Got Derby? Two Skaters Provide a Comprehensive Look into the Sport

Jennifer Barbee and Alex Cohen get Down and Derby in their new book

By Kara Luger
Published: August 18th, 2010 | 12:00am

Chances are, if you bring up roller derby in conversation, people will react one of two ways: complete bafflement or utter awe. But whether it’s a primer in game play or a peek into the sport’s all-consuming lifestyle, Down and Derby: The Insider's Guide to Roller Derby captures it all—the speed, the skates, and the unholy smell of kneepads. Reading it may inspire readers to join a league. Hell, maybe they’ll want to start one of their own. Or maybe they’ll just come away knowing that much more about the burgeoning sport.

Beginning at, well, the beginning, the book outlines roller derby’s history, from its first incarnation during the Great Depression, when promoter Leo Seltzer brought his vision to life in Chicago in 1935, through the various rebirths of the sport, great and well, sleazy. The authors and L.A. Derby Dolls Alex Cohen (aka Axles of Evil) and Jennifer Barbee (aka Kasey Bomber) wind the tale to the most modern version of derby, when in 2001, gals in Austin, Texas, worked together to refashion the old sport. The research Cohen and Barbee poured into the history is impressive, and some of the facts and quotes from derby girls of yore are fascinating, if not outrageous: Always the showman, in 1938, Seltzer had a derby team play basketball (on skates) against the Harlem Globetrotters. Because, you know, why not?

Rules of gameplay are covered in a clear and concise manner—a good thing, since derby rules (particularly the zillion ways to incur a penalty) can be confusing. While the authors don’t provide the entire rule book, readers will at least be able to go to a bout and understand what they’re watching.

Profile interviews with star skaters and support staff from across the country break up the chapters, including Windy City Rollers’ skater Jackie Daniels; Rat City Rollergirls coach Quadzilla; Angel City Derby Girls skater Ms. D’fiant (who got right back on her skates after maternity leave); indie movie queen Ellen Page, who starred in the recent derby movie Whip It; and Tahirah “Tequila Mockingbird” Johnson of the Windy City Rollers, who in August 2007 suffered from what is most likely the worst injury incurred in roller derby history thus far: a damaged C4 vertebrae that initially left her unable to below the shoulders. (To read more about Tequila and find out where to donate to her cause, click here).

Down and Derby has a hip, conversational tone, like a girlfriend giving you the lowdown over a pitcher of PBR. They take you on an insider tour through the life of a derby girl and all that entails: dynamics, drama, friendships, injuries, interleague romances, practices, and "derby widows" (the loved ones left at home while their derby girl is practicing). They also lay out the biggest caveat for anyone thinking about becoming a derby girl: This isn’t a casual sport—it really does take over your entire life. Can’t make the commitment? The book also shows you various ways to become an athletic supporter, so to speak, and it details what’s involved in becoming a coach, referee, announcer, or even a derby fan.

At times, the book is a little helter-skelter in regards to layout, with profile interviews and sidebar stories inserted in such a way that proved distracting—often after reading an interview I’d have to flip back be reminded what the main text had been about before the intrusion. There were also a couple of instances that the authors assumed certain information was general knowledge. (Or perhaps they just forgot to fill in the blanks.) For example, from the beginning of the book, Team Awesome is continuously mentioned, but it’s never explained what it is (a national all-star roller derby team).

Nitpicking aside, Cohen and Barbee are clearly in love with their sport, and their enthusiasm and adoration positively overflow onto the book’s pages. A great read for any roller derby fans (or potential skaters).

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Down and Derby: The Insider's Guide to Roller Derby

by Jennifer Barbee and Alex Cohen

Soft Skull Press, July 2010

224 pages