Origins of a Derby Fan

Recent events have made me think about how I grew to be a derby fan. I attended my first bout by chance, 200 miles away from home, knowing no one in the building except for the person who joined me. The most likely outcome would have been to either have fun or leave totally perplexed, then go home (to a city that at the time had no roller derby bouts) and move on with life. It turns out that we had fun, didn't talk to anyone on the way out, went to a Reds game the next day, and went home. Still, this roller derby stuck in my mind. For three days, I searched the Internet, looking to learn more about the Cincinnati Rollergirls and the sport in general. Finally, I did something very much outside of my comfort zone: I wrote an email to a newspaper reporter about our experience at the bout. I was not then (nor really am I now) very good at initiating communication with those I don't know, but I felt compelled to let her know how much we enjoyed our evening. I figured that she would read my note, perhaps say "thanks for writing," and that would be the end of it.

Well, her response was very kind, and she genuinely seemed excited to hear from me. This small act led to my desire to learn more, and to begin planning my visits to Cincy around roller derby bouts. Since then, my companion for the first bout went from girlfriend to fiancee, to ex-fiancee, to mortal enemy. I remained significantly more enamored with roller derby. Over the past month or so, all three of the skaters I identified as favorites from that first bout have had some struggles. Their injuries and other issues both on and off the track have made those early days seem that much more distant. Still, I am so appreciative of what those (and all) skaters do, and I don't want to see the era in which I came to love the sport end. So, I want to honor my early favorites, and especially the reporter who has shared her knowledge and love of the sport with me, by posting the letter I emailed just five days after my first ever bout.

To:
lbishop@enquirer.com

Hi,

I just wanted to drop a note and say thanks to you and your teammates for putting on a fun evening this past Saturday. My girlfriend and I were visiting Cincy for the weekend from Toledo. A few weeks ago, we saw the ad for your event on the cincyusa.com website and thought it would be an interesting night of entertainment, a novelty. I expected it to be like the scripted, pro-wrestling style roller derby I had seen on TV long ago.

I was surprised and impressed by the athleticism and passion of the rollergirls, as well as the fun atmosphere. As newcomers, we didn't really have a rooting interest, but we decided to cheer for the home team. Our favorite skaters were you, The Librarian, and Sadistic Sadie... as well as a few other others. We cheered even more for our favorites because you all really seemed to be having a great time out there. We had a couple of beers, cheered like crazy, bought a shirt (sorry, she looked better in the Dames shirt), and generally had a great time.

Cincy is a bit of a hike from Toledo, so I doubt we'll be able to attend too many more events there, but suffice it to say that your team has won two new fans. When your new season begins, I will hopefully be able to plan a trip to see another match, and even go to the after-party and mingle some (we were wiped out this time). I will also check in on the website from time to time to see if you're playing in Cleveland, Detroit, or someplace else close to us. Again, thanks for a fun new experience.

Sincerely,

[George Newman]