Monday, August 25, 2008

Dixie Derby Girls


Sunday, I went to my very first Dixie Derby Girls roller derby bout (game). I’ve wanted to go to a bout for awhile now, but never had anyone who wanted to go with me. I mentioned to my co-worker Miranda that I wanted to go see a bout and she said that she goes and watches them all the time. Miranda was the best person to go with because she knows the ins-and-outs of the sport and explained things about the bout before and as it was being played.

If you are unsure about how roller derby is played, here you go. Each team consists of a Jammer (who wears a helmet with a star on it), a Pivot (that has a stripe on their helmet), and Blockers (3 others each team). Each bout lasts 2 minutes and there are two-30 minute periods with a half time in between. Each team has one Jammer and they are the only person who can score points. They also have just one Pivot, they set the pace for the Blockers. The Bout starts with the Blockers starting on the first whistle and the Jammers starting on the second whistle. The way the Jammers score points is to catch up to the Blockers and pass them without falling or going out of bounds. It moves very quickly and sometime it is hard to count how many times they pass the Blockers during the bout. They have a commentator that acts as the cheerleader and gave a play by play during the bouts.

During half time they had a raffle. You could win tattoos, piercings, and gift certificates. One of Miranda’s friends won a $100 tattoo. They also had a live band to play during half time.

I’m definitely going to their next bout in October. They only have a home bout once a month, so there is not much opportunity to see them in action. I really didn’t know what to expect to find, but I figured it would be fun. It was tons of fun!