Have you been to a Bout yet? That’s a Roller Derby game. If you’re new to the lingo, or new to the sport in general, Roller Derby is a roller skating sport of two teams (generally all-female). It’s also a contact sport.

Lately, it’s garnered more attention with the release of the film Whip It—though the sport is not quite as aggressive as it’s portrayed in the movies.

Roller Derby consists of two teams of five who go through a series of short “jams” where each team’s jammer (a designated scoring player) tries to gain points by lapping members of the opposing team as well as hindering the opposition. Roller Derby is played all over the world.

The Inner Circle sat down with a retired player, Slay Belle, to find out what the big draw was. She says:

I joined just shy of my 30th birthday. I grew up roller skating (though not well) and went to the very first exhibition game of PRG with a group of friends. I immediately knew I’d love the sport—skating I was familiar with and I’ve always liked more aggressive sports. I also really loved the whole by women/for women aspect of it.

I retired after three years and a serious rotator cuff injury. There are a lot of things to love about the sport—the all-female team, the diversity of body types, the building up of a serious competitive sport from the ground up. I loved feeling strong and powerful on the rink. I loved the game. I liked that our fans were super supportive and that there’s a whole supportive derby culture.

The Prison City Derby Dames’ home rink is located at:
The Rinks
4325 Prado Rd. #101
Corona, CA 92880 [MAP].

If you’re interested in attending a match, their next home game is August 25, 2012. For those interested in trying out being “Fresh Meat,” eg. joining Roller Derby, you can find out more information here.