MANDURAH, get ready to rumble.
This weekend’s Derby Fest is giving skaters the chance to try the rock-and-tumble world of roller derby.
The first time it has been held in Western Australia, the two-day training event will bring two American skaters, including one from their national team, and three Australian skaters.
Team USA skater Shaina Serelson will be taking to the track to coach beginners, or ‘fresh meat,’ and advanced skaters what it is to be a part of roller derby.
“I teach offence; that’s what I enjoy coaching,” she said. “So it’s like blocking techniques and everything. But Derby Fest is definitely a great program and helps skaters of all different levels.”
“Rosie, the organiser, is good at getting all different coaches. [Australian skater] Christy Demons is a completely different type of coach to me but we both bring something great to the training.”
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five, who roller skate in the same direction around a track.
One of the most recognisable traditional traits of a derby skater is that they have pseudonym personas while on the track that are puns of their real names.
However, like Sere- lson, some skaters prefer to skate under their real name and be recognised as the athletes they are.
Both teams have a designated scoring player, the ‘jammer’, who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team.
The teams attempt to hinder the opposing jammer while assisting their own to overtake as many players as possible.
Victorian jammer Christy Hughes, who goes by the derby pseudonym Christy Demons, will be taking advanced classes on the weekend that focus on the skills needed to be the team’s dedicated scorer.
“I’ll be focusing on strategy and rules and in particular how a jammer can stay out of the pen [penalty box] because I think that’s really important,” she said. “I like to focus on the bigger picture of the game and not necessarily all the macro things as they’re just natural to me now; they’re harder to teach.”
Mandurah’s very own roller derby team, the Dread Pirate Rollers, were some of the first people to buy tickets to Derby Fest.
“It’s such a big thing to have it here,” Mandurah skater Melissa Rayner, whose derby name is Mel Bent, said. “We’re the only team for the Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah area so for it to be held in Mandurah is huge. It was actually announced around April Fool’s Day so we thought it might be a joke.”
She said Derby Fest gave Western Australian skaters the chance to improve their skills.
With most teams not having a dedicated coach, the event meant participants could pick up new skills and strategies that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
“We are so excited to be coming to WA and couldn’t think of a better place than Mandurah with its top class sporting facilities and beautiful surrounds to host Derby Fest,” Rosie Richards, event organiser and skater, said. “WA is a real epicentre of Australian Roller Derby and we are really looking forward to creating an event that will bring some of the best skaters in Australia and the world to Mandurah.”
Derby Fest will run from 9am-8pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Club.
The friendly bouts between some local, national and international skaters will be held on Saturday night from 4pm.
Spectator tickets are $10 at the door and children under 12 are free.
For more information on Mandurah’s Dread Pirate Rollers go to dreadpiraterollers. com. au
