This year is the 10th anniversary of the Rat City Rollergirls, Seattle’s roller derby team. I can’t believe it’s been a decade. I was a founding member and it seems like yesterday.
It all started in 2004, when my friend Lilly asked a group of her friends (myself included) if we wanted to start a roller derby league with her. She’d fallen in love with the sport after watching the Texas Rollergirls play in Austin.
Meeting One was between Hurricane Lilly and two of her friends, Rae’s Hell and Dixie Dragstrip. Meeting Two expanded to seven. I remember meeting in a living room and planning what would become part of the fabric of Seattle–although we had no idea at the time.
We researched locations, looked into things like insurance and marketing, and planned fundraisers, media strategies and recruiting events. The league needed uniforms, coaches, managers, players–everything! It was almost a full-time job, and we all had jobs!
We were engineers, writers, developers, baristas, managers, you name it. We combined our skills and passion and built up the league from humble beginnings in a rink in White Center to Key Arena! I never played at the Key though. I played at the hangars at Magnusson in front of 1500 screaming fans, but after season one, I retired.
I’m Jean of all Trades, and I didn’t have the commitment to devote to one thing. I was busy with motorcycles, art, animal rights, and I had a boyfriend and friends to fit into the mix (not to mention a new job).
But I’ll always remember the year and a half that I was Lady Die #83. I met powerful women, made great friends, and reached a level of athleticism I didn’t know I had.
I’d highly recommend catching a bout and celebrating season ten. Roller derby has exploded onto the scene in the last decade and there are other leagues in Washington State, the country, and all over the world. There’s probably one near you. If you go to a Rat City bout, you’ve got to cheer for Grave Danger, my former team.
(starting back row, left to right) Edie Brickwall, Daisy Mayhem, PamOpticon, Lil’ Hateful, Sake Bomb, Bruise Lee, Lisa Lawless, Rettig to Rumble, Lady Die, Darcy Rant, Tashya Round, Ann Munition, Jinx (Photo by Lilly Warner)
jeanofalltrades 
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. Although I never got to watch you (which is probably a good thing – watching you bungee jump was nerve-racking enough!) the photos are fabulous and you even look stylish and classy in a roller derby! Love the red and black uniforms! You always were adventurous, but you sure didn’t get it from me! 🙂
One of the fun things about being a founding member is that we got to choose team names, themes, and uniforms. Rolle derby has such a distinct style 🙂 Lots of fishnet and tattoos! I liked Grave Danger’s color combo a lot.
Kitchener and Toronto have leagues. Maybe we can watch a bout together.
hehe, “everywhere” – yes – there’s even a berlin-based derby team. feel too old to join but thought to support. if they’re any good. need to check!
I saw that in the list! Bear City Derby 🙂 It’s a lot of fun. I recommend going!
The local team is called Berlin Bombshells; I seriously thought of getting in touch with them 😉
Oh, that’s different than what I remembered. Let me know if you get in touch with them. You’ll have fun!
Also, I had non-leather skates and a “praise seitan” sticker on my helmet. It was my little vegan plug. I chose 83 because that’s the number of animals vegans don’t eat every year 🙂 I think the number is 95 now though.
bear derby is a thing (I think it’s maybe the association?), but the team is called BB. so you remember right 😀
cool vegan “easter eggs”! clever you!
btw I found this right now on peta, but it’s 4 years old (and seems they had no update since? really?): http://www.peta.org/blog/vegans-save-185-animals-year/
Wow! 185? I was way off. But I had good intentions and put in the vegan word whenever I could. Glad I was half right about the Bear Derby 🙂
😉