Stella Italiana, a jammer for the Des Moines Derby Dames, maneuvers around her opponent to get out in front during a recent bout. Photo by Chad Bassman

Local roller derby teams battle it out for bragging rights

By Jared Curtis

The first cover story I pitched as a Cityview writer in 2007 was a profile on the Mid Iowa Rollers (“Belles of the Flat Track,” Aug. 9, 2007), the local roller derby team that had just recently started skating in the metro. Half a decade later, I’ve returned to the flat track. The Mid Iowa Rollers (MIR) have continued to thrive, but a second team — the Des Moines Derby Dames (Dames) — has also formed, dividing the town into two factions. All of this will come to a head on Saturday, April 14 when they meet for the first time. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that a former MIR member, Malay Bouaphakeo, founded the Dames, looking for a “more athletic and organized team.”

“I have respect for the MIR because they got me into the sport,” Bouaphakeo said. “But I thought MIR needed something else, and I tried my best to make them better. But when you’re content with your product, you’re content.”

MIR sees it otherwise.

“Everyone has their own perspective, but I don’t think she was with us long enough to make that assumption,” said Jamie Daugharthy-Draegert, a.k.a Dangerous Daugharthy, founder and co-owner of the Mid Iowa Rollers. “I don’t really care what she thought. I know MIR is a group of exceptional athletes, and our record speaks for itself.”

Aside from the rivalry on the track, this is a family affair. The teams are coached by brothers Dante Muse (Dames) and Mark Muse (MIR).

“We try not to talk about derby when we’re together, especially when it comes to this bout,” laughed Romina Muse, a.k.a Stella Italiana, a jammer for the Dames and Dante’s wife.

Daugharthy-Draegert has nothing but praise for their coach.

“Mark has really helped us out and brought our game to the next level. But we’re probably splitting the family with this bout,” she laughed. “Both guys are good coaches and have helped each team get better.”

Both teams became members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2011, joining the South Central Region along with 33 other teams such as the No Coast Derby Girls (Lincoln, Neb.), the Kansas City Roller Warriors (Kansas City, Mo.), the Omaha Rollergirls (Omaha, Neb.) and another Iowa team, the Sioux City Roller Dames.

“It was so awesome and a big accomplishment when we were accepted into the WFTDA,” Bouaphakeo said. “We were hesitant about going for it because we knew you needed a solid team. But it was a great feeling to get everything you wanted within a year.”

As the Dames began their apprentice status, striving to become a WFTDA member, MIR was also working on becoming a member. Bouaphakeo believes the creation of the Dames forced MIR to realize they couldn’t simply coast by.

“I believe that when the Dames started, it made Mid Iowa step up. They had no local competition and had a good thing going,” she said. “I think it made them want more than just being content with what they had.”

Draughty-Draegert doesn’t see it like that.

Vyolent GriMm of the Mid Iowa Rollers puts fear in the heart of her opponents with her evil demeanor and strong skating skills. Photo by Ken Mitchell

“I think it’s great that there is another team because rivalry is the best part of sports,” Daugharthy-Draegert said. “I wish it would have gone differently, but I’m glad she got a team together. The goal is to spread the sport of roller derby throughout the state, so it doesn’t really matter who gets the credit.”

The rivalry heats up as the two teams prepare to battle it out on the flat track for the first time ever on Saturday, April 14 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Jacobson Exhibition Center. Not only is this a divisional battle that could affect rankings, but more importantly, it’s a battle for roller derby supremacy in Des Moines.

The sport

Roller Derby has become one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. during the past decade. In 2001, there was one WFTDA-affiliated league. In 2011, there were more than 140 in the U.S. alone. Although it might shock some that the sport is growing in the metro, it doesn’t surprise the WFTDA.

“It’s pretty typical for a city to have two or more teams,” said Juliana Gonzales, executive director of the WFTDA, from their home base in Austin, Texas. “I think Des Moines is the perfect size for two teams because they cater to two different audiences.”

The game may be confusing to newcomers, but once viewers get their bearings, the bouts, which feature two 30-minute halves, become exciting and action-packed.

According to official league rules, “Each team fields up to five skaters per two-minute playing segments, called a ‘Jam.’ Blockers play both offensive and defensive roles in a defined ‘pack’ on the track. Jammers score points for their team by lapping opposing players after the first pass (first time through the group). Skaters may be penalized for committing fouls, which results in the team skating short a player while they serve the penalty. A team’s full lineup for a jam includes one pivot, three blockers and one jammer.”

“It’s a new game that not a lot of people understand yet,” Gonzales said. “But it’s growing very fast. Not only are we seeing more international growth, but the sport is expanding beyond just women as junior leagues and men’s leagues are starting up.”

Although the sport started in the 1930s, it wasn’t televised until the late 1940s and early 1950s. In the 1980s and 1990s, the sport tried to gain new fans by creating outlandish stunts such as alligator pits and included staged action and storylines similar to professional wrestling. Raquel Welch made it cool and sexy in the 1972 film “Kansas City Bomber,” but it’s a whole different game now, one that’s built on speed, athleticism and strategy.

“It’s really exciting that local fans get a chance to see the similarities and differences between the two teams as well as how they might stand out on the regional and national scene,” Gonzales said. “I’m sure the fans are excited to see who’ll win.”

Des Moines Derby Dames beginnings

Bouaphakeo joined MIR three years after the teamed formed. She had been an athlete her entire life, and after finishing her career playing softball at Drake, she wanted something more. She had heard about the sport of roller derby and decided to check it out.

“I was a rink rat growing up, so I was less intimidated by the skating aspect,” she said. “Roller derby is unlike any sport. I really liked the intensity of it and the prospect of what it could become.”

A trip to a national convention, RollerCon 2009, in Las Vegas, Nev., showed Bouaphakeo what the sport could be and changed her perspective forever.

“I saw the grand scale of things at RollerCon during some very competitive bouts,” she said. “The teams there were really uniform, and I liked that. I saw how the sport could become more athletic and more uniform, and I wanted that.”

But an injury sidelined her career, leaving her with a decision to make.

“I had started in February and then I got hurt in like May or June,” she said. “I decided then that if I was going to get hurt playing this sport, I wanted to play for a team that I felt good about.”

Bouaphakeo wanted something more out of roller derby, which is why she decided to take a chance and start a second team in Des Moines. But she knew it would be a challenge.

“It was a risk, and I was very nervous nobody would show up. But I’m a smart recruiter, and I know how to sell a product. Plus, I knew Des Moines was made for roller derby,” she said. “I knew if I could build a great product, people would join.”

Prior to the first open skate in 2009, Bouaphakeo wasn’t sure how that sport would be received. But as more skaters came, she knew she was on to something.

“I made sure from the beginning that we were very athletically focused and that all of our MC’s and referees knew the game inside and out, because they are the ones educating the fans during the bout,” she said. “Once we knew the game, then we created more of the production value and entertainment side.”

From there, the Des Moines Derby Dames (www.dmderbydames.com) exploded in popularity holding their first bout in April 2010. Stella Italiana, a jammer with the team, had interest in joining MIR as well, but the timing wasn’t right.

“MIR was practicing at Skate North [which Muse runs with her husband] and it looked like fun, but I was pregnant at the time and didn’t even think about playing,” said Muse, a former Italian national team speed skater. “After my daughter was born, I had stopped skating and didn’t realize how much I missed it. The Dames had already started up in 2009, so I gave it a try, and I was hooked.”

Bouaphakeo says the Dames work hard to be the best roller derby in town.

“I have respect for MIR because they were the first, but I want the Dames to be something more,” she said. “We are extremely focused and always thinking 10 steps ahead.”

Mid Iowa Rollers beginnings

In 2007, the Mid Iowa Rollers (www.midiowarollers.com) made their debut, and the sport of roller derby in Des Moines was changed for the better. Although they started just five players, the team quickly grew as the word spread. Within in a year, more than 15 ladies were strapping skates on.

“We’ve not only grown in numbers as we have two teams now, but we’ve also grown as a family. There is a strong bond between all of the MIR players,” Daugharthy-Draegert said. “It’s fun to be on skates and hit people, which goes along with mine and a lot of the other girls’ personalities.”

Last year, MIR achieved one of their biggest goals when they were welcomed into the WFTDA.

“Our apprenticeship was less than a year, and we had a lot of support from the Kansas City league,” Daugharthy-Draegert said. “We could have gotten accepted faster, but we didn’t want to rush the process. We wanted to get the most out of the opportunity and learn all we could.”

As the saying goes, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and Daugharthy-Draegert agrees.

“If there wasn’t the Mid Iowa Rollers, there wouldn’t be the Des Moines Derby Dames,” she said. “The Dames can represent Des Moines, but we want to represent not only Des Moines, but the entire state. We’re more like the Iowa Hawkeyes of roller derby.”

Daugharthy-Draegert doesn’t mind that there are two teams in town, as she knows there are plenty of fans to go around.

“Both teams have their fan base, but I think we’re a little more grassroots,” she said. “We did all of this on our own with no one helping us in the beginning.”

One of the veteran MIR jammers, Caroline Strait, a.k.a. Lolli Pop Ya, is looking forward to the upcoming bout.

“I think it’s going to be a really good matchup,” she said. “We’re both very tough teams and have similar play. I think it’s going to come down to who has the more athletic team.”

There has been talk of more Des Moines teams, but Strait isn’t sure if the town could support three.

“I think two teams in Des Moines is enough. We had two hockey teams, and it didn’t really work,” she said. “Hopefully I’m wrong, but I think it’s important to build the two teams we have now instead of expanding.”

MIR is proud of what they’ve accomplished and look forward to helping other teams throughout the state to get their start.

“We’ve helped inspire a lot of other teams and leagues throughout the state and try to help out with their bouts,” Daugharthy-Draegert said. “We didn’t expect any of this to happen in the beginning. We just wanted to play. I never dreamed there would be two teams in Des Moines, let alone more than 10 teams throughout the state.”

Battlefield: Iowa State Fairgrounds

Although both teams claim the metro as their home, The Des Moines Derby Dames are considered the home team for this event (MIR will be the home team in a rematch on Sept. 25). This is the first bout between the two, and both teams are looking forward to battling it out on the track.

“I’m sure there is probably a little bad blood between the two teams,” said Meredith Todd, a.k.a. Autopsy Turvey, a jammer/blocker for the Dames. “Both teams want a victory so we can say we’re the best roller derby team in town.”

Last year, when the Dames played a bout at the Jacobson Exhibition Center (the Dames normally hold bouts at 7 Flags Event Center), more than 2,500 fans showed up in support. With fans of the away team also living here, organizers are expecting 3,000 to 4,000 fans for this bout.

“I think it’s going to be a huge crowd. Not only will both fan bases be out there supporting their team, I know a lot of other roller derby teams from out of town are going to be there as well,” Strait said.

The action begins at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) when the Des Moines Crash Test Dolls (the Dames second team) takes on the Dakota City Demolition Crew, followed by the main event at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $14 at the door (kids 10 and under are free).

“This is going to be a big deal for Des Moines roller derby fans, and I can’t wait to see the sea of green in the stands,” said Staci Ballard, a.k.a. Elbow MacFearson, a jammer and blocker for the Dames. “Hopefully we can play smart, rack up some points and hit some chicks.”

In the end, it’s all about bragging rights.

“This bout is about city supremacy,” Bouaphakeo said. “This is by far the biggest derby match in the sport’s history not only in Des Moines, but probably the entire state. They have some experience, but history has proven that doesn’t make a difference.”

Daugharthy-Draegert says MIR knows what it takes to win the bout.

“Our plan is to roll hard, control the pack and win,” she said. “This isn’t a popularity contest. You can put all the glitz and glam into it you want, but the scoreboard will speak for itself.” CV