October 1, 2009

Roller girl
Local derby league now has more than 50 members
By Jeff Mucciarone jmucciarone@hippopress.com

Nashua’s Jennifer Waltner has been with the New Hampshire Roller Derby League since it formed in 2007 with about 15 members. There are more than 50 now. Waltner and the rest of the Roller Derby League are excited to see the upcoming movie Whip It, which features roller derby. The New Hampshire Roller Derby League had its first full season this past summer. Visit nhrollerderby.com or send e-mail to freshmeat@nhrollerderby.com. People can also show up at Roller Kingdom in Tyngsboro, Mass., the first Friday of every month. (Would-be jammers and pivots can also check out the ManchVegas Roller Girls, manchvegasrollergirls.com, another area roller derby group.)

Q:What is roller derby?
It’s a team sport where each team fields five skaters on the track: jammers, pivots and blockers. The blockers and pivots are on one starting line and the jammers are on another 30 feet behind. The referee blows the whistle and the blockers and pivots start and the jammers are second. The jammers’ objective is to get through the pack of skaters. After you get through the initial time, you have to lap them, then they score points for every member of the opposing team they pass. Basically, it’s a points game. The blockers and pivots stay within 20 feet of each other, pretty much skating around in a pack. The blockers’ job is to help the jammers get through and to impede the other team’s jammers from getting through.

How do they impede?
It is a full-contact spot. There’s a lot of positional blocking. They’ll skate directly in front of other jammers. Two will “wall up” so they can’t get around the two of you. There is hitting — it’s more along the lines of hockey. There’s shoulder checks and no clotheslining or punching or kicking — if you do any of those things, you’ll get sent to the penalty box.

What do you like about it?
I love the energy of it. I love that it’s a game that calls for physical strength, endurance and agility, but it’s also a strategy game. It’s very much about having a plan and working together with teammates to make that plan happen.

One of the other things I love about derby: it invites such a broad spectrum of people. Because we were a start-up league, we’ll teach everything you need to know. You don’t need to know how to skate. You don’t have to have played any team sports. We’ll work with you from wherever you’re starting from.

How did you first become involved?
I saw an article on the front page of the Telegraph. I had seen the TV show Roller Girls on A&E, but I didn’t really think about it at first. When I saw there was a start-up league, I thought, “I can do this.” One woman I work with handed me the paper and said, “Are you going to do it?” It just seemed like the right fit.

Are there a lot of injuries?
We do our best to prevent injuries. One of the first things we teach is how to fall safely and how to fall small, so you’re not flailing all over the track. There are definitely injuries. We’ve had a couple dislocated shoulders, some broken ankles, mostly just bumps and bruises. We do require you to have insurance. We wear knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards — it’s like hockey or football.

You all have different names for when you’re playing. Where does that come from?
Basically the league started a derby revival and we took what they call derby names. It’s a piece of the sport that just kind of stuck. It’s sort of a rite of passage. It’s a way to sort of create a persona that you want to be on the track. You can obviously draw on your real-life name, real-life hobbies, things like that, but put a little twist to it.

And what’s your name?
Hazel Smut Crunch. I wanted something that was a play on words. I wanted something that had a kind of vintage sound to it. I wanted something that sounded kind of tough, but also something with cooking, baking or food, which is important to me in my non-derby life. They just call me Hazel.

Are you all excited to see the new movie?
We are very excited to see that movie. There’s a line in the trailer that says, “Put on your skates and be your own hero.” I think that’s something almost anyone that tried derby can relate to. ... 

Are you concerned about the movie sensationalizing the sport?
I think it’s a reflection of one type of derby that’s out there right now. There are multiple leagues, but there are a couple different rule sets. There’s flat and banked tracks. ... I think that the movie is going to reflect one version of derby. Our league might be different in some ways .... We don’t foster fighting. The movie might. ...

What type of person does it take to do this?
Anyone who is really looking for something new, anyone looking for a way to challenge themselves by sort of moving out of their comfort zone. We’re really a friendly group. We have people from all different backgrounds. There’s no age or body type for derby. We have people who are 21 to about 45. I couldn’t skate when I started. ... I like to share that with new girls coming in. It gives them hope that, “Hey, I can’t skate right now, but I’ll get there.” — Jeff Mucciarone