Roller derby a big hit with all types

BALTIMORE, MD - The cheering crowd almost drowns out the grinding thrum of the roller skates as the players fly around the track.

A girl in the stands waves a homemade sign for her favorite team, a blue-clad group of women known as the Night Terrors. The arena is packed and the action on the track is approaching full throttle: The roller derby girls of Charm City are out in full force tonight for this spring’s semifinal bouts.

An American-invented contact sport, roller derby is based on formation skating around an oval track. Recently catapulted to the mainstream spotlight by Drew Barrymore’s movie “Whip It,” roller derby has been a growing national phenomenon. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association encompasses hundreds of leagues across the nation from Maine to California.

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