Jamming with the Flathead Valley Roller Derby league
On a rainy Wednesday night at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building, members of the Flathead Valley Roller Derby league ditch their shoes at the door and lace up their skates for one more practice before the weekend’s Big Sky Brawl. The clatter of the quad skates hitting the floor and the gravelly scraping of wheels sliding to a stop echo off the metal walls and spill into the entryway. Inside, the team runs drills around an oval course.
The Big Sky Brawl is the first tournament the team has organized in Kalispell, bringing together Montana’s active roller derby teams. Headlining the brawl is an exhibition match showcasing Team Montana 406 Roller Derby, a team made up of all-stars selected from around the state, including those from Flathead Valley Roller Derby. “I think it’s truly going to be a gathering and a celebration of Montana roller derby,” said team member Kari Hammer, aka Hammer.
From former speed skaters to those learning to skate for the first time, FVRD invites people of all skill levels to join. The league is made up of a women’s team, the Big Mountain Misfits, and a co-ed team, the Northern Light Knockouts. LEARNING THE sport takes time.
Newcomers start by attending boot camps, where they learn skating fundamentals before adding limited contact. Colored tape placed on their helmets helps identify a teammate's level of progression during practices. No tape means a skater is cleared for full contact.
“There’s a lot of rules surrounding contact, but ... people go flying on occasion,” team member Dani Rosenbaum, aka Dani DeFeato, said with a smile. A roller derby bout (game) encompasses a series of fast-paced “jams,” lasting up to two minutes, where two teams of five skaters maneuver around an oval course trying to score points by passing opponents, Rosenbaum and Hammer explained.
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