This exciting sport has been making a big comeback in recent years. I loved roller derby as a kid, so when a friend joined the local league, the Boulder County Bombers, that was the excuse I needed to get back into it. My husband and I went to see her first match last night.

The match took place in the gym at the St. Vrain Memorial Building in Longmont. A very enthusiastic sold out crowd cheered on the two teams, the Daisy Nukes and the Shrap Nellies. Both teams are in the same league, so this could be called a friendly, though very competitive match.

Boulder County Bombers in action

This is the best action photo I could get with my phone camera. In the background, you can see one of the players going down. There were lots of collisions and pile-ups. It’s a very exciting game to watch. The skating was amazing, especially the jammers, the players who can score points.

Battle ready

During the second half, we sat in the Daisy Nuke’s corner. It was fun, watching them discuss strategy and seeing them skate in and out of action.

Fierce style

I loved that the players all added their own personal flare to their uniforms.

Call her Muscle Leanie

Each player has a roller derby name, such as Muscle Leanie, Fleur de Beast, Double DeckHer and Feist E. One. A player’s handle must be unique and there is even a registry of roller derby names so that no two will be the same. Players choose their names with care. However, if you’re interested in a roller derby name, there is a Roller Derby Name Generator. You can choose between being a blocker, pivot or jammer. I got Allie DeathWish.

The Daisy Nukes won by a wide margin, though at half time, the Shrap Nellies had come from behind to take the lead. Luckily, we were sitting by the scoreboard and one of the volunteers filled us in. It had been long awhile since I’d watched a roller derby match and I remembered little of the rules. You can still enjoy watching without a lot of knowledge, but I’m going to learn more before the next match.

One thing I also appreciated was the family atmosphere. There were home baked goods sold in the lobby, a martial arts demonstration at half time, and lots of kids watching the skaters in awe. I felt that same awe when I was a kid watching the San Francisco Bay Bombers. Now I have a new team to root for. Go Boulder County Bombers!