Derby Myth: You Can Tell She’s A Derby Girl By Her Bruises

It’s true, when you play roller derby, you get bruises. We are constantly reminded of this due to the names of roller derby businesses, roller derby events, and of course numerous roller derby team and player names. Derby and bruising go together like the proverbial horse and carriage. Players wear their bruises like a badge of honour, and have been known to thank the player that gave a favourite bruise to them. In roller derby culture, bruises are a source of credibility for a skater. They prove that she can endure pain and keep on skating, knowing that in all likelihood she will get hurt again.

Bruises provide endless possibilities for the beloved pun – seeing that plenty of words rhyme with ‘bruise’. Apart from ‘Rhythm and Bruise’ and ‘Bruise Cruise’ above, player names include examples such as ‘Tom Bruise’ and ‘Bruisie Q’

There are even ‘beauty contests’ of sorts where players can win prizes for the best bruise. The below is an annual competition from a popular roller derby blog, but many leagues actually have their own online bruise galleries on websites and facebook pages.

Is it always shocking to see a woman sporting bruises? Assuming that we are not looking at a domestic violence situation, does this show that she is tough and hardy? Or is it betraying some sort of masochistic tendency?

In investigating this, I came across an article about a woman who showed up to her office job one morning with visible bruises, and the reactions she faced from colleagues.

Some people may find the below article shocking. 

When women wear bruises to work

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2013/03/when-women-wear-bruises-to-work/

What’s even more shocking than the fact that the bruised woman in question is not a ‘derby girl’, are the comments underneath from bruised cyclists, rock-climbers, boxers, martial artists, rugby players, and even swimmers.

In light of the above, I can only conclude that roller derby is one of many activities in which people get bruised.

Of course different activities will all have varying types, severity and locations of bruises, however the main difference between roller derby and all the rest is that, although bruises are inevitable, they do not become part of the identity of the sport.

When there is more emphasis on the incidental injuries than the actual gameplay, how can roller derby possibly be taken seriously as a sport?