Easton Area Roller Derby Finds Its Footing

It was a Sunday night, and the members of the Two Rivers Roller Derby team were drilling at the Bethlehem Skateaway.

While most of the team practiced, one woman—a prospective team member—skated alone in slow circles around the Bethlehem Township rink.

"She's going to skate on the outside because she's got new legs," explained Jessica Kolnos, the team's vice president and head of recruiting.

In a way, that new skater is a metaphor for the Two Rivers Roller Derby team, which is also finding its legs.

Created late last year as an offshoot of the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls, the team is made up mostly of members from the Easton and Nazareth areas and New Jersey.

With just a few months of skating behind it, the team is looking to attract new members, as well as sponsors and a bigger fanbase, said Kolnos, a South Side Easton resident.

The team has a larger goal: changing the image of what roller derby is about, changing its image from a rough-and-tumble punk rock kind of sport to something that requires more skill.

To compete, the skaters need a mix of balance, speed, timing, stamina and resilience.

"It's more about finesse and learning to skate, versus 'Let me go be a brute out there,'" said team member Melanie Cardell.

In fact, the rise in roller derby's popularity could see the sport make it into the 2020 Olympics, said team president Roxann Pinguelo.

The team will hold a recruitment night on Sunday, June 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink. For more information, contact the team at TwoRiversRollerDerby@gmail.com

Team members will also hold a demonstration at the Easton Farmers' Market on Wednesday, June 19. After that, Centre Square will be open to skating.