Athleticism and good sport were on display at the Aroostook Roller Derby Spring Meltdown at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center Saturday night. The local team — Biohazards — squared off against the Northwood Knockouts, who come from central Maine. Enthusiasm for the sport was contagious throughout the match with approximately 150 cheering fans in attendance.
“It’s a lot harder than people think,” said roller derby player Chris Newland. Although Newland wasn’t competing Saturday, she regularly participates in matches across the state, which also are held locally and in Canada. “Our practices are very strenuous,” she said emphasizing that the players have to demonstrate a certain amount of skills to successfully — and safely — compete at roller derby.
Roller derby skaters from Biohazard and Northwood Knockouts jostle each other for position during the Spring Meltdown match held at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center Saturday, April 21.
(Courtesy of Ernie Easter)
Noting that there are sometimes “broken legs and ankles” involved in the sport, Newland said, “It’s not just for show” and is quite different than the roller derby that was popular on television in decades past.
Roller derby involves two teams of five players each skating counterclockwise on an oval track. Each team has a “jammer” who earns points by lapping members of the opposing team. Blockers on each team attempt to prevent the other team’s jammers from racing around the track. Jammers sport a helmet with a larger star and all players usually have nicknames such as Malice Borealis, Treble MakeHer, and Valkyrie.
During play, skaters can use their hips and shoulders to block other players but not elbows or forearms to block. Each team has a maximum of 15 players with five on the track at any given time.
Despite the excitement on Saturday night and the physical nature of the sport, Chris Newland said, “There is a lot of love between the girls,” noting that there is always a get together after an event and that the competitors often have fun by forming a human pyramid like cheerleaders do.
Jessica Baird comes from Grand Falls, New Brunswick, and like several other Canadian players, skates for Biohazards.
“What I enjoy most about derby is that it completely pushes me out of comfort zone. I never played competitive sports before derby,” said Baird. “Derby is a place where people from all walks of life can come together. You learn a sport that pushes the boundaries of what you think you can and can’t do.”
Roller derby gained popularity in the forties and fifties, changed to a more sensationalized format in the sixties and seventies, but lost popularity at the end of the 20th century. The recent resurgence of a grass roots version of roller derby has been driven entirely by amateurs. As emphasized by Chris Newland and all the players at the Spring Meltdown, it’s a sport for skilled athletes, good fun, and exercise.
According to Jessica Baird, there are 30 members of Biohazards, including players, coaches, refs and non-skating staff. Six hail from Canada and the rest are from northern Maine. The league will celebrate its fifth-year anniversary this fall.
Locally, events sometimes occur at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center but also at the Forum in Presque Isle. The next nearby match is slated for May 12 in Edmundston, New Brunswick.
For more information, visit the Biohazards’ Facebook page — Aroostook Roller Derby.
