Memphis Roller Derby
In January 2006, Sam Red's coworker brought her a tape with six episodes of A&E's reality television show Rollergirls. Red, who had just bought a pair of quad skates on a whim, stared at the screen and said, "Oh God, this is my destiny?"

Knowing she couldn't start a league on her own, Red immediately called the most organized person she knew, Jen Hughes, a librarian. "No way am I skating, but I'll help you with the business aspect," Hughes said.

Next Red called Vicki Lassiter, the drummer from their former all girl band, Pistol Whipped. Red hadn't talked to Lassiter in over a year, but knew she'd be perfect for the derby. You're joking, right?" Lassiter said before hanging up.

A week later Lassiter called back. She had talked to some of her skateboarding friends and local bands and could see it all coming together in her mind. "I can't sleep because all I can think about is Roller Derby," she said. "Let's do it."

The three women decided to set up a Myspace account and plaster every bar, restaurant, and record store in midtown Memphis with flyers to spark interest in the derby. Their plan worked and three weeks later, a mob of ferocious women in fishnets and short skirts gathered at Skateland Raleigh to lace up their skates and see if they still had the skills they had carefully honed at birthday parties in the seventies and eighties.

Luckily, they did.

About Memphis Roller Derby
That smell of burnt rubber around town? It isn't from high-speed hot rods, but high-speed hot quads.

Since February 2006, about 40 Memphis-area women have been racing their quads, the four-wheeled roller skates that pre-date inline skates, in preparation for the newly formed Memphis Roller Derby (MRD). Of course, the wheels are actually made of polyurethane now rather than rubber, but when you’r'e burning wheels, it all smells the same.

MRD is the region's only all-female, flat-track derby league. The skaters, women 21 years and older, practice speed, stopping, weaving, and jumping drills each week at various area roller rinks.

Aside from recruiting new team skaters, MRD is always on the look-out for volunteers, sponsors, and, of course, fresh meat. Please visit our contact page.

About WFTDA (From WFTDA.com)
MRD is affiliated with the WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association) which promotes and fosters the sport of women's flat track derby by facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and goodwill among member leagues. The governing philosophy is "by the skaters, for the skaters." Women skaters are primary owners, managers, and operators of each member league and of the association. Operational tasks include setting standards for rules, seasons, and safety, and determining guidelines for the national and international athletic competitions of member leagues. All member leagues have a voice in the decision-making process, and agree to comply with the governing body's policies.

Roller Derby Herstory
In 1935, during the worst times of the Great Depression, a man named Leo Seltzer invented a spectacle called roller derby. It became a full-contact physical sport, with elbows, body-checks and fights galore. The fans loved it. By the late '40s and '50s, roller derby bouts drew as many as 30,000-40,000 fans, and skaters, now household names, appeared on the covers of national magazines. This continued through the '60s and '70s, until the gas shortage caused the main derby leagues to fold.

Contemporary leagues are thus far all-female and are self-organized, formed in a do-it-yourself spirit by relatively new roller derby enthusiasts. The new generation of derby skaters pays homage to the traditions of the past by combining hard-hitting action with explosive entertainment. New innovations such as "Spank Alley," arm wrestling, and pillow fights have replaced the penalty box. An abundance of adult beverages and live performances by local bands during half-time add to the excitement of bouts. Fans are often seated just a few feet away from the track and may go home with a few bruises of their own. But don't worry, MRD is padded for your protection.