Patch Picks: Get Down and Derby at the DC Armory This Weekend

If you have been looking for entertainment that doesn't break the bank, then you might want to consider watching roller derby at the DC Armory. The DC Rollergirls (DCRG), the DC area's resident league, is fast, fun and won't take a huge bite out of your wallet.

The First Ladies of derby are ranked 9th out of 17 leagues in the Eastern Division of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and on Sunday, March 27, at 4 p.m., the DC Rollergirls All-Stars face the 11th-ranked Port Authorities from Portland, Maine, in the first match of the evening, followed by the reigning champion DC DemonCats taking on Scare Force One in a preview of the league championship bout later this spring.

If you have seen the movie “Whip It,” then you might think that roller derby is a fast-moving brawl, but the reality is much different. Fighting and throwing elbows aren't allowed, but that doesn't mean that that these women can't dish out a hip-check that would level a hockey player. The basic rules aren't hard to pick up (and they are explained before every bout), but there are layers of strategy that make each bout a contest of teamwork and skill, as well as speed and athleticism. Like hockey, the closer you are to action, the faster it seems to go, but at a roller derby bout, those in the “suicide seats” next to the track might get hit by a wiped-out skater.

 The simple explanation is that each roller derby bout is broken into “jams” that last up to two minutes each. Both teams have five skaters on the track, a lone “jammer” and a “pack” that consists of three blockers and a “pivot” (the leader of the pack) from each team. Each jammer tries to make her way through the pack and once she gets through once, every subsequent time that she passes an opposing skater, she scores one point. There is plenty of strategy involved, and while the jammer may be the one who scores the points, the bouts are often won or lost by the blockers. Good teamwork and smart skating can stymie the opponent's jammer while allowing a team's own jammer easy trips through the pack, racking up points with each pass.

 Roller derby isn't all serious business, though. Each skater chooses her own derby name that reflects her own personality and creativity. Many skaters are supported by family who might also have taken derby names of their own to match the theme of their wife, mother or daughter on the track. Yes, mothers. The women of roller derby come from many ages and walks of life, but they are all tough competitors and they put on a great show.

 To learn more about DCRG and to meet one of the league's skaters, see

 For more information about events and tickets, see the DCRG website at:

http://www.dcrollergirls.com/