Derby in the D

Photo credit: Sherry McLaughlin

In the heart of our city lies the oldest Masonic Temple in the world. Built in 1926, and designed in the neo-gothic architectural style, the 1,037 room limestone Masonic Temple is a home to various masonic groups and contains theaters, ballrooms and banquet halls open to the public. It is also the home of one of the most exciting underrated sports in the city: Detroit Roller Derby.

Detroit Roller Derby (DRD) has four teams with names that immediately spark a competitive spirit: The Detroit Pistoffs, D-Funk Allstars, Devil’s Night Dames and the Grand Prix Madonna make up the house teams at the Masonic Temple and boast players with names like Payne Gretzky, Racer McChaseHer and Biscuits n Crazy. Imagine players clad in sports tops, lycra shorts and roller skates racing around a track while their opponents create human barriers to their progress. The crescendo of excitement occurs over two 30-minute periods and will have you looking up words like: jammer, pivot and blocker. Two 15-member teams compete to score points as they overtake opponents.

The fold-up chair seating and track laid on an old wooden gymnasium floor set the mood for a sport that feels gritty and fun all at once. If you are over the age of 18, you are allowed to sit behind marked lines on the gym floor, putting you right in the face of the action. The scoring is high and you can’t help but cheer for your favorites as they race and collide around the track.

Beer and snacks are available for purchase but be prepared to forget to take a bite or maybe spill some of that drink as you enjoy the action.

The season is short, but you are in luck. Grab your tickets for the final Championship game on February 11, 2023. The game starts at 6. See you there!

https://www.detroitrollerderby.com