Inland Empire Derby Divas host the Whine Makers in Grand Terrace on Saturday, Aug. 22.
IF YOU GO
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cal Skate Grand Terrace, 22080 Commerce Way, Grand Terrace
Admission: $10 in advance, $12 at door; kids 10 and younger free
Information: brownpapertickets.com
If you spot Shannon Stuart-Springer at her day job, she can be seen zipping around the aisles at Albertsons in Murrieta. She keeps the same pace whipping around the roller derby track under the moniker Lashes N Lace.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“I played sports all through high school, and when my husband’s friend told me about roller derby I immediately looked into it,” Stuart-Springer said. “After a little research I was hooked.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Her derby travel team, the Whine Makers, will have a bout against the Inland Empire Derby Divas on Saturday at Cal Skate Grand Terrace. Among the players who may be on the track: Hook Line N Sink Her, SmackYo Mama and Tutu Rough for the Whine Makers, and CheckHer WreckHer, Kosher A SaltHer and R2 Beat-You are for the Inland Empire Derby Divas.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
This isn’t the same roller derby that many people remember from childhood. Today’s bouts pit two teams against each other for an hour – broken into two 30-minute halves – on a cost-effective flat track in a skating rink, as opposed to a banked track.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
At a recent evening practice session for the Wine Town Rollers – the league the Whine Makers belong to – at a Temecula park, women geared up and practiced their moves under the lights. The sound of whistles and screeching skates pierced the night air, and although there were smiles and laughter, there was also a lot of sweating, grunting and shoving.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Here’s how it works: The skater who wears a helmet with a star on it is the jammer. Her job is to break through about a half dozen blockers and score a point, while the blockers band together to prevent the jammer from penetrating the pack.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
As in hockey, players are sent to a penalty box for infractions – such as using elbows, tripping or passing out of bounds.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
That means helmets, elbow and knee pads and wrist guards are worn to keep injuries at bay. The uniforms are a mashup of torn hosiery, sporty legging capri pants, shorts, skirts and team jerseys.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
And it isn’t a sport you can just roll into. For the Wine Town Rollers league, players must go through two courses and take a physical and written test before they are able to compete.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“It’s a full-contact sport, so players need to know what they are doing,” said Stuart-Springer, a jammer who cheered on her teammates from the sidelines while she sat out of practice due to a hamstring injury.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The Temecula league features another travel team, the Grapes of Wrath, and home teams Winchester Rivals, Margarita Hot Sprints and Hit Bosses in addition to the Harvest team, where newbies land before being drafted to one of the home teams. Each team has about 15 members.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
And then there are the clever names the players have, which add pizazz and personality to the already boisterous sport.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Players can choose their names, or other players can suggest names. Once a name is chosen it has to be approved by the individual leagues. The names tend to be campy and encompass personal quirks, hobbies or career nods.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Brandy “B-Randy” Pellegrino, captain of the Whine Makers, said there’s a website, twoevils.org, where players can make sure their name is unique.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“We only go by our derby names because that’s how we are known in the derby world,” said Vanessa “K.O. K.O. Brown” Cortez of the Inland Empire Derby Divas. “Many of us don’t know the real names of other teams’ players.”