Paul Wozniak Finds Value, Family Friendly Entertainment at a Roller Derby [VIDEO]

Unless you’ve really not been paying attention, Roller Derby all over America has made a resurgence that would make 1976 proud!! Since it’s inception in 2004, the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) has grown by leaps and bounds to include teams from Fort Collins, CO.

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I’ve been feeling the energy from it for a while because one of our interns/part timers was a Derby chick, and some friends and clients are as well. Their passion runs deep. I sense so much pride when talking about Derby to any Derby girls that I meet, so we decided to go to a bout.

We attended the June 4, 2011 bout between the Choice City Rebels of Fort Collins and the Sin City All Stars that traveled all the way from Nevada.

My only experience with Derby before this was the movie Whip It. Plus, I have some kind of memory of actually watching ‘banked track’ Derby when it was briefly on network TV in the 70’s.

Overall Entertainment Value – High. The place has a nice buzz to it when you walk in. Punk-ish music playing in the background, an enjoyable announcer letting us know what was going on, and people were ready to enjoy the bout!

Watch this video for a great HIT!!!

Family friendly – Want to show your daughters some strong women to admire? Take them to a Derby bout. The list of positives has almost no end. Girl power, team spirit, teamwork, sportspersonship, individual challenge and accomplishment, bumps and bruises…Derby has it!!

Plus, I don’t know the history of all of these skaters, but something tells me that a lot of the participants first wanted to be a derby girl and then learned how to skate, not the other way around. So they saw something they wanted to do, learned the skill required to do it, and are now skating toward their dreams. That is an example we can all learn from.

Enjoyable Action – I’m a critic and I wouldn’t sit here and tell you that this is an engaging sport if it wasn’t. I like real competitions (judged competitions that require tricks and style and such are nothing but a popularity contests to me). Derby is legit. Points are scored in a definitive manner, there is a winner and a loser and a very high collision factor throughout. I saw some open track hits that would make an NHL defenseman proud! There is strategy. There is art in motion.

Check out this interview with Midge Mayhem of the Choice City Rebels. She relates how;