History
In May 2009, a few Milwaukee skaters, the core of what would become the Milwaukee Schlitzkrieg, the first men’s roller derby team in Wisconsin, traveled to Duluth, near the Minnesota border, for a mixer event with the Twin Cities Terrors.
In June 2010, copyright issues necessitated a name change, and the Blitzdkrieg was born. Thanks to the Paper Valley Roller Girls hosting a double-header event, the team was able to play its first full game, having performed only in expo games until that point. The Terrors once again travelled to play, taking another victory over the Blitzdkrieg in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Appleton is a city in Outagamie (mostly), Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 72,623 at the 2010 census. Of this figure, 60,045 resided in Outagamie County, 11,088 in Calumet County, and 1,490 in Winnebago County. Appleton is the principal city of the Appleton, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area. Appleton is home to the two tallest buildings in Outagamie County, the Zuelke Building and the 222 Building, at 168 and 183 feet, respectively.
The next two years were a long, slow, uphill battle. The team faced challenges in finding practice space, recruiting new members, training, and gaining exposure. But hard work and perseverance began to pay off, as new members came through the door and the city started to take notice. New strategies were tested, modified, and sometimes discarded, training plans developed, and the team traveled extensively throughout the Midwest, learning from mistakes and continually growing stronger.
December 2012 was a turning point, as the team’s application to the Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA) was unanimously approved by the member leagues, officially making the Blitzdkrieg a nationally ranked team. [1] By the end of 2013 they were ranked 29 in the MRDA 2013 End of Season Rankings. [2]
The Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA) is the international governing body of men's flat track roller derby. It was founded in 2007 under the name Men's Derby Coalition, and currently has 60 men's leagues under its jurisdiction. MRDA member leagues play using the rules of Flat-Track Roller Derby originally designed by the WFTDA.
In January 2014, for the first time, the Blitzdkrieg had built up the numbers to form two home teams, Half Barrel Heroes and Great Lakes Pirates. This gave the team the ability to more easily produce events, and allows more skating time for all players, furthering their development.
North Star Roller Derby (NSRD) is a non-profit women's flat track roller derby league based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. North Star plays its home games at the Warner Coliseum, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
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 developmental travel team, and a juniors program for youth.
The Dallas Derby Devils (DDD) is an all-female flat track roller derby league in Dallas, Texas and surrounding area of Ft. Worth, Texas. Founded in November 2004, the Dallas Derby Devils is the original North Texas roller derby league with a current roster of over one hundred active skaters, making DDD one of the largest flat track derby leagues in the south United States. The Dallas Derby Devils are an original 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.
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.
Forest City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in London, Ontario. Founded in April 2006, Forest City is one of the first flat-track roller derby leagues in Canada, and is a not for profit organization owned and operated by the skaters. Forest City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Bay Area Derby, formerly B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bay Area Derby (BAD) was founded in 2004 and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). BAD is a skater-owned and -operated 501(c)(3) non-profit league. The league is composed of four teams for intra-league play, and an all-star travel team that competes nationally. As of 2016, BAD was ranked in the top 20 overall in WFTDA.
Tiger Bay Brawlers (TBB) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded in April 2010, the league has two teams that compete against teams from other leagues. Tiger Bay is a member of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Pioneer Valley Roller Derby (PVRD) is a roller derby league based in Northampton, Massachusetts. Founded in early 2006, the league was the first in the new flat-track roller derby movement that featured both women's and men's teams.
Puget Sound Outcast Derby (PSOD) is a men's roller derby league based in Tacoma, Washington. The league was founded in 2007 by Chuck“Hollywood Hendrick, and consists of a two teams, The Puget Sound Outcasts and the Puget Sound Castaways which plays teams from other leagues.
Leeds Roller Derby is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Leeds, England. Founded in 2007, the league has two travel teams which play against teams from other leagues across Europe. Leeds Roller Derby is a member of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Penn Jersey Roller Derby (PJRD) is a roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005 by Ken Sikes and Greg Spencer as the "Penn Jersey She Devils", the league is home to women and men playing both flat and banked track roller derby.
Roller Derby Toulouse is a roller derby league based in Toulouse, France. Founded in 2010, the league currently consists of a men's team and three women's teams.
Belfast Roller Derby (BRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Belfast in Northern Ireland. Founded in January 2010, the league consists of two teams that play teams from other leagues, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Norfolk Brawds (NBRD) are a UK Roller Derby team based in Norwich, Norfolk and were the first Roller Derby team to form within the county. The Norfolk Brawds are a member of the UKRDA and skate women's flat track Roller Derby to the women's flat track derby WFTDA rules set.
Southern Discomfort Roller Derby (SDRD) is a men's roller derby league based in London, England. Founded in 2010, the league consists of two teams which compete against teams from other leagues.
Mid-State Sisters of Skate (MSSOS) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Founded in 2010, the league consists of two travel teams which play teams from other leagues. Mid-State is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Men's Roller Derby World Cup is an international men's roller derby tournament. The first edition was first held between 14–16 March 2014 in Birmingham, England. The Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA) has since held World Cup in Calgary, Alberta, in July 2016. The last Men's Roller Derby World Cup was held on April 5–8, 2018, Barcelona, Spain. The next tournament is to be hosted in St. Louis, Missouri.
Victoria Men's Roller Derby (VMRD) is a flat track men's Roller Derby league based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in early 2013, VMRD is one of the premier men's roller derby leagues in Australia, having won three Australian Men's Roller Derby (AMRD) National Championships. The representative side for the league is called Victorian Vanguard and is often referred to as the 'Travel Team', as they travel to other cities to play opposing teams. VMRD are skater owned and operated.
