The names on the back of the jerseys: Lady Vengeance, Punchy Brewster, Sandy Hook-Her. These ladies have monikers that rival those of professional wrestlers'. But they compete in a rink, not a ring.  They don their roller skates 3 to 4 times a week to skate with the Garden State Rollergirls, a roller derby league comprised of two teams, Jersey City Bridge and Pummel and the Northern Nightmares. In the process, these women temporarily leave their normal lives behind. "Everybody has an alter ego," explains Jessica Olejar, aka Punchy Brewster.  "Everybody has a day job. But they're someone different on the rink than what they are to everyone else." 

On this unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon, about fifteen women practice at the outdoor rink at the Roberto Clemente Sports Complex in Jersey City. Some wear looser shorts and t-shirts and others don the more form fitting tanks and hip-hugger shorts the sport is known for. In addition to the trademark knee socks and roller skates, all are outfitted with helmets, and knee, wrist and elbow pads. A few skid to the ground as they skate and block each other.  It becomes clear this sport is not just about how you look.

Today's practice is for the league's travel team. It's comprised of members from both Jersey City Bridge and Pummel and the Northern Nightmares. The Garden State Rollergirls League is hoping to add a third team this year. They’ll be having a recruitment party on Saturday, May 3 at 9 pm at Hell's Kitchen Lounge in Newark. Tryouts will follow on June 2 and 4. The season runs February through November, with a game every month either at the home rink, Branch Brook Roller Skating Center in Newark, or an away game.

Jersey City Bridge and Pummel played their second season opener against their close rivals, the Northern Nightmares, on April 11. Though they lost 118-105, the Jersey City team has gotten better. "Last year in the two games where Jersey City played the Northern Nightmares it was sort of a blowout. Jersey City lost both times. So this year was a big improvement," says Olejar.

During a bout (the name for a match) five players rotate out onto the track at a time. Each team sends out a jammer that starts farther back than the rest of the skaters. Their objective is to lap the rest of the pack. They get a point for every skater they lap. The other skaters try to block them out. Or hit them and knock them down.  This period of play, called a jam, lasts for two minutes.  There are thirty-second breaks between each jam. The bouts consist of two 30-minute halves.

"It's been the past 2 or 3 years that Roller Derby has exploded across the country," explains Olejar.  The resurgence of the sport, which hit its height of popularity in the 1970s, can be traced to Austin, Texas. The women there did a couple of things that aided in the recent growth. First, in 2001 a league started that played on a bank track.  That's the elevated, sloping track with railings, where the players can knock each other over. Then, a group of girls broke off and formed a flat track league.

"From there flat track derby really spread across the country," says Olejar. "Bank tracks cost about $30,000 and then teams still need a place to house it and a place to have their games. Flat tracks, on the other hand, can be played almost anywhere. A lot of teams play in roller rinks or roller hockey rinks."

A 2006 reality TV show on A&E featuring the Austin roller girls from the bank track league further popularized the sport. According to Olejar, "It was about strong women with a punk rock attitude and a lot of women saw that and said, oh, I want to do this."   Some women then either started their own league or they decided to seek out an existing league.

Jersey City Bridge and Pummel currently has twelve players. It consists of women from Jersey City, as well as from other areas of NJ and all five boroughs of NY. The league is open to anyone as long as they can make the practices in Newark.

"Most roller derby leagues, and they're all over the country, are skater owned and operated," Olejar explains. "The girls who skate do all the business side of it. We do the marketing, and solicit sponsorships. We design uniforms. We decide how the league is going to be run."

The team practices Monday and Wednesday in Newark at the indoor rink, where they also play their games. It's recommended the women make either the Saturday practice at the Jersey City outdoor rink or the Sunday practice in Nutley.

During a recent Saturday practice a few girls skid to the ground. "We've had two girls that broke their ankles pretty badly." Olejar says. "Lately, we've had more girl get pregnant than girls with serious injuries."  Though the team practices with intensity, they also take precautions. To make sure that skaters stay safe, they all have to take and pass a skills test before they can bout. "They have to be proficient enough to be safe. If you're skating and flailing around you become a danger to the other girls," she says. In addition, the league also has EMTs at every game.

Spectators can check out the games when the team plays in Newark. The next home game will be July 18. On average, the league gets about 300 fans at each game. They hope to get more this year since it’s their second season. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. All of the money goes back into the league to pay for practice time at the Newark rink and the costs associated with putting on a bout, such as hiring the DJ, chair and table rentals, and marketing for the bout. Each bout requires around 15 referees, some of whom skate and call penalties and some who are on the sidelines. Any men interested in roller derby can participate as referees (and get their own skate names too).