Meet The Long Island Roller Rebels
You don’t want to mess with the Long Island Roller Rebels (LIRR). Now in the middle of their 10th season, the skaters of Long Island’s flat track roller derby league are part of a derby revolution sweeping the country.
aka AccountDeeRacula (Photos by Dan Heller)
aka Baby BopYo Face
aka Belligerent Bex
aka Betty or Not
aka Ciguapa
aka Crashtastic Cate
aka Dolce Beata
aka Femme&M
aka Hammer of Thori
aka Hannibal Shechter
aka Merry Death Star
aka Murderbus
aka Skinner Alive
Thin Slice of Violence
aka Turdschmerggle
Not pictured: #1818 Kirsten Rizzo aka Anne Frankenstein (Photos by Dan Heller)
While roller derby dates back to the 1920s, it saw a revival in the early 2000s and since the LIRR was launched in 2006, the popularity and demand on Long Island has been growing. And it’s no question why—derby is not only a fun sport to play but the athleticism and speed make it exciting to watch as well.
Flat track roller derby is a physically demanding, high contact team sport. Each team has five players on the track—one jammer and four blockers. The role of the jammer is to score points by passing blockers on the opposing team. While jammers are trying to skate around the track and other skaters, the blockers are forming a pack to keep them from getting by.
The LIRR, which consists of 19 All Stars (or “A” team members) and five Rock-A-Betty Bruisers (the “B” team of newer skaters), has eight home games from March through November. The exciting, high energy games draw anywhere from 500 to 600 fans, anxious to see their favorite skaters rough it out on the track. Here’s a look at the All Star lineup for the 2016 season.
Find out more about what it takes to be a LIRR, see Derby Desire.
https://liweekly.wpengine.com/derby-desire/
