I have become addicted to sketching Roller Derby. It is a thrill to sketch women competing all out with no holds barred. This double header was held at Barnett Park (4801 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, Florida 32808), the Orange County Parks and Recreation Center.
Roller derby began in the early 1900s as a form of banked track racing. It then morphed into Transcontinental Roller Derby where two teams of women skater would travel 3000 miles around the oval track. Briefly the sport waned during WWII but then returned with a vengeance and was televised through the 1970s. in 2006, the Women’s Flat track Derby Association was formed and Contemporary roller derby was born. Orlando Roller Derby has been around since 2009. There are 65 active skaters and 12 referees.
There were two matches in this double header. I will share a sketch from the second match tomorrow.
Game 1 – Orlando Ozone Slayers vs Savannah Derby Devils
Game 2 – Orlando Sun Blockers vs Savannah Hostess City Hellions
Orlando was in the lead 90 to 52 when I sketched the score board, but
the action heated up at the end with Savannah catching up. Ultimately
Orlando was victorious.
Doors opened at 3:45pm, and the first whistle was at 4:00pm.
There was also a 50/50 raffle. The money collected benefited High School High Tech, a program that exposes children with disabilities to careers in the STEM fields.
If you are interested in joining roller derby in Orlando, stop on out to the 2019 Recruitment Info Session at Semoran Skateway (2670 Cassel Creek Blvd, Casselberry, Florida 32707). They will be providing information about how to get involved with Orlando Roller Derby in 2019! If
you’ve ever dreamed of being a derby girl, referee, or are interested
in volunteering for one of the fastest growing, exciting, and fun sports
in the world – please come! NO SKATING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!
Find out why so many people say “Derby saved my life”. The ‘fresh meat’ program will teach you everything you need to know about roller skating and playing the sport of roller derby!