KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
An organizational meeting was held on Saturday night to start a new adult sport league here in Kodiak. Officers were elected and names were taken for the teams rosters, and the Rock Island Rollers hope to start practicing before the year’s end. Organizer Coco Friccero (fr’share-o), says Kodiak will join Anchorage, Wasilla, North Pole and Juneau as cities in Alaska with roller derby teams.
Friccero says a newer style of roller derby, with more refined rules, has spurred the resurgence of the sport from something akin to professional wrestling to a legitimate competition.
While there are many other volunteer positions off the track that need to be filled, from referees to timers and score-keepers, she says any woman 21 or over is encouraged to try out for a team.
Friccero is the vice-president of the Rock Island Rollers. She, along with league president Andi Krahn and other supporters are planning to attend Thursday night’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to see about qualifying to use school gyms. Other adult leagues, such as basketball and volleyball already use school facilities
The league is also looking at other venues to practice and play in. Since it’s a flat track league, the banked tracks of the past will not need to be built.
You can find out more about the Rock Island Rollers on Facebook.
