Roller Derby Comes To Madison: Dixie Derby Girls Begin 2018 Season March 24
MADISON- Roller Derby is now in Madison.
The Dixie Derby Girls, the state’s oldest roller derby team, has chosen Madison as its new home after being in Huntsville since 2004 and is holding its 2018 season schedule at the Insanity Complex on Hughes Road. The schedule will feature one home match each month through August and includes both the adult team and co-ed junior program.
“It’s a girlie sport…but it’s not,” said Mariah Pruden, sportsperson and first-year member of the Dixie Derby Girls. “The sport seems to bring the women out of their comfort zone and the fact roller skating is such a common sport that most of us have had fun with since our childhood, the action on the rink is action-packed and we’re like a family out there.”
The Dixie Derby Girls are one of the founding members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) with teams scattered across the Southeast. Each member of the teams must meet WFTDA minimum skills requirements and knowledge of the rules. The skating is fast and the action is definitely physical.
“This is my fourth season overall as I skated for a team in Georgia before moving here last year and I’ve never broken any bones in the action, but the physical aspect of the sport is real and certainly a lot of fun for the fans to watch,” said Pruden, 28, who is married and has two sons, ages four and seven.
The women who make up the Dixie Derby Girls roster come from all walks of life and ages. Each of them come up with their own “Derby Image” and “Derby Name.” Pruden chose the name Mariah Cherry. The remaining team members include Bitchie Valens, Blood Bathory, BOA, Coetzee, DayZ KutHer, Hazard, Kupcake Kamikaze, Lady Luck, Minnie Militia, Asian Invasion, Rocket City Mel, ThumpHer, Whip Squeak and Wiley Kayote.
“That’s part of the fun of roller derby as each woman chooses her own identity and makes the best of her name and costume during the match,” added Pruden. “The physical aspect of the sport the skaters have to be active away from the rink, too, as we have to stay in physical shape. I go to the gym three days a week. You must have endurance, balance and lots of lower body strength to skate for long periods of time.”
For over 50 years, roller derby has been an active sport and at one time was broadcast on television throughout the country. Those matches were on a banked track, unlike the flat track league where the rink is actually on the flat service of the skating rick at Insanity Complex.
Pruden said she was introduced to roller derby by a friend and quickly adapted to the new skates as she was a longtime rollerblade skater.
“The sport continues to grow in our area,” said Pruden. “Everybody’s talking about it, so you may as well be a part of the conversation. You can certainly find some lifelong friends through roller derby.”
The Dixie Derby Girls also hold a junior program called the Rocket City Rebels.
The Dixie Derby Girls will hold their first home match March 24. The remainder of the 2018 schedule includes April 21, May 19, June 23, July 21 and August 18. Pre-sale tickets are $12.50 for adults and $15 at the door for ages 13 and older. For ages 7-12, pre-sale tickets are $3 and $4 at the door. Children six years and younger are admitted free. There are special VIP seating available for $25.
Details on the team are available at www.dixiederbygirls.com. For the junior program, visit www.rocketcityrebels.com.
