Feeling like a little kid again

The film 'Whip It' changed alot of people's lives, none more so than Durban North resident, Leanne Lorrance.

A LOT has changed for Leanne Lorrance, AKA Pomstar, since she watched the movie Whip It and saw her first roller derby bout in Australia. When she got back to South Africa, she searched for any locals teams. One hit came up, Durban’s first roller derby league, featuring its first team, The Poison City Rollers.

The sport is characterised by outrageous outfits (fishnets and tutus), and fantastically awesome names (Demi Moer/Riot Grrl) and, despite this being her rookie season, Pomstar said she’s loving it.

“I used to skate all the time on my rounds when I was delivering newspapers in England. Taking up the sport and roller skating wasn’t a huge adjustment. It’s like riding a bike, you never forget it. Roller Derby, besides being awesome, makes you feel like a child again. It’s just about being out there, playing, and having fun,” she said.

The team made up of teachers, writers, lecturers, graphic and fashion designers, comprises 22 women so far. Pomstar said the team is still working on different strategies and finding its feet.

“People kind of figure it out differently, and a lot of it is just trial and error,” she said. She added the team was always looking for  more people.

Derby explained : Reduced to its basics, roller derby is split into two 30-minute halves, during which each team fields five women at a time in shifts (called jams) that last up to two minutes. They skate counterclockwise around an oval track, and  which both teams designate a scoring player (the ‘jammer’) who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team.

 

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