Rockin’ and rollin’

St. Boniface

On July 19, the Winnipeg Roller Derby League is inviting neighbours to take in and watch a sport that values inclusivity and belonging above all else.

The league will be hosting its summer showdown bout event at the Fort Garry Curling Club (696 Archibald St.), which will mark the league’s first bout of the year.

The game, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m., is split into two periods and will be broken up by a juniors scrimmage at halftime.

While they watch, audience members will have a chance to attend information booths, as well as speak to the players, officials and volunteers after the game. The venue will be wheelchair accessible and interpreters will be present throughout.

The league, which always encourages new registrants and volunteers, includes players of differing gender identity and ability. The largest hurdle is putting on a helmet and getting to work. Currently, there are about 25 consistent members.

Xandria Griffiths, better known as ‘Beetlecrawl,’ signed up the moment she turned 18, and says that she has opened up considerably since beginning to play in September of last year.

Griffiths is deaf and speaks in ASL, and said that she used to be afraid of going to the store and being in new situations on her own, but the league has taught her that when she falls — oftentimes literally — she just needs to get back up.

“If I make a mistake, I can learn from it,” she said, adding that her parents and family have been her biggest supporters. “I’ve changed so much from when I first started.”

It’s also helped her learn to communicate better with hearing people, with the help of an interpreter and many of the hearing players taking it upon themselves to learn ASL. There are two other deaf people on the team, as well, one of which is a former teacher of hers at the Manitoba School of the Deaf.

“It’s important to continuously show up to practices,” she said, noting that she comes a lot more often. A strength, as she’s the youngest person in the adult league.

Shanell Dupras — ‘Shred Flanders’ — has been officiating for two years, but has been involved in the sport for seven. One of the biggest misconceptions about the game, she said, is the expectation that it’s going to be as violent as it was portrayed in the 1970s, back when figures like ‘Skinny Minnie’ Miller were tearing through the opposing team during the classic televised Roller Games.

Most moves from those days — elbowing, punching, tripping — are now illegal. Although it is a physical contact sport, Dupras’s job is to make sure everyone is safe.

“It’s very welcoming,” Dupras, who lives in Wolseley, said, of the community. “You’re not at risk of being benched.”

“It’s a life-changing sport in the best way possible … it’s helped get me my job and stay physically active as an adult. I owe a lot to roller derby,” she said, adding that it’s “a great community and a great hobby,” and has opened the door for opportunities both in and out of Winnipeg, giving players the chance to gain experience and meet like-minded folks across the country.

The league offers a skate camp from September to December, which allows for complete beginners to learn the ropes — whether they know how to roller skate or not.

About 90 per cent of the group has been playing for less than three years, according to Sarah Flynn (‘Meryl Screech’): “Making friends in your late twenties or thirties is hard, and if you’ve never skated before, it’s totally mind-boggling, but you’ll get there.”

The league has also started to integrate ‘mild, medium and spicy’ levels of difficulty, as well, said Candice Guild (‘Goldie’), which keeps it inclusive and beginner-friendly.

“We encourage the good falls,” Guild said.

“It’s not a good practice if you didn’t fall,” Flynn added.

“We have paramedics, teachers, high-level IT professionals, lots of students, people in theatre, artists,” said Abby Leschyson (‘Brawly Pop’), adding that many of the players have kids, as well.

The Winnipeg Roller Derby League is always looking for new players (adult and junior), officials — both in and out of skates — and volunteers.

For more information or to register as a new skater, visit winnipegrollerderby.com