The West Kootenay Roller Derby League is hosting a ‘Halfway to Halloween, Derby Girls Edition” fundraiser on Friday, April 5 in Castlegar.
Proceeds from the event will support Castlegar’s Dam City Rollers and the West Kootenay Roller Derby League.
The theme for the event is “Rough, Tough & Oh So Naughty” and runs from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Element Club, Bar and Grill at 292 Columbia Avenue ($10 cover). The person wearing the most purple will win two tickets to the Dam City Rollers first game of the season in Rossland and a team t-shirt.
Several other prizes in different categories will be awarded throughout the night and the team is encouraging creative costumes.
Galadriel Lawrence (aka: #11-Ursula Aggress) just joined the DCR team this year and said she loves the team and competing in the bouts.
“This is my third year of derby,” Lawrence said. “It’s a lot of mental stuff because most of the women who join derby aren’t usually in sports but around here they are. I played some sports as a kid but have never been a competitive sports player, so it’s definitely mental that way, trying to work around that.”
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams. Each team sends five members on to an oval-shaped track, roller skating in the same direction. Short match-ups called “jams” occur, with each team designating a player as the “jammer” who scores points by lapping members of the other team.
If penalties are called, players are sent to a penalty box giving the advantage to the other team.
What started out in many places as a fun, recreational game has transformed into serious competition.
The Roller Derby Association of Canada (RDAC) was formed in January, 2012 and governs the sport of roller derby in Canada. The website of the RDAC show 26 leagues for men and women across Canada.
National championships were recently held in Edmonton, Alta.
Lawrence said the atmosphere has changed since she first took up the sport, as more women are entering roller derby wanting to move up in the rankings. She said many are at the gym every day and roller derby is a big part of their lives.
“You can’t help but be competitive,” Lawrence said. “Because you’re playing against another team and you want to win. More women are getting more serious about it.”
Check out the Dam City Rollers Facebook page at www.facebook.com/damcityrollers for up-to-date details on the fundraiser and the season.
