Full contact on rollers

Women as tough as nails: “You have to like bruises”

Bruises are part and parcel of roller derby, but there's also plenty of fun to be had.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Renate Schwarzmüller, wkphoto.net)

They have fighting names like "Dianamite", "Ass-kicking" or "Frightening Fany" and know no mercy on eight rollers. They hold on tight, push each other and check each other out. Welcome to roller derby, a female-dominated full-contact sport that can also be seen in Linz on Saturday.

"You have to have a bit of a bird," laughs Diana Weinbauer. Because the 31-year-old's sporting hobby is not exactly an everyday occurrence: she and 17 other women in Linz take part in roller derby. This is a female-dominated full-contact sport that is played on roller skates and without a ball on an oval track. The aim is to stop a selected skater who can score points.

Full physical exertion
There is no quarter given and direct physical action such as body checks are also used. "But there are also illegal zones and you end up in the penalty box, just like in ice hockey," says Weinbauer, who has been part of the Steelcity Rollers since it was founded in 2015.

Roller derby gets down to business.

(Bild: Sami)

Primary school teacher as "Dianamite"
It's easy to explain why: "It's a great balance to the other things we do. There are lots of people involved who work in the creative or social sector. And it's great fun," says Weinbauer, who works as a primary school teacher herself, but mixes up her opponents on the dance floor with the fighting name "Dianamite". "You have to like bruises," grins Weinbauer, who also emphasizes: "It looks brutal, but the risk of injury is low. Nobody is allowed to take part without the prescribed protective equipment!"

Anyone who wants to get an idea of the sport can do so on Saturday (11) at the triple header at the Landwiedschule Linz.