Local News and Views
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Sports
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Friday, 31 July 2009 14:24 |
By Francis Scudellari
On Saturday, July 25, Philadelphia rolled into Chicago’s UIC Pavilion in a match of two Flat-Track Women’s Roller Derby powerhouses. It was a classic pairing of the Windy City All Star’s athleticism versus the Liberty Belles strength and size. That’s not to diminish the visitors’ skating skills, which were on prominent display throughout the bout.
Philly’s announcer let the home crowd know before the match that the Belles were used to boos and taunts. In fact, she said, they thrive on the negativity, hailing from a town known for its bullying fans. The Chicago supporters obliged her with a heartfelt round of boos that was more aimed at playfully welcoming the Belles than disapproving of their presence.
As the bout began, the Belles repeatedly captured the coveted lead-jammer status. Their methodical style of play early on bottled up the All Stars’ jammers, and it knocked the air out of the usually loud and boisterous hometown crowd.
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Friday, 24 July 2009 18:12 |
 By Francis Scudellari
The exciting news came via a phone call that was followed by a flurry of congratulatory text messages from her new teammates. Tru Shove was just drafted onto the Windy City Rollers league’s Double Crossers squad after spending a year on the Haymarket Rioters farm team.
It’s the next big step in Tru Shove’s already thrilling journey through the world of women’s flat track roller derby, and it’s one that she hopes will open up many more opportunities.
Outside the world of Roller Derby, Tru Shove is known as Ali Schwarz and she works as a Speech Pathologist with Special Education kids in the Niles Township school system. She’s lived in Rogers Park for what she describes as “forever.”
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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.
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Friday, 10 July 2009 20:52 |
 By Francis Scudellari
Recently, I sat down with Ruth Enasia from the Manic Attackers of the Windy City Rollers (WCR) league to continue my indoctrination into Roller Derby, and capture a glimpse of the women behind the sport.
Ruth’s real name is Kim Elsham, and besides skating and handling the league’s media operations, she works full time in the press office of the French Trade Commission. It might amaze some that she has the energy to balance so much, but talking to her it’s easy to see an inner fire fed by passion for the sport and a deep commitment to the league.
Having personally become a bit jaded with major sports and their pampered athletes, out-sized payrolls, and frequent scandals, it was refreshing to rediscover the spark of genuine excitement in discussing the best characteristics of competitive athletics.
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Sports
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Friday, 12 June 2009 04:01 |
 By Francis Scudellari
Here at The Urban Coaster, we’ve been asked periodically whether we’d ever consider breaking into the sports arena.
Local athletics coverage is a cornerstone of any journalistic endeavor these days, so it’s a natural question to ask. Our answer, however, has always been a very demurring and hesitant, “sure, at some point.”
The truth is, we were waiting to find a good sports match for our particular brand of free-wheeling, creatively edgy, grass-roots fueled journalism. Covering the over-exposed world of major sports leagues that the mass media routinely bows down before was entirely out of the question.
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