Posie La Threat – My Roller Derby Diary {Canberra Photographer}
Welcome to Posie La Threat’s diary.
Well it has been about 20 years since i last had a pair of skates on…(a white pair with red wheels). I spent all my Friday nights at the roller rink – at a place called “Skates Alive”! Last October i went to my first Roller Derby bout, and since that night i have been obsessed with all things derby. The day after the bout i went and searched the internet and purchased my derby skates – old style quad skates. Since that day i have been making some fabulous new friends and trying to find places to skate, Stromlo bike track, car parks, high-school basketball courts and skating the lake – bridge to bridge – hills and all. I have had some spectacular falls and hilarious situations, but i will not give up! 
I attended my first of four, 3 hour boot camp sessions on Sunday. We went through quite a bit at the first session – learning the derby stance, falling safely, correctly stopping (T-stops and Plow stops), general fitness, strength and endurance training. At the last boot camp session we have what is called a “white star assessment”. This assesses your skills in:
1. falls – one knee, two knee and 4 point falls stops – keeping fists clenched
2. t-stop and plow-stops derby stance
3. cross over turns and weaving
4. Jumps
5. lateral movement – moving efficiently from one side of the track to the other.
6. endurance – 5 minutes around the track sprinting, focusing on form (stance, cross-overs) and basically trying to do as many laps as possible within 5 minutes
7. jumps
If i pass the white star assessment I can officially start training with the league. Will I get in? I hope so…
Following are some FAQ about Flat Track Roller Derby that i found on the “Women’s Flat Track Derby Association“
What is flat track roller derby? Flat track roller derby is a fast-paced contact team sport that requires speed, strategy, and athleticism. The flat track version of the sport evolved in 2001, and has quickly grown to encompass more than 400 leagues worldwide.
I bet you throw a lot of elbows, right? Not unless a skater wants to spend some quality time in the penalty box! To keep the game play safe and competitive, there are rules governing how and when players can make contact with each other. Throwing elbows, pushing or tripping opposing skaters, and “clothes-lining” opponents by linking arms with your teammate are among the prohibited actions that can send skaters to the penalty box. Like other sports, more serious offenses like fighting or intentional tripping can get a skater kicked out of the game.
So what are you allowed to do? There are still plenty of ways a blocker can send her opponent into the suicide seats! The legal contact zone is between the shoulders and the mid-thigh. While it is legal for a skater to initiate a block with her back or booty, it is illegal to hit an opposing skater in the back. How do teams score points? The skaters wearing a helmet cover with a star on it are the jammers. After making it through the pack of blockers once, the jammer begins scoring points for each opposing blocker she passes legally and in bounds. She can also score points on opponents who are in the penalty box and can get a fifth point if she laps the opposing jammer. Blockers are trying to stop the opposing team’s jammer while helping their own jammer get through.
Why don’t jammers score on the first pass? The first pass is used to establish “lead jammer.” Lead jammer the first jammer to make it through the pack by passing her opponents legally and in bounds. The lead jammer gains the strategic power to end the two-minute jam early. The lead jammer is not always the first jammer out, and it is possible to have no lead jammer if both commit a foul while trying to clear the pack. If there is no lead, the jam lasts the full two minutes.
Keep Checking back on my derby updates and hopefully many derby photos. The next derby post will give you an introduction to roller derby game play and rules.
