Photo by Julia Watt
Brew City Brewers - Nat Geo Wild
#040 Nat Geo Wild attempts to break through Fargo Moorhead's blockers.
The Brewcity Bruisers (BCB) faced a double header against the Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls from North Dakota/Minnesota on Saturday, May 30 in the New Berlin Sportsplex. Though they lost the first game handily, Milwaukee put up a good fight and fostered an excellent game atmosphere with great sportsmanship.
What is Roller Derby?
If you’ve never encountered roller derby before, here are the rules and terms you need to know to understand this weekend’s game recap.
Photo by Julia Watt
Brew City Bruisers - Roller Derby Positions Diagram
Jammers and pivots are marked with removable fabric helmet covers. A referee gestures to the lead jammer who is earning points for each pass she makes on the opposing team.
- Jammer — offensive player, marked by a star helmet cover (aka the Star)
- Blockers — defensive players who skate in a “pack” to block the opposing team
- Pivot — a blocker with special abilities, marked by a striped helmet cover, (aka the Stripe)
- Bout — a single game of roller derby, divided into two 30-minute periods
- Jam — the 2:00 window each team’s jammer has to score points. The lead jammer can stop the clock at any time, allowing them to stop while they’re ahead and prevent the other jammer from scoring.
Roller derby is played on four-wheeled roller skates with no more than five players on the court at once. Much like football or rugby, it is a full contact sport requiring the jammer to break through the opposing team’s defensive line (or “pack”) while skating around an oval-shaped flat track loop.
Photo by Julia Watt
Brew City Bruisers - Block Strategy
Brew City Bruisers' jammer goes for a pass.]
When the jammer breaks through the opponent’s pack, they score points for passing the other team. The jammer’s goal is to pass them as many times as possible to rack up points without stepping out of bounds or incurring a penalty. The pivot can also become the jammer if there is an opportunity for the jammer to pass the Star to them.
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Like any full contact sport, leveraging one’s physical advantages or disadvantages can make for interesting jams or pack strategy. However, it can quickly fall apart if players do not work together or perform illegal maneuvers like tripping. (Read up on more game rules here.)
Brewcity Bruisers v. Fargo Moorhead Game Summary
The Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls (FMDG) took an early lead in the first period as their MVPs, jammers Spidey and Dakota, seemed to flounce the BCB blockers’ every move. The Bruisers’ nimble jammers, Nat Geo Wild and Edna Scissorhands among others, took advantage of a few “power jams” (like a power play in hockey), earning great cheers from the crowd. FMDG’s defense proved very strong, while the Bruisers’ blockers needed some time to warm up in the first period and struggled to remain in a pack.
The Bruisers’ jammers came out swinging at the start of the second period, evening up the score quickly in what appeared to be a chance at a win. Unfortunately, the Bruiser’s defense hiccups continued to be a challenge into the second period which gave FMDG openings to sneak by and dash away our early second period edge. Both teams appeared to have excellent spirit, chanting and applauding for their players at every opportunity.
Photo by Julia Watt
Brew City Bruisers scores
#040 Nat Geo Wild earns points for a successful pass.
Roller Derby History
Image courtesy of Brewcity Bruisers
Brewcity Bruisers' recruitment matierial
Original Brewcity Bruisers' recruitment material found in "Barrel-Aged Bruisers Alumni" by Cris Siqueira.
The sport evolved from endurance races held largely in the American Midwest in the early 20th century. It had several fad-like surges in popularity throughout the century but gained a real foothold through a wave of all-female and co-ed leagues founded in the early 2000s. Milwaukee’s league was founded in 2005 via grassroots methods, recruiting eager players and amassing a loyal fanbase quickly. In Barrel-Aged Bruisers, a zine distributed last summer for BCB’s 20th anniversary, original co-founder Cris Siquiera (derby name Carny Power) writes:
“After months of covering the city with flyers [and zines], hosting info sessions, reaching out to people online (on MySpace!), going together to open skate nights...it was time to finally get down to business. At least fifty-seven women showed up at the skating rink to officially join the league.”
Roller derby has strong connections to LGBTQ+ history and culture, having become something of an athletic mainstay for queer women and trans or non-binary identifying individuals. The tradition of choosing a derby name is quite similar to choosing a drag name: something punny, maybe a pop culture reference, meant to evoke a character that may or may not reflect one’s true self.
The Bruisers embrace the sport’s queer legacy in more ways than one. Milwaukee’s chapter of Free Mom Hugs, a national nonprofit that aims to foster LGBTQ+ allyship, was there handing out keepsakes, information and (of course) hugs. May 30th was also a Pride Month mixer, featuring karaoke and piping hot drag debate.
Photo by Julia Watt
Free Mom Hugs' volunteers at roller Derby
Free Mom Hugs' Milwaukee Chapter volunteers.
While Saturday’s double header was the final game of their spring season, the Bruisers have plenty of upcoming plans. The league will march in the upcoming Pride Parade and will face Naptown Roller Derby in Indianapolis on June 27. Their next drop-in recruitment session is scheduled for August 16 at the New Berlin Sportsplex, and they encourage all who are interested to sign up, no matter your experience skill level, as long as you can join in their team chant: “Brewcity Bruisers, beer beer beer!”
