Cape Roller Derby League skates back into action

The Cape Girardeau Women's Roller Derby team was out of commission from March 2020 until January of this year because of COVID-19, but the team is rolling back into action.

A roller derby match consists of jammers and blockers. Points are earned by the teams when the offensive jammer laps a member of the opposing team. The defensive players of the opposing team, or blockers, can use physical force to stop jammers from lapping. Blockers on the offensive team may prevent the defensive blockers from stopping the team's jammer.

According to the team's website, the mission of Cape Girardeau's Roller Derby is to "develop and promote sportsmanship, athleticism and service to the Cape Girardeau Area. The league aims for the empowerment of its members through challenges on and off the track."

The derby team is celebrating its 12th year and was originally started by two Cape residents who wanted to start a league after seeing a roller derby match in Illinois. Kristin Rickman, also known as Fakin' Bacon, joined the team in 2014 and said the game has changed from the violent games known from the 1970s.

"The sport has really evolved since then, with regard to the rules and the seriousness of the sport. It's starting to be taken as a legitimate sport, more than just a sideshow entertainment with punching and clotheslining. We don't do any of that," Rickman said.

Rickman said coming up with a roller derby nickname is kind of a rite of passage for the women participating. She chose with hers due to her practicing a vegan diet for 18 years, and she did not want to have an intimidating or scary persona. Some of the other players derby names include The Great Catsby, Wicked Witch of the Midwest and Schlitt Throat. The team is coached by Crazy Anya and Queen Cobra and practice at the A.C. Brase Arena, located at 410 Kiwanis Drive in Cape Girardeau, on Mondays and typically have around eight matches a year.

The Cape league features a roster of around 30 individuals, including team members, referees and non-skating individuals who help at the derby matches. The league is recruiting new members and has seen a rise in interest in roller derby recently. Rickman believes it is due to individuals wanting to improve their physical fitness and form social connections, since restrictions have eased from the pandemic.

"It's really a multipronged approach to your overall wellness, because it takes care of exercise," she said. "Obviously, we get a lot of cardio and strength, but it also takes care of finding friends and also takes care of getting that 'me' time because a lot of our members are parents. So it takes care of all those things wrapped up into one. And for those who don't like to exercise, like me, it's a way to trick ourselves into it, because it is so much fun."

For more information or to join on the Cape Roller Derby League, visit the group's Facebook page or website at capegirardeaurollerderby.com.