Behind the Scenes - Roller Derby
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When I was little, I would watch roller derby on TV on Sunday mornings before church. Probably not the peaceful introspection my mom would have wanted, but I was fascinated with the game and the women athletes. I loved to roller skate in the seventies and eighties and thought it would have been so cool to try it. I’ve never been to an in-person jam, but it’s still on my bucket list after all these years. We have a local team, River City Roller Derby, and it’s definitely on my things-to-do-after-the-pandemic list.
In THE TULIP SHIRT MURDERS, sassy PI, Delanie Fitzgerald, tracks down a lead who is part of the roller derby scene. The skater agrees to answer Delanie’s questions if she’ll suit up and help the team out at practice when they are short a few members. And Delanie is braver than I am. After surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon, I may be relegated to the audience.
I had a lot of fun researching the sport. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) site has a great overview (and anything you ever wanted to know about the rules). There’s a neat infographic and links to Roller Derby 101 videos.
I am fascinated with the jammers and the blockers. The jammers are the only ones who can score for their team, and they have the cool star on their helmets.
