Ellen Page in Whip It

Roller derby, an American contact sport that developed in the late 1930’s, has been making a massive comeback. Most major U.S. cities have their own teams and now there’s even a roller derby movie coming out: Whip It, directed by Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page (you know something is hip if Ellen Page is involved), will be released in theaters on October 9, 2009.

So why all the fuss about roller derby? Well, it’s freakin’ awesome, that’s why. Teams are usually all-female, feature a strong DIY ethic/punk aesthetic and often donate funds from ticket sales to charities. It’s third-wave feminism at its best! Even better, players create their own pun-tastic monikers: Scarriett Tubman and Anna Mosity, for example.

 The sport itself is fun to both watch and play. Roller derby “bouts” are essentially races between two teams that involve a lot of pushing and shoving. Each team has three types of players – a pivot, a jammer, and blockers. Pivots lead the pack, controlling its pace. Jammers start behind everyone else, trying to lap the pack by skating through and around players. Blockers attempt to prevent the opposing team’s jammer from skating through.  Every time a jammer laps an opposing player, they get a point. Sound confusing? HowStuffWorks features a more detailed explanation, complete with flash animation.

 If you’re interested in joining a team or want to watch a bout, check out Michigan’s very own Detroit Derby Girls, Grand Raggidy Roller Girls and Killamazoo Derby Darlins.  By the way – the Roller Derby flick mentioned earlier was shot in the Ann Arbor area last summer!

Rhiannon