with a broken collar bone, a heartbreaking end to the night for the dedicated D-VAS.

Hellcat of Panar was part of a very impressive Royal City jammer rotation. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

With a commanding 99-19 lead at the half, Royal City didn’t look back in the second. Royal City Pivot Mandy Maggotbone lead the way once again for this ever-improving pack, but was aided gamely by Ginger Slaughters, Cannonball Doll and the Archbitch of   Slamterbury. They began to experiment with their jammer rotation late as well, but not before Hot Cross Guns, Lady Gorejess and the Hellcat of Panar had established a dominant lead.  D-VAS Laya Beaton  once again proved to be a powerful and confident skater (who will need to refine her approach to avoid penalty troubles); very fresh D-VAS General Patten, a fantastic skater, also laid down another performance that should guarantee that she jumps the draft queue; and despite a late ejection, blocker Renny Rumble seems game-ready, and was the ToRD future stars’ most effective blocker against a tight pack in the one-sided loss.

CN Power's Candy Crossbones lines up against Sexpos' Ti-Loup. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

Game 2: Sexpos 44 vs. CN Power 79**

Fans of flat track roller derby in Toronto could not have asked for a better bout to close out the night than the one provided by Montreal’s Sexpos and ToRD’s CN Power. The Sexpos, Montreal’s B travel team, is a B team by designation only as they are the equal to any league A team in Canada, which they proved on this night giving CN Power everything it could handle before falling behind in the second half of their 35 point loss, the team’s first to a Canadian squad.

The Sexpos set some nearly impenetrable walls in the first half. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

From the opening whistle this bout was everything that flat track roller derby should be. With an extraordinary ref crew that kept the game moving swiftly and fairly, the bout was sometimes blazingly fast, sometimes grindingly slow; it was gritty at times, beautiful at others, but most importantly, it was always smart. With both teams showing respect for their opponents, the bout started off with each side straining to get a sense of the other. CN Power crept out to an early lead that was quickly chipped away. The early head-to-head battles resulted in many lead changes that had an appreciative crowd only growing louder by the second. The jammers from both sides seemed equally matched with CN Power running an experienced rotation anchored by the agile Bambi and the tough Candy Crossbones, while the Sexpos responded with Ti-Loup, Greta Bobo (both coming off of breakout home seasons in MTLRD) and recent transfer Honey Badger. Dyna Hurtcha and Brim Stone also entered the rotation, giving CN Power a physical, potentially defensive advantage at jammer. By the midway point of the half the Sexpos inched ahead 16-9, but hard fought Dyna Hurtcha jam brought CN Power back into it, 16-14. And that’s when Montreal’s pack took over.

Led by excellent pack work from Chasing Amy, Bikini Skills, Ninja Simone and Sparkle  N’ Maim, the Montreal team built formidable back walls on the opening pass that were successful enough to dominate the remainder of the half, allowing their jammers to take most of the leads and baffling the CN Power blockers. It was enough for the Sexpos to pull ahead for a 33-24 lead at the half.

Down by 9 at the half, CN Power solved the Sexpos' back wall and dominated the second half. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

CN Power came out prepared for the second half. Unable to establish their own control of the bout, they decided to disrupt the Sexpos’, and it worked to great effect. Opting to keep it slow and refusing to allow the Sexpos to establish their back walls, Toronto pulled within 4 on the opening jam of the half. Candy Crossbones then took full advantage of a slow-pack power jam (one of only two on the bout) to pick up ten points and give CN Power the lead. Subsequent jams by Bambi and then yet another physical jam by Dyna Hurtcha (in which she scored a big jammer take out on her lead pass) solidified the CN Power lead, 48-33; a lead that would not be overcome. The second half was clearly CN Power’s, holding the Sexpos off the scoreboard for almost half of the second period and only 11 points in the final 30 minute frame (to CN Power’s 55) to gain an impressive 79-44 victory.

This was a smart, defensive, fast-paced bout that was a pleasure to watch. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

For CN Power, the win was more symbolic than anything, but the victory gave the ToRD team a psychological fix that was much needed after tough, one-sided losses to Montreal’s A team, New Skids on the Block, in the last two Quad City Chaos tournaments (2010, 2011). The impressive depth of the Sexpos is indicative of the formidable depth of Montreal’s very impressive league and they were an excellent opponent (tough, skilled and smart) for CN Power as the ToRD all stars begin their WFTDA play and prepare for 2012, which will be their first full season in flat track roller derby’s top league.

* Next up for CN Power will be the Hammer City Eh! Team at the Bunker on October 1st. This will be an all-important WFTDA North Central showdown. The Smoke City Betties will also be in action against the Hamilton Harlots in the first half of the double header. Stay tuned for more details.

(**Disclaimer: The Derby Nerd made his bench managing debut for CN Power**)

From Muddy Rivers to Foggy Cities, Flat Track Roller Derby is Thriving on the East Coast

             VS.         

Women’s flat track roller derby is the fastest growing sport on the planet, and with over 90 leagues, Canada is at the forefront of this growth. Beginning in major centres in southern Ontario, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver, the sport has spread to every corner of Canada’s vast expanse. The latest front line of Canada’s roller derby revolution is on the east coast where once again major cities are leading the way. The Atlantic capitals of St. John’s, Halifax, Charlottetown and Fredericton all have established leagues, with Moncton, St. John and Dieppe rounding out the surprising growth of New Brunswick’s scene. On Saturday, August 20, Moncton’s Muddy River Rollers hosted Saint. John’s Fog City Rollers in a double header featuring the hometeams from the two cities in a brilliant display of the thriving east coast game.

Reines of Terror (in blue) kicked things off against the Scarlet Swarm. (Photography by Andy Quinlan: http://www.quinlanphotographic.com)

GAME ONE: Scarlet Swarm (FCR) 21 vs. Reines of Terror (MRR) 113

It was a steamy night in Moncton and the heat enveloped the venue, Kay Arena—an attractive new arena in the city’s east end.  While Muddy River may be a comparative newcomer to the flat track community, walking into the venue pre bout was like walking into a roller derby venue anywhere across the country. The east coast explosion has mirrored other newer movements across the country in that the growth rate (both on and off the track) has been phenomenal. “It is amazing how far ahead we are now from where we were just a year ago,” says Reines of Terror assistant captain Brandy Swifter, “and the JAMboree was one of the main reasons for that…we learned things we didn’t even know about!”  In mid July, Muddy River hosted the first ever Atlantic JAMboree, a weekend long tournament featuring the east coast teams joined by Ottawa’s newest league, the Capital City Derby Dolls). “We had some top notch coaches (Like Canuck Derby TV’s Dr. Johnny Capote, Montreal’s Georgia W. Tush, and Oil City’s Coach Lime) come out and help us out with things and teach us things that we had no idea about. All the leagues recognized this and are now putting it into play on the track.”

These kinds of share-all events have become a staple in the development of flat track roller derby, and typify the inclusive and sharing nature of the community. It is an aspect of the sport that has been embraced in the east.  “The best part (of east coast roller derby) is we’re close enough to travel easily,” points out Bambi Romano, coach of Fog City’s Scarlet Swarm. “Everyone’s (sharing) knowledge and helping each other out, and this has caught us up to everyone really quickly.” He also acknowledges the work that Tush and Dr. Johnny have done for roller derby in the province. And like all new leagues, Fog City has embraced losing: “You don’t mind losing against someone who is teaching you,” Bambi says. “If you coach against someone who is better than you are, it’s going to make you better.”

ROT assistant captain had a strong bout jamming and in the pack.

While the larger story of Atlantic Canadian roller derby has much left to be written, in these early chapters Muddy River has emerged as the competitive leader on the track (the travel team, the Lumbersmacks, recently put in a competitive showing at the CWRDA Eastern Canadian Championship). In the first bout of the double header, ROT (Reines of Terror) looked to solidify the growing reputation of the league. They kicked things off with an impressive one-two jammer punch from their captains Brandy Swifter and Burn ‘N RubHer that the Scarlet Swarm didn’t seem to have an answer for.  An early ROT power jam (after a back block major from the Swarm’s excellent Lee-Animator) saw Burn ‘N RubHer lay down 14 points and helped ROT off to an explosive 17-0 lead only four minutes in. ROT continued that dominance with five straight lead jams to kick off the bout before Swarm’s Fancy Nancy was able to grab a lead and put a few points on the board.  Nancy and Lee-Animator continued their excellent jamming throughout the half, but it was the pack work of ROT (led by, among others, Smasherella who has great track sense—from giving timely pushes to holding position when necessary) that was the clear difference.  A brilliantly paced power kill late in the half further frustrated the Swarm and helped ROT take a 41-10 lead into the break.

ROT produced some solid walls; a product of great pack communication.

Coach Bambi was aware of the strengths of ROT. “They are a smart team,” he acknowledges, “and they communicate very well on the track.” This communication was evident in the second half as ROT began to tighten up their pack play and stepped up their game.  Strong pack work from Thora Thunder and Malicious Kitty (who also donned the star) and great defensive teamwork from a line featuring Brandy Swifter, Floor Play, Tank’er Belle and Jamanda Maulograms (who also executed a relentless trap on a late power jam) allowed ROT to increase their lead in the second half. Despite the one-sided victory, Brandy Swifter was impressed with her opponents. “They (Fog City) have come such a long way; it was a good game,” she said post bout. Scarlet Swarn captain Suzie SkinHer was also happy with the way her team played, remembering how challenging Muddy River had been early on. “For every strategy we had, they had a counter strategy,” she said, “but we’ve come a long way since our first game of the season against them.” Coach Bambi also says that the “rogue” play his team was known for is slowing changing. “We’ve started to talk strategy a lot more in practice. We pulled them back and worked more on team play.” Like all new flat track teams that have come before them, they’ve learned that “going rogue all the time doesn’t necessarily help you.” A wise analysis moving forward.

GAME TWO: Daughters of Anarchy (MRR) 40 vs. Razor Girls (FCR) 73

While there was an appreciative crowd in the building and a loud travelling contingent from Fog City, it was clear that this was an audience still being educated about the sport, and the crowds in the east have not yet reached the consistent sell-outs seen in more established centres like Toronto and Montreal. Brandy Swifter acknowledges that Muddy River is still battling stereotypes and stigmas about roller roller derby in the community. “It’s tough…we have to find our niche,” she says, and spoke about a lot of the misinformed opinions they are hearing about roller derby   “Everyone we talk to still thinks that (it is like the over-the-top sports entertainment of banked track in the late 70s and 80s)…it’s all Skinny Minnie Miller comments.” But those who have discovered it, like it a lot.  “I think it’s really good for the young girls,” Coach Bambi says of the reception they’ve been getting in Saint. John and the importance of battling through these stereotypes. “I think it’s good for the women in these communities to come out and watch these girls really own a sport.”

Muddy River's Burn 'N RubHer was one of a few skaters who skated in both bouts.

It was clear from the early going that the second bout of the night was not going to be as one-sided as the first. Despite the fact that both teams were tracking depleted eleven-skater rosters (Muddy River’s DOA [Daughters of Anarchy] even had to borrow almost half their skaters from ROT), the bout kicked off at a high pace, featuring some great early jammer battles between DOA’s Sienna Killer and DeceptiCat and Razor Girls’ Katie Clubher and H-Two Oh No! But when Razor’s Tacky Tammy took the third straight lead for the Fog City and DOA jammer Ms. Hate found herself heading to the penalty box, it was clear that the Fog City team was beginning to take control of the game. But one of the double-duty skaters Burn ‘N RubHer performed brilliantly one-on-one against the Razor’s jammer Nessa Quik to help alleviate some of the pressure and keep the game from getting out of control. The bout was still wide open, 39-17 (Razor Girls) at the half.

Post bout, Burn ‘N admitted that some of the double-rostered Muddy River skaters were feeling the heat in the second game, but the biggest challenge they faced came in the form of an awesome opposing skater: Razor Girls’ triple threat Auburn Rubber (Fog City leaguemate Suzie SkinHer refered to her as the “brains on the track”). Auburn perhaps had the performance of the night and was able to successfully neutralize many of DOA’s skaters one-on-one. With the score still close—58-31 with only eight minutes left—and DOA pressing, a skillfully executed “Sanchez” (block and whip) by Auburn helped get a trapped Razor jammer through the pack and force an early jam call from Ms. Hate that killed some of DOA’s momentum. Pivot/jammer H-Two Oh No! continued her strong play as well, and aided by solid games from Alien She, Katie Clubher and reliable late-bout jamming from Lexxie Lasher, the Razor Girls were able to hold on for the impressive 33 point victory, a taste of revenge for the team who’d lost to DOA at the JAMboree. More importantly, this marked the first ever victory for a Fog City team over one of their Muddy River counterparts.

Razor Girls' Katie Clubher splits the defense on a pass late in the bout.

But in the bigger picture, wins and losses at this stage of the game mean very little. For these thriving east coast leagues it’s all about experience. “Sometimes we run into hiccups at practice and can’t quite figure out strategies,” Brandy Swifter says about some of Muddy River’s early derby growing pains, ”but then when we get on the track it just happens,” she laughs, but this highlights the invaluable (and incalculable) importance of experience in developing track sense. While this comes from playing, it also comes from watching as well. Fog City’s Suzie SkinHer says going to Montreal’s Beast of the East this season was very important for Fog City’s growth as a league. “It was a real eye opener,” she says of the level of play at the annual Montreal event, “like watching derby royalty!”

“The sky is the limit,” Bambi Romano says of Fog City’s aspirations in particular, but which could describe east coast roller derby in general. And based on the on-track success of this event on a balmy night in a Moncton arena, a truer description could not have been spoken.

**Muddy River’s next bout will see the Daughters of Anarchy hosting the Capital City Rollers’ Daisy Cutters (Fredericton) on Saturday, August 27. See the website for details.

**Fog City Rollers will be hosting an open house on Saturday, August 27. See website for details.