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Sports
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Thursday, 25 June 2009 00:46 |
 By Francis Scudellari
On June 20, I was baptized into the sport of women’s flat-track roller derby and emerged a zealous convert. The occasion was the title bout of the Windy City Rollers (WCR) league, with the Manic Attackers and Hells Belles vying for the Ivy King Cup.
In a nod to the sport’s past, the championship trophy is named for Ivy King who skated in the 1930s when Roller Derby was first born in Chicago. Today’s version, however, has evolved much from those roots, combining a do-it-yourself aesthetic, a feminist attitude, and grass-roots organizing.
There may be an unabashed theatricality to the league (bombastic announcers, punning aliases, racy costumes and rock-n-roll blasted intermissions), but it can’t disguise or diminish the competitiveness of the skaters, or their amazing skill and power.
The title bout itself included a story line that any major sport would be envious of: The underdog Manic Attackers, in “feel good” fashion, had rebounded from two winless seasons to reach their first finals.
Their opponent, the Hell’s Belles, were the defending champion with a “love ‘em or hate ‘em” aura akin to the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys. The Belles capped an undefeated 2008 campaign by winning the Cup, and this night marked their fourth straight appearance in the finals. They also carried a reputation for mercilessness on their chippy shoulders.
The league’s penchant for showmanship was well-captured in the warm up skate, as the punk-polka outfit The Polkaholics played the Chicken Dance while the two teams lapped the track engaging in the appropriate avian gestures.
 Both side’s fans were well represented, but because of the team’s underdog status there was a pro-Manics sentiment that extended beyond their fan base. The crowd noise grew so thunderous during the player introductions, it threatened to drown out the announcers.
I was lucky to have Flash Hottie, who skates with the WCR farm team, act as my guide on the evening. She got me up to speed on the basic rules. For example, a jammer is the star-helmeted skater who scores points during the two-minute races called “jams.” Her four blockers try to clear a path for her, and to stop the opposite jammer.
She also graciously and patiently pointed out to me (“a derby virgin”) the nuances of the game, sharing insights such as: “You can always tell a good derby girl by how fast she gets up.”
The two teams’ intensity was evident from the first whistle. These skaters were in it to win it, as the many bodies knocked to the hard track surface and the constantly overflowing penalty boxes could attest.
The championship had its own dramatic ebb and flow. After a pretty even start to the evening’s action, the Belles grabbed control of the bout 13 jams in when Athena DeCrime took advantage of Beth Amphetamine’s time in the sin bin to score a 12-point jam.
 Varla Vendetta soon after seized on Ying O’Fire’s absence to rack up 20-points and push the Belles’ lead to 67 to 28. It was an advantage that they maintained until the final jam of the first half. Undaunted by the deficit, the Manics fans tried to rally their troops with a vocal chant of the team’s name during a time out.
That never-say-die energy seemed to do the trick, as Ruth Enasia turned the tables on the Belles whose jammer Athena was sent off. Lapping up 15 points to close the period, Ruth sent the Manics to the locker room with momentum and the deficit trimmed to 74-47.
Flash told me at half time that the Manics had come back from a large deficit on the Belles earlier in the season. Proving her point, Ying skated 15 and 18 point jams in the second period’s opening minutes to close the bout’s gap to a scant two points. Penalties once again proved the determining factor, as Belles jammers were sent to the sin bin on both occasions.
In the half’s sixth jam, Ruth completed the comeback from 39-points down to give the Manics a 94-92 lead. The advantage see-sawed between the two sides over the next ten jams, before the Manics grabbed it for good. Shortly after Belles star blocker Megan Formor fouled out, Beth extended a slim three-point Manic lead to a more comfortable seven.
Ying then put the Belles away with a 10-point jam while Varla watched helplessly from the penalty box. Sensing that victory finally belonged to the Manics, the blue clad jammer blew kisses to the crowd as she lapped the track. Feeding on that momentum, Beth grabbed four more points and extended the lead to its final margin of 137-115 with one minute left.
Malice With Chains, the Manics always daunting blocker, donned the starred helmet for the final “jammerless” jam and waved the Manics fans into a frenzy as she skated out the bout’s last seconds.
 After the final whistle blew, the euphoric Manics piled on top each other at center track to celebrate their long climb to the top of the WCR. It was a joy they would soon share with their fans, who lined the track with arms extended awaiting a victory lap of high-fives from their favorite skaters.
Another season completed, the WCR now shifts into all-star mode. The best skaters from its four teams (Manics, Belles, Double Crossers, and The Fury) will band together to compete against rival cities over the summer. Last year the WCR stars finished second in the nation, and they’re looking to move up to the top slot this season.
They’ll be tested early when the No. 3-ranked Philadelphia team visits the UIC Pavilion on July 25.
Windy City Rollers All-Stars 2009 Schedule
- June 27: vs. Cincinnati (at Philadelphia for East Coast Extravaganza)
- June 28: vs. Boston (at Philadelphia for East Coast Extravaganza)
- July 25: vs. Philadelphia (home)
- August 15: at Seattle
- August 29: vs. Baltimore (home)
- September 18-20: North Central Regional Tournament (Minnesota)
- October 17: vs. Portland (home)
- November 13-15: WFTDA National Tournament (Philadelphia)
All home games at UIC Pavilion
All away games broadcast live at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St.
For tickets and more information, visit: windycityrollers.com
Photo information (from top):
- The Manics’ Beth Amphetamine (left) and Malice With Chains celebrate the Ivy King Cup (Credit: Katie Stapely)
- Ruth Enasia (foreground) helps teammate Malice With Chains clear the pack (Credit: Katie Stapely)
- The Manics’ Malice With Chains tries to block the Belles' Varla Vendetta (Credit: Gil Leora)
- Ying O'Fire leads the Manics in toasting their first Ivy King Cup (Credit: Katie Stapely)
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