Skate & Destroy: The Detroit Derby Girls
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 4:02PM | Becks Davis 
The Detroit Derby Girls, with players like Racer McChaseHer and Sista Slitchya, are a hot ticket in Metro Detroit. Many of the players were in Drew Barrymore’s new movie “Whip It," which was filmed in the Detroit area.
In 2001, roller derby had a rebirth across the nation and the Detroit Derby Girls (DDG) were established in 2005. The team is all-female owned and operated and known to be one of the hardest training derby leagues in the nation.
We went last Saturday and saw a double header at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. The first bout was the B-team, Motor City Disassembly Line (MCDL) vs. Team Unicorn. The second bout was our Detroit Derby Girls vs. the Dairyland Dolls from Wisconsin.
The rink was packed with spectators and the beer was flowing. The crowd was very diverse: bikers, hipsters, suburbanites, toddlers, and teenagers all in one place. We were ready to witness the skillful skating and hard-hitting action that is roller derby.
This is flat-track roller derby, so the rink isn’t banked as it was in the movie. Watching the first game helped us understand the rules. Basically, a “jammer” from each team is behind the pack and has to skate her way through the other players. The first one through becomes the “lead jammer.” She then scores points for each opposing team player that she passes. The jams last a maximum of 2 minutes but the “lead jammer” can end it early.
Got that? Maybe this video will help:
The first bout was fun to watch and a good opportunity to learn the rules. The MCDL beat Team Unicorn 122-69.
The second bout, in comparison, totally rocked! The Detroit Derby Girls are awe-inspiring. They beat the Dairyland Dolls 275-76. Seriously, watching these women skate, maneuver, and hit, you’d think you were watching the Detroit Red Wings.
Racer McChaseHer made it look so easy! I’d love to try roller derby, but I bruise easily. It certainly made me want to hit the rink again; I spent much of my youth at Skate World of Troy.
This was a unique way to spend my 40th and the husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the night out. We'll definitely be going back to see another bout.
The Detroit Derby Girls regular season doesn’t start until late November, check their full schedule.
They do have an upcoming bout on October 24th: Chumps vs. Champs where The Detroit Pistoffs and The Pistolwhippers take on the Devil’s Night Dames and the D-Funk Allstars at the Masonic Temple.
Reader Comments (3)
Gah...I remember watching Roller Derby on late-night television! This looks like fun to me...think I can convince Tim to go?
I totally Love strong, tough sexy girls that kick ass.
These are the kind of Women I was born to serve.
I definitely need to check them out.
These girls are hotties, I love it! We need to have these in Detroits Downtown area, maybe Belle Isle?