Derby dames skate to Palmer

PALMER — For the second time in as many years, the local roller derby team is hosting the annual state tournament.

But according to Erika “Dolla Billz” Bills, who plays for Denali Destroyer Dolls — the original flat-track derby team in Mat-Su — they almost didn’t.

“It was supposed to be in Fairbanks and, logistically, it just didn’t work out,” Bills said. “Instead of not having the tournament we decided to host it.”

In the years since the Dolls came together, the sport has spread all over Alaska. Proof of that is in the roster for the May 16 tournament. Teams are headed to the MTA Events Center in Palmer from Anchorage, Kenai, Fairbanks, Wrangell, Juneau and Sitka, as well as a team composed of members from Petersburg, Ketchikan and Kodiak. And there are plenty of other teams out there that couldn’t make it, Bills said.

People’s motivations for joining the sport are varied. Some teams in Anchorage, Bills said, are competing for spots in national tournaments. At least one is pretty highly ranked.

The Dolls, which has a junior team that Bills coaches, is more about building participation in, and awareness of, the sport in Alaska than it is about competing with teams in other states.

Other people, Bills included, love the camaraderie that comes with a group sport like derby. And that’s not just the relationships one builds on the track. Bonds are also forged before derby players strap on their skates.

“The biggest part of this tournament this year is the collaboration between all the teams to make it happen,” Bills said. “We have a representative from each team that is chiming in and taking care of things that need to happen.”

It’s a lot of work putting together a statewide tournament, she said, but it’s worth it.

“For me, I just want to see it happen because it’s a lot of fun. It’s hard. It’s not an easy sport. It’s a challenge,” Bills said. “All of us work really hard to get in shape and to learn strategy and to put a good show on for the crowd.”

Bills said she doesn’t know where the tourney will go next year, except that she’s pretty sure it won’t come back to Palmer. Two years in a row is enough.

Still, she said, the tournament is usually pretty good for local merchants.

“Usually, there’s 10-14 (skaters) on a roster. So that’ll be an infusion in the economy for Palmer, which will be awesome,” Bills said. “Just like any tournament for wrestling or hockey, we bring people in. They spend money in our city.”

Last year, she said, hungry skaters almost shut down a local sandwich franchise because of the sheer number of orders.

“Subway ran out of food,” Bills said.

This year, she’s prepared for that.

“I warned the owner of the Subway over there that, ‘hey we’re playing on Saturday,’” she said.

The “United We Roll: Alaska State Roller Derby Tournament” is at the MTA Events Center across from Palmer Junior Middle School tomorrow, May 16, beginning at 5 p.m. Admission is $5 and attendees are encouraged to bring their own camp chairs.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellne