Gold Pain City Derby Girls are recruiting new members this Friday (Dec. 1) from 7 p.m. in the upper gym at Quesnel Junior School.
Never been on roller skates? No matter. Gold Pain City Derby member Jane Smith says they’ll teach you all you need to know.
“All you need is your own mouth-guard, and preferably your own helmet. We have loaner gear for people who want to try it out, and if people want to join but don’t have the money for their own equipment, we have a rent-to-own gear program.”
Smith explains that derby is not an exclusive sport.
“You do not have to be an athlete. You don’t have to be a certain age group. The adult league goes from 18 to however old you want. I’m going to be 44, I’m 265 lbs, and I play derby. Our coach is around the same age, and she’s slim. It’s a wide range of body types and athletic abilities.
“We need people who are tiny that can get through the pack, and we need the people with the fantastic booty who can stop the other team doing that!”
Men are also encouraged to join, and Smith says any Quesnel men who come out can participate in co-ed scrimmages, or learn to referee bouts. There’s also a men’s league in Prince George.
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Gold Pain City runs a program to teach newbies how to skate, fall and hit, and every member must pass a basic skills test before they can be part of a bout.
“It’s a full contact sport and you are on skates. You can cause a lot of damage if you don’t know what you’re doing,” explains Smith.
The group currently has eight active members, which is enough to play, but Smith says they prefer to have at least nine people on the bench. They can have up to 14 at a bout, and there’s no cap on how many members they can have to practice.
Gold Pain City practises twice a week and attends anywhere from three to six out-of-town tournaments and games in a season, which runs from January to July.
“We also put on the Gold Rush Rumble during Billy Barker Days – although not this year. And we host a few home games during the season,” says Smith.
And how do you earn your roller derby name?
Smith says it’s up to individual members to come up with something that suits them.
“My derby name is Queen Beech. I chose that because my fiancé’s last name is Beech. A girl in Prince George, her name is Ruthless Red, because she’s a red head. Another friend who looks a lot like Anna Kendrick chose “Slamma Kendrick”. It’s something that’s fun that fits your personality.”
Have you got what it takes? Only one way to find out.
Contact 250-255-4453 for more information.