Killamazoo Derby Darlins provide entertainment for all

By Chris Willis
Western Herald

The Killamazoo Derby Darlins and their newly added “Killa Krew” faced off against the Ohio Derby girls and their second team “Gang Green” at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo on Saturday night.

The ladies were swept in the doubleheader.

As this reporter quickly learned, this sport is not about wins and losses.  It’s about pride, fun and respect.

This was only the second time the Killa Krew has taken the floor. They may be new but these girls give it their all.

Any novice can see that the Derby Darlins are breaking in the new girls with a tough attitude.

“It’s unique because this is a full contact women’s sport on skates,” said newly added Derby Darlin Noelle “Rosie Ferocious” Massey.

“Old-school roller derby was more hardcore with fighting.  We’re trying to bring it to a more professional level.”

This form of roller derby is actually much more difficult than the banked track style.

There is no momentum when coming off the corners.

These women have to create their own speed by strategy and skill alone.

“It’s intense, it’s fun and it’s trying to be a derby girl,” Massey said. “It takes a special breed of person that’s for sure.”

The Derby Darlins do not get drafted, sign contracts or play for money. It’s a way of life.

They pay for the venues they play in and all ticket sale proceeds go to support the team’s equipment and travelling expenses.

It’s a re-emerging sport that was brought up on the old cliché, for the love of the game.

The contest starts with a pack of four girls from each team called “Blockers,” that skate around the (88 ft. by 53 ft.) oval flat-track to create spacing for the jammers to get through the pack.

The front two blockers are called pivots and wear a stripe on their helmet to identify them.

The jammers start on a second whistle a few seconds after the first whistle is blown.

The object is for the jammer to skate past the opposing teams blockers to become the lead jammer, all the while stopping the opposing teams jammer. Points are scored by jammers after they’ve made it through the pack once.

Jammers score one point for every opposing team’s player they pass legally in a lap, including the opposing jammer.

“There’s so much strategy involved, the more I practice and the more I play, the further ahead into the game I can see,” Massey said. “I have to know where my jammer is and where their jammer is at all times.”

People looking for some fun summer entertainment to appease the whole family need to look no-more.

The Killamazoo Derby Darlins offer an excellent way to enjoy a Saturday evening.

The next home double-header will held on August 28, at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo. The Killamazoo Derby Darlins will host the Grand Raggidy All-Stars at 7 p.m.  The Killa Krew will kick off the events against Rubber City at 5:30 p.m.

For  ticket information call Wings stadium. For more information, visit www.killamazooderbydarlins.com.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=18180

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Jul 18 2010. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com