Gallery • 3 Photos

Mark Bloom

Senior Zora Beezley celebrates a victory with her team, The Pikes Peak Derby Dames (PPDD).

Roller derby, a sport that isn’t commonly played by many high schoolers, has been revived by Manitou Springs High School students, Koya Lockwood-Flesher (12) and Zora Beezley (12). 

Lockwood-Flesher is no stranger to the derby life, for this has been her primary sport for over 10 years. “Roller derby is a unique sport because it is very supportive and exciting,” Lockwood-Flesher said. 

Many people assume that roller derby is different from other sports, Lockwood-Flesher disagrees. “It is actually a lot like most normalized sports,” she said. “There is a lot of talk around it about how it is super different, but really it’s not. There are still rules and penalties just like any other sport.” 

Roller derby isn’t a mainstream sport, so many are confused about what it actually is. “Roller derby consists of two teams, each with 5 skaters on the track, two of which are racing each other,” said Lockwood-Flesher. “The objective is to break through the opposing teams wall of four players at the end of the track, earning you a total of four points.” Lockwood-Flesher adds that “It is a very physical sport and you are constantly blocking the opposing team.”

Because roller derby is a club sport, which tends to be more intense than your typical high school sport, Lockwood-Flesher puts a lot of her time and effort into it. “I play for two teams,” she said. “I play for Denver Roller Derby, and I also play for Fort Collins which is a pretty high skill level team.” 

Zora Beezley has been in roller derby for 11 years and has enjoyed every minute of it. “I do roller derby mainly because it is a great sport, but also because it is a great stress reliever,” Beezley said. 

Beezley is a part of a local derby team called The Pikes Peak Derby Dames (PPDD). Being on this team is time consuming for Beezley, but she says it is worth it. “I get to travel, meet new players, and help them learn how to play,” she said.

With the passion that comes with roller derby, there are also many challenges. “My least favorite part is definitely falling and hitting the floor because it hurts a lot,” Lockwood-Flesher said. Beezly agrees. “I think that the hardest part is definitely trying not to fall or get any penalties,” Beezley said. 

Roller derby is not a thing of the past for these MSHS seniors, instead, it is a passion.  Roller derby enriches their lives in many ways.

“I like the crowd, I like the entertainment, I like the hardness of it,” Lockwood-Flesher said.