Minnesota Roller Derby (MNRD)
is a flat track
roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
league based in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Founded in August 2004 as Minnesota RollerGirls by the Donnelly sisters, MNRD was one of the first 30 members of the
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Co ...
(WFTDA) by early 2006.
Today the league has over 80 skaters playing on four home teams as well as their All-Star team,
which has qualified for WFTDA Playoffs every year since its inception.
League and business structure
Since 2005,
the league has played and practiced at the
Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Roy Wilkins Auditorium (nicknamed The Roy) is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by the renowned municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington, it was built in 1932 as an arena extension to the existing ''St. Paul Audi ...
in Saint Paul, with capacity for up to 4,000 spectators for roller derby,
and average attendance ranging between 1,800 and 3,000 fans at MNRG events.
MNRG claims to be the first league in the country to have a professional space for practices and bouts.
Minnesota Roller Derby is a
limited liability company
A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a ...
composed of volunteer skaters aged 18 years and older and other volunteers. No skater or volunteer associated with the Minnesota Roller Derby is paid, nor do they profit based upon level of involvement or upon team wins. Proceeds raised by the league pay for practice space rental, legal and promotional fees, as well as traveling costs to play other WFTDA members in other states and in other countries. The remainder of the revenues are donated to a variety of local charities, with a general focus on organizations that benefit women.
[
]
In 2011, Minnesota began the DebuTaunts training and recreation program as a way to bring additional skaters into the league. By 2015, almost all new skaters in the league had spent at least one session in the recreation and training program. In 2016, the DebuTaunts began regularly bouting against regional opponents including Chippewa Valley Roller Derby (
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire (; ) (French for "clear water") is a city mostly located in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat, and with a small portion in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. It had a population of 69,421 in 2020, making it the stat ...
) and the Roller Underground Dirty Ores (
Eveleth, Minnesota
Eveleth is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,718 at the 2010 census.
U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 37 (MN 37) are two of the main routes in Eveleth.
Eveleth was the site of the conflict that resu ...
), and by 2019 the DebuTaunts program, which rebranded as Windchill during that season, was re-envisioned as a primary "on-ramp" into Minnesota Roller Derby.
In 2018, the league launched a
junior roller derby
Junior roller derby is the sport of roller derby, modified for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. The sport is played in both modified-contact, known as "positional blocking," and full-contact approaches, to facilitate safety across ...
program, the Minnesota Frostbite, bringing its training resources in line with other top-tier roller derby leagues. The program is open to skaters of all genders aged 6-17.
In November, 2015, the Minnesota RollerGirls were the host league for the 2015 International
WFTDA Championships
The International Women's Flat Track Derby Association Championships ("WFTDA Championships" or "Champs" for short) are the leading competition for roller derby leagues.
The Championships are organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association ( ...
at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and in May 2016, Visit Saint Paul named the Championships as their 2015 Event of the Year.
The Minnesota All-Stars also competed at the tournament, losing their sole opening round game, 185-173 to
Texas Rollergirls
Texas Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Austin, Texas. Founded in early 2003 and widely credited as the league that started the modern roller derby movement, the Texas Rollergirls were the first flat-track league in ...
of Austin.
The Minnesota RollerGirls were ranked ninth in the world, as of September 25, 2016.
In the WFTDA's 2022-23 return to regionalized play, they became a part of the WFTDA's North America West Region, along with traditional rivals like
Rose City Rollers
The Rose City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Portland, Oregon, operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Established in 2004, the Ro ...
,
Denver Roller Derby
Denver Roller Derby (DRD) is a flat-track roller derby league based in Denver, Colorado. The league was founded in December 2005. Denver Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), joining in December 2007 as D ...
,
Arch Rival Roller Derby,
Windy City Rollers
Windy City Rollers is a women's flat-track roller derby league located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Juanna Rumbel (Elizabeth Gomez) and Sister Sledgehammer (Kelly Simmons) in 2004, Windy City is the first flat-track roller derby league establ ...
, and
Madison Roller Derby
Madison Roller Derby (MRD), founded as "Mad Rollin' Dolls", is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2004, Madison is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and was the fou ...
.
In August 2019, the league adopted its current name as Minnesota Roller Derby, "to better reflect the organization’s membership and community".
Home Teams
Minnesota Roller Derby is composed of four home teams: the Bodies of Water, the Maul Rats, the Roller Vortex, and the Wednesday Warnings. These teams were created during a complete re-draft of the league following a missed Season 17 and a shortened Season 18 in which the league due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
fielded a pair of adult and a pair of junior teams. From 2005 to 2020, the league's home teams were the Atomic Bombshells, Dagger Dolls, Garda Belts, and Rockits. The Silver Bullets, which competed only in the league's inaugural season, were reorganized and re-themed as the Rockits for the 2005-06 season and remained the Rockits until the pandemic dissolved the original home teams. The four teams play against each other at home, with these games comprising the home season. Every MNRD home season concludes with a championship game, with the winner receiving the championship trophy, known as The Golden Skate.
![Minnesota RollerGirls Golden Skate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Minnesota_RollerGirls_Golden_Skate.jpeg)
In 2018 a new trophy for the winner of the third-place game was unveiled. The inaugural Bronze Bearing Trophy was won for the first time by the Garda Belts.
Travel Team
![Minnesota RollerGirls All-Star Team Fall 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Minnesota_RollerGirls_All-Star_Team_Fall_2012.jpg)
The Minnesota All-Stars are the league's charter all-star interleague team. This team of elite skaters, drawn from the home teams, trains together year-round and travels for sanctioned WFTDA bouts throughout the year.
The Minnesota Nice are the other half of the All-Stars program. The league's B-team are both a pool of dedicated B-team skaters and a backup personnel pool that the Minnesota All-Stars can draw from in the event of an injury or a skater leaving the program due to pregnancy or employment opportunities outside the Twin Cities. The Nice also travel to tournaments and plays in national- and international-level B-team competitions.
Separate from the charter program, the Minnesota Windchill recreation and training program maintains a bouting-ready team which plays smaller leagues and B-teams throughout the Upper Midwest.
Minnesota was one of the pioneers of the "wall" technique of blocking, where blockers engage the jammer as a unit rather than individually. Their tenacious defence has earned the nickname "the Great Wall of Saint Paul."
WFTDA competition
The Minnesota All-Stars have qualified for WFTDA Playoffs and/or
WFTDA Championships
The International Women's Flat Track Derby Association Championships ("WFTDA Championships" or "Champs" for short) are the leading competition for roller derby leagues.
The Championships are organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association ( ...
every year since the first Championship, the Dust Devil tournament, in 2006, at which they placed fourth overall.
[February 2006 Dust Devil Invitational Rankings]
, WFTDA ersion of 23 February 2007/ref> In 2007 and 2008, as members of the WFTDA's East Region, the All-Stars competed at the annual WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament
The WFTDA East Region Playoffs or WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament was one of four annual roller derby regional qualifying tournaments for the WFTDA Championships.
The Tournament was organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). ...
without advancing to the Championship.
Starting with 2009, MNRG qualified for the WFTDA North Central Regional Tournament
The WFTDA North Central Regional Tournament or WFTDA North Central Region Playoffs was one of four annual roller derby regional qualifying tournaments for the WFTDA Championships.
The Tournament was organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Assoc ...
for all four years, advancing to compete in the WFTDA Championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012. MNRG hosted the 2009 North Central Regional Tournament, the "Brawl of America", at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, at which they came in ninth place.[Brawl of America 2009 North Central Regionals]
, WFTDA
Minnesota has a long-standing rivalry with Chicago's Windy City Rollers
Windy City Rollers is a women's flat-track roller derby league located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Juanna Rumbel (Elizabeth Gomez) and Sister Sledgehammer (Kelly Simmons) in 2004, Windy City is the first flat-track roller derby league establ ...
, and in June 2012 the two teams played to a rare tie in WFTDA-sanctioned play. The tie (later upheld upon review by the WFTDA) resulted from a scorekeeping correction made well after the end of play, avoiding a potential overtime jam which ordinarily would have settled the score. In the 2013 revision of the Rules of Flat Track Roller Derby, it was specified that the score at the time the game-ending whistle is blown, once confirmed by the officials at the end of game time, is official and that scorekeeping errors must stand if any are discovered after the official final score is recorded.
In 2013, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association realigned its competitive divisions to emphasize teams' win–loss record and difficulty of opponents rather than organizing by regions. The Minnesota All-Stars competed at Division 1 Playoffs during the era of the Divisional system. When the Second Regional Era begins in 2023, Minnesota will compete in the North America East region along with rivals Madison Roller Derby
Madison Roller Derby (MRD), founded as "Mad Rollin' Dolls", is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2004, Madison is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and was the fou ...
, Windy City Rollers
Windy City Rollers is a women's flat-track roller derby league located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Juanna Rumbel (Elizabeth Gomez) and Sister Sledgehammer (Kelly Simmons) in 2004, Windy City is the first flat-track roller derby league establ ...
, and Arch Rival Roller Derby.
In 2018 the league declined invitation to the WFTDA Playoffs in A Coruña, Spain
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
, citing the cost of air travel to the city.
Rankings
* ''CR = consolation round''
* ''DNP = did not play''
Interleague bouting record
Although the Minnesota home teams occasionally play against other leagues, the majority of their bouts are played by their all-star interleague team.
MNRD in the community
Minnesota Roller Derby has been featured in numerous local media outlets, such as the ''Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'', the ''Pulse of the Twin Cities'', vita.mn, Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest.
MPR ha ...
, and the ''City Pages
''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a ...
'', and were briefly featured in a Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
/NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
national ad campaign.
Minnesota Roller Derby is sponsored by a variety of local and national companies, including: ''The Onion
''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...
'',
Minnesota Public Radio 89.3: The Current, Ultra Creative, Archetype Design, Saint Paul Athletic Club, Fiant Dental, and Pizza Lucé, among others.
Minnesota All-Stars Lynn "Juke Boxx" Klass and Melissa "Medusa" Arnold represented the United States on Team USA
The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions.
Olympic teams
Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
at the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup
The 2011 Roller Derby World Cup was an international women's roller derby tournament organized by ''Blood & Thunder'' magazine. Teams of amateur skaters from around the world were fielded to compete for their respective nations.
The inaugural 20 ...
. In 2014, Juke Boxx returned to the Team USA roster, joined by Dana "Second Hand Smoke" Noss, for the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup
The 2014 Roller Derby World Cup is an international women's roller derby tournament organized by ''Blood & Thunder'' magazine. Teams of amateur skaters from six continents compete for their respective nations.
The 2014 Roller Derby World Cup is ...
.
See also
* North Star Roller Derby
North Star Roller Derby (NSRD) is a non-profit women's flat track roller derby league based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. North Star plays its home games at the Warner Coliseum, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
I ...
, a nearby roller derby league in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
.
* Twin Cities Roller Derby
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
, a nearby all-gender roller derby league (formerly known as Minnesota Men's Roller Derby).
References
External links
Minnesota RollerGirls
- Minnesota Roller Derby official site
Tickets
- Minnesota Roller Derby ticket info
Merch
- Minnesota Roller Derby Merchandise
WFTDA
- Women's Flat Track Derby Association
{{Authority control
Roller derby leagues established in 2004
Sports in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Roller derby leagues in Minnesota
Women's sports in the United States
Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 1
Sports in Saint Paul, Minnesota
2004 establishments in Minnesota