Sometimes the buzz around certain underground phenomena is inescapable, and few things recently have been quite as hard to miss as the buzz around the brand new all female roller derby league, the Long Island Roller Rebels. Their first match is on February 18th at Skate Safe in Old Bethpage. Both local Channel 12 news and Newsday have covered the Roller Rebels and the sometimes intense, dramatic and sensational behind the scenes aspects of such a young and burgeoning D.I.Y venture.What both appeared to miss was the sheer amount of effort, camaraderie and hard work being put into the fundraisers, practices and committee meetings necessary to get everything up and running in the first place.

Fortunately a couple of weeks ago I was allowed to visit a Long Island Roller Rebel practice, and what I saw was nothing short of miraculous. This was no novelty at all. Nor was there even a hint of the drama and sensationalism that was so largely emphasized in the Newsday story. What I saw was stretching, drills on how to fall correctly, even more stretching, drills on how to create a wall to block the other team’s jammers from scoring. I saw a level of organization once the scrimmages came around, I couldn’t help to be positively giddy about the idea and the potential of it all. For all of the so called chaos and violence that people might see in the matches around the rink, the provocative outfits that might suck you in and sheer and unadulterated pop culture force of roller derby right now, it’s still never easy to build a league like this from the bottom up. People can say what they will about the league or find the whole idea to be simply crazy, sensational or dangerous, but nobody could ever take a thing away from their heart, work ethic, and drive. I was proud to be able to give them a chance to tell their own league’s story in their own words.

Cityzen: It definitely seems like the whole idea for an all female roller derby league on Long Island has not only taken off, but taken a life of its own. For those who might not already know who the Long Island Roller Rebels are or what you’re all about, how exactly did this idea start and did the league come together in the first place?

Butterscotch Cripple: A few girls got together and decided to make it happen. They wanted their own league as cool as the NYC Gotham Girls are. Something that was all theirs, something they could call their own. Now LIRR is ours, all of ours. For me personally, Captain Morgan and I knew each other through a very close mutual friend and she said “Butter, you’d be into this…” And the thing about new recruits is that they only have to come to one practice to get hooked, and it was the same for me.

Captain Morgan: We were originally called the Rockabetty Bruisers. When we became more of a community and organized more as a sports business with roles in different committees to help promote and run the league, we elected a new name as a collective group and have continued to grow since.

The league basically started with 5 girls rolling around different outdoor tennis courts, located in Suffolk County, back in August of 2005. We then found an outdoor rink in Baldwin Park, which we used several times—before having the police called on us for skating after dark. We adjusted our schedule, but then the cold winter had found us and we scavenged the island for competitive availability with local indoor rinks. The only rink receptive to having us skate there was Skate Safe of America. We recruited with the help of local press, such a Newsday, News 12 and the Long Island Press.

Alison Chains: In less than six months, we have grown to include 3 teams composed of more than 35 girls: the Wicked Wheelers of the West, the East End Ladies of Laceration and the Mid Island Rolling Thunder Cats. The Long Island Roller Rebel’s league is the product of a lot of commitment, dedication, and hard work. Our love for the sport and our desire for this league to come together have motivated us to ensure this has happened. I am extremely proud of where we are as a league and I am positive it will only get better.

CZ: As of right now, whether it’s from benefit shows, parties at bars, raffles or merchandise sales, it seems like there’s been a huge emphasis just on the fundraising for the league. How do you feel these things have gone so far, and will they be continuing? Are you optimistic about the league’s future, financially and as a whole?

Miss Murderheart: Every one of our fundraisers has been incredible, and I know that they will only get better and bigger as time goes on. Even at the events where we made hardly any money, we have still had a blast. Between planning, getting all dressed up, and finally, getting all liquored up, we all know how to have a good time, no matter what our financial situation will be. I think we all have remained optimistic about our financial stability as a league. Although it can be extremely stressful, we’ve made it this far and I can only remain optimistic for the future.

BC: I like doing fundraisers because they give us a chance to get together socially and not smell gross from practice. (laughs) But they also give us an opportunity to the meet the people we hope will become our fans and supporters. Some fundraisers have been awesome and others almost counter productive. But every experience is worth having once.

The merch sales have been limited so far, but I’m always amazed at the fact people who just happened to be at a bar we hold our fundraiser at (the regulars) want a t-shirt with our name on it. Merch will be more available to people now due to the website (www.longislandrollerrebels.com) and all our new items. I really hope that, even if we make enough from sponsors and attendance, that we will still do fundraisers because I like the meet and greet aspect of them. The thing about money and this league is that we wouldn’t really need to be so vigilant about making money if rink time / practices spaces were not so ridiculously expensive. It bothers me that I have to be concerned about money when it comes to something so fun for me. I wish we could make enough money to sustain our practice schedule, and keep our minds on playing and building this awesome community. I have no way of predicting what is ahead for us; I just hope that we can keep this going.

CM: So far each fundraiser we have had has increased our profits and succeeded the previous fundraiser. Our efforts to fundraise have been very successful in that we are about to do what we all have been working so hard for, our first bout! With ticket sales expecting to reach into the thousands, the profits could be immense for the organization. But do keep in mind; this is NOT why we have formed the Long Island Roller Rebels. Profits in the league will be regenerated into the league, which eventually may include national trips to roller derby conventions, national competitions and-what we all dream of-maybe one day owning our own rink to hold bouts at. Other fundraisers may be held, not only to raise funds for these purposes, but also to support local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Little Shelter, a no kill animal shelter in Huntington, and other local organizations that we will support collectively.

CZ: The Long Island Roller Rebels have been featured on local Channel 12 news. Totally separate from you girls there’s a television show on A&E called “Rollergirls.” How exactly did the Channel 12 news interview come about? How do you feel about the “Rollergirls” television show? Do you think this attention at home and nationally is good for the league, or was there any weariness that the “Roller Girls” show would misrepresent what you’re all about?

BC: Well, the news 12 thing, I am not sure how that came about. I just remember Captain Morgan getting phone calls and telling me to clear my schedule for that day, but other than that I knew about it less than a week before it happened. I hope I never have to skate that early again.

About “Rollergirls”, we did a meet and greet with some of the girls from the show and the Gotham Girls a little while ago. The girls we met; Cha Cha, Chola, Punky Bruiser, Lux, and La Muerta were really cool. I feel the show portrays them a bit as what I’ve been taught to think of a stereotypical Texan, larger than life, sort of white thrashy, but that’s not what these girls are like, they have the highs and lows that any 3 dimensional person has. What I personally enjoy about the show is the Bout Sequences; it’s great to see our brand of roller derby (though the bank track is very different) on TV every week. All of the over dramatized bullshit that A&E has done is worth it for the Bout footage. I hope that the attention “Rollergirls” brings to All-Female Roller Derby is positive, but only time will tell that sort of thing.

But people ask me about it all the time, and I like that it’s bringing about dialogue and interest. It also makes it easier to explain how to play with those rules segments right before the Bout footage on the show.

CM: The national attention on the “revival” of roller derby has been a HUGE help and part of what has made our league so well known here on Long Island. We have also received national press as well with radio interviews lined up in Tennessee and Connecticut. In March a piece will be written about us in NY Sports Magazine.

I was dubious at first about how the Lone star TXRD would be portrayed, but after watching the first several episodes, I have learned to appreciate what they are doing for all-female roller derby on a national level. Reality television has become very popular to many viewers on a national and international level. With inquisitive expectations, I believe the Lone star TXRD has done a very good job at keeping roller derby run by the skaters and for the skaters. This is a sport and we all practice and work our asses off because we all want to be a part of something that’s great and ultimately come out on top, not only locally, but nationally, by competing with other leagues.

MM: The show “Roller Girls” has easily become my favorite TV show. I believe the series shows all of the sides to derby, be it positive or negative. We may still be a league in our infancy, but we have the same heart, will, and drive that the girls on the television show possess. Derby is a sport that requires giving your all, every single bit of yourself, and just like the TXRD (“Roller Girls”) do it, we do too. Since our hard work and emotion can’t be portrayed to the public, I recommend watching the television show just to get a taste of what derby, as a sport, is all about, and hopefully it will hold your attention and bring you down to our bouts, where the entertainment is never ending.

CZ: It seems like a lot of the girls in this league are or were once involved with the local independent punk, hardcore and indie rock scene on Long Island in some way, shape or form. I assume anyone and everyone who wants to join is welcome, but do you think that’s just a coincidence or no? Did growing up in a community like that help contribute to anyone’s ability to and desire to pull something like this off or is there not necessarily any kind of connection at all? MM: I think there’s something about the whole scene, and growing up in the scene that gives us the courage to be ballsy. I don’t know many Banana Republic or J Crew girls that would be interested in getting their asses knocked to the ground on skates.

It’s funny that all of us “tattooed/pierced girls” not only have the courage, but the devotion to fight other girls on roller skates in short shorts and tube socks. Not only is it a coincidence that we enjoy roughing each other up, but we look damn good doing it too.

Cherry Devil: I think it takes a certain kind of girl to want to put some skates and protective gear on and risk getting hurt. I think that comes from all different backgrounds-not necessarily just an alternative one. One thing I know for sure is all of these girls I skate with are beautiful, confident, independent, hard working and intelligent women. And I admire each girl for their individual qualities.

AC: Although some of the girls on the team have been involved in the Long Island music scene, I think that has little to do with the league itself. There is no one type of girl in our league. The girls are from all over the country and some have only very recently come to Long Island. I do not think this community has much of a connection to the creation of the league. We each have different backgrounds which have given us the skills and motivation to create this league. Some are from the music scene, yet others have gained experienced through social activism and others from their prior involvement in sports.

BC: I think that the reason that there are so many girls from this scene is pretty easy to figure out, this league began by word of mouth and posts on My Space and other websites. So all these people were told by their friends or friends of friends on My Space or elsewhere, so that is how the word spread. I don’t know exactly what you mean by “desire to pull something like this off?” If you mean start something from the ground up grass roots, DIY style then my personal contribution (as well as Captain Morgan and Alison Chains) came from being an activist/organizer in College. I was in three groups at Hofstra University alone; Students Against Injustice (SAI), Womyn Of Action (WOA), and Student Organization for Animal Rights (SOAR). Being involved in the administrative tasks it took to keep those groups operating as well as the tasks I do on a daily basis for my job at a non-profit community based art center really helped us focus on building a strong organization. I did not grow up on LI, I went to Hofstra, and so that’s how I ended up here. I am from Princeton, NJ, where I currently live, and I commute out to LI 2-3 times a week for Roller Derby. So my testimony isn’t valid to that question so much as someone that grew up on LI.

CM: As a former member of all female punk rock band, Kiss The Bottle, I understand the values of promotion. This has helped me build and form the Long Island Roller Rebels. But what has helped me even more than that was my athletic history. I grew up playing fast pitch softball and had always been very dedicated to the sport. Even so, that my grandfather and I started our own team that consisted of my high school varsity team. As I got older and more experienced, playing Division 2 and 3 softball in college, I took on the duties as a coach of the team and my grandfather became the league manager. These experiences together, and also a strong sense of dedication, have guided me through building the Long Island Roller Rebels.

I would also like to mention that even though people tend to categorize roller girls as girls who listen to punk, indie or hardcore music, this is justifiably wrong. One of the other captains turned to me just the other day and confessed her love for John Denver.

CZ: I don’t doubt for all of the positive momentum you’ve already achieved for yourselves, there also must have been some challenges in starting a league like this from the ground like all of you have. What are some of the greatest challenges you have had to face so far? How well do you feel you’ve handled them? What are some of the things you’ve been able to achieve already that kind of even have surprised yourselves?

AC: One of the greatest challenges we have faced as a league is finding a way to productively distribute responsibilities. To keep a league of 40 people organized and the responsibilities distributed in a beneficial way, can be a tough task. We have created committees of girls to handle different aspects of the league. This way each group can focus their attention in a way that things will be done best.

MM: Our positive momentum could break down walls, honestly, but at the same time there have been many hurdles, and still are many hurdles to overcome. Finding a decent and fairly priced place to practice has been a huge challenge. Some other leagues around us have the advantage of warm weather year round, but us Long Island girls have to deal with snow and ice and bitterly bold weather for almost half of the year. Over the summer we’d practice outdoors as much as possible, until we knew we had to find a place indoors. It’s disheartening when rink after rink thought we were crazy because were attempting to brink back roller derby. Hockey was so much more superior to us and was never flexible in giving us any rink time to practice. We’re just a bunch of crazy girls who work mediocre jobs and go to college and waste our money on tattoos and booze, we didn’t have hundred of dollars for every hour we needed to practice. We did find a place, but it’s still extremely difficult since we have never been able to pull together a set schedule for each month. Practices are sometimes at 11 at night during the week, or sometimes practices just pop up 2 days before hand, and it’s impossible to take off from work or school. So, if anyone would like to give us a fair price and a fair, permanent practice schedule…let us know!! We need it!!

BC: It’s been brutal, we need a place that realizes how profitable this could be for them and what we are doing is awesome. I don’t want to make it seem like a feminist issue, but it’s becoming that way in my head. There are no female roller hockey teams on Long Island (to my knowledge) and we keep getting dicked over for Roller Hockey and people telling us that they don’t want to see girls get hurt. That’s not fair. We’re handling it the best we can, we take a night at Skate Safe and we take a night at United Skates (the place with the polls) and we are hoping that when we have our insurance policy officially, we can start practicing at Oil City Skate Park. What I find so amazing is that despite all of the bullshit we deal with about trying to find a place to practice, all the girls are willing to tough it out and rearrange their plans, skate till midnight and jump through fiery hoops to make this work.

CZ: I know this might be kind of a silly question, but there seems to be a great deal of pride and unity between the girls in this league. I’ve seen girls using their roller derby names as their My Space names, and girls who weren’t even friends before this league seemingly become fast friends afterwards. Is that feeling of camaraderie I’m sensing something that’s real and genuine amongst all of you, and, if so, what have been some of the most worthwhile experiences you’ve already shared since you’ve become involved with this league?

AC: Since we started this league I have gained so many new friends. The friendship between the girls in this league is really amazing. Especially amongst team mates. As a member of the Wicked Wheelers, I can say that I have a strong bond with all of my team mates. We love what we are doing and our love for the sport has brought us all very close.

MM: I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I know in my own case that growing up I didn’t always get along with girls all too well. I hung out with boys 85% of the time. I only had a few close girl friends and I had a large amount of girl enemies. It’s really comforting to know that I have created genuine relationships with so many of the girls in this league. Everyone has a huge amount of respect for one another, and we are all, surprisingly, a very welcoming bunch. Even the “fresh blood” (new girls) feel at home almost immediately. The bond we have with each other is completely unbreakable, and we’d all kick ass for each other any day, anywhere.

BC: I love the friends that I made because of LIRR, these are my sisters.

CM: My life has completely changed in these past 6 months. I have learned a lot about myself and others, but what genuinely has kept me going in my own personal life, as well as the world of all-female roller derby, has been all the girls in the league. I have made it my responsibility to make sure this league stays running and that each roller girl is always in constant communication and knows what is going on with the league. I have given up a lot, but when I receive e-mails from girls in the league telling me they don’t know where they’d be if they never found roller derby, or girls to look up to and trust, that is really what drives me. A strong sense of community, guidance, and trust is what most of us needed and I believe many of found that in roller derby and the Long Island Roller Rebels.

CZ: Come season time in February 2006, what team is going to come out on top of this league and why?

MM: Why, The East End Ladies of Laceration of course!! We are strong, determined, beautiful women. We have risen above the “bumps in the road” and I feel as though we might be closer with each other than the other teams may be with each other. I’m so proud to call myself the captain of this team and time will only tell if any of the other teams can take us down without a bloody fight!

AC: The Wicked Wheelers of the West will most definitely come out on top this season. We have the stronger team both physically and mentally. We are all extremely committed to the sport; we work incredibly hard at practice and are bonded as a team. We are tough, we are skilled, and we are wild.

CD: Both teams! We all have worked extremely hard, no matter who wins or loses the bout we all come out on top! As for the winner of the bout—the Ladies of Laceration! But of course, sir!