Forget the extravaganza that is Boston sports. Sure, the Red Sox are great to watch on television and read about in the paper, but try finding a seat at one of their games. Yes, we have had some great victories recently, followed faithfully by the traditional victory riots. But slowly the rioting and the looting had lost its luster. Boston needs someone, or something to spice things up; the Boston Derby Dames are just the girls to fill those skates.
This past Evacuation day, Mass Art hosted a Boston Derby Dames exhibition match. The Boston Derby Dames wanted to have an event to raise awareness of the sport. The event sold out quickly, and according to reports, over 300 people had to be turned away at the door. The girls managed to battle it out in short innings, and when they weren’t on the floor were seating people, selling snacks, hawking merchandise, and helping people out, Evilicous remarked, “We are skater owned and operated, and we do everything.”
The Boston Derby Dames is a local league, and part of the FTDA, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The league is made up of three teams: the Wicked Pissahs, the Nutcrackers and Cosmonaughties. Each team has its own team outfit, and every roller has her own funny name; take league founder Ivana Clobber for instance. The Boston Derby Dames will play one another from May to September, come October, the best skaters will get together to create their all-star team, The Boston Massacres, who will then battle with other WFTDA teams. Finals are in January.
They are fierce competitors, who hit hard and don’t hold back displaying both grit and determination. The women look really good too, in their scantily clad uniforms. The exhibition did a good job at displaying both the skaters’ talent and the charming nature of the sport, “We get very competitive with each other, but we have a rule what happens out there stays out there,” said Shellby Shattered, team captain of the Wicked Pissahs.
To start things off, each competitor introduced herself to the crowd. A series of bouts followed, and between each the band, The Fury III, played, which really kept the crowd engaged. Crowd involvement is unavoidable since spectators are right next to the track. A disclaimer was given before the competition, to let the crowd know the hazards of occupying the bottom rows, because the skaters inevitably crash into the crowd. There where no bad seats, only dangerous seats. The night finally ended with the Dames inviting the crowd to join them for a few pints. “What other sport can you get that involvement,” said Evilicous.
If you cannot wait till May for a full-length match, worry not. The Derby Dames have already organized a fashion show and a prom. “We plan to have fun parties and get people excited about the Derby Dames.” The rollers stressed that roller derby is for no specific body type, but the skaters demand that “freshmeat” go through rigorous training before being so much as considered for a team. “We have now gained a team mentality that a lot of us never pictured ourselves being involved in,” said Evilicous.
For more information on rules and such you can contact either www.bostonderbydames.com or www.wftda.com