Brittany Orozco, a 20-year-old CNM psychology student, has been learning roller derby for 3 months. Everything started when one of her friends, who knew she liked the sport, told her about a roller derby game flyer.
When Orozco went to see it, discovered that everyone interested in being a “derby girl” could sign up and get started, since then, she is part of the Roller Derby learning crew held by the Duke City Roller Derby, the New Mexico’s first All Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby League since 2005.
Roller derby is a growing contact sport in America, predominantly female, played on roller skates. The revival of roller derby took place in the early 2000s, in Austin, Texas. It is a contest between two teams, held on a circular track, in which the teams race around the track in each unit of play, working to free the teammates for the opportunity to score by lapping one or more opponents. Equipment required for the game are quad skates, elbow pads, wrist guards and mouth guard.
The Duke City Roller Derby club has three teams: two travel teams, the All-Star travel team named Muñecas Muertas and the Juggernaughties; and it junior team, the Marionettes from age 10 to 17. The members of the league offer practices from 6 to 8:30 p.m. every monday at the Heights Community Center, to those who want to learn roller derby, providing equipment for the trainings.
“It has been difficult but mostly fun,” Orozco said.
Orozco is looking to improve her skills and pass the “skill test”, a test supported by the league every month where participants are tested to see if they can play games with one of the teams and finally get to play in a game.
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