I haven’t seen Whip It, the roller derby movie with Drew Barrymore, but now I want to. We’ve been to our first roller derby match, and it was awesome!
You gotta love a sport where the players have names like: Mental Block, Divine Wreckage, Assay Kicker, Clara Form, Crimes New Roman, Judy Additudy, Hellen Bed, Ashlee Juggz (#34DD), Jane Scayre, Katherine Hipburn, Asalt N Pepper…
Basically, there are two teams. Each team starts with four blockers (or rather, three blockers and a pivot), and one jammer. The jammers start skating behind the blockers, and try to pass them. For each blocker from the other team that the jammer passes, the jammer’s team gets a point. The match consists of two 30 minute rounds, and within each round is a series of two minute (or less) “jams.” The lead jammer (the one who gets out first) can end the jam by flapping her arms like a chicken.
While they are skating around, the blockers do their thing by hip checking, elbowing, holding hands, and doing what they can to prevent the other team’s jammer from passing.
