Women Find Home in Oklahoma Roller Derby

Due to films such as Whip It, many Oklahoma women are making themselves at home in the growing roller derby community. The film’s empowering, no-nonsense message and aesthetics have brought several newcomers and a flood of media coverage to the sport in the past four years.

Bliss, a misfit, discovers her identity when
she joins the Hurl Scouts and becomes Babe
Ruthless. PHOTO: 20th Century Fox Studios

 Roller derby’s revival is especially evident in Oklahoma as leagues have sprung up across the state. The South Central Roller Girls, for example, first began in Ardmore in 2010. They now call the Arbuckle Ballroom in Davis home so that more women from the Ada and Davis areas can participate according to Ada Evening News.

Women are looking for what roller derby has to offer. In an article by The Journal Record, one Oklahoma skater said, “Every time you ask someone what’s going on or what you do for fun, it’s the same thing over and over again. We can change that.”

But just what exactly is so exciting about roller derby, other than the gruesome bruises? Well, each player’s name is as unique as her fingerprint. Law professor David Fagundes examines the legality behind the intellectual property of roller derby names in his recent article “Talk Derby to Me”. The Women’s Flat-Track Roller Derby Association’s Master Roster takes a stab at name protection. There is also an unwritten rule that name stealing is a major faux pas. The skaters Fagundes interviews prove that when they become defensive at the mere suggestion.

A derby girl’s identity is not complete without her fishnets, tattoos, safety gear and, most importantly, her skates. Dressing for the part isn’t cheap though.

The Tornado Alley Rollergirls,
one of Oklahoma's top derby teams,
formed over seven years ago.
PHOTO: Oklahoma City Roller
Derby League

Pamela Chapman, or “Lolo Beach”, skater and off-skate workout coach for the South Central Roller Girls says, “When we have away bouts, the league usually covers our hotel and stuff like that, but we have to buy all our own gear and stuff. People don’t realize it’s an expensive sport.”

Chapman’s Pinterest account is evidence of her obsession with the sport’s unique aesthetic. She devotes entire boards to tattoo ideas, workouts, hair and makeup and derby cartoons and cultural icons.

 According to Dr. Carly Michelle Gieseler, recent University of South Florida graduate, women often play roller derby to reclaim their bodies from the limitations of mainstream ideals of femininity in sports. Audiences see derby girls in their most brutally competitive moments unlike the gracefully composed participants of more traditional sports.

South Central Roller Girls team captain Katie Hoff, or “Hoff the Chain”, says that derby gives women a different set of cultural standards.

 “Anybody can play,” says Hoff. “It can be big girls or little small girls. There’s a place for everybody in roller derby.”

To witness an actual bout and possibly meet an Oklahoma roller derby girl, go watch the Tornado Alley Roller Girls take on the ICT Roller Girls of Wichita, Kan., on April 20. Ticket information can be found at www.okcrd.com/schedule-location/.