Ithaca Roller Derby continues to evolve

In most places around the country, roller derby is more of a niche sport that has often been overlooked. That’s far from the case in Ithaca.

The Ithaca League of Women Rollers (ILWR)—also known as Ithaca Roller Derby—is in its 16th year of existence, and the league continues to strengthen its presence in the city. This was on full display with the “Ithaca vs. The World” doubleheader scrimmage on June 17. The first bout involved rookie skaters going head-to-head, while the second bout was the advanced-level match featuring skaters from the SufferJets (ILWR’s A team) and the BlueStockings (ILWR’s B team) against skaters from other leagues, which was represented as “The World.” According to longtime ILWR skater Juliana Garcia, this is the first time the league had put on this type of event.

“A lot of other leagues usually do one once a year because it’s just fun,” Garcia said. “You get to skate with all different people. We usually only skate with two teams, which are all women teams. For open scrimmages, most are open gender, so it’s cool because you get guys from MRDA (the Men’s Roller Derby Association) signing up. It’s kind of intense, but it’s fun.”

Garcia has been skating with the ILWR since 2013, so she has seen firsthand how much the sport has evolved in Ithaca.

“As I was coming in, it was going more in the direction of like an actual sport and not like theatrics,” Garcia said. “A lot of the rules were changing. A lot of people have the assumption that it’s like an old-school roller derby where everyone’s wearing fishnets and tutus and hitting and throwing people. That’s not really how it is. It’s like an actual sport now. We have to explain to people that we’re real athletes. It’s not just a show. We actually have a lot of strategy out there.”

Roller derby consists of five skaters from each team facing off in multiple two-minute periods called jams. Each team has four defensive skaters (‘blockers’) and one offensive skater (‘jammer’). Jammers are signified by a star on their helmet, and the goal is to pass through their opponents’ blockers in order to score points. Jammers can end the jam before the two-minute mark by putting their hands on their hips, which is mainly done to prevent the opposing jammer from getting any more points. Since matches are two 30-minute periods, there are usually about 40 jams per game, making roller derby a higher-scoring affair than even professional basketball. With teams having to play offense and defense simultaneously, there’s a lot that goes into preparing for each bout.

“We practice two times a week for two hours,” Garcia said. “On Tuesdays we do skills and drills, and then Thursdays are scrimmage nights, which are really fun. Because we’re in the mall now, people can come and watch and see a little bit of roller derby action from the outside. We also train off-skates. We tell the new people that you’re gonna get better by being on your skates, but also by working out because it’s a lot of endurance and a lot of core [strength]. You have to have a really strong core, and so what we tell people is to try to get some off-skate workouts in as well if you want to really progress in your skill level.”

Perhaps the most unique aspect of roller derby is that every skater goes by a nickname. Garcia’s derby name is “Jagger,” which comes from her initials “JAG.” There’s plenty of creativity in some of the derby names in the ILWR, including Gorticia Addams, Auntie Biotic, and Blucifer. There are also no limits on jersey numbers, with some skaters wearing numbers as high as four digits.

As the roller derby scene continues to grow in Ithaca, the ILWR is always looking for more skaters. For Garcia, the strong sense of community and the opportunity to learn a whole new sport are the biggest factors to join in on the fun.

“It’s so rare that you learn a new skill and sport as an adult,” Garcia said. “It’s so cool and empowering to be able to learn a whole new sport and become very proficient at it. It’s just been really nice to see full-grown adults learning a completely new sport and then becoming really amazing at it in a few years. I have a five-year-old who is like, ‘When I’m eight, I can come skate with you.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, you can come skate.’ It’s just so cool that he can see me out there doing this sport, so I think it’s great.”

Those interested in joining Ithaca Roller Derby can go to their website (ithacarollerderby.com) for more information on how to get involved. For spectators, there are four more home bouts this year on July 15, August 9, September 16, and October 14. All of those will take place at the Shops at Ithaca Mall, located behind the Michaels store.