BCR NEWS & MEDIA

Felicity Caldwell | 17 Oct 2009 - Queensland Times - Photos : Sarah Harvey


After a while, Evil Doll left that league to become president of the Brisbane City Rollers, which recently relocated its base to Ipswich. Droney said she suggested the league move to the Bundamba venue. "We had trouble finding venues and I an Ipswich girl, so I said: 'Hey, there's a great rink out here, why not just move the league out to Ipswich?".

Described as the entertainment equivalent of rugby on wheels, Droney said there was no question it was a contact sport. "Your shoulders get a fair amount of bruises because we do a lot of conditioning work and that helps reduce bruises over time, she said. "We're all very proud of them." We take photographs and put them up in an image gallery and call them our war wounds.

While they might be fearsome opponents on the track, Droney said, off the track, opponents became "best friends". Men are fascinated that girls are involved in a contact sport and there are definite stereotypes, she said. “They think
it involves big butchy women and then find out we are all shapes.“What goes on the track stays on the track. Everything comes to an end once the game is over. Women learn that if there are emotions they want to get rid of, this is the place to do it.

The over-sexed hype portrayed in Whip It, starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, is probably a little exaggerated but the risk of injuries and spills is very real.

An ambulance was called to our training session to treat an advanced player with a suspected leg injury and one of the freshmeat girls fell over, smacking her head on the ground. Blood poured out of her head wound but, after some first aid and a lengthy period of lying down and observation, she was able to walk out. We were assured that we had an unusual session for injuries but it reinforced the fact that roller derby is not all about girls in short skirts on skates but a tough, Contact sport played by incredibly fit athletes.

Brisbane City Rollers train at Skateaway in Bundamba on Tuesdays, from 7pm to 9pm, and Sundays, 4.45pm to 6.45pm. Freshmeat nights are held the first Sunday of each month.

For more information, see www.brisbanecityrollers.com.

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Modern-Day Warriors get Skates On

Josephine Gillespie & Felicity Caldwell | 17 Oct 2009 - Queensland Times - Photos : Sarah Harvey

WEARING everything from mini-skirts to army pants and fish net stockings, the battle fatigues donned by the largely tattooed skaters of the Brisbane City Rollers present a fascinating spectacle. Desperate to become one of the modern-day warriors, we laced up and apprehensively headed onto the Bundamba Skateaway rink, training with the rest of the new skaters – or “freshmeat” in derby terminology. Not only were we slightly unfit, we had never played a contact sport before and the last time we’d donned skates, we were little more than kids.

Freshmeat skater Felicity Caldwell summed it up best when she said,“my first few awkward, wobbly glides almost landed me on the ground but, after a few minutes, all those laps of my back veranda during my youth came flooding back.” We were not alone, Kim Droney – or ‘Kimmi Da Kleaver’ on the rink – said the team regularly recruits new players through the freshmeat program, with skaters, male and female, ranging in age from 18-44.

Droney said the sport attracted people from all walks of life. “We have mums, quite a few mums, people in banking, solicitors, a funeral director and I’m a graphic designer. What I love about roller derby is you meet women you might not normally meet and you come out and enjoy the sport,” Droney said. “If definitely expands your social horizons in a massive way.”

Less fearsome roller derby warriors and more bundles of nerves, we ventured with trepidation onto the track, joining the other newbies in trying to gracefully fall over on our knees. In the US, thousands flock to watch teams of women in helmets, kneepads and arm pads racing around rinks at top speed. One player

on each side tries to lap the opposing team and it’s up to the others to stop her. Two years ago, Brisbane
driving Instructor Anita Knight, aka Evil Doll, revived roller derby and the Australian Roller Derby League was born.

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Roller Derby Women (and Men) are Here

Peter Foley | 20th June 2009 - Queensland Times Newspaper

IT WAS brought back to life from the seventies and now the entertainment equivalent of rugby on wheels has been brought to Ipswich. Roller derby attracted thousands of spectators in Brisbane and Melbourne 30 years ago but folded under the popularity of wrestling. It involved teams of generally women skating around
a track trying to knock the other team out of the competition. To jazz things up a bit more, competitors took wild nicknames and dressed in brassy costumes.

Two years ago, Brisbane driving instructor Anita Knight, aka Evil Doll, revived roller derby and the Australian Roller Derby League was born. After a while, Evil Doll left that league to become president of the Brisbane City Rollers, which recently relocated its base to Ipswich.

Kim Droney of Brisbane City Rollers said she suggested the league move toSkateaway at Bundamba. “We had trouble finding venues and I'm an Ipswich girl so I said: 'Hey, there's a great rink out here, why not just move
the league out to Ipswich?'” Ms Droney said. “Now we're finding we're getting a really big following from people in the western suburbs of Brisbane and in Ipswich.”

Without much promotion, the first night about 30 skaters turned up. Now they have about 25 regulars and about nine guys.

She said the league used Facebook and MySpace to launch “fresh meat drives” to encourage people to get a feel for
roller derby. “We get people from all backgrounds. We get a lot of mums. I think they have a lot of frustration they

want to take out,” she said. Men are involved too, she said, and skaters ranged from 18 years old to about 43.

“There are a lot of people who wouldn't normally get into the sport and they see it as a great challenge to get out there
in a contact sport,” said Ms Droney, who is a graphic designer. “Most derby girls never guess they have this persona where|
they are so determined and focused. You switch on to that mode and everything changes. That's part of the reason why we
have the derby names. It's also a nod back to the past, to roller derby in the 1970s.

“My roller derby name is Kimmi DaKleaver. Quite often we get girls who come out of their shell through derby. They have
been really quiet and it seems to bring something out of them and they rise to the challenge.

“I'm not an aggressive person in real life but something changes when I step on the rink. That's the element of roller derby
that fascinates so many people.”

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Calls to Resurrect Skating Rink

The Wynnum Herald - 15 Jun 09 @ 10:31am

WYNNUM-BASED roller derby girls aim to resurrect Australia’s only world-class roller-skating rink at Inala and are calling
for funds from the State Government for the minority sport they say is one of many under-resourced in the community.
The girls have to travel to Bundamba to train and say the Inala rink has sat unused for some time and could be utilised in
the area for cheap, family entertainment which is in great need. Other Brisbane rinks formerly at Red Hill, Mt Gravatt and Slacks Creek have closed.

Wynnum driving instructor Anita Knight, credited with reviving roller derby, is leading the move to reopen the rink. ``It’s not just roller derby, other sports are looking for venues,’’ she said. The girls hope to unite with other sporting and community groups to use the building constructed in an art deco-style in the 1960s with a urethane-coated wooden floor imported from the US. Luke Pendergast of the Architectural Practice Academy said the not-for-profit group were keen to see the rink known as the ``hormonal heart of Inala’’ and its significant building repaired. ``It would need about $1.5million to comply with current codes,’’ he said. ``It’s very run down but the skatingrink is in good condition.’’ Mr Pendergast said the derby girls were not financially able or incorporated so would not qualify alone for government grants. The privately-owned 1870sqm building on a 6056sqm block which is zoned for Sport and Recreation on Serviceton St is up for sale or lease. Real estate agent Hiep Nguyen said the owner was flexible on the lease or sale of the building and would consider any proposal which was ``fair and reasonable for both parties’’.

Brisbane City Councillor Milton Dick (Richlands) said he was keen to discuss the project with a view to work in partnership
to revitalise the centre. ``It would give the community an asset for events,’’ he said.

Minister for Sport Phil Reeves urged interested parties to submit an application under the next round of the Major Facilities
Program which opens in early 2011, providing they meet the eligibility criteria.

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