Ruth Brown

On Nov. 10, the SDSU women’s rugby team will be presenting the Sioux Falls Roller Dollz at the Swiftel Center. The Swiftel Center will be holding a women’s flat track roller derby.

Flat track roller derby is a sport that is a bit unheard of but is growing fast. Roller derbies consist of a team of women who roller skate around an oval shaped track, knocking over anyone who gets in their way. The goal is to get around the track as fast as possible and score points while doing it.

The Roller Dollz are a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The WFTDA consists of 48 teams of women who compete in flat track roller derbies.

“I think it’s great that they’re coming to Brookings,” said Katie Berger, a freshman general studies major. “I’ll definitely be cheering for the Sioux Falls girls.”

The excitement and hostility in the game is what draws in the audience. Flat track roller derbies bring in hundreds of fans to watch the women play.

“I think it’s cool that they get to physically beat each other for a sport,” said Megan Mortellaro, a freshman agricultural education and sociology major. “It sounds fun!”

The Roller Dollz were founded by Elizabeth Nelson and Jayme Nelson. The women were inspired by the A&E series “Rollergirls,” a show that followed the lives of the Texas Lone Star Rollergirls. Many of the members were influenced by this show and therefore decided to try roller derby.

The girls started recruiting members on Oct. 11, 2006. They brought in close to 50 women. The Roller Dollz have gained and lost members because of the competitiveness of the sport. However, they always have people interested in being a part of the Roller Dollz. The sport is something that almost everyone enjoys being a part of, on, or off the track.