Tampa Roller Derby Explained

Tampa Roller Derby
Founded:2005
Metro Area:Tampa Bay Area
Country:United States
Teams:Tampa Tantrums - Travel A Team
Bruise Crew - Travel B Team
Sea Sirens - Travel C Team
Black Widows
Cigar City Mafia
Switchblade Sisters
Tampa Bay Junior Derby
Tracks:Flat
Venue:The Wrecking Hall
Affiliations:Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Orgtype:LLC
Url:TampaRollerDerby.com

Tampa Roller Derby (TRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in the Tampa Bay Area. Founded in 2005, Tampa Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

History and league organization

Tampa Roller Derby was founded in 2005 as the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins[1] by Angela "Dee Bauchery" Kroslak,[2] [3] [4] and by later in the year a relationship began with the United Skates of America.[5] The league was divided into 4 teams in 2006, the Black Widows, Cigar City Mafia, Switchblade Sisters, and Vicegrip Vixens. In May 2006 and all four teams participated in the first two bouts in TRD history, an event nicknamed "Project Mayhem". The first season culminated with the Black Widows winning the DD Championship Cup, by way of a completely undefeated season.

In 2007 Tampa Roller Derby became the first Florida league to be accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[6] In April 2008, Tampa played its first WFTDA-sanctioned bout, a 91–58 loss to the Atlanta Rollergirls. In 2009, the league was recognized by the Tampa Chamber of Commerce for the Florida State Championship 1st-place victory at the annual Sunshine Skate Championship.[7] In 2010, TRD partnered with The Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC) to host the first annual Franky Panky tournament.[8] [9] Former league member Little A was a member of Team USA at the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup.[10]

Tampa Bay Derby Darlins officially became Tampa Roller Derby in 2012.[11] Tampa Roller Derby has four home teams, The Black Widows, Cigar City Mafia, Switch Blade Sisters and The Vicegrip Vixens,[12] the latter of which was disbanded in the second season but revived for the 2015 season. Tampa Roller Derby also has three travel teams,[13] including the all-star Tampa Tantrums. The Bruise Crew is the league's B-level travel team and plays other teams throughout Florida, as do the Sea Sirens, the league's C team.[14] Tampa Roller Derby also has a junior roller derby counterpart, Tampa Bay Junior Derby, for girls and boys ages 8–17. The Aces on Eights is a pool of skaters where the home teams draw players to fill slots in their rosters.

Home events draw hundreds of fans and are held at USA SKATEWORLD in town and country.

WFTDA competition

Tampa Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA),[15] joining in August 2007, and announced by the WFTDA in December 2007.[16]

The Tampa Tantrums first qualified for WFTDA Playoffs in 2009, entering the WFTDA South Central Regional Tournament as the seventh seed and finishing in seventh place with a 127–110 victory over the No Coast Derby Girls of Lincoln, Nebraska.[17] At the 2010 South Central Regional in Lincoln, Tampa was seeded sixth and finished in sixth, this time losing to No Coast 148–123.[18] Tampa was again seeded sixth for the 2011 tournament, but slid down to a ninth-place finish, defeating Omaha Rollergirls 176–73 in their final game of the weekend.[19] 2012 delivered Tampa's best result at South Central Regionals as they finished in fourth place, losing the third place game 209–168 to Kansas City Roller Warriors.[20]

In 2013, the WFTDA moved to a top-40 Division system for Playoffs, and Tampa qualified at the Division 1 level for the tournament in Richmond, Virginia, where they entered as the seventh seed and finished in ninth place with a 283–133 victory over old rival No Coast.[21] At the 2014 D1 tournament in Sacramento, Tampa was the seventh seed and clawed their way up to a fifth-place finish, beating Terminal City Roller Girls 181–156.[22] Tampa held pace in 2015, entering the Jacksonville D1 tournament as the fifth seed and leaving in fifth, with a 220–80 win over Detroit.[23] At Madison for Division 1 Playoffs in 2016, Tampa came their closest yet to a WFTDA Championships appearance, narrowly losing the third place game 149–131 to Arch Rival Roller Derby of St. Louis to finish in fourth place.[24] In 2017, Tampa was the seventh seed at the Seattle Division 1 Playoff and won their opening game against Ann Arbor Derby Dimes 280–99,[25] but then lost their quarterfinal to Angel City Derby Girls, 287–87.[26] Tampa finished their weekend with a 222-150 consolation bracket victory over Windy City Rollers.[27]

In 2018 the league declined invitation to the WFTDA Playoffs in A Coruña, Spain, citing the cost of air travel to the city.[28]

Rankings

SeasonFinal ranking[29] PlayoffsChampionship
20085 SC[30] DNQDNQ
20097 SC[31] 7 SCDNQ
20106 SC[32] 6 SCDNQ
20118 SC[33] 9 SCDNQ
20124 SC[34] 4 SCDNQ
201330 WFTDA[35] 9 D1DNQ
201419 WFTDA[36] 5 D1DNQ
201518 WFTDA[37] 5 D1DNQ
201616 WFTDA[38] 4 D1DNQ
201719 WFTDA[39] CR D1DNQ
201826 WFTDA[40] DNPDNQ

In the community

Tampa Roller Derby perform community involvement activities, and have worked closely with organizations including The Springs Domestic Violence Center, Lowry Park Zoo, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House,[41] Arthritis Florida Foundation,[42] Big Cat Rescue, and others. In October 2009, Tampa skaters provided the "bulls" for Runs With Bulls Tampa Bay, with proceeds going to Alpha House, which provides safe housing for pregnant women and their children.[43]

On July 19, 2008, Tampa entered a large, flying skate in the Tampa Bay Red Bull Flugtag competition, and won the People's Choice Award at the event, scoring a third of the Red Bull Flugtag record 30,000 SMS votes.[44]

TRD was contacted by producers of the movie Whip It, in order to gain permission for the use of the Black Widows team name for one of the Austin roller derby teams in the movie.

Then-TRD league president, Jessica Cameron (aka Anne Tagonize), was a finalist for Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2010 Business Woman of the Year Awards.[45] In September 2010, the Tampa Tantrums were featured in a music video for the Tampa punk band, Neglected Superhero. The song, "Derby Darlins," was written about and inspired by the Tampa Tantrums.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Daniels . Eddie . Women of roller derby forge lasting bonds on the track . 2020-01-04 . . 21 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130822151301/http://tbo.com/news/breaking-news/women-of-roller-derby-forge-lasting-bonds-on-the-track-20130721 . 2013-08-22 . dead.
  2. Web site: Delgado. Angela. Owwww, My Darlin. Tampa Bay Times. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20060329041325/http://tbo.com/life/MGBPVUMN8LE.html. 29 March 2006. 27 March 2006.
  3. Web site: May. Jake. Derby Darlins are hellions on wheels. Tampa Bay Times. 28 December 2016. 24 July 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20161229033508/http://www.tampabay.com/features/popculture/derby-darlins-are-hellions-on-wheels/737382. 29 December 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Zayas. Alexandra. Tampabay: League rolls with the punches. www.sptimes.com. St. Petersburg Times. 28 December 2016. 12 December 2005.
  5. http://www.tampabayderbydarlins.com/j/about-tbdd/our-league.html "About TBDD, League History"
  6. Web site: Seale. Chris "Hurt Reynolds". Tampa Bay newest WFTDA member. Have Derby Will Travel. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20070902201110/http://www.havederbywilltravel.com/news/latest/tampa-bay-newest-wftda-member.html. 2 September 2007. 22 August 2007.
  7. http://www.sunshineskate2009.tampabayderbydarlins.com/ "Sunshine Skate 2009"
  8. Web site: 2009 FLORIDA ROLLER DERBY CHAMPIONS TAMPA BAY DERBY DARLINS, ANNOUNCE THE FIRST TOURNAMENT OF THE 2010 SEASON! - Tampa Bay Sports Commission. www.tampabaysports.org. Tampa Bay Sports Commission. 28 December 2016. 22 March 2010.
  9. Web site: April 2010 Featured League: Tampa Bay Derby Darlins - Featured Leagueof the Month - Women's Flat Track Derby Association. wftda.org. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. April 2010.
  10. Web site: Talionis. Lex. 2013-14 Team USA Roster Revealed Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 15 October 2013.
  11. News: Stager . Brad . Tampa Roller Derby season getting underway . 2020-01-04 . . 28 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150322090026/http://tbo.com/northeast-tampa/tampa-roller-derby-season-getting-underway-20150311 . 2015-03-22 . dead.
  12. Web site: Leto. Emanuel. Roller Derby's Cigar City Darlings - Cigar City Magazine. Cigar City Magazine. 28 December 2016. May 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20161229100122/http://cigarcitymagazine.com/roller-derbys-cigar-city-darlings/#more-2130. 29 December 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  13. Web site: Tampa Roller Derby. wtsp.com. 10NEWS. 28 December 2016. 16 September 2016.
  14. Web site: Tampa Roller Derby Double Header. Eventful. 28 December 2016. 27 February 2016.
  15. http://wftda.com/leagues "Member Leagues"
  16. Web site: The WFTDA Newsletter - December 2007. WFTDA. 9 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20080513183136/http://www.wftda.com/newsletters/12_2007.html. 13 May 2008. December 2007.
  17. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. South Central Regionals Capsule Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 25 September 2009.
  18. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. 2010 South Central Region Playoffs Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 8 October 2010.
  19. Web site: South Central 9th Place: 6SC Tampa Bay Bests 10SC Omaha, 176-73 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 2 October 2011.
  20. Web site: Wise. Beck. SC 3rd Place: 2SC Kansas City Marches Past 4SC Tampa, 209-168 Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 7 October 2012.
  21. Web site: Talionis. Lex. D1R 9th: (7) Tampa Blows Away (6) No Coast, 283-133 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 15 September 2013.
  22. Web site: D1S 5th: Tampa Somethingpunnys Terminal City, 181-156 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 7 September 2014.
  23. Web site: D1J 5th Place: #5 Tampa FlaminGOs Past #6 Detroit, 220-80. Derby Central. 28 December 2016. 20 September 2015.
  24. Web site: D1M: #2 Arch Rival overtakes #4 Tampa, 149-131. Derby Central. 28 December 2016. 25 September 2016.
  25. Web site: Deadwards. Lisa. D1S: #7 Tampa topples #10 Ann Arbor, 280-99. Derby Central. 4 January 2018. 1 September 2017.
  26. Web site: Khaos. Merry. D1S: #2 Angel City takes down #7 Tampa, 287-87. Derby Central. 4 January 2018. 2 September 2017.
  27. Web site: Khaos. Merry. D1S: #7 Tampa Roller Derby triumphs over #9 Windy City, 222-150 Derby Central. Derby Central. 4 January 2018. 2 September 2017.
  28. Web site: 2018 WFTDA Playoff Bracket Releases to a Record Number of Declines . The Apex . 17 January 2019 . 16 July 2018.
  29. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  30. Web site: Rankings – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20090202070211/http://wftda.com/rankings. 2 February 2009.
  31. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430194525/http://wftda.com/rankings. 30 April 2010.
  32. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20110302222136/http://wftda.com/rankings/. 2 March 2011.
  33. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120125085842/http://wftda.com/rankings. 25 January 2012.
  34. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20130320122723/http://www.wftda.com/rankings. 20 March 2013.
  35. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2013. WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  36. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  37. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  38. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 6 January 2017.
  39. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 5 January 2018.
  40. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2018 – WFTDA . wftda.com . WFTDA . 17 January 2019.
  41. Web site: Thank you to our generous in-kind donors for April-September 2009. Ronald McDonald House Charities Tampa Bay. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120308230721/http://www.rmhctampabay.com/inkinddonors.php. 8 March 2012. 2009.
  42. Web site: Florida Chapter e-newsletter. Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20140204000839/http://arthritisflorida.org/2010/summer/spot_derby.html. 4 February 2014. 2010.
  43. Web site: Thurston. Susan. Saturday: Run with the bulls in Ybor City, roller derby style. www.tampabay.com. Tampa Bay Times. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20121013022743/http://www.tampabay.com/features/events/saturday-run-with-the-bulls-in-ybor-city-roller-derby-style/1040544. 13 October 2012. 2 October 2009.
  44. Web site: Red Bull Flugtag Tampa Bay. Red Bull. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20091012081950/http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Event/Red-Bull-Flugtag-Tampa-Bay-021242753822954. 12 October 2009. 2008.
  45. http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/06/28/daily50.html "TBBJ Name 60 Business Woman of the Year Finalist"

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