A 2010 derby odyssey

Wow! Season 4 is about to commence for our wheeled derby warriors, the Brewcity Bruisers. It seems like only yesterday  this fearless reporter struggled to take notes in a sweaty, beer-soaked mob at the Bruisers’ pre-bout expo for season one at Summerfest.

And while the league has come a long way, there’s still plenty of mystery about how it all really works. So for those of you who will soon be die-hard derby fans, TCD offers a quick primer.

 BRUISERS 101

The Bruisers, like many roller derby leagues, are split into four teams — The Rushin’ Rollettes, Crazy 8s, Maiden Milwaukee and the Shevil Knevils. During the league season, these four teams play against each other once a month, leading up to a championship bout at the end of the season in May. During the league season, a travel team is formed with select players from each team. These former competitors (called the All-Stars) join together and take on other travel teams from around the country in regional or private bouts. In addition, there is a “B”-Team — the Brewcity Battlestars — that travels in the off-season. The Bruisers also have a large support crew — the Brewcity Beerleaders, referees, statisticians, announcers, mascots, EMTs (in case of injuries — it happens) and other volunteers.

These skaters and volunteers dedicate a lot of time practicing and performing the art of derby. Although there are a lot of rules, gameplay comes down to one simple idea:  each team has a jammer on the track, and these two jammers are trying to score points for their team. The jammer scores by skating through a pack, which consists of the jammer’s teammates and the other team’s blockers and pivots. The pivots lead the pace of their team’s blockers. A good jammer is a fast, agile skater, adept at maneuvering around people. They can duck, zoom, do limbo moves and turn tight corners. A good blocker is solid and good at getting in the opposing jammer’s way, slowing her down and forcing her out of the track. A good pivot has both jammer and blocker qualities and is good at being aware of where the other skaters are on the track.

The entire rulebook is written by the national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), of which the Bruisers are members. Like anything new, it’s hard to tell what is going on out there at first, but you get the hang of it after watching a couple of jams. Jams are what each session (from whistle to whistle) is divided into during the course of bout. Each one is two minutes long, unless the jammer who is declared “lead” strategically calls it off before the other jammer can score points. It may seem like a short time, but a team’s endurance and ability to stay with it for an entire bout is key to winning derby.

Which of the teams will be in the winner’s circle this season? It’s anyone’s game at this point. Here’s a look at the four teams vying for glory:

 

RUSHIN’ ROLLETTES

Season after season, the Rollettes have built up a hard-to-break iron curtain defense and an offense as cold as their namesake hammer and sickle. The Rollettes won the championship in Season 1 and 3.

One of their most successful weapons is an extensive lineup of talented jammers, most of whom are returning this season, along with new skaters Beat Around the Bush, Freckillz, Suzie Hotpants, Blue Siren and Fergie Vicious.

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CRAZY 8s

The Season 2 champs had a rough time last season with injuries sidelining several of their team members. Jammer and blocker Jenerous Beatings tells me that the 8s have undergone some changes this season. First, their captain for three seasons and the league’s high scorer, Cookie Ciano will continue to jam but is being replaced as captain by co-captains Termiskater and Kat Scratch Fever, who are both also entering their fourth season. Beatings says it’s been a good transition and the team has developed new strategies, including more dual skaters who play both jammer and blocker positions.

The team lost jammer and blocker The Mechanic and blocker Queen Latina, but has picked up a half dozen new players including Zo-Tay, Latina Heat, Sharkira, Mean Legs and Slam, Sin N Innocence and Magic Hate Ball.

 

MAIDEN MILWAUKEE

The Maidens have come a long way from the inaugural season, advancing to their first Championship bout last season but falling short to the Rollettes. The Maidens’ blue-collar ethic is reflected in their ability to work well together and their reputation for having some of the fastest jammers in the league.

The Maidens have also switched captains, this year led by all-star skater Rejected Seoul and Betty Clobber. Maidens jammer Damnaged Goods has an enthusiastic evaluation of her team: “Let’s just start off by stating that the Maidens are working class, kicking ass and loving it! We are team booty because we have the best butts ever! Duh! Jock Jams are a staple in order to get pumped up for our bout. Everyone hates endurance drills, but the Maidens love it because it makes us stronger. I feel as though the Maidens win every year by just having fun and giving it our best.”

The team lost blockers Mexicutioner and Babe View, along with crowd favorite Sea Hag, but picked up new skaters Habeas Kickass, Melissa Mayhem, Ms. Pacman, Rascal and Slayerah.

 

SHEVIL KNEVILS

The Knevils are the underdogs of the league. They’ve had a basement record every season so far, but they have a very loyal fan base that knows that every underdog has their day.

Returning to captain the team for her fourth season is Becky the Butcher along with co-captain Terror Lapinski. The team also adds all star and former Maiden Grace Killy to their lineup, along with new skaters Penny Maim, Skittle, Thunder Bunnie and Anita Bier.

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DERBY LITTLE SECRETS

On a somewhat frowny face emoticon note, I will be missing at least part of the season as I voyage into the frozen North. Nevertheless, ThirdCoast Digest will still be the source for ongoing Bruisers’ news and coverage, brought to you by the derby-happy TCD staff.

The season opener is Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin. You can find more ticket and derby info at the Brewcity Bruisers website. ThirdCoast Digest is a happy sponsor of derby, including our upcoming “Derby Little Secrets” video podcasts featuring 2010 BCB announcers DJ Hostettler (codename: Dr. Awkward) and Stephanie King (codename: Gloria Hole). Stay tuned!