How I Became a Roller Derby Referee

When people find out that I am a roller derby referee, most usually ask “How did you get into that?” Well, here is my story.

Sometime in the summer of 2005, a friend of mine named Audra asked me if I would be able to help out her out with a design project. After talking with her to get an understanding of the project, I found out that she needed a Flash scoreboard for the San Diego Derby Dolls. The first thought into my head, like most people, was “Is this like roller derby from the 70’s and 80’s?” My friend replied, “Kind of but real.” She then continued to say, “The hits are real, the bruises are real, the blood is real and the sport is real.” I was amazed that something like this existed here in San Diego. This project sounded like it could be a great source of networking and, at least if anything, a fun project.

Audra introduced me to Bonnie Destroir (destroyer), who was the coach, captain and founder of the San Diego Derby Dolls league. Bonnie showed me the files and asked if I could customize a few elements for their needs. After agreeing to do the project, she told me that it would need to be done for free, seeing as how everything they did came out of their own pocket. I told her that it shouldn’t take me long to make the adjustments and should have it to her in a week or so.

When I returned for one of the Dolls’ practices, Bonnie asked me if I would be able to demo how it worked. After I demoed the scoreboard to the team, she asked me if I would be interested in running it for them as I already had the understanding of how it worked and also the laptop to run it on. It seemed like a fun idea, so I agreed. That was how I began working with the Dolls.

I ran the scoreboard for about two years following that point watching them grow and bloom into a truly competitive league. Towards the end of the summer of 2007, Bonnie approached me to ask if I would be interested in reffing for the league. I thought she was joking at first, she then mentioned that I had been watching them play for some time and was sure I understood the basics of the game for the most part and should have no problem picking up the rest. I told her that I hadn’t been on skates since I was a kid (20+ years ago). She told me not to worry and that they would teach me everything I would need to know. Then Bonnie introduced me to Skurvi Pyrate who was their new Head Ref. He gave me a printout of the rules and asked me to meet him at practice the following week.

I met Skurvi the following Tuesday at practice and let him know that I hadn’t skated in a really long time and that I had a hard time understanding some of the specific rules. He told me not to worry and that it comes with time and seeing the rules/penalties in real time, while the game and girls were in play. I kept studying the rules on my breaks at work and after a couple weeks felt like I had a good grasp on most of them. When I arrived at practice one of the following weeks later, Skurvi said that he was hoping that he could use me for a position in an upcoming bout. Thrilled about the idea, I continued to read the rules over and over for the next couple weeks and came to practice at every possible chance I had so that I could feel more comfortable with calling penalties. A few days before the bout, he told me that he was going to have me be the Outside Pack Ref (OPR).

That Saturday when I arrived at the bout, I was incredibly nervous. In fact, I was more nervous than when I used to run the score board. In my mind I was worried about calling something incorrectly and having people get pissed and yell at me for messing up. I saw how seriously the Dolls took this sport and a lot of them exuded their passion verbally quite frequently, and thought that some of that might get directed at me. It wasn’t so much being afraid of being yelled at by a ruff looking chick in skates but more so that I might get pissed back, and then decide to leave the league, in which, I would be leaving such an interesting part of my life behind.

After I survived the first few jams and called a couple of penalties, I realized that it wasn’t near as bad as I had thought. By half-time I was really amped about the intensity of the game and I had an entirely new perspective of the game. It is one thing to sit on the sidelines away from the girls as a scoreboard guy, but far more exciting to be right in the mix of it all with the girls skating and running into each other. As the OPR, I kept an eye on the pack looking for penalties to be committed. As I watched the Dolls roll by ramming each other, throwing elbows, mowing each other down and all-out pummeling each other, I kept thinking it was quite a sight. A lot of times it was difficult to stay partial and not react in some way to a good hit, good play or a major point-scoring jam.

Once the game ended, I began thinking that being a roller derby ref had to have been one of the most exciting things I have ever done. As I was helping pull up the track, Skurvi came up to me and asked me how my first bout as a ref went. Without thinking twice I said, “That was intense! I can’t wait to do that again.”
That was the beginning of my love for derby.