Did You Know Wyoming Has The Most Roller Derby Skaters Per Capita?

My name is Debbie Cobb, and I'm a roller derby addict. When I first moved to Laramie seven years ago or so, the biggest feeling I had was missing my old teammates back in Gillette who had introduced me to the sport played on 8 wheels. Always one to take things to their most extra of limits, I figured the best way to see my friends across the state that liked to play the sport was to start a roller derby tournament for all of the Wyoming Teams. We called it the WyoCup, and this year it's coming to Laramie.

You will only see five adult teams at the WyoCup this year, but that's not for lack of teams. Wyoming is a strange beast when it comes to roller derby, as many teams borrow each others skaters during the regular season in order to have a full roster. At the WyoCup, you can only play on one team, so there are a few teams staying home this year while they build up their numbers again.

Regardless, it's easy to say there are between 10-12 teams in the state of Wyoming. With approximately 15-30 skaters per team, you can estimate that there are 150-360 skaters in the state. And that's not even including the referees, non-skating officials, announcers, coaches and junior roller derby players. With a population of just 500,000, Wyoming has the highest number of derby skaters per capita. And every year, we celebrate everything Wyoming Derby at the WyoCup.

This year, you'll even get a chance to see 40 kids under 17 take on the contact sport as they show off the best of Wyoming Junior Roller Derby. (Seriously, it's the cutest thing you'll ever see.) The WyoCup starts at noon on July 13 at the Laramie Ice and Event Center. I'm biased, given that this is the sixth time I've put on a tournament like this, but I'd say it's well worth checking out when you need a break from the sun of Jubilee Days.

Debbie Cobb is a veteran roller derby skater for the Naughty Pines Derby Dames, as well as the founder and tournament director of the Wyoming Roller Derby Association.