Roller revolution grips Durban
KZN has seen a number of sporting firsts in its short history, now the first Roller Derby team can be added to the list.
IN an alleyway off Matthews Meyiwa (Stamford Hill) Road where cars pass by in rush-hour traffic, skaters hurl themselves around a makeshift track in an abandoned clothing factory shop. A grinding sound, somewhere between a rattle and a rumble echoes through the factory floor.
No, it has nothing to do with a mechanical instrument, but it is new-age revolution, you could call it the school of hard-knocks. Abandon ordinary names in favour of pseudonyms like Demi Moer and Riot Grrl, and regular work clothes for outrageous outfits (fishnets and tutus), in a sport in which skaters simulate bumper cars.
When Michelle Murray set out to create Durban’s first Roller Derby team, she did more than that. She unearthed a pot brimming with skating talent and has created its first roller derby league, featuring the first team, The Poison City Rollers.
Michelle, a part-time surfer and whose roller derby name is Krakken, said she has been impressed with the skills and never-give-up attitude of her players.
“It’s been great. I’ve been impressed with the team’s dedication and their skill. If you told me last year when we started off, that we’d have more than 30 skaters training, I wouldn’t have imagined it,” she said.
Krakken added most women’s roller derby leagues have the same philosophy regarding new skaters, physique is irrelevant, and it doesn’t matter if someone hasn’t worn skates in years.
“It’s just about being out there, playing, and having fun. We hold practice sessions every Thursday to teach the rules and basic skating techniques, and no one actually competes until the team is confident they can do so safely. Some say it takes a year before derby starts clicking, but everybody has made amazing progress in a short space of time,” she said.
