Skaters are reviving roller derby and loving the chaos

By Sam Canfield, Bangor Daily News Staff

Sports fans in Central Maine have a rare opportunity to see a live roller derby bout this weekend.

Portrayed in movies like “Whip It” and “Unholy Rollers,” roller derby is a 5-versus-5 co-ed contact sport played on a circular track, where points are awarded to “jammers” for lapping the opponent’s “blockers.”

Composed of seasoned and fresh players alike, the newly formed Bangor Area Derby Omens are holding an intersquad exhibition match at Piscataquis County Ice Arena in Dover-Foxcroft at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Doors open at 2 p.m., and open skating will follow after the event.

The BAD Omens range from teenagers to 40-year-olds, and come from all different athletic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Uniting them is a desire to express themselves and share their love for chaos.

“Derby is one of the largest self-expressions possible in sports,” said Bennett “Barbie” Meister of Hermon. “It’s difficult and aggressive, and the team makes you feel amazing about it. It’s about doing more than what you believe you can do.”

Meister stands out with her pink skates and spandex, and first started derbying after graduating from high school last year.

On the other end of the BAD spectrum are vets like Mallory “Giggles” Brunet and Ian “Masonic Boom” McCaslin of Bangor, a laid-back couple in their 30s who dress in black. They helped found the Omens last spring.

Formerly part of Central Maine Derby in Bangor — the defunct league that Meister grew up watching as a kid — Brunet had been dying to lace up her skates once the pandemic blew over.

“Once you start, you get obsessed with it. Roller derby was my life,” Brunet said. “We pulled old derby folks from the woodworks, and had our first recruitment class in October. [Derby] makes people feel really special.”

The Omens passed out flyers and used social media to draw in new players like Meister.

As of now, the BAD Omens have roughly 20 skaters (50 percent of whom are “fresh meat”) and 20 more volunteers involved with production, administration and refereeing.

“People say ‘what the heck is this,’ and want to try it,” McCaslin said. “Derby is full of people that love alternative things. They have tattoos and like the chaos of it. Being able to pick my own name was half of what drew me in.”

The Omens all get to pick their derby names upon joining, and rarely refer to one another with their “real” names. Even after months of practicing twice a week in Bangor, some of the Omens are unable to recall their teammates’ real names if you asked.

BAD is among a small handful of roller derby leagues in Maine, most of which can be found south of Augusta. They include the Androscoggin County Fallen Angels, Rock Coast Roller Derby of Rockland, and Maine Roller Derby of Portland.

The Omens have already participated in a few bouts around northern New England, but Saturday’s event is the first that they’ve organized themselves.

“It’s niche, and it’s exciting,” Brunet said. “We get to show people that we’re here.”