Roller Derby Returns to the Island

The sport of Roller Derby is seeing a comeback from the 1970's and the four-year-old Seaway Roller Derby Girls League held a match on Cornwall Island last weekend called Thunder In The Valley.

The Cornwall Power Dames hosted and defeated the Renfrew Valkyries 219-133.

The sport is making a resurgence across Canada and the U.S. with the Seaway Roller Derby Girls League being the local loop.

There are also two teams in Syracuse who play against teams from Ithaca and Albany.

The Cornwall Power Dames held a match last year. Traditionally, Roller Derby was held on banked oval but today it is on the flat surface. The turf is scheduled to be installed at the Anowarako:wa Arena in the next few weeks, so the league took advantage of the cement floor.

The game is mainly friendly with collisions occurring mainly by accident and players apologizing to each other. Fighters are tossed from the match and 1970's game of a manager running out onto the track to clothesline an opponent is not part of the game today in any league.

One player from each team will wear a star on their helmet, which indicates the "Jammer". That skater's goal is to get by the opponents pack twice. After the second time the Jammer breaks through the pack, the scoring starts. But while that team is trying to stop the opposition's skater from scoring, their own "Jammer" is doing the same, so the teams are playing offence and defense at the same time.

This is where the only contact is, as the Pack will try to stop the "Jammer" with elbows and shoulders. Any other liberties like tripping earns a trip to the penalty box. In addition to the five on-track zebras there can be up to 15 off track officials to keep an eye out for such infractions. Injuries do occur but these are by accident.

Last year the Power Dames had their inaugural match on the Island arena by hosting and defeating Kahnawake 262-105 and more local matches will be announced.