Topeka roller derby teams prep for national competitions

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Two Topeka sports teams are putting on their skates and gearing up to compete at the national level later this year.

27 News caught up with members of the Capital City Crushers roller derby team on Saturday, March 2 as they played against Springfield Roller Derby at Sk8Away. The team, along with Ad Astra Junior Roller Derby, are getting ready to compete in national tournaments in 2024.

Ashley Weber, also known by her derby name ‘Ms. Bea Haven,’ said the Crushers consist of almost 30 active players with eight skating officials and a team of volunteers. They are part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), a global organization hosting a number of tournaments in 2024 around the world.

“I would describe it [roller derby] as a full contact sport, much like football,” Weber said. “We have to make sure we are playing safely and we do take safety very seriously, but there are big hits and big wipeouts and its very hardcore.”

The ins and outs of the sport of roller derby are included on flyers passed out during each bout. Each game is played in two halves with each half split into two minute segments referred to as jams. All the players wear equipment during games for safety reasons such as helmets, mouth guards and knee and elbow pads.

“Well its the best sport ever,” said Cassandra Novack, also known as Scarlett O’Scare Ya. “Each team has five people on the track at one time, four of them are blockers and one is a jammer. I think of the jammer as the ball. The jammer is the person who scores the points and you score by passing opposing team members.”

Part of the fun involved with roller derby is the interesting names chosen by teams and the players. For example, some of the names used by players with the Crushers include: Mini Me, Pika Punchu, Luna Shovegood, Honey Basher and Tara Tendon.

“There’s a lot going on and sometimes it just looks like a lot of chaos out there,” Novack said. “Once you watch it a little bit and start to know what’s happening, it’s a whole lot of fun.”

The Crushers and Ad Astra always play home games and practice at Sk8Away. If you want to help show your support for the teams, you can attend games or catch up with them on social media.

“I’d say check us out on Facebook or Instagram primarily, that’s where we’re at,” said Shelby Montgomery, also known as Cereal Killer. “There you can find our link trees and find our website as well as our other information.”

If you’re looking to join in on the fun or learn more about the teams, check them out on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram or their website. The team can be reached by email through [email protected].

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