We have the Bucks, Brewers, Packers, even the Admirals and the Wave… but there’s another sport that folks may not have at top of mind.
This is Flat Track derby. If you remember roller derby on tv in the 70s and 80s it was a little different, the track was raised and had railings.
But I went to the Brewcity Bruiser’s practice facility and sat down with skater Becky the Butcher and she explained why things have changed.
“Because it costs so much money to build and house those tracks all year, when you saw the resurgence, it was flat track because all you needed was a flat space. You could draw a track down and get going, as long as you have skates and the equipment.”
Still, it’s not completely gone the way of the dinosaur. Becky explains, “There still are banked track leagues; more popping up as you see roller derby getting more popular again, but flat track really seems to be the more dominant version that you would see now.
And what about those names?! I mean, Becky the Butcher? Anita d’Groin? Pity daFoo?! Where do they come from?
“That’s all really personal. Everyone has their own stories as to how their name came about. Mine was my preferred pro wrestling name if I had one. It would have been Becky the Butcher, so it was my roller derby name.” says Becky.
It’s all a fun persona type thing. But now adays it’s not as much about the professional wrestling-type animosity story lines… it’s more about the athleticism.
Becky explains, “As far as the sport goes, we’re not really talking about our outfits or our names, as we’re practicing. That’s something that I think gets people excited when they start, and then once they play, they kind of fall in love with the game, and that’s what keeps them around.”
They have a junior league get get them young. They’re called the Micro Bruisers. It’s quite popular and can be an avenue into the adult league too. And ages and body types are all across the board too.
Take Pika Zoom. She’s a jammer (the skater that gains points for the team by scooting past the pack of other skaters) for the home team Champion Crazy 8’s. “I started with the Micro Bruisers when I was 13 and I’m 20 now. I like the athleticism of it and kind of breaking out of the norm of normal athleticism and showing people that just because we’re women on skates, we can be athletic too and be just as competitive as men.”
Up to this point, the season entailed 5 bouts between the 4 home teams: Maiden Milwaukee, Rushin Rollettes, the Shevil Kenievels and the CRAZY 8’s.
But things are about to change. Starting next season, the Bruisers are restructuring to be able to compete with a wider selection of opponents including INTERNATIONALLY.
Becky the Butcher says, “We will be having an A, B and C team that play games. Our A team will still be playing for international rankings, which hasn’t changed at all. The hopes with the new structure is our A team and our competitive skaters, we give them more opportunities to do what they’re here to do. And for our club level and our intermural skaters, this more chance to do those things too and they’ll even be able to bring teams in for them to play as well”
It’ll be a little different, and the fans may miss the specific home teams they were backing before, but with the new configuration, it’s just another way to put a Milwaukee sports team on the map.
The next chance to take a closer look at this unique sport will be the Midwest BrewHaHa 2019 May 31 – June 2 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.