INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Checking one last time their helmets, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, members of the Vandalettes of Vero Beach lined up on the side of the roller rink at the Skate Factory, prepared for battle.
And battle they did – crushing their opponents – the Palm Beach Roller Girls 130 to 82 in the 60-minute bout.
“It seems to be the thing to watch,” said Skate Factory skate instructor Denis Caravella, taking in the bout, cringing as the women blocked and bumped and otherwise worked to stop their challengers.
For Caravella and his wife, Sally, it was the second such roller derby bout they had seen – and this time the y understood the game a bit better.
“We read more about it,” Sally Caravella said. “It was very interesting.”
A crowd of about 200 lined the rink cheering on the home team, waving signs of support and otherwise making a ruckus as the Vandalettes’ jammers skated their way to scoring position.
“Roller derby is a little different from what it was in the ‘70s,” said Vandalettes coach and player Nicole Haagenson – better known as Cherry Charger.
The sport is officially recognized, something it wasn’t before.
The game can be a bit brutal – players knock into each other, trying to force them out of bounds or otherwise knock them down, helping their scorers take lead position. But as quickly as the Vandalettes got knocked down, they were right back up, picking up their speed to catch up with the pack.
“It’s a very good, feminine role,” said Vandalettes supporter Natasha Danielson while sitting on the side wall of the rink.
What she likes about the sport is that it shows women can be strong and tough – not a delicate creature that needs to be protected.
“Which is funny, because I’m a delicate flower,” the 19-year-old said, giggling.
Danielson said she would like to join the Vandalettes – to help them on the rink, but not yet.
A roller derby match consists of two 30-minute halves, during which the two teams put forth five players – 3 blockers, 1 jammer and 1 pivot. The two jammers work their way through the pack of blockers and pivots and the first one through becomes the “lead” jammer and can score points for her team by lapping the opposing team’s members.
Each “jam” session is a maximum of 2 minutes and can be called off at any point by the lead jammer.
The Vandalettes of Vero Beach took a commanding lead from the start of the bout against the Palm Beach Roller Girls with a 14-point jam.
“That’s a big jam for Vero,” MC “Mr. Bubbles” said of the Vandalettes’ teammate Bash N Cari, who served as the team’s jammer.
Next up was iCandy, who helped earn another 5 points for her team.
“iCandy’s getting a little help from Dbl Deeze,” Mr. Bubbles said during the jam.
Another jam later and LaSassin took the role of jammer.
“LaSassin’s not the lead jammer,” Mr. Bubbles told the crowd. “They say because of an elbow. It’s the not the first one you’ll see tonight.”
Less than 10 minutes into the half, the Vandalettes put 29 on the scoreboard to Palm Beach’s 8. And by the end of the half, the chasm between the two teams grew to 84-39.
“It’s really fun,” Cherry Charger said of the sport. “You have 30 best friends immediately.”
The sport – like most others – teaches teamwork and strategy and coordination, but “it’s unlike any sport you’ve ever played,” Charger added.
“You get to live out your alter-ego,” she said. That’s why the players’ names are not their own, they are alter-egos that help them get into the roller derby mindset.
A few other names of teammates include Jane Bondage, Low Down Derby Shane, and Astronautic Assault.
Even the referees have alter-egos, including Big Money, Rocket Sauce, and Village Idiot.
The Vandalettes of Vero are recruiting new team members and practice at the Skate Factory Wednesdays from 9 to 11 p.m. Anyone interested in learning more about the team can find them on Facebook – search “The Vandalettes of Vero.”
The Skate Factory is located at 485 27th Ave. SW, Vero Beach, in south Indian River County.
