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Roller derby league From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gotham Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in New York City, New York. Founded in late 2003,[1][2] Gotham is the first flat track roller derby league in the metropolitan New York area and a founding member league of the sport's governing body, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[3] Gotham is one of the preeminent leagues in roller derby, having won five WFTDA Championships.[4] Today, the league is composed of four New York City-based teams, three travel teams, a competitive developmental team, a non competitive recreational program and a juniors program for youth.
Metro area | New York City |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Founded | 2003 |
Teams | Gotham All-Stars (A team) Brooklyn Bombshells Manhattan Mayhem Queens of Pain Bronx Gridlock Wall Street Traitors (travel) Grand Central Terminators (travel) Diamond District (travel) Gotham Junior Derby (youth) |
Track type(s) | Flat |
Venue | varies; most frequently at John Jay College of Criminal Justice |
Affiliations | WFTDA |
Org. type | 501(c)(3) NPO |
Website | gothamrollerderby.com |
Gotham consists of four home teams that represent four of the city's boroughs that do not reflect the residences of the skaters. These team play interleague games against each other, culminating in the annual championship game. Each team is supported by a "Jeerleader" squad and consists of 16 skaters who were drafted from a pool.
The league consists of travel teams that play against other leagues.
To join Gotham, skaters must complete tryouts that occur annually in October before they become the league's newest inducted skaters. Skaters tryout over a weekend then advance to tryout period lasting several weeks before they become official league members.
Karin "Chassis Crass" Bruce and David "Lefty" Leibowitz met through an online ad in 2003 and together formed the organization as Gotham Girls Roller Derby,[6] initially recruiting skaters and holding "open skate" sessions. In 2004, Gotham hosted their first exhibition bout, the "Beat Down in the Boogie Down,"[7] at The Skate Key, where a crowd of 600 watched the Brooklyn Bombshells defeat the Manhattan Mayhem[8] in overtime.
In 2005, Gotham launched its first full season at The Skate Key, with a roster of 20-25 skaters. After two games between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the league introduced the Queens of Pain, who became the first Gotham Season Champions.
In 2006, the league introduced its fourth home team, the Bronx Gridlock. In 2007, The Skate Key closed and the league secured a practice space called the Crash Pad. The league began holding season bouts at City College of New York and Hunter College. That same year, the Brooklyn Bombshells defeated the Long Island Roller Rebels All-Stars, and the Manhattan Mayhem defeated all-stars from the New Jersey Dirty Dames in a double-header. In 2008, Gotham added more interleague play and held eight bouts at Hunter College. The Wall Street Traitors played teams from Philly, Connecticut, and New England, while the Brooklyn Bombshells and Manhattan Mayhem won against Montreal and Providence, respectively.
Since 2010, the league has practiced out of a second Crash Pad location in Bushwick. In recent years, Gotham home teams play against each other at John Jay College and Abe Stark Arena. The league consists of roughly 150 skaters and officials.
In 2021, the league announced a rebrand and shortened its name to Gotham Roller Derby, "better reflect our community and the evolution of our sport".[9]
This section needs to be updated. (October 2023) |
The Gotham Girls All-Stars lost their first inter-league bout in September 2005, against the Dairyland Dolls of Mad Rollin' Dolls of Madison, Wisconsin, 82-72.[2] In February 2006, the All-Stars competed at the first WFTDA-sanctioned roller derby tournament, the Dust Devil, in Tucson, Arizona where they finished in 10th place.[10]
The All-Stars are five-time Women's Flat Track Derby Association champions, winning the Hydra trophy in 2008 and from 2011 through 2014. From the introduction of the WFTDA Division system in 2013 through March 2017, Gotham was continuously the top-ranked league in the organization until Victorian Roller Derby League took over top spot.[11]
In 2018, Gotham received a bye directly to WFTDA Championships, by placing within the top four teams overall, as the third seed, in the June 30 rankings.[12] At Championships in New Orleans, Gotham won the bronze medal with a 164-151 victory against Denver Roller Derby.[13]
Season | Final ranking[14] | Playoffs | Championship |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | 12 WFTDA[15] | — | 10[16] |
2007 | 5 WFTDA[17] | 1 E[18][19] | R1[20] |
2008 | 1 E[21] | 1 E[22] | 1[23] |
2009 | 1 E[24] | 2 E[25] | QF[26] |
2010 | 1 E[27] | 1 E[28][29] | 3[30][31] |
2011 | 1 E[32] | 1 E[33] | 1[34] |
2012 | 1 E[35] | 1 E[36][37] | 1[38] |
2013 | 1 WFTDA[39] | 1 D1[40] | 1 D1[41] |
2014 | 1 WFTDA[42] | 1 D1[43] | 1 D1[44] |
2015 | 1 WFTDA[45] | 1 D1[46] | 2 D1[47] |
2016 | 1 WFTDA[48] | 1 D1[49] | 2 D1[50] |
2017 | 3 WFTDA[51] | 1 D1[52] | 3 D1[53] |
2018 | 3 WFTDA[54] | bye[12] | 3[13] |
Gotham Roller Derby has been featured in major publications and outlets, including the New York Times, ESPN, the Wendy Williams Show, The Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal and Refinery29.
In the 2010s, home bouts were telecast on NYC Life, the flagship station of NYC Media Group, the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York.[55][56]
In October 2011, Gotham skater Suzy Hotrod was featured photographed without clothing in ESPN Magazine's annual "The Body Issue," [57] representing roller derby alongside athletes from many other mainstream American sports.
League Champions are determined in an end-of-season playoff bout and additional award winners are determined by poll of league members. The C.A.N.T.S.L.E.E.P. award is the "Crass Award for Never-Tiring Support for the League with Endless Enthusiasm and Positivity," named for league founder Chassis Crass, and awarded to one league member each year.
The current champions of the 2019 Gotham Girls Roller Derby home team season are the Bronx Gridlock.
In May 2009, the league retired the uniform number of league founder Chassis Crass. Her framed Brooklyn Bombshell retired uniform hangs at Manitoba's, 99 Avenue B in Manhattan. In December 2016 at Gotham's end-of-year awards night, Bonnie Thunders' jersey was retired by the league.[58]
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