Got anything planned for this Saturday? Looking for a little early, pre-summer excitement? Well, why not jump in the old cruiser, head on up the highway and take in some roller derby action.

That’s right – roller derby. Remember the movie Whip It back in 2009? All those fast-moving bodies roller skating around that oval, bashing and crashing and scoring points.

All-female roller derby begins its second season locally as Kamloops’ own Tournament Capital Derby Dolls take on the Anarchy Angels from Cloverdale in a bout at Memorial Arena on Victoria St., starting at 7:30 p.m.

Don’t think for a moment you’ll be one of just a few loyal fans or inquisitive spectators in the arena on Saturday. Last year, at each of their two home engagements, the Derby Dolls almost filled the house with over 700 enthusiastic onlookers.

“The first bout [in May, 2011] was on a Canucks’ playoff night, no less,” states Jayne Allen, director of communications for the Derby Dolls and one of the organization’s founding members. “We were floored by the response. We hadn’t even printed enough tickets.”

That first event took place at the TCC (Tournament Capital Centre); the second at Memorial Arena downtown. This year, bouts will be divided between Memorial and the MacArthur Island Sports Centre on the North Shore.

“The TCC, from a spectator point of view, was an amazing venue,” says Allen, “but skating on the sport court there was a bit like skating on corrugated cardboard. It was slower than the polished concrete that we’re used to, and quite a bit more tiring.”

Allen goes on to say that concrete has its drawbacks, too. “It’s definitely more punishing, but safety is always a big concern, and we don’t want people getting hurt. So protective equipment, like a helmet, pads and a mouthguard are all mandatory. And one of the first things that new skaters learn is how to fall properly.”

Various forms of roller derby (or quad skating as opposed to inline skating) have been around for close to 125 years. Just how did the latest adaptation find its way to Kamloops?

“Back in the summer of 2010, there were six or seven of us that got together in our living rooms and put it all together,” explains Allen. “A few of the girls had done some Friday night roller skating but, in terms of experience, that was about it.”

The neophyte, but very keen, group was fortunate to have an extremely capable leader in Jo LeFlufy.

“She has years of coaching and figure skating experience, and she’s very athletic, so it was fairly easy for her to make the transition to coaching roller skating,” says Allen.

Regular practices began in September, 2010 and the Derby Dolls held their first scrimmage the following March. Official bouts took place shortly thereafter in May and in August.

“We had a very good first season,” Allen states. “I think that we surprised some of the other teams around the province. The people of Kamloops were very responsive. They really liked it.”

Going into their second season, the Tournament Capital Derby Dolls have impressive numbers, with approximately 35 skaters ‘benchmarked’ (qualified to compete) and another dozen or more ‘fresh meat’ candidates currently waiting to take their test in May. While the majority of the Derby Dolls are from Kamloops, there are also some members from outlying communities such as Chase and Logan Lake.

“We’re very close to splitting our group into two teams,” explains Allen. “We can form as many teams as we want under one league name.”

Participants in roller derby have to be at least 18 years of age, but there is no maximum. “Our youngest is 20 years old,” says Allen. “The majority are in their twenties and thirties. We have a couple of girls in their forties, and at one point we had one girl in her fifties. As long as you can take it, you can play.”

Getting started in the sport of roller derby requires a degree of commitment and a relatively small financial outlay. The commitment comes in the form of making practices and completing the ‘fresh meat’ training program for new recruits.

“Because we’re just starting bouting season, we’re a little too busy to be recruiting right now,” Allen says, “so our next recruitment session will be in late summer, towards fall. We have spare gear, so interested persons can try it out. We always have a bunch of experienced girls there to help out and answer questions.”

Getting ‘outfitted’ to skate on a regular basis generally costs between $200 – $300 for the basic package.

“You’re going to want a good pair of skates, a good helmet, and a good set of protective pads,” advises Allen. “It’s money well spent because you want to protect yourself.”

At one time, the nearest source of derby equipment was Roller Girl in Vancouver, but now that’s all changed. One of the Derby Dolls, nicknamed Rocker Ruby, owns the Ruby Room at 265 Victoria St. in Kamloops and she’s carrying a complete line of derby skates and gear in her store.

Rocker Ruby is just one of the many entertaining and provocative skater names that bless the sport of roller derby, and hark back to its glory days in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. Some of the other Derby Doll monikers are ‘Acid Doll’, ‘Fifi 4×4’, ‘Gonzofast’, ‘Cheeky Bonbon’ and ‘Asylum Alice’.

“With the revival of derby ten years ago, they wanted to modernize the sport in some ways, but also maintain some of the traditions dating back forty and fifty years,” explains Allen who goes by the relatively tame handle of ‘Lucky Thirteen’. “The quad skates are one of those things, and so are the names. They’re a lot of fun.”

As for the reasons why Lucky Thirteen and her skating teammates are so passionate about derby, Allen states, “There’s a tremendous camaraderie, not just amongst the Derby Dolls, but within the whole roller derby community. It’s worldwide. Besides, it’s just so much fun, and a really good outlet – a great way to blow off steam.”

For more information about roller derby and the Tournament Capital Derby Dolls, you can contact Celiste at [email protected].

And don’t forget about Saturday!