A Night With the Chicago Knockouts

Saturday night, I made my first foray to Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby. The Punk-Rock Punishers were facing the Horrific Haunters at Fleetwood Rink in Summit.

When I was growing up and watching roller derby on television, I lumped it in with wrestling. I knew the women were athletic and talented, but I also thought it was more about entertainment than true competition.

Roller derby has come a long way, but it hasn't lost its charm nor entertainment factor, but it is a real sport, with enforced rules, scoring, referees and all that goes with a true sport. It is an international sport, played mostly by amateurs. There are more than 1,200 leagues worldwide. Roller derby was even under consideration as a sport in the 2020 Olympics.

While it is a bit confusing the first time you see roller derby live, most people get the concept quickly. Also, derby fans are incredibly helpful. Basically, each team fields five skaters, one jammer and four blockers. As the teams skate counterclockwise around the track, points are earned when the jammer passes the opposing team's skaters. For exact rules and other info, I suggest checking out the Women's Flat Track Roller Association.

I first noticed the Chicago Knockouts a while ago, but scheduling prevented me from attending any event. When I knew I would make last Saturday's event, I reached out to the league on Facebook and skater-owner The Crimson Vixen was very eager to supply info.

The Chicago Knockouts league was founded in 2018 by The Crimson Vixen, who developed the league's rules and concept. According to the Crimson Vixen, “Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby is theatrical and a bit more like classic televised roller derby.” Before you think it is entertainment and not sport, Vixen continued, “The bouts aren't scripted and the winners aren't predetermined at all, that's all organic.”

In other words, Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby delivers the best of all worlds. There is real competition, with enforced rules and a scoring system, but there is also a bit of performing, along with fun names, like the aforementioned Crimson Vixen, Marley Quinn, Cactus Rack, Moxie Roxxtar and more.

There are four teams in the league:

The Punk-Rock Punishers
The Comic-Book Crushers
The Retro Rumblers
The Horrific Haunters

From following the Chicago Knockouts on Facebook, I already knew the winner of this night would face the Retro Rumblers in March for the title, but more about that later. With a title on the line, I figured this would be a battle.

Heading into the night of action, I was excited and curious to see what the CKO did. It was a good sign, when we arrived early at the rink and found a line of fans ahead of us. There already was a lively vibe rinkside. With colored lights shining and cool music playing, fans chatted and prepared for a fun night. We used this time to get some more basic info on the Chicago Knockouts from fans, who were more than eager to share their knowledge. Clearly these folks were regulars and staunch supporters.

I also learned from the Crimson Vixen that scoring was different from other roller derby I have witnessed. “In CKO, jammers earn 1 point per scoring pass. That means that when they pass all of the blockers their second time through the pack (and any passes after that), they earn one point.” This differs from WFTDA rules where one point is earned for each opposing blocker passed. Vixen also clarified that CKO jams are one minute, while WFTDA jams last 2 minutes. As I would realize, this meant the scores would be low and every point is important.

We found two seats near an area labeled “crash zone.” The crash zone is located on the second turn after play starts. It is an area that sees a few spills and tumbles and the signage warns attendees of the possible carnage.

During the bout, skaters tumbled into the crash zone a few times, much to the delight of fans. There were also a couple scuffles. An announcer supplied running commentary, mixing information, play-by-play and some humor. The crowd was hot all night long.

After two exciting 30 minute halves, the Punk-Rock Punishers defeated the Horrific Haunters 14-13. The bout literally went down to the last seconds.

After the bout, the teams did a lap around the track, slapping hands with the fans. After that, they mingled and took pictures for a bit, before departing for the afterparty, which was open to all.

With the win, the Punk-Rock Punishers will face the Retro Rumblers for the Season II title on March 14 at the Fleetwood Rink. This promises to be a real smashmouth, sobberknocker of a battle.

Season III is expected to start later this year, but details are not finalized yet. There might even be some exhibition games between seasons. Of course, I will be updating all when those plans are announced.

Going into the night, I knew enough about roller derby to have an idea of what to expect. I got what was expected (athletic characters and fast-paced action) and a lot more (intense crowd, lively ambiance, tight contest). In short, it delivered as advertised...”Hard hits. Big personalities.”

This was my first time seeing the Chicago Knockouts, but it won't be my last. I have talked with Crimson Vixen and we have plans for interviews and other fun stuff coming in the future. Stay tuned.