They'll skate by you so fast you might miss them as their wheels attack the floor of the Sun Devil Fitness Complex's Gold Gym. Roller derby may be a little known sport, but it's rolling into the heart of ASU.
The Derby Devils club is an on-campus organization that works "to promote the modern sport of roller derby to the ASU community," according to their website. It has been a club at the University for three years, but this is its second semester as an official sport.
Roller derby is a competitive, contact sport where teams skate in the same direction around a rink on four-wheel skates. Both teams have a "jammer" who scores points by lapping the opposing players. Meanwhile, both teams also have "blockers" who attempt to block the other team's jammer from scoring while also helping its jammer score.
Many people are unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the sport aside from what they've seen in movies like "Whip It."
"It's not as violent and aggressive like everyone thinks," creative writing and film senior Leslie “Vampyra” Verdugo said.
Verdugo, who's also a safety officer for the team, explained that there are a lot of safety regulations that collegiate teams must abide by. Roller derby organizations like the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and USA Roller Sports (USARS) have their own rules in regards to playing. On the contrary, the Renegade Rollergirls are a non-WFTDA derby league in which there are no rules. Renegade derby tends to be the more aggressive and physical field of play that people anticipate from the sport.
"We try to make this as fun (and) approachable as we can without being intimidating," Verdugo said.
One of the difficulties The Derby Devils face is recruitment, especially in regards to being a co-ed team. According to Verdugo, there have been worries in the past concerning co-ed teams due to the differences in strengths between genders but she said that the team hasn't personally encountered any problems playing co-ed.
“It’s one of those sports that is barely taking the spotlight especially in collegiate terms,” Verdugo said. “But I think it’s a great way to bridge that gap between genders.”
This tough-as-nails crew said that ASU's derby club is a safe haven and outlet for students who don't fit into more common ASU sports like football, soccer or baseball.
“I've always been active, but I don’t fit the build of a classic athlete," English literature junior Trueth “HalfHazard” Verou said. "So I was really excited to call myself a legitimate athlete."
Vivian "PolkaHotA--" Benjes, biomedical engineering senior and president of the club, explained that she first pursued roller derby in the hopes of finding a sport that showcased strong women. As a biomedical engineering major, Benjes mentioned that she's often surrounded by men and enjoyed the change.
When speaking of what makes roller derby unique and "unconventional," the members explained a heightened sense of teamwork that one doesn't always find in other sports.
"It’s such an empowering sport," she said. "Every body type has a place in roller derby."
Benjes is a veteran to ASU's team. This is her third school year playing with the club. She said that the Derby Devils are open to any who are interested in joining as long as they have an open mind and a will to learn.
In regards to their plans for the future, Benjes said she hopes the team continues to grow and play competitively. The Derby Devils have a game against Arizona on Feb. 7 down in Tucson.
As philosophy junior and foreign exchange student Rosie “Taste the Painbow” Mulford said, "It's a team sport for people who don’t like team sports.”
This group of unique, strong and tight-knit players is ready to take on the world of roller derby and change how society views sports, bringing any who aspire to do the same along with them.
To keep up with the group, like them on Facebook or visit their website.
Related Links:
ASU Derby Devils prepare for first bout
ASU student finds niche in roller derby
Reach the reporter at nlilley@asu.edu or follow her @noelledl on Twitter.
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