Girls on Wheels: Searching for Legitimization in the World of Sports
By Andrew Rudansky
Members of the Manhattan Mayhem, one of eight member teams from the Gotham Girls Roller Derby League, are helping spearhead the recent revival of the sport of Roller Derby. This American-born competition, where games are won by getting designated players past the other team and around the length of the track, is seeing a resurgence in membership coinciding with a shift in the character of the sport. In its long road to legitimization, roller derby is transforming from theatrical camp to a sport looking to be taken seriously.
Women from all walks of life, both newcomers and 20-year veterans, meet several times a week to practice in rented warehouse space in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Here, they experience competitive rule changes, a growing international community and recent equipment sponsorship deals, all of which comes hand in hand with the more serious ethos the sport is adopting. While not every member of the league is happy with the direction the sport is moving in, many find this move towards legitimization as an exciting trend in the sport they love.
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