Roller derby skaters are ready to rumble


Reminder Publications photo by George Skovera

By Natasha Clark

Assistant Managing Editor

You know they are behind you, coming with the speed and determination of a bull. You can't predict from which direction they will attack, only that they will, and you would prefer to be left standing when they do.

You're not in the mood for a "BloodBath," the last thing you want is a "Wrench" thrown your way, but when you expect to be shown "Nora Morse" you just know you're going to get "Jurasskick." That's the price you pay when you lace up your skates, strap on your helmet and ram your way into the roller derby arena.

On Aug. 9, the Fitzpatrick Skating Rink in Holyoke came alive as screams, grunts and yelps bounced off its walls. The Pioneer Valley Roller Derby is wheeling right along three years after its start, growing recognition and a fan base as it resurrects an old sport and reignites it for a new generation.

"It started out when a good friend of ours, who had lived in Northampton, moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and she visited and told us she had joined a roller derby league in Providence. I said, 'What the heck is that about?'" recalled Jake Fahy, better known as Bazooka Joe. "We hadn't heard of anything happening in roller derby in 20 years."

Fahy said that when he and Sarah Lang (Pink Panzer) went down to see her play in the summer of 2005, they decided that not only did they want to participate, but that they thought it was something that would go over well in the Pioneer Valley. That December while hosting their yearly craft fair, the duo put up a sign-up sheet to see if anyone would be interested.

They collected approximately 30 to 40 names, a number which eventually dwindled to a serious 10 or 12 individuals. Roller derby is predominantly played by women, but Fahy wanted to change that.

"At some point I didn't want to help out, I wanted to play," he told Reminder Publications. "We had the first male flat track derby team in the world. There was some interest and so we went with that."

According to information released by the Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, the sport began to experience a grassroots revival in the 21st century.

At the end of 2007 there were more than 150 roller derby leagues across the country and various parts of the world.

"About six or seven years ago there were some promoters in Austin, Texas, that decided that they were going to bring roller derby back," Fahy explained. "The promoters disappeared with all the money and the women left behind decided to form their own production company. [They were] still using bank tracks. There was some disagreement, so another group split off from that."

Fahy said that group redid the rules to accommodate just a flat surface, which is the kind of flat track derby they skate. As groups disbanded and members relocated and formed new leagues, the derby revival movement continued to spread from Texas to California and across the nation.

"One by one teams began to pop up and more and more buzz [started]," Fahy said. The rest is history in the making in Western Massachusetts, since there are already established teams in other parts of the state.

Fahy's first male flat track team turned into the Dirty Dozen and consists of Bazooka Joe, Beef Stu, Calico Jack Wreckem, Crash Daily, Davy Jones, Dr. Spankenstein (Captain), Jurasskick Park, Rollin' Redshirt, Wrench, the Rev and Ick-A-Bod Pane. The female team, Western Mass Destruction (WMD), is made up of co-captains Nora Morse and Pink Panze, Andy Nihilate, Beast Infection, Big Vinny's Kid, Bloodbath & Beyond, Chickadee Struction, Headshinker, Holy Hellga, Kookie Kutteroff and Juggernaut B**ch.

Players have to be devoted to the team in order to maintain its status. Both teams practice three times a week for at least two hours a session. The league does not offer any compensation and most often players invest a good portion of their own personal finances. Initial costs can run as high as $500 when you factor in the price of skates, safety equipment, uniforms, dues and more, should medical expenses accrue.

Players have to be 18 years of age or older and there is a strict attendance policy. The Pioneer Valley Roller Derby usually practices at Interskate 91 in Wilbraham. Though the league's home is based in Northampton, players are from all over the valley.

That's why Renee Forzano, aka Big Vinny's Kid, said the team is not for the uncommitted.

"In the first month you can tell who's serious," she said during a break in her Aug. 9 match-up against Garden City Roller Girls of New Jersey (WMD won 60-53). "This is a life commitment, not just a hobby." Oh, and she added that you "have to want to hurt and get hurt."

The team is always recruiting players and is actively searching for facilities to host bouts.

Forzano said they seek facilities with at least 10,000 square feet of playing space and seats for 700 to 800 people. At the Aug. 9 doubleheader where the Dirty Dozen took on the New York Shock Exchange (the Shocks won 69-46), Forzano estimated the crowd attendance at 400.

"We've had some trouble finding good venues in the valley. A lot of clubs will just have their events at the rinks that we practiced at," Fahy said, adding that they are always looking for alternative venues.

The next bout is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Enfield Dek Hockey Park. The event will be a doubleheader featuring the Harm City Homicide and the Charm City Rollergirls B-Team, the Female Trouble.

The unique thing about roller derby is that it brings together people of all interests and backgrounds. On Aug. 9, as the crowd and teammates on the sidelines urged on WMD to take down their New Jersey opponents, a sweet looking woman with a navy blue shirt circled the rink for her seat. On the back of her shirt in big red letter were the words "Nora's Mom." Even a nurturing mother wants to see her daughter send another woman flying across the rink with a good shoulder check.

For more information on the Pioneer Valley Roller Derby visit www.myspace.com or check out www.pioneervalleyrollerderby.com.