Across from me is the captain of the B team. Furious George<\/strong><\/a>, she calls herself, as many other teammates come up with their own playful names like Menstrual Psycho<\/strong> and Off the Rails<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It is the sounds of roller skates scraping and carving, bodies crashing into each other and someone laughing in the distance that catch my attention. Almost like the gravitational pull you feel from a mosh pit, I want to get up and jump in. It doesn\u2019t feel like any traditional sport but more so a community home that I wished I belonged to when I was younger.<\/p>\n \u201cI graduated college then I moved back here \u2014 I was looking for queer community and looking for some way to get involved in an activity outside of work. So I really wanted to try it out and said, \u2018Hell yeah,\u2019\u201d George says.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the Derby Depot, we actually have a few different leagues, like Beehive Skate Revolution<\/a> and Uinta Madness<\/a>. Wasatch Roller Derby is the one that I play for,\u201d George explains, noting that this venue isn\u2019t just a home to her league but to many others as well. Some of them (like Uinta Madness) didn\u2019t even exist until this space was created. It\u2019s a beehive of some sort that pollinates other flowers to grow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had this space since 2009, and before that, I don\u2019t actually know if we had a venue. We were probably just at a rec center,\u201d George says. \u201cNationally, there might be six derby leagues that have their own space like we do. When you talk to leagues from other states and you tell them that you have your own space, they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my God, you have your own space!\u2019 And I think, \u2018Oh my God\u2026 we\u2019re so lucky to have what we have.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are not a lot of competitive sports that are queer-coded. Roller derby has a lot of punk, feminist and queer gender roots. So it attracts a lot of people who are trying to find community,\u201d George says. \u201cThese people are my family. Between our A and B team, we have like 35-ish people. There\u2019s a jammer, a block and pivot\u2026 there\u2019s different vibes to every position. It\u2019s good to have different types of people. You shouldn\u2019t stop yourself from trying a different position if you really want to \u2014 don\u2019t box yourself into a category.\u201d<\/p>\n My eyes widen when George says, \u201cWe\u2019re funded by the [two] sponsors that we have \u2014 but we\u2019re pretty much funded by ourselves. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve heard this, but we\u2019re losing our venue. We are having to move June 30.\u201d She explains that the owners of the space are wanting to expand their business. \u201cIt really hurts. It\u2019s not easy having to move out of a place you [have] called home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re having to band together more than ever because of our future and stay positive. The best thing you can do is come to our games. We love having people to support us like our dedicated fans. We have fundraisers and merch you can buy. We\u2019re looking for new sponsors to support us and a venue within our budget. So we\u2019re all ears if anyone knows about that,\u201d George says. \u201cWe have to stand together with our queer athletes in sports. Even though a space is important, it\u2019s the people, the friends and the skills that you take with you that matter. It doesn\u2019t matter where you are.\u201d Want to get involved with the Wasatch Roller Derby league? Find them on Instagram at @wasatchrollerderby<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n Read about more action sports in Salt Lake City:<\/strong> To help SLUG continue its support of the underground subcultures in Salt Lake City, consider joining our community of donors<\/a>!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“I was looking for queer community and looking for some way to get involved in an activity outside of work.”<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Wasatch](\"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Black-team-defending-white-team-trying-to-score-400x267.webp\")
“There are not a lot of competitive sports that are queer-coded. Roller derby has a lot of punk, feminist and queer gender roots.”<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Wasatch](\"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/White-team-starting-to-hold-black-team-from-breaking-free-267x400.webp\")
\u201cWe have to stand together with our queer athletes in sports.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nSkullcandy Crusher Cup @ Kilby Block Party 7<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\nCarry On: Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n