The Sea to Sky Sirens are ready to strap on their quad-style roller skates for another season of full-contact, fast-paced competition.
In an early-season bout against Victoria’s Belles of the Brawl, the Sirens were defeated 295-100, but the loss hasn’t discouraged them.
The team is now in preparation for the rest of the season – practising twice a week and travelling to the Lower Mainland to scrimmage with other teams whenever they get a chance.
But gone are the days where women’s roller derby was seen as a sort-of gladiator sport, with elbows flying everywhere and staged big hits. Modern roller derby is synonymous with women’s empowerment in many ways – it promotes a safe, inclusive space where women can challenge themselves, both mentally and physically. The sport has changed drastically in recent years, especially in terms of sophistication and athleticism, said Sirens captain Amber Foster Turnau, known in the derby world as “Slamber Gently.”
Derby bouts last for one hour, with two 30-minute periods. Teams are made up of five women on each side: three blockers, one pivot and one jammer. An unlimited number of jams, lasting up to two minutes, make up each period. Players skate counterclockwise around the rink with the goal of scoring as many points as possible. To score a point, the jammer must lap one of the opposing team’s blockers. The members play defensively to try to prevent the opposing team’s jammer, and help their team’s jammer score. In order to be a jammer, you now have to be more agile and strategic, which has pushed members to elevate their level of play, Turnau said.
“It’s like a whole world of difference in terms of the jammers flying all over the track, and the style of defense is also a lot more effective,” she said.
The Squamish team was created in 2008, when a group of six girls began meeting on evenings and weekends to skate on local streets and in parking lots. The team has since grown to more than 20 members coming from diverse backgrounds – from lawyers to marketing specialists.
With only a few rookies joining the team this year, it’s easy to get right back to where they were at the end of the last season, said Sirens coach Dave “Scott Kilgram” Evans.
During the first few months of practice, the team has focused on playing solid defense together as a group, and then building on that base.
Evans first got involved in the roller derby world when he was living in Ontario. He volunteered with the old Whistler team before taking on the position as coach of the Sea to Sky Sirens. He said that with a women’s sport, he has had to take a different approach to coaching.
“There’s a lot more emphasis on the mental side of the game and that took a lot of getting used to; so coaching girls versus guys and the whole dynamic that comes with it,” he explained. For veterans on the team, Evans wants to focus on building their skills and helping them grow as players.
“We’re kind of in a good spot that we can play games and just go out there to have fun, but if we’re up against a team that’s a bit more competitive, we can pull it together and shift focus really well,” he said.
Trish “Trish Trash” Browning joined the team last year, and has already taken on the position of assistant captain. She said that roller derby is very community-oriented, which is what a lot of people love about the sport. “Right away you’re a part of this gang of amazing, supportive women. It’s like you’ve joined a team of best friends,” she said.
The members also take on the role of planning their own bouts and hosting fundraising events. Browning oversees all of the advertising, marketing, and PR for the team.
“With roller derby, we have to do everything. We are the league,” she said.
Last season was the first time Turnau got to get a taste of playing home bouts, as their home rink at Brennan Park Arena was under renovation in 2016. “It’s just great to have familiar faces in the crowd and have signs and the whole support of Squamish. It gives everyone a whole level of energy that we don’t have when we’re out on the road,” she said.
The Sirens are preparing for two upcoming home games against the Terminal City Roller Girls on June 30, and the Farmers’ Slaughters on August 4.
“You’ll want to definitely watch for ‘Elvis’ on the track. She joined the team late last year and is a great all-around player and an aspiring jammer,” said Turnau.
For more information and the full 2018 schedule, visit www.squamishrollerderby.com
