In 2001 there was one roller derby league in America. Today, there are 98 full leagues associated with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and 43 apprentice leagues, including two leagues in Canada and one based in London. That’s impressive growth by any standard and doesn’t even include over 400 leagues that are not affiliated with the WFTDA.

What’s going on? Roller derby, in a slightly different form, began in the 1930s and died in the 1970s. Who is fueling the revival of the sport?

The Treasure Valley Rollergirls (Boise, Idaho) Travel Team vs. Wasatch Midnight Terror (Salt Lake City, Utah), photo by O'Durgy

The initial answer comes from the athletes themselves. The new leagues began forming in the early 2000s by women who wanted to compete. Unlike the new sport of lingerie football, started by men who want to make a lot of money, roller derby is controlled by women, who in most cases not only don’t make any money, but pay to participate in the sport.

The women who compete in roller derby come from a broad spectrum of society. 36% are married, 31% have children. They work by day as public radio announcers, lawyers, teachers, accountants… At night their alter-egos come out to play with names like Axles of Evil, Bruise Lee, Sugar N. Creamher, Demanda Riot and Ruth Enasia.

In their book, Down and Derby: The Insider’s Guide to Roller Derby,’ Jennifer Barbee and Alex Cohen contemplate the lure of roller derby.

“The skaters in their war paint and personalized uniforms look like a gang straight out of The Warriors. They are intimidating.

The action is raw, and painful-looking. Bones are broken on a regular basis. This is something that people do for fun? You’re damn right it is. Catch a skater coming off the track after a game and look in her eyes, and you’ll see something confident and attractive. That’s called pride. Tenacious new girls by the dozens step up every month to learn how to get that look for themselves.

Of course, it had to be more than quads and chromosomes that brought us all to the rink, right? Is it an elusive set of inner desires, something wrong in our heads, or perhaps a genetic disposition to be a capital-B Badass? Maybe it’s an outlet for people who like to think of the word “can’t” as a challenge rather than as a dead end. Or an all-consuming hobby for those who have always wanted more than they were allowed, and weren’t afraid to get physical to get it.”

NPR interviewed Cohen and traced the roots and appeal of roller derby in These Roller Skating Women Get ‘Down And Derby,’ which you can read or listen to on the website.

Then there are the fans. While lingerie football fans are predominantly young and male, 59% of roller derby fans are female, according to the WFTDA. 41% of fans are between the ages of 25 and 34, and another 41% are aged 35 to 54. Families show up to watch bouts. Roller derby has broad appeal.

The member leagues of the WFTDA are separated into four regions: West, North Central, South Central and East. “Every fall, each region holds a Playoff tournament involving the top 10 teams from that region, with the three winners of the tournament advancing to the WFTDA Championship tournament.”

Fall is also the time that many leagues hold tryouts. For instance, the Rat City Rollergirls in Seattle will be holding tryouts September 18th. Check with your local league if you think you can hold your own with these women in the 2011 season.

Finally, Drew Barrymore’s 2009 movie Whip It, starring Ellen Page, brought roller derby to an even wider audience. It probably wouldn’t be accurate to say the film helped fuel the growth of the sport, but it certainly reflects the appeal and the traction it’s gained among sports enthusiasts.