Burning River Roller Derby is changing sports culture, one hip check at a time

Every week, members of the Burning River Roller Derby league meet at Cleveland Heights Community Center’s decommissioned ice rink.

In the shuffle before practice begins, skaters pull the straps of sleek, customized helmets beneath their chins. Seated on a long bench, they pull protective gear over their elbows, knees and wrists. 

At a picnic table nearby, a pair of teammates exchange a handful of CDs.

For skaters like Jen Brown, the community ties roller derby has allowed her to form are just as important as the sport itself.

“You’ll hear almost everybody calling me Sunny,” Brown said. “That’s short for Tekillya Sunrise.”

On the track, skaters shout shortened versions of their derby names: Miss Directed Anger, Biohazard, Baby Ruthless and Cheeky Blinders, among others.

Most picked up skating at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to remain active while social distancing.

Nearly four years later, many say roller derby has become a way of life.

Skaters operate the 501(c)3 themselves: scheduling their own bouts, keeping the books and operating an affordable gear rental service via the Burning River Gear Library. 

The group also runs a 14-week starter class called Skater Tots, which splits skills into separate categories: skating basics and derby basics.

“You can start Skater Tots even if you’ve never been on skates before,” said Briana, also known as Cheeky Blinders. “By the end, you’ll be derby ready.”

After passing an assessment, skaters can join full league practices.

While Burning River Roller Derby skaters and members are all part of a single league, skaters also have the opportunity to join one of the three travel teams within the league. 

The Burning River Roller Derby All-Stars, the HazMat Crew and the Pyromaniacs each compete against teams in other leagues in the North Central region – often for regional and national rankings.

But for Brown – and many other skaters – the rankings are secondary.

In the face of widespread anti-transgender legislation designed to police gender in sports, roller derby offers a different type of sports culture.

As members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), trans, non-binary, intersex and otherwise gender expansive people are not only permitted to skate, but welcomed and encouraged to participate in derby spaces.

“I’m so much stronger now,” Brown said – and not just physically.

“I love it,” she added. “It’s changed my life.” 🔥

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Ignite Action

• To learn more about Burning River Roller Derby, click here.
• To learn more about enrolling in Burning River Roller Derby’s 14-week “Skater Tots” course, click here.
• If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
• If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860