Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating counter-clockwise around a track. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly inside the United States.
Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. Raleigh is the second-largest city in the state, after Charlotte. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of 142.8 square miles (370 km2). The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 469,298 as of July 1, 2018. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. The city of Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition (ULC), but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501(c)(6) business league organization, a type of nonprofit organization.
While traveling through Austin, Texas in late 2003, graphic designer Laura Weakland stumbled upon a banked-track roller derby bout put on by the Lonestar Rollergirls,[3] and decided to start a local league in Raleigh. Although inspired by a banked-track event, practicality dictated that Weakland pursue flat-track derby. Weakland, now known by her derby name "Celia Fate", began soliciting potential skaters with recruiting sessions in early 2004.[4] Initial practices featured some women who had skated as adults, but many had not been on wheels since middle school and practices were loosely organized, at first consisting of mostly drills and laps.
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. It is the 11th-most populous city in the United States, the fourth-most-populous city in Texas, and the second-most-populous state capital city. It is also the fastest growing large city in the United States and the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States. As of the U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2018 estimate, Austin had a population of 964,254 up from 790,491 at the 2010 census. The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 2,168,316 as of July 1, 2018. Located in Central Texas within the greater Texas Hill Country, it is home to numerous lakes, rivers, and waterways, including Lady Bird Lake and Lake Travis on the Colorado River, Barton Springs, McKinney Falls, and Lake Walter E. Long.
TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls is an Austin, Texas-based all-female banked-track roller derby league. Founded in 2001, TXRD is one of several leagues considered responsible for the modern roller derby revival. It is skater owned and operated. In 2006, the Lonestar Rollergirls were featured in a 13-episode television series on A&E titled Rollergirls, which contributed to the renewed international popularity of women's roller derby.
A derby name, roller derby name or skater name is a nickname used by a skater while playing or officiating roller derby.
Carolina Rollergirls or CRG, as it was known at the time, held its first exhibition bout on September 19, 2004 at Raleigh's Skate Ranch, featuring two ad-hoc teams, the Crimson Crushers against the Black Widows, and a second exhibition followed on November 21, 2004. The first two permanent home teams, the Debutante Brawlers and Trauma Queens, took part in CRG's first official bout on April 10, 2005, as the Trauma Queens defeated the Debutante Brawlers 138-131. The Debutante Brawlers won the season championship on June 19, 2005, ending the league's inaugural season.
In 2006, CRG introduced the Tai Chi-tahs as a new home team, who claimed the "Golden Skate Championship" that year, defeating the Debutante Brawlers 149-142. By this point, a two-phase season had developed, with home team matchups taking place the first half of the year and interleague games (featuring visiting leagues from across the country) in the second half. After regularly bouting to sell-out crowds at the Ranch,[5] the league moved to historic Dorton Arena at the State Fairgrounds, although the Skate Ranch would remain its practice facility.
J. S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It opened in 1952.
The North Carolina State Fair is an annual fair and agricultural exposition held in Raleigh, North Carolina, and organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The 2007 season opened with a round robin tournament between all three home teams on January 21, and featured four double-headers, with the Debs going up against the Queens and the Chi-tahs taking on the Atlanta Rollergirls travel team in March. In mid-April, the Chi-tahs defeated the Queens (56-41) and the Debs beat the Cincinnati Rollergirls All-Stars (73-25). A week later the Chi-tahs defeated the Debs (78-65) and the Trauma Queens took down Birmingham, Alabama's Tragic City Rollers (63-53). On June 9, the last of the season's double headers featured an interleague win for the Trauma Queens against Southern Virginia's Dominion Derby Girls (72-44), and the Tai Chi-tahs beat the Debutante Brawlers by one point to win the Golden Skate for the second straight year.
The Cincinnati Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 2005, the league currently consists of two teams which compete against teams from other leagues, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Dominion Derby Girls is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Dominion Derby Girls is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA.
The 2008 season opened on March 29 with a substantial, defense-heavy Trauma Queens victory over the Tai Chi-tahs, 104-34. The Chi-Tahs lost again on April 20 to the Debutante Brawlers, 85-55. The rookie-heavy Debs, led by league veterans Shirley Temper and Roxy Rockett, took an 81-69 victory over the Queens. On June 7, the Debs and Queens skated through triple-digit temperatures at Dorton Arena, as the Debs took a substantial early lead in the first half, but the Queens fought their way back in the second half. Ultimately, the Debs won their first championship since 2005, 57-50.
The WFTDA East Region Playoffs or WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament was one of four annual roller derby regional qualifying tournaments for the WFTDA Championships.
WFTDA competition
2006 map showing the first 30 WFTDA member leagues
On November 18, 2005, CRG played its first interleague (and away game) against Minnesota Rollergirls. Minnesota defeated Carolina by a wide margin, but in January 2006, Carolina hosted a rematch and held the score to a 10-point differential. CRG's undefeated 2006 interleague season saw the All-Stars defeat Las Vegas's Neanderdolls, both at home (127-65) and away (133-84), as well as Providence Roller Derby's Rhode Island Riveters (131-102, before a crowd of 1700)[7] and Phoenix's Tent City Terrors (100-90), both at home. In 2006, Carolina competed at the first WFTDA Championships where they finished in eighth place.[8]
Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls or Sin City Rollergirls (SCRG), is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Founded in 2004, Sin City is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Providence Roller Derby or PRD is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 2004 as the first all-female, flat-track roller derby league in New England, Providence is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Arizona Roller Derby is Arizona's first all female roller derby league. It was founded in 2003 making it one of the oldest resurgence roller derby leagues in America. Arizona Roller Derby, abbreviated as AZRD, is one of the founding members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
CRG began 2007 with an away-game win against Baltimore's Charm City Roller Girls (140-72). In March 2007, CRG participated in the inaugural East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX), a derby tournament hosted by the Philly Rollergirls. The CRG team won both of their WFTDA bouts there, over New York's Gotham Girls Roller Derby 115-104 and also defeating the Detroit Derby Girls 192-49. On May 12, the CRG All-Stars went to Phoenix for a rematch against the Tent City Terrors, losing by three points. The latter half of 2007 took the 7th-ranked CRG All-Stars on the road, first to Providence in June for a second win against the Rhode Island Riveters 104-68, and then, in August, to the WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, where the team placed third and secured its slot at the WFTDA Championships in Austin, Texas.[9] Two weeks before Championships, the All-Stars returned home for a face-off against the Texas Rollergirls, narrowly losing 64-59. At Championships September 29–30, the All-Stars advanced to the final four (the only East Region league to do so) with a win against the Tucson Roller Derby Saddletramps 80-73.[10] The following day, CRG fought a lost 108-116 to the Kansas City Roller Warriors, to finish in fourth place.[11]
After a brief break, the interleague season continued at home in November with an easy win against San Francisco's Bay Area Derby Girls, 74-45. On December 2, Kansas City came to Raleigh for a rematch, and the CRG All-Stars pulled out a one-point win. In 2008, the CRG All-Stars went to Philadelphia for the second annual East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX), where they kicked off the weekend event with a win against the Denver Roller Dolls, 129-49, and a win against Chicago's Windy City Rollers, 76-60.
In 2008, Carolina finished in fourth place at the Eastern Regional Tournament, thus missing Championships for the first time.[12] At the 2009 Eastern Regional Tournament, hosted by CRG, an opening round loss to Boston was followed by victories over Dominion Derby Girls and Providence, resulting in a fifth-place finish.[13] In 2010, victories over DC Rollergirls and Montreal Roller Derby were offset by losses to Philly and Steel City, resulting in a sixth-place finish at Regionals.[14] At the 2011 East Regional, Carolina was the seventh seed and finished in ninth place by defeating Maine Roller Derby 241-172.[15] In 2012, Carolina was the eighth seed and finished in eighth place with a 156-128 loss to Boston.[16]
In 2013, the WFTDA restructured Playoffs into a divisional system rather than geographic, and Carolina competed at the Division 2 Playoff in Kalamazoo, Michigan as the fourth seed, and finished in seventh place by defeating Burning River, 250-131.[17] After missing Playoffs in 2014 and 2015, Carolina returned to Division 2 Playoffs in 2016 at Wichita as the tenth seed, and lost their three games to finish the weekend in tenth place.[18]
Rankings
Carolina (in black) take on the Angel City Derby Girls at the 2011 Dust Devil tournament
The league is governed by a board of directors. Skater participation is encouraged and, in fact, necessary, as CRG is run entirely by volunteerism. The league is run by the skaters, for the skaters. Board positions include Chair, Training Director, Marketing Director, Director of Sponsorship, Director of Finance, League Representative, and Head of Bout Production. League meetings are held quarterly. Although non-skaters (e.g., referees and other support staff) can serve on committees, only skaters vote on league issues.
Related Research Articles
Windy City Rollers is a women's flat-track roller derby league located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Juanna Rumbel and Sister Sledgehammer in 2004, Windy City is the first flat-track roller derby league established in Chicago, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Kansas City Roller Warriors (KCRW) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Kansas City, Kansas that was founded in 2004. The members of the league are split into four home teams that play within the league and two travel teams that represent KCRW in competition with other leagues. KCRW is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and the Kansas City Roller Warriors All Star travel team was the winner of the 2007 WFTDA Championships, the "Texas Shootout", which took place in Austin, Texas.
Texas Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Austin, Texas. Founded in early 2003 and widely credited as the league that started the modern roller derby movement, the Texas Rollergirls were the first flat-track league in the nation to play a version of roller derby using new standardized rules and a track design based on the dimensions of the old banked tracks. As flat-track derby caught on in other American cities, the Texas Rollergirls' rulebook and track design eventually evolved into the specifications that were adopted and ratified upon formation of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2005, of which Texas is a founding member.
Gotham Girls Roller Derby (GGRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in New York City, New York. Founded in late 2003, Gotham is the first flat track roller derby league in the metropolitan New York area and a founding member league of the sport's governing body, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). GGRD is one of the preeminent leagues in roller derby, having won five WFTDA Championships. Today, the league is composed of four New York City-based teams, three travel teams, a competitive developmental team, a non competitive recreational program and a juniors program for youth.
The Charm City Roller Girls (CCRG) is a flat track roller derby league in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2005, Charm City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Tallahassee RollerGirls is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 2006, Tallahassee is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Boston Roller Derby, (BRD), is a flat-track roller derby league based in Boston, Massachusetts. The league was founded as Boston Derby Dames in May 2005, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league's all-star team, the Boston Massacre, was one of the top 25 WFTDA Division 1 teams in the world through most of the duration of the divisional ranking system introduced in early 2013, and as of December 31, 2015, the Massacre was ranked at 21. Boston won the WFTDA Division 2 Championship in 2017 and the North America East Continental Cup in 2018.
Philly Roller Derby, or PRD, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Oly Rollers are a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Olympia, Washington. Founded in February 2006, the Oly Rollers have won both the WFTDA Championship and the USARS National Championship. The Oly Rollers are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, or RMRG, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2004, Rocky Mountain is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and has qualified for WFTDA Playoffs every year, including winning the WFTDA Championships in 2010.
Houston Roller Derby (HRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Houston, Texas. HRD was founded in early 2005, and is a founding member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Nashville Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded as Nashville Rollergirls, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Dutchland Derby Rollers or Dutchland Rollers, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, the Dutchland Rollers have been a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) since 2008.
The Brewcity Bruisers is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 2005, the league played their tenth season in 2016. The Bruisers are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Chicago Outfit Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2007, the Chicago Outfit is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Jet City Roller Derby (JCRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Everett, Washington. Founded in 2006, Jet City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Green Country Roller Girls was a women's flat track roller derby league based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 2006, the league consisted of two teams which competed in interleague games.
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