The days of jam-packed bouts and cheering fans with sloshing cups of beer seem far in the past, but the brand new Sunshine City Roller Derby league is determined to make it a reality for St. Petersburg again soon. The new organization formed last summer and aims to start hosting competitions by early next year.
Two of Sunshine City’s leaders, B.F. Skin-Ya and T-Wrex, have been working diligently alongside fellow skaters and volunteers to get the new league up and running, forming multiple different committees that focus on different aspects of the league, such as bout planning, policy and ethics, events and promotions, training, and sponsorship.
But before these committees really got to work, everyone had to come up with an entirely new name for the league.
“We really just wanted something that felt more like the whole community of St. Pete,” skater B.F. Skin-Ya—whose derby name is inspired by the popular psychologist B.F. Skinner—told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Sunshine City represents not just derby, but makes sure that we’re a part of something bigger.”
The friendly and welcoming name symbolizes the type of relationship that the league plans to have with the greater Tampa Bay area.
Although Sunshine City is technically a business and an LLC, it’s completely skater-owned and organized, with its leaders stressing the importance of a democratic decision-making process. As the different committees strive towards their short-term goals—like finding local business sponsors—the organization’s biggest and most pressing objective yet is to purchase a physical homebase for the league. With a warehouse in its name and a place to host bouts, the new league would be fully in motion.
Earlier this year, the ladies of Sunshine City took a colossal step in the right direction when they purchased a banked derby track.
There’s only a handful of banked track derby leagues in the country, and soon Sunshine City will join the ranks. When asked how heavy the track was, skater and Jurassic Park lover T-Wrex responded “I honestly have no idea how heavy the banked track actually is, but I can tell you after moving two of them... they're heavy as f*ck!”
And according to B.F. Skin-Ya, the league has always wanted a banked track, as it helps tap into the nostalgia of older fans while creating a more dramatic competition and faster skate speeds. “The hits look a lot harder because the audience hears the thud of us falling and smacking into the wood,” B.F. Skin-Ya says, explaining that it’s actually a positive thing in the context of roller derby.
Although most of the league consists of experienced competitors, there’s been an influx of new skaters interested in Sunshine City, which may stem from last year’s pandemic-induced roller skate resurgence. Last summer, CEO of Moxi Skates, Michelle Steilen told the Huffington Post that the company witnessed a 1,000% increase in skate sales since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. That nationwide trend quickly found its way to Tampa Bay, as a handful of novice skaters are trying their hand at the rather intimidating sport of roller derby.
Judy Gruesome—one of Sunshine City’s newer skaters—knew she wanted to do roller derby after seeing the 2009 movie “Whip It,” but has only been skating for about a year. “There's a great community of people in derby and everyone has been so supportive of me since day one,” Gruesome tells CL. “We have people of all different sizes, shapes, fitness levels, gender identities, and backgrounds. Everyone brings something unique to the table so to speak, and I love that.”
For now, new and experienced skaters all practice together—as they learn how to fall, jump, toe-stop and every other essential skill for the full-contact sport. And while there’s no bouts to promote yet, Sunshine City currently uses its social media accounts to give a glimpse into weekly practices, educate its audience about roller derby history, and share skater advice. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need soft or hard wheels on your skates, Sunshine City has you covered.
Although the skaters are looking forward towards a multitude of new beginnings, a bulk of the excitement revolves around competing in and hosting energy-packed bouts, once a home for the league is found. And once it starts up again, Sunshine City wants to create a halftime show where local businesses and artists can bring their personal touches to the bouts—one of the many ideas they have to establish relationships with St. Petersburg community members.
“We’re looking forward to teaming up with others to promote the betterment of Tampa Bay in any way we can,” B.F. Skin-Ya says in an enthusiastic tone. “We want people to know that our league is going to be a really unique experience that will eventually become another staple of our area.”
Keep an eye on sunshinecityrollerderby.com for any updates, and in the meantime brush up on the many rules of roller derby in preparation for the debut Sunshine City bout sometime next year. And if you're interested in skating (and already have a kitschy derby name on deck), reach out to Sunshine City via @sunshinecityrollerderby on Facebook, @sunshinecityrollerderby on Instagram or the website to join the league.
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