When Phillyist told you last month that Philly Roller Girls were starting their 2006 season, it occurred to us that we didn't know very much about Roller Derby - so we went right to the source and asked them. We did it via email, of course, as we're a little intimidated by their well-honed knees and elbows. (A very special thanks to Darth Hater for acting as interview liaison.) Those of you who aren't as wimpy as we are can check the Roller Girls out at Millennium Skate World next Sunday, when the Broad Street Butchers skate against the Heavy Metal Hookers.

According to your website, your membership ranges from age 19 through 40-something, which means at least some of your members are too young to remember the heyday of roller derby. How do you account for this interest? Were you aware that there was a burgeoning roller derby population lying in wait when you formed Philly Roller Girls just over a year ago?
Ivana Rock (the youngest): A lot of people think of roller derby as a throwback to a bygone era, but the empowerment and athleticism of the sport are timeless. The pioneers of roller derby were not just rolling around on quad skates, they were women getting rough and rowdy at a time when it was shocking, and rather than being ostracized, they turned their physicality into a pop culture phenomenon. I think the same sense of transcending boundaries applies to the current resurrection of the sport.

When people hear that it's all girls they still see sensationalism, they focus on the fact that we're wearing short skirts while we're kicking ass, but it's the fact that we've come together to build a sport of our own that really makes it meaningful to me. The nationwide response just proves that women of any time will continue to seek this sense of pride and value the freedom of being physical, feminine, and respected all at once.

Bettie Machete: I'm the oldest at 39 and never really followed roller derby when I was in Elementary school but met some skaters from Arizona a few years ago while at a Rockabilly convention in Las Vegas. I was so intrigued I told a few friends when I returned and they told a few and so on..... Teams in Austin and Phoenix resurrected and refreshed roller derby several years ago as an underground sport for the alt-culture. Local Philly artist, Dave Glass, even did poster art for the Austin and Phoenix leagues when they started.... what do they say about degrees of separation? We talked about how great it would be to play roller derby at work (Sourpuss Clothing, who also employed Dave Glass) and there were 4 of us who wanted to play. I contacted the girls I met in Vegas and learned about derby rumblings in Philly which led us to several girls who were already forming Philly Roller Girls. We all knew immediately we were onto something big. It was amazing how quickly we recruited enough skaters for four solid teams.

How's the reaction been to the league? Do you see much interest from the upcoming teen and tween fans?
Zombielicious (referee): The reaction to the league has been incredible. Whenever I speak with someone about The Philly Roller Girls and roller derby, they are so interested. At first some people are surprised about the revival of the sport, but then they want to know all about it. Almost everyone says they can't wait to see it in-person.

Yes, and it is very cool to see. There seems to be quite a few dads bringing their young daughters out to the bouts. The dads always seem to be so happy to be doing something with their daughters, like a father-daughter night that combines excitement of a sport and the fun of a concert all in one. We need to remember that this is completely brand-new to their generation, but they really seem to get into it.

Lexie Deluxe: The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Our audience includes everyone from rockabilly and punk 20-somethings to families with kids of all ages. From the athleticism to the flair for drama, we offer something for everyone and the public is picking up on that. The teen and tween fans in particular are embracing roller derby, and we're seeing more and more of them at each bout. The MySpace pages for the league and our individual teams are seeing increased activity and fan mail from teens and tweens, including many girls who are interested in joining the league. Knowing that we are role models for a younger generation of strong, independent women is very exciting. Of course we require our skaters to be 18 or older, but we're always happy to have younger volunteers involved with the league.

How rigorous are your audition and training processes?
Mo Pain: As our league has grown over the past year, our audition and training processes have become increasingly more difficult. We now conduct periodic tryouts at the rink to test basic skills of prospective Philly Roller Girls. At tryouts, the coaching committee observes each skater’s style and agility and then chooses the best skaters to be part of our Fresh Meat training program. We had over 40 girls at our last tryouts and only 11 were admitted into our Fresh Meat training program. If basic skills are below requirements to enter the Fresh Meat training program, skaters are given pointers on what to work on and urged to tryout again for the next Fresh Meat training season.

Fresh Meat is the term we use for all new recruits. The Fresh Meat are essentially Philly Roller Girls in training. As Fresh Meat, skaters learn all the necessary skills that they need to scrimmage and bout with the league. During the Fresh Meat training program, skaters must make a minimum of 24 practices in a four month period. Girls who fail to make the attendance requirement are cut from the program. Once the four month Fresh Meat training program is completed, the Fresh Meat are evaluated again by the coaching committee. Those skaters that pass evaluations become official Philly Roller Girls, take a roller derby name and number, and are placed on one of the four existing teams. Fresh Meat who do not pass their evaluations can still help the league in other ways as volunteers, work on their skills and try out next season.

Could you briefly explain the how the bouts work for the uninitiated? Are winners decided on total miles skated, or for being the last woman standing?
Violet Temper: The bouts are simply three 20 minute periods, with as many 2 minute (maximum) "jams" per period time allows. There are three positions: jammer (scoring position, wears the star helmet and starts at the back of the pack), blocker (each team is allowed 3 per jam), and one pivot (the lead blocker who controls the pace of the pack and calls out plays; the pivot can also score points if the jammer passes her star helmet cover to her to take over the jamming position).

The jams run 2 full minutes unless a lead jammer is established - the lead jammer status is awarded to the first jammer to make it through her first pass of blockers without penalties or going out of bounds. Then, the lead jammer can strategically call it off whenever she wants by placing her hands on her hips.

The winner is actually determined by points - the team with the most, wins. Points are scored by the jammers - each time they pass an opponent (again, in bounds and without penalties) they score a point.

Vixen Van Go Go: Games (also called bouts) are divided up [into] three twenty minute periods. Each period can have an unlimited number of jams, which last up to two minutes. Each team has five players skating at a time: a pivot (the pace-setter), three blockers (whose goal is to get their jammer through the pack, and block the opposing team's jammer), and a jammer who is the point-scorer. The pivots and blockers make up the pack, and if no one is sitting out for a penalty, it is eight skaters. When the ref blows the whistle, the pack starts skating. When the pack is about 20 feet ahead of the jammers, the ref blows the whistle twice and the jammers take off sprinting and try to get through the pack.

The first time through the pack, the jammers compete for "lead jammer" status, which they can only get if they are the first one to pass all the opposing team's blockers in-bounds. They do not score any points for their first lap
through the pack. The second time through the pack, the jammers score a point for each opposing blocker or pivot they pass in-bounds. If a jammer laps the other jammer, she scores an additional point. The lead jammer has the power to call off the jam at any time, whether for strategic purposes, or if she takes a rough fall into the crowd.

Some moves are illegal, like clotheslining, punching, tripping, grabbing someone and pushing them down, and just about anything involving putting your hands on an opposing team's player. Penalties are given to the dirty players who break the rules. When players acquire four minor fouls or one major foul, they must sit out and skate short, and that can completely change the momentum of a game at any moment. A player who gets caught making a major penalty can be pulled mid-jam by the refs to sit out. Sometimes it's the jammer, and one team can't score any points for a whole minute.

Which do you think is a greater draw for the skaters, being part of the sport or the spectacle? How about for the fans?
Darth Hater: I think that being a part of a sport that is played, organized and operated completely by the women that make up the league is something that brings us all together. It’s very empowering and pushes us to work harder to gain the recognition and respect that roller derby deserves. We don’t get paid; we do this for the love of roller derby. As for the fans, I suspect that there is a majority that are interested in seeing girls in short skirts beat each other up but when someone comes up to me after a bout and shakes my hand and tells me that I was great (even after my team lost by a bazillion points) I know that they were watching more than my striped undies. Then there are our sponsors, they come to the games, they donate items for giveaways, they pay for uniforms, help with fundraisers and much more...they may be our biggest fans yet. For information on sponsorship, go to www.phillyrollergirls.com.

Slim Reaper: The appeal of roller derby is different for everyone. Most skaters consider themselves true athletes but if asked there are a few who would admit to being in it for the glory. I think the crowd comes out for both reasons as well. Some are excited by the athleticism and really want to see someone win, others just want to see someone get hurt. I don't care what gets them in the seats. As long as we get to keep skating, I'm a happy girl!

As members of WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association), do your skaters also compete on the national level? If so, how do you determine which skaters get to represent you?
Violet Temper: Yes, all WFTDA leagues are eligible to compile a travel team to inter-league bout nationally. The Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson this past February is an example of this (20 of the 31 leagues competed for the national title, with Texas winning) - and while we didn't compete this year, we're definitely doing so next year.

In order to be eligible for the travel team, skaters must pass the WFTDA's skills assessment and rules tests. When we put our travel team together, not only will we test each skater, we'll have a vote on who is best to go based on her test results. Once the team is formed, it won't change until next season when we'll go through the process again.

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