A group of Canberra's best roller derby players are heading to Sydney to see if they can ''whip it'' like Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore did in the 2009 film of the same name.
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Five of Canberra's roller derby elite have been selected to skate alongside the LA Derby Dolls and New York Gotham Girls in Sydney on Monday at the Roller Derby Xtreme showcase, which will test their flat-track skills against the world's best players.
Shorty Short Stop, Bambi Von Smasher, Ova Bearing, Shaggle Frock and Aunty Aggro, who all compete in the Canberra Roller Derby League, will join a group of skaters from around the country for a training session and demonstration game.
The skaters are looking forward to the two-day training camp involving game play and skills workshops and a two-hour ''battle for your life'' bout on the track.
According to Paula Chemello (Ova Bearing), who thought of her alter ego name while sharing a bottle of wine with her husband, roller derby is moving away from being simply a spectacle sport with kitsch costumes and is becoming more serious, especially in Canberra.
''The 'stage names' are being phased out and we've heard that it could be optioned to be a demonstration sport for the Olympics in years to come,'' she said.
These five women will be warming up for next week's showcase stoush at the Canberra Roller Derby League season finals at the Australian Institute of Sport on Saturday.
