Gotham Girls’ Wall Street Traitors Triumph in Roller Derby Tournament, Long Island Roller Rebels Advance to Semi-Finals
On Saturday, Sept. 3, the Long Island Roller Rebels hosted the second annual Empire Skate Showdown. Roller derby skaters, or “Derby Girls,” from all over the state descended on Skate Safe America in Old Bethpage for the Showdown. While there was plenty of the traditional glitter and fun associated with the sport, the all-day contest to determine the best female roller derby team in New York State for 2011 brought out the kind of physical, aggressive play that football and hockey fans could appreciate.
The event showcased the top roller derby teams from New York. In total, there were 16 teams showcased in this double elimination, round robin styled tournament. Nine New York female teams competed in 16 challenge bouts to determine who could boast the title of Big Apple Champions. The teams participating were: Gotham Girls’ Wall Street Traitors (NYC), Assault City Roller Girls (Syracuse), Ithaca Suffragettes (Ithaca), ROC City Roller Derby (Rochester), Hudson Valley Horrors (Hudson Valley) Albany All Stars (Albany) Hellions of Troy Roller Derby (Troy), Central New York Roller Derby (Utica) and Long Island’s very own Long Island Roller Rebels.
It was an eventful day as the Roller Rebels tried to secure their first championship win after falling short last year. The team consists of volunteers who willingly put on the gear and pads and go toe-to-toe with some of the hardest roller skaters you have ever seen.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, the action of roller derby takes place during two-minute intervals called jams. There are three positions: The scorer, called a jammer, scores points for her team by lapping members of the opposing team during a jam. Skaters of the second position, called blockers, try to block the other team’s jammer from passing them. The third position is the pivot, who sets the pace for the blockers and acts as their leader.
The blockers and pivots make up “the pack,” which a jammer must pass through in order to become the lead jammer, at which point they have the right to end the jam at any time for strategic purposes. While blocking the opposing team’s jammer, blockers also try to assist their own jammer in getting to the front of the pack.
It all sounds nice and simple on paper, but when these girls hit the track, all bets are off. There are of course some rules for hitting, such as nothing in the back or taking out someone’s legs. Penalties result in the player having to sit out the jam session until it is over. Aside from the few exceptions, these girls, clad in skirts and pads, are brawling.
They knock each other to the ground and basically go pound for pound while trying to clear space on the somewhat small, flat, track space. It is no easy task. Luckily for the Rebels, the girls came to play on Saturday. The team features the best skaters Long Island has to offer. They are led by “Captain Morgan” and co-captain “Celtic Thunder”.
Unfortunately, the Roller Rebels lost their first match of the game by a small margin, but rebounded in the second game, winning 88-18. The Rebels then went on to secure a spot in the semi-finals against the Gotham Girls Wall Street Traitors.
It was a tough bout, but sadly, the Rebels lost 64-25. The Traitors eventually went on to win in thrilling fashion against Central New York, to claim this year’s title.
The turnout was big this year, and roller derby seems to be on the upswing across the globe. Perhaps in some time, we might begin to see roller derby on television. These girls play to win and to fight. Don’t let the roller skates fool you, these girls are more like football players, the way they bash and hit each other. It is not a sport for the weak or queasy; there are some hard hits and this is a sport to take seriously. Next year’s derby should be even more exciting.
On Saturday, Oct. 29, the Long Island Roller Rebels will be holding a Halloween Fundraiser at the Broadway Bar in Amityville from 10 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about upcoming local roller derby bouts and events, visit www.longislandrollerrebels.com.
