This weekend the Fort Wayne Derby Girls will host their annual Spring Roll derby expo at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Spring Roll 2011 marks an historic moment in the evolution of the sport of flat track roller derby. This year’s Spring Roll will feature teams from the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA), several unaffiliated women’s teams, and Junior Derby. It marks the first time that WFTDA and MRDA will sanction games at the same event.

Spring Roll, which began life as “Fall Brawl” in 2007, has always been an inclusive event, hosting a men’s exhibition game- dubbed “Ref Jam”- the first two years. Says Rhoda Rage, Fort Wayne Derby Girl and tournament co-chair, “Somehow the idea of a fun game for the boys evolved into Ref Jam. Honestly, it was meant to be a good laugh/stress-reliever to break up the day.” The first Ref Jam in 2007 was a crowd pleaser, a sort of derby-version of rodeo clowns in a madcap game that must have set new records for penalties and acrobatic shenanigans. “I think Val Capone said it best, when she said, ‘This is what happens when refs ref refs.’”

“It was an absolute blast,” says Rhoda Rage. “I don’t think any of us [FWDG] ever dreamed that it would spark the interest for actual men’s derby.” Ref Jam did indeed spark interest in men’s derby in the Midwest, from participants organizing men’s teams, to fans asking to see more men’s derby at subsequent Spring Rolls.

By 2010, Fort Wayne Derby Girls were looking to make Spring Roll even more diverse. “We wanted two tracks of derby action, so we reached out to non-WFTDA women’s leagues, junior and men’s teams. Roller Derby is truly a sport that encompasses men and women of all ages. Spring Roll 2010 went from a tournament to a Derby Expo.”

In 2010, the side show derby of past Fall Brawls had evolved into serious men’s teams, playing by WFTDA rules, in a mini-tournament format. Six teams competed over the course of one day, leading up to a thrilling one-point, final jam victory for the Puget Sound Outcasts from Seattle, WA. “In all of the men’s games, you could sense the excitement over derby,” says Rhoda Rage. “The men were there to play and to give it their all. I know personally, it energized my passion for derby. We couldn’t imagine NOT having men’s derby at our event. We are just excited that MRDA has given us the opportunity to play such an important role in their growth in 2011.”

Spring Roll 2011 is an inaugural party of sorts for the MRDA. It’s the first organized event of it’s kind since the Men’s Derby Coalition expanded to eleven teams and re-invented itself earlier this year in the wake of a show of support and encouragement from WFTDA Executive Director Bloody Mary at a “Men’s Derby Summit“ held in Chicago during the 2010 WFTDA Championship. “WFTDA is looking forward to seeing men’s derby develop and standardize in the same way women’s flat track derby has these last 10 years,” said Bloody Mary. “We’re hoping MRDA will be able to position itself as a central organizing force for the men’s leagues, and eventually act as a partner to WFTDA in promoting and fostering the sport of modern flat-track roller derby.”

This year’s Spring Roll tournament in Fort Wayne marks the most comprehensive organized men’s derby event to date in the flat track era. Ten of the eleven MRDA teams will face off, playing three regulation games each, over the course of two days. “It’s a big step for men’s derby,” says MRDA Director Erich Bennar aka Dr. Spankenstein. “Spring Roll enables MRDA to establish rankings for Championships later this season. Since most teams are geographically isolated from other MRDA teams and haven’t played each other yet, we can start to see how all of our teams match up against one another.”

A number of those match-ups will be particularly compelling for fans of men’s derby. The** New York Shock Exchange, reigning Men’s Derby Coalition Champion (and undefeated in their four-year history) will face off against last year’s Spring Roll Champion **Puget Sound Outcast, as well as last year’s Spring Roll runner-up, St. Louis Gatekeepers. The Gatekeepers will also face off against Puget Sound and this round robin of games has the potential to cement New York’s reputation as the kings of men’s derby, or give Puget Sound bragging rights to the mantle of excellence that geography has heretofore made impossible, or show the men’s derby world that St. Louis is the team to beat.

Don’t be surprised, though, if the other seven MRDA teams playing this weekend have a little something to say about those top spots in the upcoming rankings.

Pioneer Valley’s Dirty Dozen, out of Northampton, MA, founders of the Men’s Derby Coalition, have the veteran players and fundamental prowess to beat anyone on any given day.

Baltimore’s Harm City Homicide, another veteran MDC squad, brings one of the most prolific inter-league resumes to the table, and are counting on that wide range of experience to give them an edge on the top teams.

The Connecticut Death Quads have long been in the crosshairs of Northeastern teams, and look to showcase their talent and tenacity against some fresh meat.

Magic City Misfits of central Florida, who win every half-time with their jam-skating skillzzz (with a triple Z), want to prove that there is far more to this team than just mind-blowing roller-skating and blinding speed.

Race City Rebels, out of nearby Indianapolis, have been building an impressive record against non-MRDA teams this year and look to show their MRDA brethren that it is a big mistake to trifle with a winner.

The Dallas Deception has some of the most acrobatic skaters in MRDA and they love to talk it up. But, they’re going back to Spring Roll for the second year in a row to walk the walk and back up that confidence with a few wins in impressive style.

Twin Cities Terrors round out the men’s side with several game-changing skaters backed by a solid core of experienced players who have been training in all kinds of weather to make MRDA and everyone else at Spring Roll take notice of this fast-improving squad from St. Paul, Minnesota.

One way or the other, scores will be settled and a new standard for excellence in men’s flat track derby will be set this weekend.

Junior Derby at the 2010 Spring Roll. Photo by Tom Klubens

The women’s side includes a wide variety of WFTDA-sanctioned and non-sanctioned games in a mini-tournament format, as well as WFTDA teams taking on non-WFTDA teams. The participants include the Fort Wayne Derby Girls’ Bomb Squad and SWAT Team, Bleeding Heartland Roller Girls’ Flatliners, Detroit Derby Girls’ Motor City Disassembly Line, Naptown Roller Girls’ Warning Belles, Pioneer Valley Roller Derby’s Western Mass Destruction, Rollergirls of Southern Indiana’s ROSI All Stars, and the South Bend Roller Girls’ Studebreakers.

Future derby legends in the Junior Derby brackets come from the Fort Wayne Derby Brats All -Stars and Electric Rollers, Indianapolis Junior Roller Derby All Stars and Midwest Mafia, Chicago Riot All Stars, and the Richland Center Junior Roller Derby All Stars.

The most important thing about Spring Roll, though, is its diversity. Says Erich Bennar, “Beyond MRDA’s and WFTDA’s presence at Spring Roll, there will be Junior leagues and non-WFTDA teams playing. After 4 years, this will be the first time that Pioneer Valley’s women’s team–who is not WFTDA-affiliated–gets to play alongside our men’s team in a tournament setting. It’s exciting to see how Fort Wayne Derby Girls have organized such an inclusive event!”

Fort Wayne Derby Girls’ Spring Roll is more than your average regional derby tournament. It brings together women and men of all ages in celebration of a shared passion for the fast-growing sport of roller derby. Derby for the sake of derby, derby simply for the love of our sport.

Thanks to Bob Dunnell of St. Louis and Tom Klubens of Indianapolis for the use of photos from the 2010 Spring Roll.