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Carolina Roller Girls: Beauty, Brains and Brawn!

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The Glory, the Guts and the Glamour

When I was a little girl roller derby was a staple on TV. There weren't many other sports, but we watched Roller Derby. It was played on a banked rink then, and each team had a men's team and a women's. They alternated.

Roller Derby was avante guarde in that it was on TV and that it was coed. I had thought it had gone the way of the dinosaur and become extinct, but I still remembered it occasionally.

Then I discovered that an old friend, Angie, was an athlete in the new Roller Derby, now women only, skated on a flat track and with much more excitement and spectacle than it ever had before.

Thus I discovered the 21st century world of the Roller Derby and the Carolina Roller Girls; Glory, Guts and Glamor. I wanted to share it with you all and give these women the notice they deserve.

This is very much a 'lens in progress'. I have other interviews to do and more to ad throughout the year. But I wanted to bring it to you now so that you can have time to go out and enjoy the Roller Derby in your area. Enjoy the lens, come back to visit to see what's new and get out to the Derby!

Contents at a Glance

Roller Derby in History
What Is Roller Derby? Women of All Shape...
Roller Derby Was on TV in 1948
The Roller Derby and Me
Talk Derby to Me...Your Place, or Dorton...

Wikipedia says it best, "Roller derby is an American-invented contact sport-and historically, a form of sports entertainment-based on formation roller skating around an oval track. In past decades, roller derby had been primarily a professional or paid sport for both women and men. Contemporary roller derby is international, predominantly female, typically operates on an amateur (or unpaid) circuit, and has a strong do it yourself ethic which often features both athleticism and a satirical punk third-wave feminism aesthetic."

As I said, I first watched it as a child starting in 1952 when we got our first TV. Although Iowa had girls' basketball at the time, I was fascinated to see women in such a rough sport. I wasn't sure what it even meant, I didn't aspire to getting knocked about, but I was also drawn.

Derby originated in the 1920's as an endurance sport; the kind of marathoning that would become a spectator sport in the 1930's.

When Leo Seltzer and Damon Runyon added the contact aspect to it, it began to expand and become more organized. The sport weathered several ebbs and flows to its popularity, but the professional, profit making, pay the players aspect ended in 1971.

Today's roller Derby is mostly female and all volunteer. It is played on a flat track as opposed to banked. The women are fiercely proud of their independence but also looking forward to the day when they don't have to hang their own banners before the bout.

Roller Derby is growing, there may likely be one in your community. If there isn't there are people nearby willing to help you start one!

More From Wiki

Long and Interesting History: Skating increased in popularity as early as 1884. Banked wall Derby, with co-ed teams started in the Depression as interest in Walk-a-Thons waned.

Today it is flat rink, mostly female grass roots leagues.

What Is Roller Derby? Women of All Shapes and Sizes Dedicated to Athletic Excellence and a Great Show : Pink Slip, Deviled Legs

Roller Derby Was on TV in 1948

Few families even owned TV's; people gathered in bars to watch.

What other sports were televised that early?

The Roller Derby and Me

As I have previously stated, I watched bank track, co-ed Roller Derby on TV when I was little. It would cross my mind occasionally, but it wasn't a big deal.

Several years ago I met a charming young woman named Angie. At the time she was coaching high school volleyball and getting gigs as a professional singer. She was young and still searching for her bliss.

Recently I noted that there were signs around Raleigh for the Carolina Roller Girls, I was interested, but busy.

Then our mutual friend Rose told me that Angie, now known as Deviled Legs, was a Roller Girl! I went to a bout shortly after and what fun. There was so much going on, so many people doing so many things to entertain and high lighting it all, those wonderful women athletes who were decked out and dead serious about their sport!

This lens as been a couple of months in the making. These are busy women, so finding time to do the video interviews was not easy. But as I meet more of them, my respect increases. I just hope that many of you are lucky enough to have this sport in your community. Its a great event for anyone who loves sports and fun; it is great for family outings, great for date night and even great for a night out alone!

Carolina Roller Girls Rule!

Talk Derby to Me...Your Place, or Dorton Arena?

Photo With Princess America and Deviled Legs

As Deviled Legs tell us in one of the videos below, "Roller Derby is a sexy sport". The women of the Roller Derby are accountants, teachers and many other professions. They are tall and short, thin and curvy beautiful women who get out on the rink and give a show of disciplined athletic performance.

There is also the spectacle of the Derby. What impresses me the most is that among the Carnival, the announcers, floor announcers, clowns and other entertainments, these women are able to give a sophisticated athletic show.

The Best Guides to "What the Heck Is Going On There?" That You Will Find or "Roller Derby Explained"

And You Will Need Some Help.

The Straight Scoop on Roller Derby

Carolina Roller Girls: Get all the scoop about the ladies of the Roller Derby.
Women's Flattrack Derby Association: Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.

Angie "Deviled Legs" the Real Estate Professional, Singer and Killer Roller Derby Girl

Deviled Legs Is Passionate About Roller Derby

Deviled Legs Shows Us Another Side: So Many Roller Derby Women Are Multi-Talented

What Do You Think of The Carolina Roller Girls

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Wow! These Women Don't Mess Around!

Leo Seltzer Kept It Legit

In 1954, players wanted to go the way of professional wrestling, but he fought to keep it straight.

Debutante Brawlers, Tai Chitas, and Trauma Queens

You Get Three Teams with Carolina Roller Girls

Carolina Roller Girls is actually made of three home teams. This enables as many great skaters as possible to compete and improve their skills.

There is also a traveling team that goes to competitions all over the country. They have just made a 'B' team for the up and coming.

Carolina Roller Girls came into being after two Raleigh women traveled to Texas to watch a competition and were so excited that they came back to start a league in Raleigh, the first in North Carolina. There are now many North Carolina teams.

Fairy Brutal Talks about Name, Teams and Bringing It to North Carolina!

Those Wonderful Roller Derby Names

You don't find many Linda's or Sue's in Carolina Roller Girls. That wouldn't be original enough. The claiming of names, which usually have the sweet and sour combination of feminine and brute, and always have a pun are relatively new in the history of Roller Derby.

I love Deviled Legs, Demi Gore, among many others. You can see the entire national registry here:

Those Great Roller Derby Names

Dorton Arena, History, Style, Audacity: Perfect Setting for The Carolina Roller Girls

Dorton Arena

Home of the Carolina Roller Girls

Dorton Arena resembles a Star Trek space ship. I was there for Roller Derby once during a hurricane like storm and I thought it was going to take off. Really added to the drama of the Derby.

The building, while unique and with wings, is very sturdy, see below.

Dorton Arena, The Home of the Carolina Roller Girls

The building also housed Raleigh's minor league hockey team,

It was the skating venue for the 1999 International Special Olympics.

About Dorton Arena: The Structure is Amazing.

"The building is 300 feet in diameter, elliptic in shape, with a central concrete floor 221 feet long and 127 feet wide at the widest point of the ellipse. There are 4,750 permanent seats, 360 box seats and 2,500 portable seats that can be installed when a stage is used. Seating capacity when used with a stage is 7,610.

The metal roof, suspended on a network of cables, which extend crosswise from the 90-foot parabolic arches, is saddle-shaped. The 14-foot wide arches reach a maximum height of 90 feet. They cross each other at about 26 feet above the ground, then extend into a tunnel below the surface at the east and west ends. The weights of the roof is equalized by tension cables, with 14 two-inch strands connecting each end of the parabola through the stress tunnel. The roof, so suspended, eliminates any necessity for structural steel supports and presents no view obstructions from any seat. The exterior walls are constructed of translucent heat and glare-reducing glass above the lobby levels and of heat-absorbing transparent glass on the lobby levels. The two lobbies are on the ground level. The arena floor provides 25,000 square feet. Restrooms, dressing rooms and storage areas are also available."

Roller Girl Drama

Lets Go Derbying

Fun in Dorton Area

Get a view of the landmark Dorton Arena from the inside, before and during the game.

Deviled Legs Celebrates a Victory for the Debutante Brawlers

This Camera Just Gets Better and Better

I have recorded lots of interviews with this camera, but a TV news program said it wasn't good for long distances. When I did the Roller Derby videos they didn't look that good on the camera screen, so I stopped. But then when I downloaded them on the computer, I was amazed! It isn't Hollywood, but it got the job done. Can't wait til the next Roller Derby so I can do more!

Any Purchase Here Will Contribute to Heifer International: The Pay It Forward Entrepreneurial Charity

More Women Athletes and More

Women's Sports is Growing, but it Hasn't Been Easy

Fritz Arrowsmith talks about how is wife, Marjorie, saved girls' basketball in Durant, Iowa in 1959 with the power of her pen!

Fairy Brutal and Eris Discordia FB Has Fake Blood from Demi Gore on Her Face

Pink Slip At Fund Raiser for Local Boy: "Tough As Nails and Feminine Too"

Roller Derby is Great with Slogans

Guts, Glam and Wit

Carolina Roller Girls in Action

Women Athletes Books and Posters

Share Your Appreciation of These Women

and The Lens Too, of Course

Reply

Ramkitten Apr 21, 2011 @ 3:51 am | delete

Well done! *Blessed by your neighborhood Squid Angel*

Reply

Stonecutter Apr 19, 2011 @ 8:59 pm | delete

I had heard of Roller Derby but never really seen it played. Wow those are some tough ladies and they look like they mean business. I don't think the NFL has a darn thing on these women. What a fun lens.