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Roller girls show they can handle the rough stuff
Reporter Hayley O'Keeffe tries her hand at roller derby
On Sunday mornings while most people are lying in bed a group of intrepid women are figuring out the best ways to push each other over on roller skates.
And as I tied up the laces on a pair of borrowed pink skates last Sunday I suddenly felt that a morning with the Bedfordshire Roller Girls might be a bit more than I could handle.
For the first time in nearly 20 years I was living life on eight wheels.
The roller derby team, who celebrate their first anniversary this week, practice at the Alexander Sports Centre in Bedford, and anyone can join in.
The training sessions really are friendly and inclusive – as long as you are female, of course.
That said, roller derby is a full contact sport and the girls whizz round the track, trying to knock each other over on purpose.
They also look pretty vicious in their striped socks, gum shields and purple team shirts bearing unique monikers like Sweet Petite and Cherry Bomb Boom.
I was chaperoned for the day by Martin Eves, who also goes by the name of Little Joker.
Martin was a rare male figure at the meeting, but claims that he loves refereeing and coaching the roller derby bouts.
He said: "We always need refs, because the women need to be told off quite regularly.
"I enjoy teaching people how to skate, I have been skating for 22 years now.
"Men are the real underdog in this sport, but a lot of the refs are getting tired of just doing that, so a men's league has sprung up. But it is in its very early stages."
Roller derby is an all-female contact sport played on quad roller skates.
Two teams of five skaters line up on an oval track with one player from each team being the points scorer or 'jammer'.
All the girls make their way around the track, and it is the jammer's job to catch up with the group and make their way past the players from the other team by any means necessary.
Team members can also help their jammer by barging and blocking opposing players. Points are awarded for every time the jammer laps any member of the opposing team.
And it is every bit as manic as it sounds. Many of the girls love the sport because it is a chance to let off steam after a hard week at work.
Lisa Noakes, also known as ViAggro, is a sales manager for a construction company by day.
She said: "Roller derby is a good way to keep fit without even realising you are doing any work.
"I am quite an aggressive person and have a very stressful job so this is a great way to vent those frustrations.
"It's strange, but after a bout you often find yourself complimenting people on how they knocked you down, it's quite a tactical sport."
Bedford Roller Girls celebrate their first anniversary with a mixed bout against other teams on Saturday.
And in the evening the girls will hold a fundraising birthday party at Esquires.
n To find out more about roller derby, visit www.bedfordshire
rollergirls.com
To learn about the Esquires fundraiser visit www.bedford
esquires.co.uk
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Weather for Bedford
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
