to download our Press Kit! - The Windy City Rollers

WINDY CITY ROLLERS STORY
Elizabeth “Juanna Rumbel” Gomez and Kelly “Sister Sledgehammer” Simmons could never have
imagined what was in store for them when Juanna brought the idea of roller derby back from
a trip to Austin, Texas, the derby revival capital. In September of 2004, that little idea became
a reality when the pair recruited and formed Chicago’s premiere all-female flat track derby
league—the Windy City Rollers. It was a decision that could only be called destiny, as roller derby
had been invented in Chicago more than half a century earlier.
The first season started in 2005 at Chicago’s historic Congress Theater, where they attracted the
largest derby audience any flat track team had seen at the time. Derby had truly come home, and
it came with a vengeance.
After realizing that the small track at the Congress was detrimental to their success on a national
level, they relocated to The Stadium in Cicero for their second season. As bouts began selling
out the 1,500-capacity Cicero Stadium, the league looked into finding a space in its namesake
city that would enable league growth to continue at the same rapid pace. An agreement with
the University of Illinois at Chicago was formalized in July 2008 that made the UIC Pavilion the
league’s new home.
Today, the Windy City Rollers comprises four home teams: Double Crossers, The Fury, Hell’s
Belles, and Manic Attackers. New skaters to the league start out on the farm team, the Haymarket
Rioters, where they hone their skills until they’re ready to be drafted to a home team. A selection
of the strongest skaters from each team play for the Windy City Rollers All-Stars, who represent
the league nationally. A second traveling team, Second Wind, was added to the league to assist
other promising skaters develop regional intra-league competitive play while preparing for the
All-Star team.
The Windy City Rollers have been proud members of WFTDA (Womens Flat Track Derby
Association) since its inception. The WCR All-Stars were the North Central Region champs for
four years, and have consistently been in the top 10 nationally..
Looking forward, the Windy City Rollers is focused on remaining a force to be reckoned with in
the national flat track derby arena. The skaters and staff strive to make roller derby synonymous
with Chicago, as they remain tied to their home and especially to their incredible fans. By
continuing to train hard, the league is proud of challenging other nationally ranked teams and
keeping the home season exciting and competitive.
Juanna Rumble, WCR co-founder
MISSION
The Windy City Rollers is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote athleticism and
fraternity among its members and seeks to foster professional, personal, and athletic
advancement for all its members. Whenever possible, the organization shall support and promote
its members in all their pursuits both on and off the track. We strive to advance and grow our
organization from within, cultivating the blatant and latent talents of all members.
That said, the goal of the organization beyond advancing the sport of roller derby both in the city
of Chicago and nationally, is to create a network of talented multifaceted individuals offering
both opportunity and training in order to continually self-govern the organization and raise up all
its members. By remaining autonomous, we achieve these goals through community outreach,
athletic training, and open opportunity for all who are willing to commit themselves toward the
advancement of these goals.
3