krista sylvester/for metro calgary
Clockwise from front left, Rollergirls Jennifer Prosser, aka “Jenny Rocket,” Linda Arnott, aka “Rollover Jean,” Tania Martinez-Hepburn, aka “Mama Sita,” and Lara La Madrid, aka “Sexy Wrexxy,” are ready to rumble for the upcoming roller derby season.
They may be housewives, teachers and nurses from nine-to-five, but come evenings and weekends these bone-crushing women will teach each other a thing or two.
That’s when a handful of Calgary women turn into Mama Sita, Sexy Wrexxy and the Wicked Witches of the brutally fun contact sport known as roller derby.
“This is such a fun way for these girls to get out and have fun. We have insurance underwriters, businesswomen, teachers and stay-at-home moms — lots and lots of moms,” says Lara La Madrid, also known as Sexy Wrexxy.
Roller derby is a full-contact sport with five girls on each team — four blockers and a jammer — who all lace up their roller skates to beat each other into the ground in a competition to garner points and cheers and jeers for adoring fans.
But it’s not as aggressive as it sounds, adds La Madrid.
“The game mixes sport, performance, strategy and sexiness all together for a good time. It sounds like it’s all aggressive girls but girls can create a persona of what they want. We have something to satisfy everyone’s desires.”
The girls got together on the weekend at Legacy Sports Arena in the southwest for a friends and family derby bout as a tribute to their growing ranks of fans.
But La Madrid says Calgary’s local roller girls are looking to boost the retro sport’s resurgence and are rolling out a recruiting drive for players.
“We have three teams now but we would love to have a league of eight teams or more. Edmonton has two leagues and we would love to have some Alberta competition,” she said.
The official season starts in October but in the meantime people can check out their website at www.calgaryrollerderby.comfor more information.
