MADISON, Wis.—Pepto-Bismol pink painted walls. Large, orange brushstrokes spelling out the phrase “feeling my feelings” scribbled on top. Queer images scattered here and there. And a few curvaceous, alluring paintings of butts.
In the shadows of the endurance races of the 1920s and the entertainment spectacles of the 1980s, Roller Derby has emerged from the darkness, exploding with energy and character, as one of the fastest growing sports in the world.