When Creative Loafing asked me to pay a visit to the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins for their season opener, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It had been years since I had seen roller derby firsthand. What I remembered from my childhood were scantily clad women on roller skates — some foxy, some bruisers — speeding around an oval track and beating the snot out of each other at high speeds.
It was refreshing to see that, over the years, not much has changed.
Mohawks, mesh, face paint, tattoos and spandex decorated USA Skateplex last Saturday night as hundreds gathered to see the Cigar City Mafia square off against the Black Widows.
Before the bout, girls from both teams mingled with the crowd as they waited for for the doors to open.
Once inside, I tried to position myself as close to the action as possible. Caution tape lined the track’s perimeter, reminding those in the front row they were in “Suicide Seating.” It was kind of like the Splash Zone at Sea World, except Shamu would never crash into you wearing roller skates in excess of 30 mph. I made the mistake of planting myself on a wooden bench against the back wall until a girl shouted “Don’t get too comfortable. You’re in the penalty box.”
(See the gallery after the break. Photos by Stephen Hammill.)
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2010.