Looking for Some Oregon Coast Fun? Check Out Roller Derby!

Visiting the Oregon Coast? Think about taking advantage of one of the coastal roller derby competitions along the Coast.

Roller derby dates back to the 1930s when it was an all male sport, created as an escape to the depression-era woes. Originally an endurance race skated on a banked track, the speed and occasional crashes were enjoyed by the early spectators.

In the1970s, women joined the fun, creating a new audience attracted to flashy roller derby names, loud rivalries, and often derby brawls. Think of WWW on wheels. And fishnet stockings.

Anyone else remember Rachel Welch in Kansas City Bomber?

In 2001 Austin, Texas was the next place the sport was reinvented and flat track roller derby was born. Any participant with a flat surface, a roll of duct tape, and a pair of skates could start a new league.

Game on.

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association was born, and remains the governing body creating the rules, sanctions, rankings and leagues, as well as defining the skills each skater is required to pass before being able to play against other teams.

Roller derby is not a full-contact sport with more than 300 leagues in the United States. Audiences enjoy the speed, flair, athletic performance, and sometimes wild personas created by the skaters.

One of the earlier teams at the coast was the former Shanghaied Roller Derby in Astoria Oregon. While Shanghaied is now defunct, Astoria is current host the Astoria All Star Junior Roller Derby team. We'll see what's in store for Astoria in the future.

In Tillamook, land of cheese and ocean breeze, you'll find the Derby Dames. Dawn Ahlers in our area of Manzanita Oregon, formerly a member of team Shanghaied in Astoria, was instrumental in creating the Tillamook team. Their inaugural bout against the Hood River Alter Egos was on Dec. 8, 2018. See their schedule here.

On the Coast, Southern Oregon Roller Derby in the Coos Bay area is the home of the Adventure Coast Star Stompers and the Bay Area Star Stompers. You can see their schedules here.