Roller Derby

I had my first experience with a roller derby yesterday. The wasatch roller derby group did a benefit derby for diabetes and a company I work for on the side helped sponsor it. They sent me to be the representative at the event. I'm not sure how I lived through the 80's not knowing about roller derbys, but I did...and for those of you who are in the dark on the subject, I will share my newfound knowledge. Apparently roller derby is a sport and people even watch it on tv. 2 teams of roller-skating women fashion a track on the skating rink. 4 girls from each team form a group, and 1 from each team have stars on their helmets and start about 1/2 the track behind. The star skaters have to try and work their way through the group as they go around the track, without getting bumped off, to get points. The group's job is to block the opposite team's star girl from getting through. It is full contact. They go around the track a couple times, hopefully avoiding the people falling and piling up. Then a new group from their team do the same thing. This goes on for an hour! It kind of reminded me of nascar...which I never understood either. Maybe people just come to watch the crashes or maybe to see the alluring costumes they wear. (The women dress up in tank tops, very short skirts, fishnet stockings or long colorful socks and body paint to look menacing). Random!