2017 Roller Derby Season – One Playoff Remains!

Many people are surprised when I tell them that I photograph roller derby. Instead of asking what team I photographed over the weekend, their first comment is “I didn’t know people still played roller derby”.

Chicago land is very lucky to have twelve roller derby teams in the city or nearby areas. These range from teams that have played for 13 years to a team that had their first season this year. Unlike the banked track derby you may have seen years ago (or in the roller derby movie “Whip It”), almost all derby today is flat track.

Female teams make up the majority of roller derby, but we also have a male team and all gender teams in the area. They are all volunteer organizations, including the dedicated officials that are needed for every game, and often assist at a practice as well. You don’t have to go much farther out of Chicago to find even more teams in DeKalb, Rockford, Beloit and Milwaukee!

While the area teams will schedule games between them, the quality of derby in the area is such that in 2017 there were also visiting teams from Toronto, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Washington DC and many others.

The largest roller derby organization in the world is the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). It’s estimated that there are over 1,000 roller derby teams across the world. Of these, there are over 400 that are considered Full Member leagues (those that have met all the criteria needed to advance to Full Member status) and almost 60 Apprentice leagues – those that are getting close to full membership. Not only is roller derby popular in the United States, it is a world-wide phenomenon. In fact, in the upcoming world championships, four of the top twelve teams in the world come from outside the US. Many people are picking Victoria, from Australia, as the team that will unseat two time champion Rose City, from Portland. Others believe that Gotham, who has won more championships than any other team, will return to the championship podium. This year the final two games will be streamed on the internet on ESPN3 on Sunday, November 5, at 5:00 PM Central.

While local roller derby has ended, area teams are already practicing for the 2018 season. Why not check out their Facebook pages so you’ll be first to know when 2018 schedules are announced!

• Windy City Roller Girls (Chicago)
• Chicago Outfit (Chicago)
• DuPage Derby Dames (Roselle)
• South Shore Roller Girls (Hammond, IN)
• Chicago Bruise Brothers (Men’s team – Lombard)
• Aurora 88s (Aurora)
• Chicago Red Hots (Cicero)
• Vindicated Vixens (Tinley Park)
• Illiana Derby Dames (Lynwood)
• Midwest Allstars (various)
• Chicago Riots (junior team, Summit)
• Northern Illinois Junior Roller Derby

All teams are always looking for new players, referees, and non-skating officials. If you are interested in being part of something special, send them a note on Facebook.