"The Passion of The Refs: The Semifinals of Tucson Roller Derby" (c) 2007

“The Passion of The Refs: The Semifinals of Tucson Roller Derby” © September 2007 Stu Jenks

       Odd thing being a photographer for TRD. I often have the best seat in the house, but, at the same time, since I’m working, I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know which team is ahead or behind, or what the pack is doing. (I do know who the lead jammers are though and I do keep an eye on the pivots.) I’m basically a brain/soul/body/spirit connected to an eyeball, connected to a lens, connected to a little computer. I’m constantly looking for The Image: The jammer out in front of the pack; the clash between jammer and pivot and the other blockers; the small details that others in the crowd can’t see due to their lack of proximity. The announcers’ play-by-play and banter is just a drone in the background. I’m basically perpetually looking for The Shot. It’s what photogs do, I’m afraid. A blessing and a curse. One big eyeball.
       Luckily though, last Saturday, I was able to disengage from my eternal quest for The Shot and enjoy the bouts between Iron Curtain and The Furious Truckstop Waitresses and between Vice Squad and The Copper Queens. I mostly attribute this to my plan before I got there, of shifting of my focus away from the skaters at times, and more toward the refs, the timers and the scorekeepers. I shot the referees primarily because I knew I would have close access to them and they all have wonderful faces too. (Too close to the officials at one point. Sorry again, Johnny Crash, for getting in the way that one time. I am teachable if nothing else.) Again, I shot the game action like I had at other times, but how many more shots of Flo or Penny do we really need, leading a jam? So, on Saturday night, I shot those other hard-working men and women of The Derby, who, if it weren’t for them, it would just be athletic women in nice clothes, skating counter-clockwise.
       I was particularly struck by the passion of the refs to get it right. It’s a lot of work to record the points, to call the minor and major penalties, to keep order in the structured chaos. Also, the intensity in the eyes of the scorekeepers was striking as well. I’m guessing the light in their eyes is no different than those who keep score in Division One College Basketball or in NFL Football, for the expectation of absolute accuracy is the same: They need to get it right. Every time.
       So all hail to the Refs, the Scorekeepers, the Merch People, the Timekeepers, The Announcers, the Security People, the EMTs, the Derby Widowers, and the dozens of other unsung (or less sung) heroes of The Roller Derby. I know the women really appreciate you all, as do I and many others.
       And maybe next time, I’ll get a better shot of a dedicated Security Person, rather than a soft-focus image of them in the background. And hopefully I’ll get an image of an EMT at the ready, one of these days. And more shots of the Derby Widowers.
       I did get a nice shot of a big man in a pink boa, though.
       Gongala, Gongala. So I got that going for me.

       [Addendum: FTW and Vice advanced to the Finals. FTW beat Iron Curtain 113 to 82 (but it was closer than that), and Vice defeated The Copper Queens, 112 to 92, again, a closer match than the score reflects.]


       Other favorite moments from TRD’s Semi-Finals:

       1)      Sneaking up on the man with the pink boa, my attempt to be ninja-like, an invisible grasshopper, getting close enough to capture a candid image of this man.
       2)      Cheap Ore slamming into the Announcers’ Table, in the final seconds of her bout against Vice, and her then springing to her feet, smile on her face, dusting herself off, and being hugged by players and fans alike.
       3)      Chatting with Ruby Hellcat, at a break about this and that (I won’t tell), but once again, struck by how much shorter and more vulnerable Roller Derby Girls are, without their skates on. On go the wheels, and all of these women seem to become ten feet tall and bulletproof.
       4)      Noticing for the first time, that the ref, Strictly Bizniz, has a sticker of Mr. Natural on his helmet. I smiled as I took the shot.
       5)      And finally, being struck, over and over again, by the high level of professionalism by everyone involved. And I’m not being pollyanna-ish here. There is an dark underbelly, conflicts, stresses, sadnesses, disappointments, like with all things. But I just feel fortunate and grateful to be able to help as I can.
       As I was picking up some negs at Photographic Works today, talking about the bouts to the staff there, I said the below, and it ain't the first time I've said it to someone.

       "Roller Derby is one of the last pure sports. Played for the love of the game."

       Championship is this Saturday. Hope to see you there.

[Images from top to bottom: Pink, the New Black; Seven Refs; 1.17 seconds; Octet of Refs; Kali and Doe Pivots; The Doe and Flo Show; Flo on Turn Four; Bolshe and Doe; Ruby's Gaze; Downtown Dave and Che; Kay Boom and the Boy Scorers; The Two Scorers; The Scorekeepers' Eyes; Eeka's Wheels; Great Barrier Ref; Penalty Girl; Johnny Crash; Mr. Natural; Good Sports; Pink and Mista Miner; The Back Stretch; Ferocious, Kay, and Sami; Polly Graf; Polly, Carrie, and Kay Boom; Cheap Ore's Profile; Copper Blur; Penny Again; Cheap Ore in the End; & The Pink Boa. Prints available upon request, at a good price.]