It’s Roller Derby time
It is the domain of women with names such as The Iron Wench, Whiplasha and Venus Envy. Four wheels on their feet, they vie for teams with names such as the Vagine Regime, the Hamilton Harlots and Chicks Ahoy.
Roller derby, born in its original form during the tumultuous times of the Great Depression, has waxed and waned since but it has remained a counterculture domain of women.
What originated as entertainment has transformed into an international sport and transfixed many along the way. DD Miller is one of those transfixed. A self-described “derby nerd,” Miller traces the origins of this subculture sport from its beginnings to its modern-day revival in his book Eight-Wheeled Freedom.
Miller, who saw his first match in 2008, has since become immersed in the sport, delivering play-by-play at two World Cups, commentating online and for ESPN and reporting from games and tournaments throughout North America.
He delves into the feminist underpinnings of a game that rejects the formula of mainstream sports and into the impor- tant role of the LGBTQ community.
Miller clearly loves historical research. Eight-Wheeled Freedom reads like a sociological master’s thesis, complete with citations from research papers and academic dissertations. There’s even a flow chart.
While Miller nimbly explains the nuts and bolts, the history and the evolution of the sport to modern flat-track, he fails to deliver the essence of roller derby.
The bright spots come when Miller gets personal, describing the scenes unfolding around him at big matches or interviews with some of the best players.
“I’ve often asked myself what it was that led me and my partner to alter the course of our lives for a game,” Miller writes nearly halfway through the book. He doesn’t really answer the question.
But for fans of roller derby looking for a thorough history of the sport, there’s more than enough in Eight-Wheeled Freedom to please. Dene Moore is a writer and editor in British Columbia.