Local derby league in search of home turf.
The Capital City Rollers are in need of a new home. For the past few years, Fredericton’s only flat-track roller derby league have been using the former Zellers location in the Brookside Mall for weekly practices, but over the past few weeks that relationship has come to an unfortunate but amicable end due to circumstances out of their control. The search for a new home is on.
“We’ve been reaching out to every old warehouse, every gym, every school and have even spoke to a couple of realtors and so far, nobody has anything for us,” said the league’s Rachel Harvey. “We’ve had a few leads but either the available times didn’t line up or the space was too small.”
The league operates under the principals, guidelines and regulations of the Women’s Flat-Track Derby Association, an organisation founded in 2004 and recognised around the world as the governing authority for the sport. WFTDA guidelines require an area of approximately 32 meters by 23 meters or 108’ x 75’ for a proper track.
While The Capital Winter Club has made its space available over the past few weeks to help keep things moving, curling season is just around the corner and will once again see Fredericton’s Daisy Cutters and the Bazooka Janes in search of a home.
“We can use any kind of floor,” said Harvey. “It just needs to be flat.”
The league use special indoor wheels that will not mark-up or damage even polished wood surfaces and both the league and the individual players are required to carry insurance coverage to protect property owners.
This situation marks an unfortunate end to an otherwise successful season for the city’s only women’s roller derby league. This year’s season wrapped up in early August with a tournament that welcomed teams from across the Maritimes and the Eastern U.S. to the city for three days of competition in which Fredericton’s Daisy Cutters finished fourth overall.
“We’re feeling really good about the league and our season but everyone’s really struggling with the idea that we may not have a place to skate this fall.”
With another competitive season complete, the league is now gearing up for an open-house scheduled for September 2 as well as a return to regular training for both seasoned players and new recruits.
“In the off-season we train new recruits for the coming season,” said Harvey. “They need to be able to take a timed test, skating 25 laps in 5 minutes. If we don’t have a track, we can’t test them. And if we can’t test them, we can’t let them play.”
In the fall, the league host an annual 12 week skate school where new recruits work closely with experienced players to learn the ropes but without a proper home base, this year’s fall training remains up in the air.
“We’ve even looked into a hangar at the airport. It’s not heated and would be really cold but we’re getting to the point where we’re ready to take whatever we can get.”
If you have a lead on a potential home for The Capital City Rollers or would like to learn more of what they’re all about, visit them online at www.capitalcityrollers.ca
