Demi Lition - Kent Roller Girls A Real Hit
From Jammers to Blockers the combative nature of the Rollerderby has piqued the interest of sports fans internationally. We talk to one of those at the centre of the Kent Roller Girls Crew.
With its continued referencing in popular culture, from Family Guy to the BBC ‘Hell on Wheels’ Documentary, it surely cannot have escaped your notice that the popularity of Rollerderby is a growing at a rapid rate. And while men do partake in the sport, it’s actually the female side of things garnering the attention. Having watched a few matches, there’s several really appealing elements. Firstly, the determination and aggression from each team, and secondly the skill level of taking and or avoiding hits all while on a pair of rollerskates… whoever invented this game definitely got off on jeopardy. Having come across the Kent Roller Girls crew some time ago we decided to get in touch with Kent’s own Lynsey McKay (AKA Demi Lition).
Rollerderby has taken off across the globe.
So, firstly, your instagram handle is @Demi_Lition… is that just a nickname or representative of your character on the track?
Demi Lition is my rollerderby name! It started off being half a play on a musician-friend’s name, and half just being an ace play on words, but it did end up being very apt for how I skate!
Do you even call it a track? Jeez, we are out of our depth here, perhaps we should start from the beginning…. What are the aims/rules of Rollerderby?
It is indeed a track! Roller derby is a fast-paced, contact sport, on skates, played between two teams on a flat, oval track. Each team will have a Jammer (wearing a star on their helmet) attempting to score points by passing members (Blockers) on the opposite team in bounds, and without penalty. The four Blockers from each team attempt to stop the opposite Jammer from passing, while assisting their own Jammer! Basically, playing offence and defence at the same time. There are some brilliant videos on YouTube from WFTDA for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the rules and strategy!
Lynsey McKay - AKA Demi Lition
So, what position do you play?
I'm generally a blocker - I tend to be more solid and in-the-way, rather than being fast and agile! One of the blockers is designated as a "Pivot" who can become a Jammer mid-play and I'll occasionally play that position too, if needed.
From the videos we’ve watched, it looks physical to say the least. Not only are you on skates but people are smashing into you at all angles.
What’s the most brutal thing you have seen in a roller derby? Does it ever kick off?
A large part of the rules of roller derby are based around keeping everyone safe. All skaters wear a lot of protective gear, and it is against the rules to hit with certain parts of the body, so we don't aim for it to be brutal! There's no throwing punches or elbows so it's not as violent as people think it is. Films like Whip It have certainly done a lot to increase the visibility of roller derby, but they definitely throw a few more elbows than we actually do!
The determination to win in Rollerderby is easy to see!
Tell us about your club, where, when, how many players, how many fans, where did it all begin?
So, Kent Roller Girls started back in July 2010. I had previously been skating for Leeds but moved back down to Canterbury at the end of 2009. After six months of commuting to and from Leeds each Sunday for training, I realised that was costing me way too much time and money so started a new team in Herne Bay!
I wasn’t quite prepared for how much it would take off, and certainly wouldn’t have believed we would still be here 10 years later. We currently have around 50 regular members and can have home crowds of up to 250-300 people!
Are there many clubs in Kent? Do you play all over the county? Or even the country?
There are currently three clubs in Kent. We are the largest, followed by Kent Men's Roller Derby, whom I'm the head coach for. Both teams have played all over the country, and even internationally! KRG travelled to Rotterdam, Paris, Belfast and Glasgow just in the last few years! We've also had members represent their country in the Roller Derby World Cup.
We watched the Hell on Wheels BBC Documentary, and there seems to be a real international growth of the sport, especially in the US. Why do you think that is?
The sport attracts such an enormous range of people and everyone can find their place. No matter your age, size, shape, skating ability, gender identity, you can make a start in roller derby, and you can excel in it! There is such a strong inclusion ethic within the sport that a lot of people who feel like they do not fit into other sports can find their place here. Even among non-skating officials and volunteers, there is always a way to be involved with the running and growth of the team and sport as a whole.
Okay, so face the wrath of your team mates here...Are the Kent Roller Girls successful? What has been a highlight?
We are currently ranked 85th out of 540 teams within Europe so we're doing pretty well! There's been so many highlights over the years, it's hard to narrow it down. Being able to come away from a few British Championships with medals has been amazing, we've played games at places like Alexandra Palace and huge tattoo conventions. Travelling across Europe with the team has been incredible as well!
How does your team celebrate a win?
As a team, we're usually pretty chilled out after a game. Depending on where we are it'll usually be heading out for a meal together or down to the local pub for a few!
Where can people find out more about the Kent Roller Girls?
Social media: We can be found on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, all @KentRollerGirls
Website: www.kentrollergirls.com
We’ll definitely be holding new member events when we are allowed back in the same room, so keep an eye on our socials for more!