THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK DERBY ASSOCIATION (WFTDA) VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, FALL 2008
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ASSOCI ATION (WFTDA ) THE WOMEN ’S FLAT TRACK DERBY VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1, SPRING 2009 THE OFFICIA L MAGAZI NE OF
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Each issue is loaded with information to help leagues across the world
improve their game, build their business, and keep up to date with the latest in flat track roller derby! ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $17.99 for WFTDA league members • $25.99 for non-WFTDA league members ORDER IN BULK FOR YOUR WHOLE LEAGUE!
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fiveonfive contents 24-27 WFTDA
4-5 advice ask beyonsláy and she who cannot be named!
llc vs. nonprofit: what’s best for your league? fundraising and event ideas
10-13 health and fitness
JonRosePhotography.com
6-9 business
What makes the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association so great anyway? Flip to this section to find out as well as to get the skinny on ref certification and the 3.1 ruleset.
32-35 Roller Derby Music Project
women athletes and knee problems sports nutrition – a hardcore diet
Roller derby is a unique sport that deserves a unique soundtrack – thanks to the hard work of Crackerjack and Predator from Mad Rollin’ Dolls, our harmonic prayers have been answered.
14-19 games and coaching western and eastern regionals preview
22-23 gear the anatomy of a skate
36-39
28-29 JFTDA
RollerCon
tucson derby brats
2008’s RollerCon was full of skating, partying, workshops, skating, and more skating. Check out our pictures of challenge bouts, scrimmages, and good ol’ Las Vegas debauchery.
30-31 rookie section 40-41 have derby, will travel portland, oregon
44-47 art and media 48 classifieds 52 horoscopes
Brian J Macke
derby diplomat
editor anne shank rocky mountain rollergirls art director assaultin’ pepa rocky mountain rollergirls contributing writers beyonsláy gotham girls roller derby she who cannot be named rocky mountain rollergirls bunnicula providence roller derby
from the editor Welcome to the first issue of fiveonfive magazine, the official magazine of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)! We’ve collected contributors from all over the derby community to share their expertise on everything from coaching to rankings to business operations to anything and everything else. Our goal is to give flat track roller derby skaters
rambO sambO nashville roller girls
information they can use – we want to help you become a better skater, a better
catholic cruel girl rocky mountain rollergirls
business owner, and a better rollergirl all around.
justice feelgood marshall charm city roller girls
While flat track roller derby is heavily addicting, as made evident by the hundreds
coach pauly arizona roller derby ivanna s. pankin arizona roller derby
of leagues sprouting across the U.S. and internationally, it’s not always easy to fill the many roles of an individual rollergirl. Many of us had to learn so much in order for our leagues to reach the points they are at today – whether it be
miss jane redrum fort wayne derby girls
something as basic as how to roller skate, or the initial difficulty of blocking
professor murder cincinnati rollergirls
effectively, or how to represent your league in the media, or even how to
endless justin gotham girls roller derby
communicate with anywhere from 20-100 other women at any given time – the well-rounded rollergirl has so much to take in. We hope that fiveonfive will offer
jayne ire naptown rollergirls
practical solutions and serve as a invaluable resource to both the fresh meat
whiskey mick tucson roller derby
that feels like she is swimming upstream as well as the old-skooler that
crackerjack mad rollin’ dolls
may be in search of a new perspective.
hurt reynolds derby news network
Our first issue has been created in the derby standard of trial-and-error – after
luscious smacksome rocky mountain rollergirls
hours of research, questions, good ideas, bad ideas, and with the help of our contributors and the suggestions of skaters, we are proud to bring you
cover photo jonrosephotography.com
fiveonfive magazine.
fiveonfive magazine info@fiveonfivemag.com myspace.com/fiveonfivemag
Your thoughts, questions, concerns, love letters, and hate mail are always welcome at editor@fiveonfivemag.com.
fiveonfivemag.com
Anne Shank #13 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Denver, CO
contributors Ivanna S. Pankin
Many thanks to our contributors who come from all over the roller derby community and share their knowledge based on their countless hours of dedication to this sport!
Anne Shank
Ivanna S. Pankin skates for Arizona Roller Derby in Phoenix and Team Awesome USA, and she also works at Sin City Skates. She gets credit and takes blame for tons of derby stuff, but her favorite of all of them is RollerCon, the yearly derby conference in Las Vegas.
Anne Shank started skating with the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls in June of ‘06 as a blocker and occasional jammer. She digs breakfast, cats, horror movies and dive bars. She isn’t a fan of waking up early, onions, dirty hair and letting the jammer by on the 20 foot rule.
Justice Feelgood Marshall Justice Feelgood Marshall began his derby career in the summer of 2005 with Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls as a referee, and since then has dedicated much of (some would say too much of) his life to following derby wherever it leads him. He’s participated as a referee in over 80 bouts around the nation, including all of the 2007 WFTDA tournaments; was head referee of Rollercon 2007; has helped train leagues from Edmonton, Canada to Lubbock, Texas; and founded one of the first male flat track derby teams, the Harm City Homicide in Baltimore. In addition to his many duties on the track, he is the managing editor of derbynewsnetwork.com, a central point for derby recaps, scores and previews that he launched in September 2007.
Hurt Reynolds Hurt Reynolds was head scorekeeper and production monkey for Seattle’s Rat City Rollergirls during their first two seasons, more recently contributing in similar roles for WFTDA tournaments and RollerCon 2006-2008. He spent most of 2007 traveling, observing, and assisting leagues from coast to coast, while documenting his experiences at havederbywilltravel.com. Today, he’s a Duke City Derby hanger-on-er, a DNN partner, and manager of the Derbymatic bout database project.
Coach Pauly Coach Pauly is Arizona Roller Derby’s head coach and referee. With over four years of derby coaching and referee experience that includes working with 20+ leagues across the U.S. and Canada, Coach Pauly helped bring AZRD’s Tent City Terrors to a national ranking of #3 in 2006. Coach Pauly has shared his knowledge with countless leagues at a number of training seminars and camps.
Bunnicula BUNNICULA began skating when she popped out of her mother. She joined Providence Roller Derby in Fall of 2005. She is currently off skates due to a blown ACL, but continues to be a part of PRD as captain of the Mob Squad, as well as the league’s Art Director. When she is not doing all-things-derby she can be found hanging out with her greatest admirer and closest friend, Dracula.
Miss Jane RedRum Miss Jane RedRum helped Fort Wayne Derby Girls (Fort Wayne, Indiana) get off the ground in October 2005 and has been an active member ever since. Now in its third season, the league has two home teams, an all-star team, and hosted a successful 10 team tournament, the Fall Brawl. Miss Jane is the Director of Media and Public Relations for the league, as well as a skater on its all-star team, the Bomb Squad. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for WFTDA and serves as the Human Resources Committee chair. In “real” life, she is the executive editor for a publishing company and a part-time English Professor.
advice
Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, Denver, CO
Beyonsláy Jean Schwarzwalder
She Who Cannot Be Named
Gotham Girls Roller Derby, New York, NY
DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, “Every time I have a bout, my boyfriend asks if a specific jammer on my team will be playing or not. I think he is only
DEAR SUSPICIOUS,
coming to watch her! It’s driving me
Hmm, well you say that she’s on your team, so obviously trying to take her
crazy, what should I do?”
out on the track during a bout isn’t an option, unless you want to cause total chaos on your bench! First, let me suggest that you find out why he
-SUSPICIOUS SKATER
likes coming to watch her – does he think she’s a great skater, or is it just that he think she’s cute? If it’s the former, and you yourself are a jammer, try to differentiate from her. Develop your own style: if she’s a speedy little type, try the block ‘em through the pack approach – knock some hos down on those passes through the pack! If you’re a blocker, you can always remind your boyfriend that the jammer is really only as good as her team’s blockers at the end of day (as I’m sure any jammer will attest). Then get out there and make some hits; be effective, but play smart – don’t get injured or end up in the box for the whole game! That won’t do you or your team any good. If he just thinks she’s cute, well, that’s tough. It’s pretty inconsiderate of your boyfriend to keep going on and on about how cute another girl is. But you don’t need to listen to that crap – call off the jam and dump his ass!
DEAR SUSPICIOUS, I would do what I always do when I get a question I don’t like: answer with a question. For example, ask your boyfriend, “Why are you asking if specific jammer is playing?” Then wait for his answer. If his answer sounds less than sincere…well we’re getting out the domain of derby girl advice into the domain of relationship advice. If your boyfriend brings it with something honest, let him know that his inquiries make you feel like he’s only coming to bouts to see specific jammer. You can never go wrong with your feelings, so let him know how he’s making you feel. Every derby
4 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
JonRosePhotography.com
girl deserves a number one fan, here’s to hoping that your boyfriend becomes yours!
Need advice? Email advice@fiveonfivemag.com DEAR BLOCKER AND JAMMER, “After starting derby, how long
DEAR BEGINNER,
did it take until you started to
Derby can be a sport of confusion! Fear not, because you are supposed to be confused
feel like you really understood
by all of the action when you first start. Confusion is part of the derby learning curve.
the game?”
One of the biggest keys to the game is being able to see the strategy so that you can implement the strategy. I started roller derby in January 2006 and vividly remember
-BELEAGUERED BEGINNER
the moment when things clicked for me: March 2007. It was during a WFTDA interleague game at East Coast Derby Extravaganza. Mid-game I suddenly began to recognize the patterns that emerge in chaotic packs and was able to figure out where to place myself to outplay my opponent. I finally understood all the strategy tips that our managers and coaches had been trying to impart to us. I know 14 months sounds like a long time, but there are some things that you can do to expedite the process. The first is to watch as much live roller derby as possible. When you watch, look at all of the positions. Try to see what the successful blockers do, as well as what the successful jammers do. Do whatever you can to see leagues other than your own play. If you can’t afford to see live games, make it your mission to see video footage of full-length games. The second thing you must do is scrimmage and play the game as much as possible. There is no shortcut for experience! That means you need to participate in as many pickup games and league scrimmages as possible and play every position possible: jam, pivot, inside, back and outside blocker. Finally, you must analyze the game! Derby is a sport for thinkers. You should offer to referee a game and learn how the rules are implemented and talk to referees about calls that you don’t understand. Sit with a friend who is a derby virgin and explain what’s going on to them. You will realize that as you are deconstructing JonRosePhotography.com
the game that you are discovering elements that you had never noticed before. I’m still learning about the great game of roller derby. We are all so lucky to be a part of this quickly growing movement. As we craft our sport together, we learn together. Now get out there and have fun skating!
DEAR BEGINNER, That’s a tough question, as the game has evolved so much and so quickly even in the last year. Teams’ strategies are constantly being developed in conjunction with tweaks to the rules, so even the most veteran players never stop studying the game and how to win it. But, generally speaking, I would have to say that it takes about a good year of solid training to get to the point where your focus shifts from skating skills to strategy and how to win. Even girls who come in with great skating skills still need to practice how to fall, block, communicate, up their endurance, etc. – trying to learn the finer points of derby on top of that can be overwhelming. The best pieces of advice I can give are: study the rules, watch other teams, and ask questions of the vets in your league but also LISTEN to others. Don’t get frustrated…the old axiom “the more you learn, the more you learn you don’t know” is definitely true, but don’t give up and pass the star just yet – keep pushing!
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 5
?
LLC ? nprofit $ L L C llc vs. nonprofit business
what’s best for your league?
Flat track roller derby opens a number of doors for its skaters – women from every imaginable background must learn to work with one another on an endless variety of projects that require an endless amount of different skills and know-how. Depending almost entirely on the knowledge of a league’s skaters and on the people those skaters know, it’s common to feel clueless on any number of subjects you may have never dealt with before now. Some trial by fire topics may be simple, like figuring out which tape works the best to set up your track, while others appear monumental – in this case, what business structure may work best for your league. Here is an overview of two of the most common structures flat track leagues go for – LLCs and nonprofits.
llc what is it? A Limited Liability Company (LLC) provides the easy tax options of a partnership with the individual protection of a corporation. This means that the owners report their share of the business’s profits and losses on their personal taxes rather than the company filing for taxes on its own – however, while the LLC can have multiple owners, they aren’t all required to be responsible for the company’s earnings. So, even though each of your skaters can technically be an owner of the LLC, only one of you really needs to file the nitty gritty details on her taxes come April.
6 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
An LLC also protects its individual owners from putting too much on the table in hopes that their business stays afloat – the owner’s personal assets are kept separate from those of the business, meaning if lawsuits, financial issues, or any other nasty business dealings befall upon your league, the owners won’t be held accountable out of their own pockets. what are the benefits? LLCs are easy on the owners to establish and maintain. The flexibility and comparative simplicity of an LLC make it a good basic choice for small businesses.
what are the disadvantages? It may be difficult to raise money within the LLC structure – investors are sometimes less trusting of an LLC as compared to a corporation. Sponsors and other business partners are also much more likely to work with a nonprofit organization and especially more likely to give nonprofits money, since they are able to use it as a tax write-off. An LLC is also a newer business structure and may be treated as such by other companies or business partners that are reluctant to work with something they are less familiar with.
?
?
$ LLC nonprofit ?
$ $ $ $ $ $$ $ $ $
nonprofit what is it? A nonprofit or not-for-profit organization is one that works with the understanding that it, as the name suggests, will not be gaining commercial or monetary profit. Nonprofits are commonly assumed to be charities or organizations that are primarily socially or politically active, but groups that promote the arts and entertainment and even sports teams can fall under nonprofit status. Nonprofits are commonly run by volunteers and may seek much of their funding from donations. what are the benefits? Nonprofit organizations can file for tax exempt status, which not only clears
the organization from paying income and other taxes, but may also make incoming donations tax deductible. This is especially appealing to businesses and other partnerships that are interested in financially supporting your league. While most roller derby leagues place an importance on community work regardless of their business structure, it may be easier to be taken seriously as an organization whose goals are to “give back” under the structure of a nonprofit. Nonprofit status can open the door to participation in numerous events such as parades, conventions, and countless other community
gatherings that may either be interested in only featuring nonprofits or may offer reduced prices (or even free admission) to nonprofit participants. what are the disadvantages? Applying for nonprofit status may be a bit overwhelming or confusing for those not familiar with it – there is much more to the process in comparison to the LLC application. It may be ideal to get a lawyer or someone with experience and knowledge in nonprofits to help with the application, especially when considering filing for tax exempt status.
If you feel that you may have made the wrong choice based on your league’s needs later on down the road, it isn’t too late to switch your status. It may be a somewhat complicated process to change an established organization from one to another, but all hope is not lost – it’s worth it to ensure that your league is running in a way that best suits its members and your organization’s goals. The above article does not constitute as legal advice.
For more information on starting an LLC, visit irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98277,00.html. For more information on starting a nonprofit organization, visit managementhelp.org/strt_org/strt_np/strt_np.htm. For tax information, visit irs.gov/charities/index.html.
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 7
business
event and fundraising ideas increase your bank account and have fun at the same time! All of that practice time, those ever-growing travel costs, fancy halftime shows, team uniforms, and a mountain of other expenses don’t just pay for themselves. Sure, getting meat in the seats, selling your merch and begging cash out of sponsors helps out, but events outside of bouts are a sure-fire way to increase your league’s finances. Use the following ideas make some income for your league, gather some new diehard fans, and have a great time with your teammates outside of practice. SKATE-A-THON what you’ll need First and most importantly, you will need skaters, which you hopefully already have. Try to gather as many of your skaters (and even refs or other roller skate-savvy support staff) to participate – of course this is important in any event your league pulls off, but this one especially needs bodies. You’ll also need a venue with a suitable track-sized skate
CASINO NIGHT
area – there won’t be any contact so crash zones and exact
what you’ll need
dimensions aren’t as important. Handheld counters for the
A casino night involves a little more of an investment. If you
skaters or volunteers to count laps are useful. Also, draw up a
have the budget, it’s ideal to rent game tables and supplies as
standard pledge form for each skater to go and get that money.
well as secure dealers for the night. All those game pieces can
who can help out
get pricey – try to offer a local entertainment company
The most important thing is to gather your group of skaters.
a sponsorship-type trade for the equipment. Since players will
Sponsors can get involved by either pledging money or by
be trading “funny money” for prizes, gather as many giveaways
showing up with giveaways and other fun interactive games
as you can – hit up sponsors, local businesses and anyone
or ideas to draw an audience – gawkers aren’t necessary,
imaginable for everything from key chains to gift certificates
but there’s no reason not to take advantage of the event to
to sporting goods. You may be surprised what companies
draw some fans and intrigued parties out of the woodwork.
are willing to hand over that has their logo on it.
how to pull it off
who can help out
This is a pretty low-maintenance event with little financial
You ideally want some outside help such as dealers and
investment needed. The success of a skate-a-thon depends
entertainment companies, but if you are really resourceful you
almost entirely on your skaters and their ability to gather
may be able to pull it off with a deck of cards and some savvy
pledges and then to show up and skate. Skaters simply need
rollergirls. Also, try to get sponsors as involved as possible to
to fill out a pledge form and ideally collect money up front for
build up your prize pile and get their name out there.
a set number of laps, or if they are willing to go the extra mile
how to pull it off
(and they trust their pledgers to pay up) they can skate
Advertise this event heavily – participation from outsiders is a
their hearts out and collect after the fact. If you can secure
must for a successful fundraiser. Charge a small cover at the
a good venue that will draw interest, raffles and other crowd
door that includes a set number of chips or funny money and
participation may bring more watchers over to the track.
allow players to purchase more to their heart’s content. A local bar is a great venue for this type of event.
8 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
GOLF TOURNAMENT what you’ll need A willing golf course to team up with – if you can’t secure one, try a bowling or mini-golf tournament (or any other creative and competitive idea you can put together). Just like the Casino Night event, you’ll want to gather a good number of prizes to give to tournament winners. who can help out Advertising is important, while pre-registration and
C
sponsorship participation before the event rolls around are
M
also huge to ensure success.
Y
how to pull it off
CM
A tournament involves a great deal of planning. Sponsorship
MY
participation before the event rolls around are also huge
CY
to ensure success. Think of all the extra ways you can make cash on top of the registration fees – concessions
CMY
K
(if the venue allows), raffles, mulligans, rollergirl ride-alongs in golf carts, merchandise, etc.
The key to any good fundraiser is careful planning and participation from league members. The more volunteers you can snag to help out and the more you can spread the word about your event, the higher your success rate will be. Think of your league’s events as almost as important as your bouts – no money = no skate! Lastly, and probably most importantly, try to focus on a select number of events during your season. A few large money-makers mean you can dedicate more time to planning and can likely gather more help from others, while numerous little events can quickly cause burnout and may not be worth your time.
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 9
health and fitness
women athletes and knee problems B U N N I C U L A , P R OV I D E N C E R O L L E R D E R B Y
I flew through the air after being slammed from behind by a fellow skater and landed hard on both my knees. A few gasps were heard from the sidelines and an immediate “Are you ok?!” I stood up, a little stunned, but seemed fine. I skated the rest of practice and went home. My knee felt a little strange but nothing seemed serious. The next morning, I woke up and rolled to lift my legs out of bed, only to experience an excruciating pain in my knee – this was the beginning of my knee injuries. I foolishly didn’t see a doctor – I sat it out, skated it out and went to regionals with my team. I couldn’t bend my knee all the way but I could play, so I did. For many skaters, this initial injury period is where they make a crucial mistake of not taking the time to let their body heal. All it takes is one more minor fall on both knees to aggravate an existing or untreated injury. If I had gone to the doctor before the second fall, they probably would have said I had a sprained my PCL (posterior cruciate
ligament – one of four ligaments that help control movement in your knee). After my second fall, the MRI showed that I had a slightly torn PCL. Although a minor injury, it was quite painful to move – I was barely able to walk and I was off skates for over two months. Unfortunately, this is not the only knee injury I’ve had while skating. I came back to derby strong at first, and I began researching knee health and how to take care of one’s body so as to avoid experiencing knee problems. During the first game of Providence’s home season, however, I took one hit and as I fell to the ground my right knee popped, and this pop was loud. I ruptured my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). how does an ACL injury occur? The ACL is located in the middle of the knee. This is one of four crucial ligaments in the knee that helps to control the movement of the knee and leg.
Sports like soccer, basketball and roller derby involve a movement known as “cutting” – a rapid decrease in motion followed by a sudden change in direction. This motion is used when changing direction quickly, two-stepping, avoiding a hit, etc. This type of motion along with any rapid twisting of the knee can cause an ACL to rupture. are female athletes more prone to knee injuries than male athletes? Women are playing sports now more than ever and the intensity in which women play has definitely increased, leading to more female athletes with knee injuries. Speaking specifically about knee ligament injuries, studies show that athletic women are more prone to causing damage to their ligaments and especially to their ACL. Statistics show that many more ACL injuries occur in women than men – they are between two to eight times more likely to occur amongst females. JonRosePhotography.com
10 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
but why? Take at look at our physiology and you’ll see a few fundamental differences. strength Women in general are not as strong as men; the muscle tissue that helps protect knees is built easier in men thanks to the testosterone that is pumped through boys during puberty. flexibility The stabilizer muscles in the knees that help control impact are more flexible in women – this can actually help prevent against some types of injuries, but in the case of ligament protection it is working against women. Women have to work harder to build up the muscle tissue in their knees to protect them and control their natural flexibility. bone structure Women have a wider pelvis, meaning the angle between the hips and the knees put more strain on the inside of the knee. This angle also affects the way in which women jump, land, and take impact. The size of the intercondylar notch, where the ACL can be found, is also smaller in women than it is in men. This smaller notch paired with a smaller and, therefore, easier to tear ACL makes women more prone to these types of injuries. Reflexes The stabilizer muscles are not only weaker in women on average, but their reflex reaction time is usually a few fractions of a second longer than a male’s. Some people believe that this slight delay in the reflexes of stabilizer muscles affects the protection of the knee.
These differences do not necessarily mean women can’t play as hard as men, and, in fact, many do – but because of these differences, women should focus on strengthening these muscles in order to prevent injury. prevention Kneepads should ideally be replaced at least once a season, since the materials in the pads break down after constant impact. As the protection material breaks down, the natural cushioning in the knee becomes more susceptible to damage. See “strengthening your knees” for a specific off-skates workout to prevent injury. After my fall, I had surgery on my knee. My options were to replace my ruptured ACL with my own tissue – a scraping from my patella – or have a cadaver ACL put in. Though there doesn’t appear to be one option that is more successful than the other, I opted for the cadaver ACL because scraping a piece of patella can weaken the area and there is a possibility of breaking it down the road. Considering derby is a sport in which knee falls are so common, I didn’t want to risk going back for surgery again. I’m currently in physical therapy and on my way to recovery. While I have a long road ahead of me – four months of physical therapy and even more time strengthening and retraining my muscles how to work – my doctor feels confident that I’ll be on the track again!
strengthening your knees Knee injuries do not have to be chronic – although they will always exist in roller derby, there are a number of exercises that you and your team can do to prevent knee injuries. These are all off skates to get a more controlled muscle build. 1. Warm up – jog forward, sideways, and backwards for one to three minutes. 2. Stretch – focus on calves, hamstrings, quads, and inner thighs; hold each stretch for 30 seconds. 3. Strengthening – do three sets of 10 walking lunges and 30 single toe raises on each leg. 4. Plyometrics – jump sideways, front to back, and on one foot 20 times each over a cone, focusing on a soft landing on the ball of your foot. 5. Agility – sprint a short distance forward then backward; run diagonally to the right, stop and pivot, then run to the left; run pulling your knees up to your chest as high as possible, making sure to stay on the balls of your feet; do each for 12-15 minutes. 6. Cool down – lay on the ground with your knees bent and tighten and relax your buttocks muscles for 30 reps; do two sets of 30 reps of crunches; bring each knee to your chest and hug it, alternating and holding each for 30 seconds two times; sit on the ground and place the bottoms of your feet together, leaning forward with a straight back for 30 seconds. For more details on this knee-specific routine, visit sportsmedicine.about.com/ cs/knee_injuries/a/aa022202a.htm. fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 11
health and fitness
sports nutrition – a hardcore diet RAMB0 SAMB0, NASHVILLE ROLLER GIRLS
To be a great rollergirl, you need a strong and healthy core. Getting that HardCore is not an easy feat – it’s just as hard as learning the sport; but with a HardCore you can perform to the best of your ability on the track. By implementing a healthy diet and a strict workout regiment, a HardCore is attainable. This is not about getting washboard abs or a tight ass – it’s about being healthy and fit! Here are some good eating rules that today’s top trainers and athletes use to trim off some of the extra fat and grow lean muscle: eat six times a day Alternate larger meals with smaller snacks and eat every two to three hours. This will make you feel fuller and less likely to down the closest candy bar. Incorporate these foods into your regular diet: eggs – builds muscle, burns fat turkey and lean meats – builds muscle, strengthens immune system peanut butter – boosts testosterone, builds muscle, burns fat
almonds – builds muscle, reduces cravings beans and legumes – builds muscle, helps burn fat, regulates digestion green leafy veggies – neutralizes free radicals dairy or its substitutes – builds strong bones, speeds up weight loss oatmeal – boosts energy, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar olive oil – lowers cholesterol, boosts immune system whole grains – prevents body from storing fat extra protein (whey/soy powder) – builds muscle, burns fat berries – protects heart; improves balance, eyesight, and coordination think before you drink Drink lots of water. It helps flush out your system and keeps you hydrated, especially for endurance drills! Try to incorporate green tea or a flavored green tea into your daily routine as well. Green tea has some amazing antioxidants that will protect against free radicals and keep you healthy so that you can skate, skate, skate!
We all like to drink booze, but think before you finish off that six-pack – beer has a lot of carbohydrates and calories in it. While at the bar, try red wine for its antioxidants or a clear liquor with 100% fruit juice or diet soda as a mixer. Clear liquor is not as bad for hangovers and has very little to no dyes. eat what ya want Have that meal once a week that breaks all the rules – living this amazing derby life is not always going to allow us to eat healthy and drink H20 every damn day, especially if you’re on the road. Sometimes it’s OK to drink a beer along with your salad! When you can, try to implement these rules into your life – improvement in this sport is directly impacted by what you do outside of practice. Off-track time is just as important as on-track time, and it’s all about personal responsibility and taking care of yourself. Your team depends on you, so be the best player you can be.
post-workout and anti-inflammatory supplements C AT H O L I C C R U E L G I R L , R O C K Y M O U N TA I N R O L L E R G I R L S
After a challenging workout, it is not uncommon to experience muscle pain the next day, and it can be confusing to know the best way to alleviate that soreness. Here is a breakdown of what to do and when: 12 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
powerhouse enchiladas with spicy chile sauce Catholic Cruel Girl, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls
recipe from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons Serves four filling: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 carrots, chopped fine 11/2 cups minced onion 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/3 teaspoon dried 1 16 ounce package of firm tofu sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 3 cups (about 8) finely chopped plum tomatoes 1 /4 cup sherry 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
10 ounces fresh spinach 11/2 cups (1 15 ounce can) drained black beans 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 1 /2 teaspoon salt Fresh black pepper to taste
1 1/3 cups water 1 pinch ground cloves 1 chipotle pepper (I use 2 of the canned variety in adobo sauce) 1 /4 cup almonds, lightly toasted 1 /2 teaspoon salt Fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 10 inch or 8 6-8 inch flour tortillas filling: In a large saucepan heat olive oil. Add carrots, onions, garlic and oregano. Sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring. Remove tofu from its water and put it in a bowl. Gently crumble it apart with your hands. Add spinach into saucepan and cook until it is wilted. Stir in black beans, then cottage cheese, tofu, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. sauce: In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin seeds. Stir for 30 seconds, making sure the garlic does not brown. Add tomatoes, then sherry, vinegar, and water. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add cloves and chipotle pepper. Simmer 6-8 minutes more. Stir and remove from heat. (Side note: I use Muir Glen Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes and add the liquid from the can to the sauce.)
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to appreciate the smoky flavor and subtle texture of this dish. I tested it on some unassuming meat eating friends and they all raved about it. Bonus – not only is it delicious, at 33 grams of protein per serving, it’ll give you the fuel you need – great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Grind almonds fine in a food processor or blender. Add half of the sauce into the food processor or blender and puree the mixture, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining half or until all sauce has been pureed.
This dish is deceivingly easy to make, especially if using canned beans, tomatoes and peppers like I did. As always, try to use organic products. Enjoy!
assemble: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole dish, ladle just enough sauce to cover the bottom. Warm tortillas in a pan before filling in order to make them easier to work with. Spoon filling mixture onto tortilla and roll. Place in casserole dish snugly side by side as you go. Pour sauce over the enchiladas, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
ICE IT:
HEAT IT:
POP IT:
Ice is most effective when applied within an hour after your workout. Wrap the ice bag with a towel or some other sort of cloth so it does not directly touch the skin. Apply ice for 20 minutes then take off for 40 minutes. Repeat three times.
Never use heat on acute pain – this can add to inflammation. Heat is most effective when applied after pain has subsided but muscles remain tight. A heating pad or a hot bath for 20 minutes will loosen tight muscles.
There are many over the counter anti-inflammatory medications out there. Most commonly used are ibuprofen and naproxen. These are useful and have their place, but it is best to give your body time to heal and to not work the same muscle groups two days in a row.
Curcumin is a great supplement for reducing pain, swelling and stiffness. For best results, choose a brand that has a 95 percent standardized extract of curcumin derived from turmeric and follow the daily dosage recommendations on the bottle. fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 13
games and coaching
Phil Peterson flickr.com/photos/philpeterson
Kerry McClain.com
preview: 2008 western regional tournament – battle royale the top 12 WFTDA western region teams duke it out in houston, texas october 3-5 JUSTICE FEELGOOD MARSHALL, CHARM CITY ROLLER GIRLS
It’s been 20 months since the last Western Regional Tournament, and as such, the 2008 edition features some new blood at the top. The Kansas City Roller Warriors still sit at #1 in the WFTDA rankings, taking the top seed in the West; the #3 Rat City Rollergirls team they defeated in the 2007 Nationals’ championship bout holds on to spot number two. The always-dangerous #5 Texas Rollergirls, who came into last year’s Western Regionals as the #1 seed, now hold number three. The big debut within the West’s top four and a team to keep your eye on is the #6 B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls. They’ve been absolutely on fire in 2008 with big wins over tough competition. In February they hammered 18th ranked Minnesota Roller Girls 127-25 and handled 10th ranked Rose City Rollers 111-74, and also dealt #13 Tucson Roller Derby their biggest loss at home ever, 96-39, in May. Perhaps most impressively, they fell behind by a huge margin of 52-9 in a June bout against Rat City, but launched one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of top-level play, falling just short at 93-88. As the top four teams, Kansas City, Rat City, Texas and Bay Area all get first-round byes. Here are the opening round match ups for the Western region:
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(8w) Pikes Peak Derby Dames vs. (9w) Duke City Derby This match up features one of the most consistent teams in derby against one that’s experienced serious up-and-downs during their existence. #16 Pikes Peak, from Colorado Springs, suffered an ignominious defeat in the 2007 Western Regional tournament, going down by 183 points to Bay Area 198-15. It was the worst loss of a winless 2007 for PPDD, but new blood turned things almost completely around in 2008. They’ve gone 6-1, including a big upset of Tucson in late June, 94-81. Their performance vaulted them all the way from #27 in the national rankings to #16, making them the fastest-rising team in derby at the moment. Albuquerque’s #17 Duke City has been hovering in the low teens of the WFTDA rankings for nearly their entire existence – with the exception of a single-quarter high of #11 after the 2007 Western Regionals, they’ve been ranked between #15 and #18 every quarter since 2006. At the time of this writing, they haven’t been playing much WFTDA-ranked derby this year – they’ve got a 22 point win over #25 Denver Roller Dolls and a narrow one point win over #21 Dallas Derby Devils to their credit. One thing the Duke girls do have going for them is experience on the road – by necessity – as they’ve never played a ranked WFTDA bout at home.
Joe Schwartz
(5w) Rose City Rollers vs. (12w) Denver Roller Dolls Northwest powerhouse Rose City is positioned similarly to Kansas City’s standing last year, just outside the top four and hoping to break into Nationals with an upset of the number four seed in the second round. Their most impressive win on the books was a 126-37 throttling of #11 Charm City Roller Girls in November 2007. More recently, they also thumped Minnesota, 114-43. In a hotly anticipated bi-coastal bout in July, they dropped a close one to #8 Philly Rollergirls, 104-87. Denver may be the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, but it would be a potentially fatal mistake for Rose City to look past them. They have spent their entire 2008 testing themselves against the very highest levels of derby. They’ve played #1 Kansas, #2 Gotham Girls Roller Derby and #4 Carolina Rollergirls this year – with the Gotham and Carolina games on back-to-back days at Philly’s East Coast Extravaganza – and though they’ve consistently lost, the experience they’ve been gaining has been preparing them well for tourney play. (7w) Tucson Roller Derby vs. (10w) Dallas Derby Devils Formerly one of the most consistent teams in derby – they very nearly won the 2007 Western Regionals, losing to Rat City by only 11 points in the final – Tucson hasn’t won a bout in over a year, and, more worryingly, has been on the wrong side of some heavily lopsided final scores in 2008. Things started normally enough, with a nail biter of an 86-81 loss to longtime rival Texas in February, but went south soon afterwards – Bay Area rolled into town to deliver what was, at the time, the biggest loss Tucson had ever suffered, 96-39. Just over a month later, Tucson traveled to Chicago to take on the #7 Windy City Rollers, and WCR greeted them with an even more severe punishment, 138-19. Tucson was also upended by Pikes Peak 94-81 in June – at the time, PPDD was ranked 21 spots below them. Dallas will no doubt be hoping that the Tucson slump lasts long enough for them to take advantage of it in October. They’re 2-3 in 2008, with respectable losses to two powerhouses in Charm City (117-89 in January) and quickly rising Pikes Peak (89-58 in April). They also dropped a couldn’t-be-closer bout to Duke City in May, 63-62. Both of their wins, though, have been blowouts of lowly ranked teams – 104-29 over #35 NWA Rollergirls in February and 162-66 over #36 Angel City Derby Girls in June.
(6w) Rocky Mountain Rollergirls vs. (11w) Houston Roller Derby The story of Rocky Mountain is one of defense and endurance. They run a platoon that’s unique in derby, sending only two jammers – She Who Cannot Be Named and Frida Beater – to the line throughout a bout, very rarely substituting anyone else. Somehow, by the end of most bouts, they look fresher and more energetic than opponents running four-or-five-jammer rotations. After a spectacular battle against Charm City that they lost 115-97, Rocky Mountain has put together a five-bout winning streak that included an absolute shutdown of #23 Providence Roller Derby (137-9) and a hard-fought win over highly regarded #14 Boston Derby Dames, 111-93.
JonRosePhotography.com
Houston at #24, like the Denver Roller Dolls, has been losing often in 2008 but doing it against some of toughest teams out there – they’ve played Texas, Bay Area, Rose City, Charm City and Boston thus far, with their best showing of that sequence being a 99-54 loss to Bay Area. Like Dallas, their wins this year have been against fairly low-ranked teams – two points over 40th ranked Orange County RollerGirls, 30 points over Angel City, and 97 points over NWA. They do, of course, have one advantage that no other team will – the support of their home crowd.
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 15
games and coaching Duke City Derby
Pikes Peak Derby Dames BYE Kansas City Roller Warriors Kansas City Roller Warriors Rose City Rollers
Denver Roller Dolls BYE B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls Tucson Roller Derby
Dallas Derby Devils BYE
western regionals: battle royale champs
Rat City Rollergirls Rat City Rollergirls Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Houston Roller Derby BYE
Texas Rollergirls Texas Rollergirls
Boston Derby Dames
Grand Raggidy Roller Girls BYE Carolina Rollergirls Carolina Rollergirls Charm City Roller Girls
Cincinnati Rollergirls BYE Windy City Rollers Windy City Rollers Detroit Derby Girls
Dominion Derby Girls BYE Philly Rollergirls Philly Rollergirls Mad Rollin’ Dolls Minnesota Roller Girls BYE
Gotham Girls Roller Derby Gotham Girls Roller Derby
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eastern regionals: derby in dairyland champs
preview: 2008 eastern regional tournament – derby in dairyland the top 12 WFTDA eastern region teams go head to head in madison, wisconsin october 10-12 JUSTICE FEELGOOD MARSHALL, CHARM CITY ROLLER GIRLS
Last year’s Eastern Regionals may have been the moment where roller derby started reaching parity. For most interleague games previous to these, the great majority of bouts were easy to predict: the higher-ranked team would win, usually by a lot. On the second day of Eastern Regionals, though, three of the top four teams were eliminated, throwing everything into a tizzy and making clear that derby was entering a new era. This year, the #4 Carolina Rollergirls and #8 Philly Rollergirls have first-round byes again – Carolina at seed #2, and Philly again at #4 – but last year’s #1 and #2 seeds, #15 Mad Rollin’ Dolls and #18 Minnesota Roller Girls, have dropped down considerably, making way for last year’s finalists #2 Gotham Girls Roller Derby (now seeded #1) and #7 Windy City Rollers (seeded #3). Here’s how the first-round match ups look for the East: Brendan McMullen
(7e) Boston Derby Dames vs. (10e) Grand Raggidy Roller Girls The #14 Boston squad plays a very tough defensive game, and at the time of this writing is actually coming off the most effective defensive performance in the history of ranked WFTDA play, having held #32 Ohio Roller Girls to a mere five points in a 183-5 July rout. When faced with a team that plays similarly, the results are electric – their 111-93 loss to #12 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls at June’s East Coast Extravaganza was one of the most memorable bouts of the event. While they’ve been looking very impressive in wins over #24 Houston Roller Derby and #20 Cincinnati Rollergirls this year, the Boston girls have yet to defeat a team ranked higher than #20 at the time of their bout – Grand Raggidy is #19.
One data point that might give the girls from Grand Rapids some pause is that while both teams played Cincinnati recently, the results were quite different – Boston dismissed Cincy 87-42, while Cincinnati played a very strong second half against Grand Raggidy to beat them at the ECE, 110-73. Similarly, Grand Raggidy also took on Ohio at ECE, and while they won big (115-39) it wasn’t quite the domination that Boston had over the Columbus girls. It should be noted, though, that both those bouts were at home for Boston, where they are particularly tough on their concrete floor. Boston has narrowly lost both of their sport-court games. (5e) Detroit Derby Girls vs. (12e) Dominion Derby Girls Detroit, currently ranked at #9, was one of the big stories from Eastern Regionals last year, squeaking past Boston in the only overtime bout of the 2007 tournament cycle and then upsetting Minnesota to earn a trip to Nationals. They held the #8 spot nationally for the three quarters following Nationals, but lost it (and the attendant first-round tournament bye) to Philly in the most recent rankings. The Motor City girls are known for a very hard-hitting defense and physical jamming. Dominion at #22, on the other hand, has some blazing speed – they hold the record for the highest score and biggest blowout ever in a WFTDA ranked game, having smoked 50th ranked Long Island Roller Rebels by a final of 307-6 in March. These two teams should have a pretty good idea of what to expect from one another, as they met recently in June at the ECE, where Detroit meted out a 165-53 rout (though Dominion was only able to field 11 skaters for that bout and was missing key jammer Turbovision along with key blockers Pretty Sk8 Machine and Asian Chowdown).
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 17
games and coaching Charm City is known for some of the toughest front-of-thepack play in derby, with the extremely agile Joy Collision and Dolly Rocket and the extremely hard-hitting Mibbs Breakin’ Ribs and Holly Go Hardly. On the flip side, though, Cincy’s Sadistic Sadie has quickly developed a rep as one of the hardest jammers to block in derby.
Papa-RaZZi aka Douglas Otto
(6e) Charm City Roller Girls vs. (11e) Cincinnati Rollergirls This one is likely to be one of the most hotly anticipated bouts of Easterns. Cincinnati has been playing nearly nonstop since entering WFTDA about a year ago and sits on a 9-4 record. By far the most impressive item on their resume is their July bout against the most experienced team in derby, Carolina. At the time of that bout, Carolina was ranked #3 and Cincinnati #26, but Cincy took a 47-24 lead at halftime and then weathered a fierce Carolina comeback to secure a five point victory. It was the biggest rankings upset in WFTDA history. Charm City at #11 was riding one of the longest winning streaks in WFTDA history when Madison ended it at six games in a 108-101 July nail biter. Still, though, the Baltimore girls knocked off some tough competition during the run, including four 2008 tournament teams – Rocky Mountain (18 points), #21 Dallas Derby Devils (28 points), Minnesota (4 points), and Houston (152 points).
(8e) Mad Rollin’ Dolls vs. (9e) Minnesota Rollergirls This matchup between the #1 and #2 seeds from the 2007 Eastern Regionals illustrates just how much the landscape has changed in a year. Last year, they were considered locks to go to Nationals, but both suffered first round upsets (Madison to Windy City and Minnesota to Detroit) and were surprisingly one-and-done. Both organizations have been trying to find their footing since, with varying levels of success. Minnesota did well against eventual national champs #1 Kansas City Roller Warriors last year, losing a respectable 122-84 decision, but then played mostly home teams against visiting travel teams for the remainder of 2007. When they jumped back into full-fledged all-star play at the May 2008 Roll For the Cure event, the results weren’t quite what they might have hoped for – #6 Bay Area Derby Girls and #10 Rose City Rollers both pummeled them (127-25 and 114-43, respectively) and they had to fight hard for a win over Houston, getting by with only a 14 point victory. They tumbled from a #12 national ranking to #18 as a result. Madison, on the other hand, has been moving upwards after freefalling from #4 nationally to #17 in the aftermath of last
DRILL drill: frontal domination Divide the group into two teams and make sure that each team is wearing different colored shirts. One person who is not on either team is at the front of the pack controlling the speed. The goal of the drill is for each team to get all team members to the front of the pack and behind the pacesetter. If anyone passes the pacesetter, she has to fall to the back of the pack. This drill is full contact so any legal hitting is permitted.
18 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
JonRosePhotography.com
purpose: builds teamwork, blocking skills, speed control and jamming skills
year’s Regionals. They didn’t win a game in 2007, but 2008 has been treating them better – they ran roughshod over #37 Fort Wayne Derby Girls at ECE with a 250-38 win, and then very nearly upset event hosts Philly, staying in a 106-93 loss to the very last jam. It was clear that they’d regained some of their previous fire when they scored a thrilling upset against Charm City in June, coming back in the final jam to win 108-101. Winning this bout gives one of these teams the chance to redeem themselves for last year – if either one could knock off #1 seed Gotham, it would easily be as big an upset as their own exits from the 2007 Regionals.
coach’s corner by coach pauly
know your roll
part 1: the pack
After five years in derby, I have seen many trends come and go. One constant that seems to be missed by coaches and skaters alike, however, is knowing the role that each individual skater plays. Pivots, blockers, and jammers each have set textbook jobs in every jam; what is lost in translation is that any one of these jobs is interchangeable. Each pack skater must be aware of her own abilities and understand that at any time during a jam she can find herself in a different position
coach pauly azrd phoenix, arizona
and must be able to adapt. Each skater on any given team needs to truthfully outline her individual abilities. As an athlete, it can be hard to look in the mirror and accurately assess one’s own skills and areas that need improvement. It may be helpful to ask peers and coaches for constructive feedback that pinpoints strengths as well as skills that need work. JonRosePhotography.com
Some skaters can cover the track rope to rope, some skaters can keep up with the pack and hold the line, and some skaters are big hitters. If you are a skater that is only able to keep up with the pack and hold the line,
DRILL drill: don’t get nailed
purpose: sharpens awareness and multi-tasking skills
Divide the skaters into two teams. Team one has access to several balls (foursquare and soccer balls work well). Both teams skate around the track. Team one can nail skaters on team two in the back (or if you really want to have some fun, the head) if a skater from team two is not looking at them. The team throwing the balls can only hit the other team in the back, not the front! Team two skaters must be aware of other skaters on the track, random balls on the track, AND focus on the other team so that they don’t get nailed.
be truthful to yourself about that. Allow your skills to improve before attempting to move on to another skill set that you do not yet possess while playing. On the contrary, if you can make big hits, cover the track rope to rope, maneuver quickly back to front, etc., your job is to be aware of the skills present in your current pack and fill in where needed. Every skater must recognize her individual role in order for the pack to achieve the best balance. All in all, every jam is different and brings its own challenges with the skaters on the track and their individual capabilities. A team that can grasp this concept and achieve unity and teamwork can beat a team comprised of ringers who have not learned the value of teamwork.
Till next time, see you on the track… fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 19
gear
anatomy of a derby skate I VA N N A S . PA N K I N ’ , A R I Z O N A R O L L E R D E R B Y
THE BASICS The sloppy diagram that accompanies this hopefully looks a lot like the skates you spend a few nights a week wearing.
So take ‘em off and get your tools out. We’re going to start by flipping them over and looking up your skates’ skirt. WHEELS & BEARINGS Hopefully you already know this, but those four big, round, cylindrical and probably colorful things at the bottom of each skate are the wheels. Derby wheels come in a few different common sizes and materials – some like ‘em tall and skinny, but the more common wheels used for derby are short and wide for extra traction. No matter what you’re rolling, you want your wheels clean and free of crud. You can clean
them on your skates with a damp rag. Off the skates, once the bearings are out, you can clean them just like you would dirty dishes – soak them in soapy water and rinse them well, then air dry. Bearings: those are the pair of metal things in the center of your wheels. Bearings are pretty much the foundation of civilization – used in everything from
22 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
internal combustion engines to a space shuttle to your blender – and they also make your skates roll. Like wheels, you want your bearings to be clean and crap-free. Dirt and debris – don’t make me tell you what that ill is on sport court floors – will create friction in your bearings and slow you down, plus they will eventually ruin the bearings.
The fast way to clean them is to: • Take your wheels off by removing the axle nut • Pop the bearings out carefully using the axle (careful not to f-up the threads) • Drop them in a bath of citrus cleaner (yeah, that stuff your little brother cleans his bong with) and agitate. If they’re really gross, change out the cleaner and agitate some more • Air dry thoroughly or blow out with that canned air for cleaning keyboards • Put a drop (or two, but not too much!) of oil in each and spin. Oil lubricates and helps them spin, but too much oil attracts dirt – so don’t get carried away.
You can also do a full tear-down, which I have never done because I lose little parts, I’m too lazy and – well, let’s face it, I work at a skate shop, so I get free bearings. But if you have really expensive bearings, check out bones.com for more info on how to remove the dust covers and clean your bearings thoroughly. Whichever method you choose, you’ll want to clean them when you can feel any kind of debris in there. That’s going to vary depending on dozens of factors, so just spin them occasionally to check if they’re still moving fast. HARDWARE Nuts: your axle nuts and action nuts are both fitted with nylon, so it’s really easy to tell when they need to be replaced – which is probably more often than you think, especially if you’re one of those who neurotically tightens and loosens your trucks every practice. The nylon part is just inside the nut. You can tighten them by hand just to the nylon part, and have to use a tool to get it tighter than that. If you can screw ‘em
down almost all the way by hand, the nylon is gone and you need to replace them. They are CHEAP and it sucks to have a wheel fly off during a game, so check them periodically! Other parts that need semi-regular replacing are the bushings and pivot points. When my pivot cup went the first time, I found out the hard way because I suddenly couldn’t skate – just step WHAM, pick myself up, step WHAM! If your pivot cup looks fine, it probably is. Bushings are even easier to assess because they’re so visible. When they start to look squished, replace them. Those are the major bits that need looking after. It’s not a bad idea to go over your skates before you bout, just to make sure everything is in adjustment and nothing needs replacing. Man, it is hard to write an article about gear maintenance and make it sound sexy! So enjoy the corny diagram and I’ll see ya at the next bout!!
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 23
wftda
Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) – real. strong. athletic. revolutionary. what it is and why it rocks M I S S J A N E R E D R U M , F O RT WAY N E D E R B Y G I R L S
As many of you know, the WFTDA is the national governing body of women’s flat track roller derby. It was founded in 2004 and serves to promote and foster our sport by facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship and goodwill among member leagues. In layman’s terms, this means we are here to help grow the sport of flat track roller derby and women’s flat track derby leagues nationwide. We offer rookie support and mentoring, which is easily accessible to aspiring WFTDA leagues by emailing rookie_leagues@wftda.com. So why should you aspire to join
WFTDA?
Currently 57 member leagues strong, WFTDA offers many benefits to its members, including but not limited to:
• Voting rights and the ability to influence the development of the sport
• Tournament organization and eligibility • National rankings
• Access to experienced and established leagues for information sharing, advice and answers • National competition and organization without compromising leagues’ DIY ethics • Access to a standardized set of rules to make bouts between leagues in different states not only possible, but uniform and exciting
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• The right to display WFTDA logo and statement of affiliation on website and team uniforms • Inclusion in WFTDA media, marketing merchandise, website and sponsorship materials • Access to the WFTDA message board
“The WFTDA is an amazing example of how
passion and devotion
to
an idea can grow. It amazes me on a
“WFTDA rules because it’s the only group that can tell the Texas Rollergirls what to do!”
daily basis how women and men from across the country work countless hours to develop not only the sport, but also an organization that we love so much. I am proud to be part of an organization whose goal and focus is
fostering
our sport, as well as demonstrating sportswomanship
and
goodwill
“Reasons I think WFTDA rocks: I have access to technical drawings explaining the secret WFTDA handshake; free WFTDA
milkshakes
at
McDonald’s;
bragging rights and really cool stickers.” ~Carmen Geddit, Houston Roller Derby
to
member and non-member leagues alike. We offer a helping
~Hydra, Texas Rollergirls, past WFTDA President
hand to
“I’ve never been a part of an organization in which I can email the president with a question, comment or
anyone who will take it and because of
concern and SHE will email me right back. And,
that, have become trailblazers for our
I enjoy being part of an organization where it’s totally
sport and role models to future derby
acceptable to not wear pants.” ~Anna WrecksYa, Boston Derby Dames
girls and leagues around the world.” ~The Ruffian, Dominion Derby Girls, WFTDA Vice President
“My favorite thing about the WFTDA is the ability to work with so many amazing people to do something so meaningful. Roller derby has
changed so many of our lives, and WFTDA has driven a lot of that change – especially the really important stuff, like standardizing the sport so we can play each other and pushing for safety standards that minimize the price we pay for it.” ~Ivanna S. Pankin, Arizona Roller Derby
“WFTDA rocks because they have figured out a way to herd cats... umm... I mean derby girls. It’s amazing to be part of such an amazing group
of strong, fearless women!” ~Siouxsicide Bomb, Denver Roller Dolls
“As a member league, access to the WFTDA message board and other member leagues allows me to help my league grow. All DIY flat-track derby leagues are faced with similar challenges and I have found that other member leagues are a limitless
“I love being a part of WFTDA because I get to work closely with a diverse network of
resource when it comes to finding solutions
amazing, brilliant, strong women from all over the country. I’m
‘for the skater, by the skater’
constantly being inspired.” ~Ziggy Starbust, Ohio Roller Girls
to those challenges that work with our unique
women-owned,
business structure.” ~Lorna Boom, Rat City Rollergirls
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 25
wftda
referee certification P R O F E S S O R M U R D E R , C I N C I N N AT I R O L L E R G I R L S
Want to know who the WFTDA considers to be among the finest referees in women’s flat track roller derby? Starting in June of this year, the WFTDA referee certification committee began accepting applications from referees nationally. The first set of WFTDA certified referees were announced in July. This group includes Endless Justin (Gotham Girls Roller Derby, Level 5), mrRAWK (Gotham Girls, Level 4), Inspector Parts (Rat City Rollergirls, Level 2), Johnny Zebra (Charm City Roller Girls, Level 2), and Professor Murder (Cincinnati Rollergirls, Level 2). To be certified, a referee must show their skating skills on the track, their knowledge and consistent application of the rules, and also receive endorsements from WFTDA member leagues and other referees. Upon completing the application, the referee’s certification is voted on by the committee members. Certification is the mark of excellence for referees in the WFTDA.
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WHY CERTIFY? Since its inception, roller derby leagues have relied on the time and devotion of dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers as referees. Not all referees are created alike, however. In order to ensure that WFTDA sanctioned bouts and tournaments are staffed by the most qualified and capable referees, a process of evaluation and certification was created earlier this year. As the WFTDA grows in both size and national prominence, it is critical to recognize those referees who exhibit the best ability, implementation of the rules, fairness and consistency across the board. When a bout is staffed by WFTDA certified officials, those teams know they’re getting the best. The best referees according to other officials, and also those who have earned the respect of WFTDA member leagues.
WHO CAN BE CERTIFIED? As of this writing, officials who are affiliated with WFTDA member leagues can apply for certification provided they meet the requirements – this includes non-skating officials (e.g., penalty box timers, point and penalty trackers, etc.) and referees. Applications from unaffiliated referees will be accepted starting in January 2009. Referees who have participated in three of the six original WFTDA tournaments (Dust Devil 2006, Bumberbout, Dust Devil 2007, East Coast Derby Extravaganza 2007, Heartland Havoc, and Texas Shootout) qualify for retroactive certification at higher levels. All other officials may apply for levels 1 and 2 concurrently, and move up one level per year after. Upon completing the application, the referee’s certification is voted on by the current WFTDA certification panel: Count Smacula (Pikes Peak Derby Dames), Violet Temper (Philly Rollergirls), mrRAWK (Gotham Girls Roller Derby), Ali Gorey (Dallas Derby Devils), and Leadfoot (Carolina Rollergirls). LEVELS OF CERTIFICATION There are five levels of certification. The five-tier structure of certification indicates a combination of the relative experience, expertise, and abilities of
each official. The color listed next to each level corresponds with the patch color for a referee’s certification patch. Level 1 (Grey) – non-skating official Level 2 (Red) – skating referee – able to perform skating referee duties for WFTDA sanctioned interleague bouts Level 3 (Silver) – able to exceptionally perform referee duties for WFTDA sanctioned interleague bouts between high ranking WFTDA leagues, infield referee duties at WFTDA regional tournaments, and outside pack duties at WFTDA national tournaments Level 4 (Pink) – able to exceptionally perform infield referee duties for the highest level of WFTDA competitive play, infield referee duties at WFTDA national tournaments Level 5 (Gold) – able to exceptionally perform all tasks of a WFTDA tournament Head Referee HOW TO APPLY For further information about referee certification and the application process, contact your WFTDA member league’s regional representative:
WFTDA RULES 3.1
ENDLESS JUSTIN, G OT H A M G I R L S R O L L E R D E R B Y
Women’s flat track derby is a new and evolving sport, and the WFTDA member leagues value their power to modify the rules of their sport. On August 11th, 2008, the WFTDA ratified new official rules for sanctioned interleague play. WFTDA Rules version 3.1 is minor update to the May release of 3.0. This update contains a few clarifications and only one significant rules change – each period will now end on the jam clock rather than the period clock. Many leagues have been using the “natural conclusion” ending in their intraleague bouts
East Region: refcert_@wftda.com
and WFTDA voters wanted to
South Central Region: refcert_southcentral@wftda.com
make this change for sanctioned interleague play. The final jam
North Central Region: refcert_northcentral@wftda.com
of each period will now run to its
West Region: refcert_west@wftda.com
natural conclusion. Other changes in this new
WFTDA q&a rules forum
ruleset would more accurately
The WFTDA Rules Committee has developed rules.wftda.com to provide definitive
These minor tweaks, although not
and final answers to questions about the WFTDA rules. The Rules Committee is
completely necessary, help make
excited to provide this service and are eager to help everyone understand the rules, their development process and anything else that may need to be communicated or clarified. The goal of this forum is not only to help everyone understand the rules, but also to identify areas that are being misunderstood and therefore need to be addressed.
be described as clarifications.
the rules more comprehensive as well as easier to understand and facilitate. For a complete list of these changes, visit the official rules page on wftda.com.
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 27
Mark@MarkJoyner.com
jftda
junior flat track derby association Fueled by the flat track roller derby craze, the Junior Flat Track Derby Association encourages girls ages 10-17 to become part of the fastest growing all-female sport on wheels. While the first junior league popped up in Tucson – the Tucson Derby Brats – over two years ago, there are now established leagues in Seattle, Washington; Orange County, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and a number of other cities across the U.S. Most junior leagues are loosely associated with flat track leagues in their city – frequently the coaches, refs and other adult participants in derby brat leagues are retired or current skaters that know the game and are excited to prepare a whole new generation of blockers, jammers and pivots.
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Derby brats have a lot of similarities with their older sister leagues – many of the girls skate under derby names, junior leagues hold bouts between their home teams, and the Tucson and Seattle leagues even took each other on in an expo bout at the 2007 WFTDA National Championship in Austin. Even younger skaters with a taste for the track can now join in on the fun – Tucson allows 6-9 year olds to practice as “Skater Tots” in order to work on their skills until they can graduate to Derby Brat status. Junior derby isn’t just for the chicks, either – boys are encouraged to participate as refs. For more information on current JFTDA leagues or for advice on starting a junior league in your area, visit jftda.com.
tucson derby brats
I’ve been playing roller derby for five years now and I can’t count the number of times I’ve wished derby had been around when I was growing up. For the newest generation of skaters, it’s not just longing, but reality. The Tucson Derby Brats were one of the first junior leagues to form and, as a first child, it wasn’t easy for them. They started off as fans. As our bouts are all-age affairs, there were always groups of youngsters running around and a number of the regulars would ask for our autographs and pictures after each bout. Now, they’re the ones doing the signing at their own bouts. The Brats are like our little sisters, and like a true elder sister, we made them work before letting them in. We were actually contacted by two acquainted but separate groups of girls at first, each asking for our help in forming their own league. We were initially cautious, wondering about liability issues surrounding hitting kids, how long their interest would last, and not wanting to see a league split before it was even formed. Our first assistance was as a nagging adult voice of reason; “first let’s see you keep up with the skating for a while, and please talk to each other and join forces. After you’ve
put in some time and have learned to work together, we’ll talk more.” And darned if they didn’t do it! These kids, girls and boys aged 10-16, were skating regularly, doing drills and working together to form a true league. Of course it helped that some of their parents were involved in derby and able to lend a helping hand. In fact, we have a complete roller derby nuclear family now: mom’s a skater (Venus Dynamite), dad’s a ref (Roman Johnson), both daughters are Brats, and son’s a ref. When we saw that the Brats really were in for the long haul, TRD started getting more involved. Some veteran skaters were asked to coach their teams and we started having some shared practices with them. It turned out to be pretty easy running practices with both the junior and senior skaters. Other than hitting drills, the kids were quickly able to keep up with the TRD skaters and did most of our usual drills right with us. In some cases the Brats outshine us, which I chalk up to their resilient bones and clean pink lungs. Nothing motivates quite like getting your booty kicked in drills by a 14-year-old! Watching the Brats has been amazing and inspiring to me. I love seeing how they each grow from the experience. The burgeoning self-confidence and assurance are visible within months or weeks of joining. Girls who were too shy to make eye contact and hung off in the corners are now calling directions to teammates and asking to be a jammer.
Someone initially scared to even try hard for fear of falling and looking dumb is the first to laugh when tripping at the start line. Knees are scraped, ribs bruised and tears shed – but they always get back up again and laugh about it later. And what a powerful ability that is to have going into high school! They’re good role models for us elders – the beef jerky to their fresh meat – too. There are a lot of cool, level-headed young women out there. I’m always impressed by the number of
Mark@MarkJoyner.com
Alistair James
WHISKEY MICK, TUCSON ROLLER DERBY
girls whom I have to remind myself are only 12 or 15 yet have such maturity and insight already. It’s exciting to think that the first of these girls will soon be turning 18 (in November 2008, we’re all counting!) and eligible to skate with us full time. Each year after will only bring more rollergirls who know the sport and have been playing for years already. What a boom that’s going to be to roller derby! Just imagine drafting an 18-year-old with five years of experience and training! Reality TV and scary editorials about “the youth” be damned, I look at these girls, who will soon be adults, and I feel good about the future. fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 29
rookie
derby diplomat J AY N E I R E , N A P TOW N R O L L E R G I R L S
Leave it on the track. That’s one of the central tenets of derby law. We can block and bruise each other on the track and feel the derby love off of it, but that’s easier said than done and it’s surprisingly simple to create a bitter rivalry instead of a bond between your league and another. You can avoid that by following a few points of advice:
KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS Have someone from your league serve as the dedicated hospitality liaison, responsible for helping the other team get settled and feel welcome. She can help them choose a hotel, give them maps, lists of places to eat and information on where to buy last-minute supplies. A hospitality basket never hurts, including things they may have forgotten to bring: toothpaste, protein bars, first aid supplies, tampons, etc. BEFORE THE FIRST WHISTLE BLOWS Clap for the other team during their introductions. Shake the hand of the jammer or blocker next to you on the track before that first jam begins. It shows good sportswomanship to the teams and the fans watching. NO ONE-FINGER SALUTES Our fans are our livelihood – if they don’t come out to watch us bout, we can’t survive as a sport. Respect the other team’s fans. Showboating is an entertaining part of the game, but when you feel tempted to give the crowd the finger, hold back and give them a good sneer instead. For every crude gesture, leagues get angry emails from fans who thought the bout was a familyfriendly event, and who may not come back. Something that may seem small at the time can lead to lost fans.
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SHAKE IT OFF Give the other team high fives after that last whistle blows. If you win, tell them good job. If they win, tell them congratulations. Even if you’re pissed off because you think they played dirty or did something shady, suck it up and stick your hand out.
Phil Peterson flickr.com/photos/philpeterson
THE MEET AND GREET If the team you’re playing is coming in the night before the bout, meet up with them at their hotel or take them out to dinner. Getting to know your opponents off the track before the bout can help a skater know that when you called her a fat bitch on the track, it was nothing personal. Make sure to thank them for traveling to play you – since every penny we spend comes from working our asses off doing fundraisers and finding sponsors, traveling is no small thing. Tell them you all appreciate that they took the time and spent their hard-earned money coming to play you. It’s a little thing, but it can mean a lot.
VENT ON YOUR OWN TIME Angry and need to vent? Totally OK, but not in front of the fans, and especially not to the media. Leave it on the track, really. In public, you are a diplomat, and bashing the other team only makes the whole sport look unprofessional. MIX & MINGLE It’s easy to end up segregating into your separate teams at the after party, but resist the urge. You’ll have plenty of time to see your teammates, and these girls are only there for the night. This is your last chance to leave a good impression of your league, and to let them know that even if you’re vicious on the track, that all derby fans and skaters are family. If you see
You’ve worked hard on your derby skills, your uniform has been washed and is ready to go, and you’ve invited everyone in the tri-state area, but that’s not even the beginning of what you need to ensure bout day runs smoothly. Refer to the following checklist to make sure you’re prepared to slaughter your competition, wow your audience, and keep your teammates’ heads in the game and not on everything else: PRE-BOUT: secure venue ❑ check insurance requirements ❑ check load-in and load-out times ❑ ask about any available storage ❑ find out location of locker rooms ❑ find out where you can sell your merch ❑ figure out seating arrangements (chairs, bleachers needed?) ❑ scope out venue parking ❑ research ticketing options with venue ❑ determine if scoreboard needs to be provided (video scoreboard programs are available online) ❑ determine if concession/alcohol sales are allowed ❑
VOLUNTEERS: set up online ticket sales/find a local ticket outlet (a record store or local shop may be willing to sell tickets if they are allowed to keep $1-2 per sale) ❑ gather any sponsorship items (banners, promo material, etc.) ❑ check that all skaters have correct uniform ❑ order any needed merch ❑ ensure that all volunteers are clear of their duties and shift times ❑ book halftime entertainment ❑ secure after party location ❑ pick up program and any printed materials to be handed out, including tickets ❑
SUPPLIES: helmet panties ❑ track material – rope or colored lights, tape ❑ clipboards for statisticians and refs ❑ dry erase boards and markers for statisticians and refs ❑ tickets ❑ wristbands ❑
referees track setup crew ❑ cleanup crew ❑ announcers ❑ dj ❑ door duties – will call, ticket sales, ticket collectors, ID checkers ❑ scoreboard operator ❑ EMTs ❑ merch sellers ❑ PR/designated press wrangler ❑ sound person ❑ penalty timers ❑ stats volunteers ❑ ❑
***Check with your venue to see what volunteers, if any, they may provide – i.e. ticket takers, sound person, etc.***
BOUT DAY: programs ❑ merch ❑ ice ❑ first aid kit ❑ trashbags ❑ extra skate tools ❑ water for skaters ❑
a cluster of girls from the other team, grab one of your teammates and get over there. If your team won, realize that the other team may be smarting from the loss. Compliment them on things that they did well – there is always something, whether it be their speed, impressive blocking, good teamwork or communication, worth mentioning. Don’t be tempted to offer unsolicited advice or tell them what they did wrong – if they want your advice, they’ll ask for it. And even then, be constructive and give tips on things that could help them improve. This is the time to enjoy the afterparty, not to steam over something that happened during the bout. Buy someone a beer or pull her out on the dance floor. You may not want to at the time, but you’ll appreciate it later. Keep your league’s good reputation in tact and you will be more likely to be invited to play elsewhere. THE FLAME WAR ISN’T WORTH IT The accessibility of the Internet makes it oh-so-easy to vent your frustrations out on the many message boards and web sites. Vent away – but do it in private. Vent to your teammates, or your friends and family, but keep it off the internet. The derby
ensure volunteers and entertainment check in with designated contact ❑ clean skating area ❑ set up track with a ten foot “crash zone” ❑ set up any seating arrangements as necessary ❑ set up merch table ❑ set up sponsor tables, banners, or any other sponsorship requirements ❑
make sure DJ has intro music for each team ❑ check with each team to ensure everything is set up and any questions are answered ❑ ensure team captains are aware of meeting times with refs, warm up times, locker room locations or any other details ❑
community is a small one, and you can assume that anything you say bashing the other team will get back to them and around to the derby world at large. You may not care at the time, and you may think it’s justified, but ultimately it will only end up coming back to damage your league’s reputation. If your league is particularly concerned about something that occurred during the bout, send a letter from your league to their interleague liaison expressing your concerns. It may or may not help, but it will be vastly more productive than beginning an Internet flame war. Don’t post angry missives on your team’s web site or on a social networking site such as Myspace or Facebook. It makes your league look petty, and the general public doesn’t care about the details of your disagreements. To them, squabbling between derby leagues only makes derby seem like less than a real sport. We don’t have to all get along, but we all put too much effort into this crazy sport to let infighting between leagues fuck things up. A little good-natured rivalry is part of every sport – just don’t let it go any further than that. Get out your inner derby diplomat, and you’ll have more than just your league, you’ll have the greater derby community as your extended family.
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feature
Roller Derby Music Project – the sounds of revolution CRACKERJACK, MAD ROLLIN’ DOLLS
fiveonfive magazine asked me to write an article about the Roller Derby Music Project to give you all the inside skinny on why it’s so cool. Bottom line: it’s local, it’s licensed, and it’ll kick your ass. The signature of any great scene is its music, and roller derby’s signature goes way deeper than the standards we skate to. The Roller Derby Music Project is an opportunity for skaters to have some input in the music that defines us, and give proper credit to the real bands we really listen to. Perhaps most importantly, the Roller Derby Music Project is building a music library, licensed by the artists, that leagues can use at public derby events. Music is the life of derby. No exaggeration: rock shows brought flat-track roller derby to life, and provided the initial fan base for the early leagues. Music is the beating heart of halftime, after parties and practice. We have our favorite songs for endurance, for speed, for hard blocks. Something in the rhythm or the lyrics reminds us why we play derby and makes us smile and hit bitches. Music is the best pep talk. roller derby has a music reputation We like Joan Jett, AC/DC, The Cramps. We like songs we can pump our metal horns at and songs that encourage us to make tough faces at the cameras. But truly, if I had a dime for every jam when they played “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “Love is a Battlefield”, I’d be on Derby Island already.
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roller derby skaters have a music reputation, too At the first RollerCon, I remember being in the middle of a sweaty pack of drunken bodies in the grotto that is the Double Down Saloon, on a weekend of a million rollergirls, a billion degrees, and at least three killion bands. Later, some of the bands mentioned that the rollergirls didn’t seem interested in the music. At after parties, skaters often have other things to do and talk about and don’t, as a group, give their bands the attention they want while they’re on stage (what you all do with them later is your own business). But then again, sometimes you rock like crazy while they’re doing their thing, and slobber on them and buy them shots. To the bands, what you go for is a mystery. Did you know that? You are a mysterious bunch of women. You beg them to write derby songs, but then you’re picky about the ones you like. You beg them to play your party, then all go have a water balloon fight instead of listening to them play. To you, the bands are a mystery, isn’t that right? Your events manager picks the schedule, your trainers pick the practice music, the DJs play whatever on bout night. So, you get to the after party. Want food. Want beer. Turn around and there’s a fan. Turn around and there’s a teammate with a shot. Is that music you hear, coming from the lit stage? Turn around and there’s a fan. Turn around and there’s a bare bottom. Turn around and the band is done. Were they good? Bad? Hot? Who knows! Turn around and there’s a shot. Turn around and there’s a fan.
roller derby leagues have a music problem We all, naturally, incline toward the familiar, so our DJs rely on a lot of 80s metal and punk, and other mainstream, failsafe hits that make us, predictably, flail our metal horns and sneer at the cameras. Many leagues have a blanket ASCAP license for this mainstream music through their rink or venue. Those that don’t pay hundreds of bucks to license the music their DJs want to play. “We adore our local bands, it’s more interesting to go to the source… than use outside music for what we’re doing,” says MercyLess, WFTDA Marketing/PR chair, “but when the DJs play at bouts, they’re playing from their collection, and it tends to be punk, rock, and hip-hop standards. They’re building on themes – action on the track, skater antics, team themes. We’ve had independent musicians write songs for us… we ask the DJs to put them in the rotation.”
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feature Through repeated exposure, we find we really like some local band or another – maybe it’s their live show, maybe it’s a particular song – they fight their way through our derby bubble and make us slobber on them. Hopefully they don’t break up three months after we fall in love, and we take advantage of their every availability to play our shows. Unfortunately, this band-love usually ends at the after party. It’s no surprise – there’s so much other work to do. We take our own practice and bout prep time to listen to what’s meaningful. Other than that, it’s usually in the hands of others. MercyLess acknowledged that skater turnover in the league makes it hard to provide consistent exposure for their loyal bands, but “we’re so supportive of the bands that play for us, and a couple have played at RollerCon, so they’re finding opportunities for exposure where they can.” Derby leagues and organizations have real derby things to worry about; the symbiotic relationship of “rock” and “roll” falls low on the to-do list. But there’s so much more we could do, so much local talent that we can share with other derby leagues. There is a way to replace the failsafe hits with real derby music that’s licensed for bouts and practice; to share our favorites with other leagues and to promote a meaningful, fresh, and totally killer soundtrack for the roller derby lifestyle: the Roller Derby Music Project. Created by Crackerjack and Predator, skaters from the Mad Rollin’ Dolls in Madison, Wisconsin, the Roller Derby Music Project is a series of compilation CDs highlighting the bestof-the-best regional, derby-favorite music. The bands and the Music Project have licensed the songs for public performance at bouts and afterparties, and they can be obtained for footage and other media upon request. Through
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the Music Project, bands get exposure to a much wider derby audience, creating opportunities for them to tour and play the rockstar and for the skaters, leagues and DJs to add variety to their events and playlists. The Roller Derby Music Project is rolling out regional compilations throughout 2008. The first CD – the Midwest Family Album – was released in June. Four or five more CDs are planned for this year, covering the rest of the U.S. and Canada. Predator, one of the Music Project founders, says, “We’re having a blast discovering new (to us) bands from all over the country and world, there’s some amazing talent and cool cats out there! But we need more submissions coming in – the Midwest comp was easier… those are the bands we know and love, that play at our events. But we’re having trouble breaking through in other regions and want more input from the derby leagues. This is ‘by the skaters, for the skaters’ in a whole new dimension – the more help we can get from them, the more they’ll like these CDs.” The Midwest Family Album contains 23 songs from bands around the Great Lakes, including The Koffin Kats, Awesome Snakes and The .357 String Band. The music ranges from heavy lady metal to a honky-tonk love ballad. Musical diversity is one of the cornerstones of the project. “It’s really important to us that the CDs reflect a variety of musical styles as diverse as rollergirls themselves,” says Predator. “We’re trying to break the stereotypes, not reinforce them – not everyone likes every song, but they seem to like most of them, that’s all you can hope for with a comp CD. And all these bands want to play derby parties! Their contact info is in the CD jacket and on the website.” Roller Derby Music Project CDs are available through the website and at many roller derby events and tourneys. Leagues
can also purchase in bulk for their merch tables. Rollergirls are exceptional, and we deserve an uncompromisingly independent, badass, soundtrack. You can find more information on the CDs, bands and licensing of the Roller Derby Music Project, get involved, download submission forms or make music suggestions at rollerderbymusicproject.com, or visit myspace.com/rollerderbymusicproject.
In the mainstream world, the policing of music copyrights is handled by the big music publishing houses, like ASCAP, who hold the publishing rights for songs in order to protect songwriters from music pirates. If we don’t purchase a license allowing us to play the songs from their music library in public – like at a bout – they will find us, fine us, and keep close tabs to make sure we don’t continue to purloin their rock classics. It ain’t an easy life for an artist – they have a lot to worry about, like putting beer on the table. They don’t have the resources to track down pirates and fight for themselves and their music rights, so publishing houses provide an important and valuable service – they make sure the artists get paid for the use of their creations.
For more information about publishing houses and copyright law: ASCAP – ascap.com BMI – bmi.com SESAC – sesac.com
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© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
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FlickHer
FlickHer
Brian J Macke
Brian J Macke
FlickHer
feature
RollerCon 2008!
IVANNA & NOTTIE on RollerCon 2008
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com © Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com © Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
T H E S TAT S : 10,000+ Dollars raised for Tequila Mockingbird with registration, charity raffle and art auction. 2000+ Amount of people* who came to RollerCon ‘08 from all over the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K. and even more exotic places! 1100+ Registered attendees who validated their insurance so they could skate in bouts, scrimmages, challenges and on-skates workshops. 300+ Brides packed the Double Down Wedding Lot to get married at the 4th Annual Derby Wedding. 257 Volunteers who made the whole thing happen; artists, refs, writers, techies, stats folks, administrators, planners, EMTs and door folks. Woah. 16 DOZEN The number of RC08 shirts that we had completely sold out of by Thursday morning. We were worried no one would like orange shirts – d’oh! 74 Hours of skating events (out of a total of 111 hours available).
24 Unique stores filled Vendor Village with derby gear, apparel, toys, tools and more.
Lulu Garou
3 Tracks of action, not including the IP training facility.
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
Lulu Garou
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
60 Individual on-skates training sessions and workshops offered this year.
1 Full-length, sanctioned WFTDA bout. But we’re still not satisfied. Most of ‘09 is pretty Top Secret so we’d have to kill you if we told you now. But we can tell you: RollerCon 09 is JULY 29 - AUGUST 2 …at the Imperial Palace. Ask the Dealertainers why. Check out rollercon.net for all the latest updates. *We had some loser gate-crashers, but we hope next year will be a big bummer for the freeloading jerk faction of our community. We pledge to foil your efforts to invalidate everyone’s insurance, douchebags!
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38 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com Carson B. Demented
Lipstick Lezgo
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
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© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
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feature
RollerCon 09: July 29 - August 2 RollerCon.net
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© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
Lipstick Lezgo
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
Lulu Garou
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com © Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
© Derek Lang BAGELHOT.com
have derby, will travel
portland, oregon So you’re going to the Northwest Knockdown, the 2008 WFTDA National Championship? Seasoned derby traveler Hurt Reynolds offers these tips on getting the most from your trip to Portland. 40 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
events bouting venue: Portland Expo Center. Take one 20,000-ish square foot concrete box, bring in eight 12-tier bleachers, a concert-caliber light and sound rig, sport court, gaffer’s tape, food and beer. Add rollergirls. Bring to a simmer with a marching band and possibly bagpipes. after party: Probably at Bossanova, but pay attention to the program and announcers and follow the crowd. If you are so inclined: drink hard alcohol first, then switch cleanly to beer and do not look back. Aim for one cup of water with every single drink – you will thank me. And for god’s sake, eat something first! after after party: The festivities will almost certainly migrate to one of Portland’s many, many strip clubs. Reasonably priced drinks will continue to be served there. Likewise, rest assured that the derby girls will continue to run the show; maladjusted guys should call it a night before this stage. after after after party: You’ll want to double-check, but if I know Portland, it’ll surely be at the extremely party-friendly Jupiter Hotel, which is also where you want to stay if you want to be at the center of the action – or stay far away from if you expect to sleep! The hotel’s registration page offers such optional enhancements as bicycle rental, a pet welcome
kit, and the Spartacus Naughty Kit, so you know you’ve come to the right place.
climate & clothing Although it almost never rains heavily – most Portland natives don’t bother with umbrellas – it will be damp and sprinkly all the time. Please, psychologically prepare yourself for the fact that you may not see the sun the entire weekend – the northwest has incredibly beautiful summers, but the tradeoff is several months of drab, gloomy suicide season. It’ll probably be in the 50s, so you won’t need a heavy coat, but a light jacket or a hoodie is a good idea. Plan to layer, because it’ll get pretty warm in the bout and social venues.
getting around For an American city of its size, Portland has remarkably good public transportation. Depending where you stay, you can totally get away with taking TriMet’s Max light rail from the airport, to your hotel, and directly to the Expo Center for all the events. The after party location will be perhaps a mile’s walk – no problem with a gaggle of derby people, but you can also line up good bus connections if you’d rather not hoof it. Radio Cab is the taxi of choice; call 503-227-1212.
maslov’s hierarchy food: You will not find a more vegan-friendly town than Portland, but I loves me some
bacon so you’re on your own navigating those options. Late night dining options include the Doug Fir Lounge, open until 2:30 a.m. and adjacent to the Jupiter Hotel; if that’s not late enough for you, the Montage and the Original Hotcake and Steak House are other night owl options.
Northwest Knockdown NorthwestKnockdown.com Where to go for all your basic Nationals needs – ticket purchasing info, schedules, and even a little more info on the lovely city of Portland.
Portland Expo Center ExpoCenter.org 2060 North Marine Drive Portland, OR 97217 503-736-5200 Details on the Northwest Knockdown’s venue.
shelter: If you don’t want to soak in the Jupiter Hotel scene, but you want something other than the generic conglomco hotel experience, treat yourself to a stay at a McMenamin’s hotel. The local brewpub institution has demonstrated a real knack for repurposing storied older buildings into unique lodgings, with locations right in town as well as further out in the scenic Columbia Gorge. For hostels and other options, refer to the Northwest Knockdown website.
Jupiter Hotel JupiterHotel.com 800 E. Burnside Portland, OR 97214 503-230-9200 Ultra-hip Portland boutique hotel and a safe bet for post-game party action.
TriMet TriMet.org 503-238-7433 Portland’s public transportation system.
Radio Cab RadioCab.net 503-227-1212 Reliable cab company of choice.
Doug Fir Lounge
drinkin’: Beer at the Expo Center, full bar at the after party. Last call is at 2 a.m. – you’ve got until 2:30 to drink up before they kick you out. Beer and wine are available from any grocery or convenience store, but you can only buy bottles of the hard stuff from state liquor stores – they close early, so plan ahead! Portland is also a microbrew hub, so if you haven’t surrendered yourself completely to the simplicity of PBR, there’s much beer to explore here.
DougFirLounge.com 830 E. Burnside Portland, OR 97214 503-231-9663 Located on the Jupiter Hotel property, offering late night dining (open 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily) and live music.
Montage Restaurant MontagePortland.com 301 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214 503-234-1324 Another recommended dining option with late night hours (dinner is available from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays).
McMenamins McMenamins.com Unique hotels located throughout Portland and the surrounding area.
State of Oregon Liquor Control Commission Oregon.gov/OLCC The skinny on liquor laws – stock up if you plan on boozin’ late!
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 41
10/ .0- , + / , .10/ * ’) ( ( .' - ( (
Northwest Knockdown . ' 1+ National Championship The country’s top 8 roller derby teams duking it out for the national title.
, -/ ( STRONG. - 10(/1 , / (1 &-,
Portland Expo Center November 14-16 *
Co-hosted by the Rose City Rollers and the Rat City Rollergirls For ticket information, go to
northwestknockdown.com 42 | Fall 2008 | fiveonfivemag.com
© Michael Hill Photography
THERE ARE 7 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PHOTOS – FIND ‘EM!
1. Ref’s socks are pink. 2. Pivot cap is missing stripe. 3. Green Venom’s number has changed. 4. Green Venom’s sock is missing. 5. Top left screen is missing. 6. Skater on left is missing. 7. Right side skater is missing belt.
Napalm Beth
Dimebag Cheryl
Shank Williams
Amy Grindhouse
Ednostic Front
Dina Sore Jr.
November Pain
Bitchy Sambora
Billy Rae Siren
Judith Priest
Gringo Starr
Reverend Horton Cheat
Queen Loseyateefa
Bonnie Thunders
Ani DiSpanco
Dethblok
Dee Sniper
Threat Michaels
Banana Ram-Ya
Gwen Stepoffme
Misstits
Joy Collision
Joan Cougar Menstralcramp
LL Cruel J
Brad Brains
Sinead O’Clobber
Aretha Spankin’
Bikini Killer
Sheryl Crowbar
Ghostface KillHer
Old Derby Bastard
Nine Inch Nailer
MC Slammer
Black Sabbatha
Ashley Thudd
Grand Master Crash
Lez Zepplin
Rolletta Lynn
Mandy Moore-phine fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 43
art and media
whiskey7 derby poster artist fiveonfive chatted with Whiskey7, also known as Athena Barbital on the Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls, about her work as a well-known roller derby poster artist, her skating career, and her recent portrait drive. fiveonfive: Before working as a roller derby artist, you made a lot of band posters. Is there much of a difference between creating poster art for bands versus art for roller derby bouts? Whiskey7: When I joined derby it really helped me find myself as an artist and develop a style people can recognize. Before derby, I played guitar and sang in bands since I was 16 years old, so my style has changed a lot over the years. All of my posters were completely random and most of them were what I thought would be funny to draw at the time and the style was all over the place. I definitely wasn’t into consistency or a specific “look.” I was drawing hot chicks with skulls for faces, donuts, melting ice cream, guitars on fire and zombie girls. I think that translated well into my derby work, because you can still see a lot of that coming through in my posters. fiveonfive: Who or what are some of your artistic influences/inspirations? Whiskey7: My first huge inspiration was Jamie Hewlett and the Tank Girl series when I was about 14 or 15. I remember skateboarding past this comic book store that was going out of business. I went in and ended up discovering comic art and buying $7 worth of Tank Girl comics at 30 cents each. I came home with a big bag of comic books and I proceeded to hole up in my room and copy each and every frame into my sketchbooks. After that, I started drawing my own comic books about apocalyptic chicks and low rider bikes that I sold at punk shows for $1.
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Today, I would have to say that I’m really inspired by other roller derby artists like Jay Vollmar from Rocky Mountain and Kevin O’Rourke at Crown Vic Productions in Detroit. As far as design goes, I really like Pitt Stane’s work from Naptown Rollergirls. I started a Roller Derby Artists page on myspace (myspace.com/derbyartists) in ode to these artists this year to show off some of the awesome talent we have in derby. Right now on that site you can see work from 12 different and extremely talented artists and it keeps growing every day. Of course there are other non-derby poster artists like Tara McPherson, Frank Kozik and Coop whose artwork is a constant inspiration to me. fiveonfive: You’ve done artwork for leagues all over the place, including Duke City Derby and the Oil City Derby Girls both on a regular basis as well as many others across the country. How do you create personalized posters for so many different teams? How do you come up with unique ideas that fit each bout?
Whiskey7: I would like to take credit for all the craziness and originality of some of my posters, but I can’t. A lot of the final images come from league marketing directors, or brainstorming over the phone about what would be cool. I work really well with specific ideas and guidelines and sometimes when leagues tell me to do whatever I want I can either come up with some amazing concepts or just hit a wall and have no idea of how to encompass a league, especially if I don’t know anything about them! One thing is for certain though – the originality and personality in derby is a nonstop source of inspiration to me. The team themes and the uniforms, the names and the personalities of the skaters are constantly turning my gears and making me want to do everything I can to encompass and capture the culture and sassiness of derby girls all over the globe. fiveonfive: After an injury, you recently held a portrait drive and created personalized posters for rollergirls. How did you come up with this and what kind of response did you get? What was your favorite portrait to create? Any good stories about ‘em? Whiskey7: Well, I broke my leg at derby practice on Jan. 15th, four days before we were supposed to play Dominion Derby Girls. I was a travel team
captain and was super bummed out. The company I worked for as a graphic designer shut down over Christmas. I was way down and out on my luck at that point in time – jobless, no health insurance, and I was in a wheelchair from my leg break and surgery. I had no idea what I was going to do, and how I was going to pay my bills. Bruce Killis from my team decided the night I broke my leg I was coming home to live with her, and I stayed on her couch every night for three months. She fed me, carried me, washed my hair in the sink, and threw me a big birthday party in February and got the whole team there. I seriously didn’t know what I would have done without her. So, as a thank you I decided I was going to do a portrait of her and I gave it to her as a present. It kind of sparked something in both of our heads that maybe this is how I could pay some of my bills off – by trying to make Whiskey7 a full-time thing until I could get back on my feet – and the portrait drive was born. Not only did I get a lot of portraits from the portrait drive, but I also got a lot of work doing bout posters and programs, and illustrations for rock bands and magazines and I was able to support myself doing this. I ended up moving in with Bruce and moving out of the nice house I was renting at the time because I just couldn’t afford it anymore. I’m back
art and media on skates now and still doing W7 full-time for now. I like to think that everything happens in life for a reason and that maybe breaking my leg was the only way to get that push out of the nest I needed to be forced to pursue my ultimate dream of working for myself making art for a living. With that said, I’m really poor right now – but I’ve also never been happier. I think my favorite portrait to create was for Sara Problem? With Rat City Rollergirls. Her personality and named just rocked. fiveonfive: Is there any skater or team out there who you haven’t worked with that you would kill to do a poster or portrait on? Whiskey7: Some of my favorite team themes are the Furious Truckstop Waitresses from Tucson Roller Derby, Bellingham Roller Betties’ Thigh High Samurais, Brewcity Bruiser’s Crazy Eights and Beerleaders, Harbor City RollerDames’ Church of Skaten, The Hell Marys and Texecutioners from Texas Rollergirls, Salt City Derby Girls’ Leave it to Cleavers, No Coast Derby Girls’ Mary Kay Mafia, OC Roller Girls’ Pycho Ex-Girlfriends, Mad Rollin’ Dolls’ Reservoir Dolls, Carolina Rollergirls’ Trauma Queens, LA Derby Dolls’ Tru$t Fund Terror$…and the list goes on an on. I think it would be cool to do the WFTDA board of directors together in a seedy bar mafia style sittin’ in a round red booth playin’ poker with tommy guns and aces up their sleeves and somehow encompass how this terrific group of ladies does so much for our sport.
You can check out Whiskey7’s artwork at myspace.com/double_whiskey7, and you can also find the Roller Derby Artists page she maintains with a number of featured posters and work from various leagues at myspace.com/derbyartists.
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Check out Whiskey7's featured derby posters for fall – hand picked from leagues across the derby community!
July 2008 Speed Regime vs. Night Terrors Mobtown Mods vs. Junkyard Dolls charmcityrollergirls.com artist: Paigey myspace.com/iampaigey May 2008 Rocky Mountain Rollergirls vs. Providence Roller Derby rockymountainrollergirls.com artist: Jay Vollmar jayvollmar.com
August 2006 Derby Liberation Front vs. Sockit Wenches Grave Danger vs. Throttle Rockets ratcityrollergirls.com artist: Krysztof Nemeth charm-school.com
October 2007 Detroit Derby Girls vs. Sin City Rollergirls charmcityrollergirls.com artist: Kevin O’Rourke Crown Vic Productions crownvicproductions.com
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 47
classifieds Want to get rid of that old gear? Need to get the word out about something to the derby community? Searching high and low for something you just can’t find? Submit your classified text (up to 50 words) to classifieds@fiveonfivemag.com to include in our next issue!
WANTED Help us help you find what you need!
FOR SALE Submit details to get those gently used but no longer being abused skates out of your hair! Only worn once! Women’s size 8.5 Reidell 265 Wicked package, includes 265 boot, PowerDyne Aluminum lightweight plates, Super Grip Tuner wheels, KWIK abec 9 Precision speed bearings. Original price: $314. Asking $150 plus shipping OBO. Contact Miss Jane RedRum, FWDG at arecker@businesspeople.com or 260-312-7343.
PLACES TO CRASH If you’ve got the hookup in your home town for visiting derby girls, send us your contact info and details! SOUTH DAKOTA – Rapid City If you are visiting Rapid City, SD, the Rushmore Rollerz will put you up and even show you the town! Contact rushmorerollerz@hotmail.com if you will be in the area.
CHECK THIS OUT! If you play derby and want to get the word out about something awesome, send your text our way! Derby Nation is a community for roller derby created by roller derby players! Leagues: use Derby Nation as a tool to promote your events and network with other roller derby leagues. Join the Derby Nation TODAY! derbynation.net Help Tequila! Tequila Mockingbird, a member of the Windy City Rollers since 2004, suffered a serious spinal chord injury during a 2007 bout. She is currently undergoing physical therapy and, due to her hard work and determination, has regained some movement in all of her limbs. There is still much work to be done, however, and all money raised will help pay for desperately needed medical, rent, and other living expenses. For more information, visit helptequila.com or email Kola Loca at kolaloka911@yahoo.com. Texas Rollergirls’ Boot Camp The Texas Rollergirls will host a weekend of intensive derby training December 5-7, 2008 in Austin, TX. Sessions include positional workshops, strategy discussions, and a ticket to the WFTDA sanctioned bout: Wheels of Justice (Rose City) vs. Texecutioners. Email bootcamp@txrollergirls.com for registration information. Ref training also available.
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GOT CHOCOLATE? Personally by Edward Dearth
Customized candy bars with full color team logos and photos with text in 100s of different fonts. Great fundraiser merch for bouts and team appearances. Designed by a derby fan for derby fans. Email proofs available. EdwardDearth.com airdale323@yahoo.com
your ad here! fiveonfive magazine’s classified ads are cheap and even cheaper for derby-owned businesses! for more information, email advertising@fiveonfivemag.com. Derbylove Derbylove exists to bring roller derby inspired fashion forward apparel to the masses. Position patches, shirts and panties are but a few of our offerings. Skater, coach and announcer owned and operated. We’ll be at regionals and nationals so come check us out or order online today at www.derbylove.net. My Pom Poms Made for your skates or your shoes in custom colors and named after you! Bout tested, Roller Girl Approved. Made by Jane Dope of the Angel City Derby Girls. Get yours today. myspace.com/mypompoms. Also available at Viaderby.com.
k boo This must is a f or all e h a v e r by D !! ers! Lov
www.speckpress.com also available from your local book store $18.00 ISBN-13: 978-1-933108-11-7
answers:
fiveonfivemag.com | Fall 2008 | 49
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horoscopes P R OV I D E D B Y Y O U R D E R B Y P S Y C H I C , L U S C I O U S S M A C K S O M E
VIRGO
PISCES
August 23-September 22
February 20-March 20
Your most beneficial developments will occur in your communication with your teammates on the track. Once this happens, you will be unstoppable!
Something that you have been hoping for could become a reality for you this month. Those that have been watching you will see these hopes turn into your reality. This motivates not only you, but also your team!
LIBRA September 23-October 23
Whatever you go after, keep in mind the ultimate goal of that jam. By doing so, even if you do not reach your optimal goal, the end result is apt to be better than you anticipated.
SCORPIO
ARIES March 21-April 19
Nothing can stand in your way if you are confident. Establish your strategy and objectives and vigorously pursue them, and the end results you are seeking will be yours!
October 24-November 22
Because you are a strong player, you could be far more fortunate than usual this month by focusing on your weaknesses rather than your strengths. This will help your team rather than lead to only personal gain.
TA U R U S April 20-May 20
What makes you so formidable is that you can distinguish between foolish game play and a wellcalculated strategy. You only take risks when the odds are in your favor.
S A G I T TA R I U S November 23-December 21
GEMINI
Don’t despair if you’ve been in a rut lately. Lucky breaks are happening all around you, and you will be able to take advantage of that. Don’t forget why you are on the track!
May 21-June 20
The window of opportunity is wide open for you at this moment, so don’t sit on the sidelines for too long. When you get your opportunity, take it, and make it count!
CAPRICORN December 22-January 19
CANCER
You’re the type of player who can usually deal with challenging issues better than with those problems you deem insignificant. In your instance, there should be at least one significant game coming up that will make you a winner!
June 21-July 22
Don’t go at it alone if possible. Working with your team will prove to be a greater asset to you than trying to make the plays on your own. Teamwork will be much more beneficial to you than your attempts to do things single-handedly.
AQUARIUS January 20-February 19
LEO
Interesting developments that could elevate your level of game play are blossoming all around you. You may find yourself playing like you never have before. Take advantage!
July 23-August 22
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It shouldn’t take long for you to get your act together on the track. Once you make that first hit, you’ll take the lead – best of luck to anyone who wants to catch up to you!
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WOMEN’S FLAT TRACK DERBY ASSOCIATION (WFTDA)
like what you see? GET YOUR VERY OWN SUBSCRIPTION! FOUR ISSUES PER YEAR! WFTDA league members: $17.99 (includes shipping) non-WFTDA league members: $25.99 (includes shipping)
fiveonfivemag.com
WFTDA Ready to take your league to the next level? WFTDA provides members with the tools they need to grow and reach their goals!
REAL “WFTDA membership gives us resources to help us succeed and connect with other leagues all around the country. Joining WFTDA was one of our goals from the start of this league, and now it’s paying off.” - Brew HaHa!, President, Salt City Derby Girls Member since December 2007
STRONG “The biggest benefit for us has been the daily interaction with the entire veteran derby community, exchanging our best ideas and information. This access has really helped our league grow as a business!” -The Ruffian, Director, Dominion Derby Girls Member since January 2007
ATHLETIC “The collective bargaining power we have now was something we all hoped for in the beginning, and now that we’ve realized it, it’s clear we never would’ve had this much power to negotiate with industries like insurance and media alone. It’s also amazing how we, as a league, still share the same challenges with newer leagues and face them together.” -Lorna Boom, Business Manager, Rat City Roller Girls Founding Member
REVOLUTIONARY © katie stapely
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www.wftda.com