Women in neon mouth guards, shiny short shorts and fishnet tights smashed against each other as Muncie's Cornfed Derby Dames defeated Fishers' Circle City Party Crashers in a 176 -50 win Sunday.
Inside the Gibson Roller Skating Arena, an ambulance waited as the roller girls entered the track to the sound of cheering fans and Abba's "Dancing Queen." Although the ambulance stretcher was not needed, there were plenty of thuds as derby girls hit the track after rough falls or encounters with blockers' elbows.
Megan Pachynski, aka Sonic the Trackhog, said it's easy to forget about the hits during the bout, but she remembers the next day when the bruises start to show.
"Your adrenaline is going so much during this that you just get back up and you go," she said. "I had a big spill where I was at the bottom of a dog-pile; I'll probably feel that tomorrow."
April Abernathy said she already has post-bout plans for a visit to the chiropractor.
"We spend so much time learning how to take the hits and how to fall the right way," Abernathy said. "You're still going to have accidents, but it makes it a little easier."
Roller derby bouts consist of two 30-minute halves. Each team has four blockers on the track and one jammer, who races through the pack and earns points for each blocker on the opposing team they pass. Blockers attempt to stop the opposing jammer from passing through while helping their own jammer.
By halftime, the Dames were already ahead 86 to 12. Team member Tambra White, known on the track as Slipper E. Noodle and was not skating during the bout, said it was more uneven than the team expected.
Board president Amanda Holmquist said the team is made up of 25 to 30 women, who range from moms with day jobs to Ball State students and alumnae who live in Muncie.
They practice three times a week have attendance obligations and must pay dues. Roughly one-third of the players are Ball State students.
There are too many players on the team to go on the roster, which allows only 14 players for each bout. The remaining Dames get dolled up in wigs, shiny dresses and costume makeup to cheer on their fellow teammates and help staff the event as non-skating officials. At each bout, roughly 20 volunteers and seven referees are needed. Even the refs, also called Zebras, dress up with brightly colored helmets and Mohawks.
About 200 fans turned out for the bout, ranging from kids with their mom's derby name on their shirts to spectators with corn-shaped hats. Some fans were brave enough to sit in "suicide seating," an 18-and-over section directly on the track floor where, according to White, fans may end up "with a derby girl in their lap."
There is a sense of community, however, behind the growls of the fishnet clad players on the track. After the bout, the Dames gave awards for best blocker and jammer on each team, and the girls who were just pushing each other around linked arms and hugged for the camera.
Coach Tony Hocker said Circle City is a friendly rivalry.
"We like Circle City; they've taught us a lot as a league about how to grow, and they're always a good time to play," Hocker said.
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