NEKO dons knee, elbow and shoulder pads in her best imitation of a ROCK N ROLL ROLLER DERBY DOLL when chatting with EVIL DOLL, the Captain of the Black Heart Belles, soon to feature in an ABC TV documentary.

The American-invented full contact sport known as Roller Derby is based on a group of individuals skating in formation around an oval track or skating rink competing for points. In the last few years amateur Roller Derby leagues have been created by predominantly female groups, with a punk/DIY aesthetic and rockabilly or burlesque flavour. Team members sporting tattoos, piercings and inspired costumes such as fishnets, hotpants, striped socks and corsets, are coming to skating rink near you – and to the ABC on Tuesday Sep 9 though a nifty documentary created by the ladies who skate.

NEKO: Tell us how and why the Brisbane Roller Derby team came about?

EVIL DOLL: Well actually there are no real teams in Brisbane at the moment as they have been put on hiatus, but the original Brisbane team was the Black Heart Belles and eventually the Sodapop Slammers and the The Skull Collectors developed. There are two leagues, Sun State Roller Girls and Northern Brisbane Rollers. Not just Brisbane but Australian Roller Derby was started back in late 2006 when I went online looking for a particular brand of sunglasses – Crown Sunglasses – and loved the photography so I looked up the photographer, whose girlfriend at the time happened to be an infamous roller girl, Suzy Homewrecker. So I went to her MySpace site, discovered flat track roller derby and decided Australian girls needed this sport, a sport that welcomes women from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes, that is full contact and is all female.

N: What are some of the backgrounds of the players?

ED: I love how there is so much diversity in the backgrounds of the women in Roller Derby ... Mimsy Mayhem is a tattooist and has her own business, Trailer Trash Tattoos, has a family with two children and co-captains the Black Heart Belles; DeadMeat is an artist who makes coffee and copies; Violet Vex is an ex-carnie and a rock climbing instructor; LadyKiller Lisa and Rose Ruin are nurses (safety first); La Mort Rouge is an amazing graphic designer; Rola Cherry Cola is superb make up artist … the list goes on. Everyone plays for their own reasons as well, but they all have the same passion for skating and derby.

N: Who designs your outfits?

ED: Local designer Fleur from Beserk made the Black Heart Belles theme. Every team has it’s own theme, as every skater has their own derby name.
N: The Roller Derby Dolls film airs on ABC this week, tell us about the doco?

ED: It’s about a couple of women who wanted the women of Australia to start skating and play Roller Derby, no matter what it took, no matter how inexperienced they were and have fun doing it.  It’s our story of our journey, the blood, sweat and tears ... it’s crazy, funny and honest. I feel very privileged, along with Mimsy Mayhem, to have achieved what not many people in their lifetime have, and that is, we pioneered a new sport and have witnessed how it has changed women’s lives. I hope the doco inspires women to put on a pair of skates and get skating, it’s a sport that encompasses agility, fineness, stamina, athleticism, you’ll become fit and strong, you learn business savvy, it changes your life … If you can’t play nice, play Roller Derby!

ROLLER DERBY DOLLS airs 8pm Tuesday Sep 9 on ABC1. www.myspace.com/rollerderbydolls

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