You may have noticed the explosion of roller derby in the Northwest, there are new leagues popping up everywhere! 

This weekend the northwest is lucky enough to get to witness the best of the best.  You'll see women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and some amazing mamas in action. All eyes will be on Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls, the only Northwest team who will be competing at the national level this year. Last year they very narrowly took second place in the final game against Kansas City. 

Other teams to watch include the always venerable Texas Rollergirls, who won the Western Regionals, and the Gotham Girls of NYC, who took the Eastern championship. The Cinderella story is Albuquerque, who had to scramble to fundraise for the trip to nationals when they unexpectedly qualified.  


I was lucky enough to play on a newer league last year, the Slaughter County Roller Vixens, based out of Kitsap County, Washington. They won't be playing at nationals this year, but they will be representing in the stands, along with leagues based out of Portland, Centralia, Bend, Tacoma, Everett, Spokane, Boise, Bellingham, Vancouver BC, Eugene, and Olympia, and many others trekking from further away.  If you fall in love with the sport after nationals, contact your nearest league to learn about opportunities to practice or try out. 

I had never been a team sports person before roller derby. My only qualification was my childhood love of rollerskating. But I quickly became addicted to the fun and to the exercise - and got a huge kick out of impressing my boys with my new skills.  I'll never forget my two year old giving me kisses through the hockey glass or my five year old on the edge of the rink shouting, "faster mama, faster!"  Soon the action on the rink was old hat to them and they ignored me to join the pack of kids running around the perimeter of the rink.


Some of the stars of roller derby come from speed skating backgrounds. Others started out wobbling and hanging on to the wall, but you'll never guess which ones.  All the leagues are run for the skaters and by the skaters. They pay monthly dues, fundraise, and run the league for the privilege of playing.  The coaches, referees, scorekeepers, and medics are all volunteers, who do it for the love of the sport, the skaters, or the great after parties.

This generation of roller derby is a bit different from what you may have seen on TV.  The game is played on a flat track, and there are no staged fights or stunts.  It can get a bit rough and wild, but players who flout the rules will be sent to the penalty box or bounced out of the game.  

Jamie Kinkead lives and skates in Seattle, Washington with her two little boys and one big one. Photo credit: Joe Schwartz. Illustration credit: Danielle Rimbert aka A-Cup Killer.

More information about the event:



NORTHWEST KNOCKDOWN: THE FIERCEST AND FASTEST

Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls and Portland's Rose City Rollers will co-host the tournament featuring the hardest hitting, fastest derby teams in the country as they battle for the national title at the Portland Expo Center before an audience of 3,000 fans.Click here to view the Knockdown site.



NORTHWEST KNOCKDOWN PARTICIPANTS:

Texas Rollergirls (Austin, TX)

Gotham Girls Roller Derby (New York, NY)

Duke City Derby (Albuquerque, NM)

Philly Roller Girls (Philadelphia, PA)

Rat City Rollergirls (Seattle, WA)

B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (San Francisco, CA)

Carolina Rollergirls (Raleigh, NC)

Windy City Rollers (Chicago, IL)
 


ADDITIONAL TOURNAMENT DETAILS:

* Tickets: 3-Day and Single Day Tickets available through TicketsWest
   

* Doors Friday at 5:00 pm, Saturday Noon, and Sunday 1:00 pm
   

* The Knockdown Party Tour: $33 for three nights of after parties at 13 venues featuring the best bands, DJs, grub and brew in Portland, OR (includes charter buses for Friday and Saturday nights)