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Derby Girls

97114quesnelWillowderby
Willow Eyford

She’s a wife, mother, home-school teacher, thespian and now a derby girl.

Dorine Lamarche is one of 14 women in Quesnel heading up the Gold Pain City Derby Girls.

“A couple of women from Quesnel went to a roller derby bout in Williams Lake last summer and they were fired up,” Lamarche said.

“They were most excited because it was obviously a sport for any woman, no special age, size or ability.”

With the advent of flat track roller derby, the sport became accessible to everyone and even tiny communities, as long as they had a flat, smooth surface, could participate, Lamarche said.

But the sport does have certain minimum skills requirements in order to have teams compete under the sanction of Canadian Women’s Roller Derby Association (CWRDA.)

Gold Pain City Derby Girls began training last fall on the Lewis Drive outdoor rink where they continued to hone their skills until the snow fell.

Roller derby isn’t for every woman Lamarche said, but just about any woman can participate.

“For me the intense training is one of the big draws,” she said.

“You immerse yourself learning those skills, you work your body really hard and I love that.

“I love being part of a team, always have.”

She freely admits roller derby has a rebel quality where girls adopt what are referred to as derby names, Lamarche chose Riani Rink Rash because she’ll either be receiving or giving rink rash to the other derby girls.

“Roller derby is a place where it’s not only okay but expected for you to be aggressive and strong and I need that,  and I think a lot of women need that in their life,” she said.

“The atmosphere is gritty, where it’s okay to colour outside the lines.

“This comes across in the makeup, hair, ripped fishnet stockings and of course the derby names, it has a dramatic flair.

“But it still maintains a sporting legitimacy. There’s something really healthy about having strength and allowing that strength to have a place to live.”

The Quesnel team range in age from 20s to 40s. They’ve been training with the Williams Lake’s Lake City Derby Girls and Prince George’s Rated P.G. Roller Girls who have helped them prepare for their skills certification through CWRDA.

“You must meet certain minimum requirements for endurance, speed, knowing how to stop, fall, give a hit and take a hit,” Lamarche explained.

For her, roller skating began when she was 11 years old and lasted until her feet outgrew the hand-me-down skates. But now, at 39, she’s skating derby.

Until the team gains their minimum skills requirements, the girls are what the sport refers to as fresh meat. Some of Quesnel’s fresh meat are planning on attending a CWRDA-sanctioned boot camp on Vancouver Island where roller derby notables like Quadzilla, 8 Mean Wheeler, Mack the Mouth and Hoochie will share their knowledge and skills.

For roller derby, women must be 19 years old. Required gear includes skates, helmet, protective pads and mouth guard.

Flat track roller derby is a relatively new sport but growing exponentially over the last 10 years with more than 600 women’s leagues in more than 20 countries worldwide. Many may remember the oval track television sports entertainment theatrics in the 60s and 70s, but modern roller derby has returned to its roots with a strong emphasis on athleticism, infused with the gritty, punk element.

Lamarche was also very clear roller derby is a sport but with tremendous entertainment value.

 

“Gold Pain City Derby Girls offers a great source of entertainment, a legitimate women’s sport the city

can get behind and be proud of,” she said.

 

They’re looking into securing training facilities in school gyms and the arena.

Their first event is slated for Billy Barker Days with teams from Williams Lake and Prince George. For now their uniform will probably be T-shirts but as they get sponsorships that could become more elaborate.

“There’s so much room for self-expression,” she said.

“The knee-high socks, wheel colours, toe stops and of course the helmets are a real chance to express your personality.”

Every derby girl has an identity outside the rink, but Lamarche said once they choose their derby name, suit up for practice and roll onto the rink, they are different.

“Your name is very personal, although not mandatory, it seems derby girls draw strength from it,” Lamarche said.

And she freely admits she draws from an intensely competitive sports background and enjoys bringing that to the track.

“I have an aggressive side to me which I bring to the track, I desire to be strong and aggressive, but never offensive or mean,” she added.

But forming Gold Pain City Derby Girls takes money and the team is holding a fundraising pub night April 2, Murphy’s Pub. It includes dinner and silent auction for $30 a ticket.

“Come meet the Quesnel derby girls, we’d love to welcome new members, especially anyone with hockey or figure-skating background, but even raw, unskilled talent is welcome,” Lamarche said.

“We train derby girls.”

To find out how to become a derby girl or to support them, call Lamarche, 250-249-5095 or go to goldpaingirls.org.

For infromation on roller derby in Canada visit cwrda.ca.