Roller Derby is Alive and Well in Hawaii

[Kathie Fry]

Roller derby was a dying sport until all-girl roller derby teams and leagues started cropping up everywhere in the last few years. The last time I checked there were female roller derby teams in every U.S. state except Montana and North Dakota and outside the United States in Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Mexico, and Sweden.

Now Hawaii has its own female flat track roller derby league, with two teams so far, one on Oahu and one on Maui, and efforts are underway to found teams on all of the outer islands. Oahu's Pacific Roller Derby holds its practice sessions at the Kaneohe Marine Base and the Maui Roller Girls practice at the National Guard Armory in Puunene. There is also a team called the Honolulu Derby Girls but there's not much information on their Web site yet. I believe that eventually Pacific Roller Derby will be the name of Hawaii's roller derby league and one of the Oahu-based teams in the league be called the Honolulu Derby Girls. But I will invite the team captains and roller girls themselves to confirm that and also to introduce themselves, their league, their teams, and their events in our forum.

Both the Oahu and the Maui roller derby teams are recruiting players who are at least 21 years of age who can attend practice sessions one or two days a week. If you are interested, but you don't skate, contact them anyway because they have coaches who can teach you to skate. Visit each team's Web site (linked above) for recruiting information.

Meet Me at the Roller Derby - November 9, 2008

Hawaii's roller girls will hold their very first bout on Sunday, December 9, from noon to 4:00 p.m. I wouldn't miss it for the world! Look for me in my black "Do It In Hawaii" T-shirt.

EVENT: Inter-Island Down and Derby Tournament
TEAMS: Maui Roller Girls vs. Hawaii Pacific Roller Derby
DATE: November 9, 2008
TIME: Noon to 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Hawaii Kai, a few miles east of Waikiki on Oahu Island
VENUE: Hockey Rink at Kamiloiki Community Park
ADDRESS: 7750 Hawaii Kai Drive (corner of Lunalilo Home Road)

The November 9 "Inter-Island Down and Dirty" roller derby bout will be one of the events at 10th Annual Girl Fest Hawaii, an event taking place November 7-15, 2008.

Roller Derby in Hawaii - Woo Hoo!!!!! I love it...

- Kathie

PS:
Some of you know, but all of you may not... I really love sharing information about Hawaii but my other great love is... roller skating! I should say both inline skating and quad roller skating (I own 17 pairs of skates). You can read all about it here: SkateGRRL.com and KathieFry.com.



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[Kathie Fry]

At one time there were roller derby tournaments at the Old Honolulu Civic Auditorium at the corner of King Street and Sheridan Street that attracted thousands of spectators. I believe those events were even broadcast on the radio or TV. The old civic center was torn down in April of 1974 and the today the American Security Bank sits on that site.

Do you know anybody who can tell us about the early days of roller derby in Hawaii?

- Kathie

[Kathie Fry]

Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn, one of the toughest and most feared celebrity roller derby queens retired in Hawaii. On August 9, 1971 Marjorie Claire Louise Theresa Brasuhn passed away in Honolulu. More then 30 years after her death Allen Roy Andrews wrote an article entitled A Belated Tribute to Toughie.

Midge Brasuhn played roller derby for about 17 years in the 1930's and 1940's for teams in New Jersey and New York and she was captain of the Brooklyn Red Devils from 1949 through 1953. Here are some pictures of "Toughie" in her heyday:





In the above picture, Gerry Murray of Chicago (left) and Midge Brasuhn of Brooklyn New York (right) are fighting for the lead position during a roller derby tournament in Chicago on June 22, 1947.

We honor your memory Midge!
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