She skates to conquer Mild-mannered but hell on wheels

Eric Morse –

Other than the old-fashioned quad-wheel skates, there is nothing at all that would stand out in a crowd about the lady in yellow and black team uniform and elbow pads who has met for an interview at a coffee shop on Queens Quay.

Why not blade skates?

“No, we use quads,” explains Cassiopeia Burrell—also known as Paper Jam—of the Toronto G-Stars in the GTARollergirls, one of two existing Toronto roller derby leagues. “Roller derby was invented during the `30s as a racing sport and evolved into its present form in Texas in the `90s. But the old skates stayed.”

Burrell skates as jammer for the G-Stars. By day, she works in the Toronto Star offices as an event co-ordinator, hence her derby name Paper Jam.

The modern form of the sport resembles an unnerving cross between velodrome cycle racing and Quidditch, the fictional sport in the Harry Potter series, “except that I’m the ball,” says Burrell.

It is played on an oval track, flat, not banked. And typically it is a summer sport, since the only available space is usually an ice-free hockey arena. The GTARollergirls play at Ted Reeves Arena.

Five players from each team share the track during the game. The jammer is the only one who can score points, and does so by lapping the players on the other team, one point for each that she passes. The four blockers act in an offensive and defensive role trying to block the opposing jammer while clearing opposing blockers from the path of their own jammer. It is fast and it is definitely a contact sport.

“I had a concussion at the end of my first season,” says Burrell. “I guess I was lucky, most people get them early on and drop out. But I came around, changed my helmet and kept on going. Otherwise, lots of bruises. Jammers get bounced around a lot.”

She came to the sport about a year and a half ago, having been introduced to it by her roommate. She was promptly fed into the “fresh meat” (rookie) development pool and never looked back.

“I was already a skier, so speed and balance made me pretty much a natural. I made so many friends and learned so much the first day that I’ve never looked back.”

Originally from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Burrell arrived in Ontario via drama school at Queen’s and has lived along the Harbourfront for about three years. Some of her Maritime heritage has clearly come with her, since, when not working for the Grid and playing for the G-Stars, she also finds time to train with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets corps out of HMCS York.

Burrell is looking forward to one day qualifying for international play—perhaps even the Olympics, if roller sports can one day achieve recognition. But she knows it won’t be for 2020.

For information on roller derby, the league, and scheduled games, visit www.gtarollergirls.com/about.