The Estevan Junior Roller Derby Association kicked off their skating season this week. Girls in grades 4 through 12 will meet regularly to build and hone their chops, and then they compete with other teams throughout the region.

Coach and President Loralei Lashamb is excited about the number of participants.

"I have an excellent amount of returning skaters coming back from last year. That's really positive, and it gives me a lot hope for the season. We can take them and keep pushing and working on their skills." 

"We do need to grow physically, as we're quite a small team on the tracks, and it's great because this year they are a foot taller," she expressed.

"We also have a few new people that have never tried it before. We're excited about that, because we're trying to build our program every year."

They skate in the Trinity Lutheran Church basement from February through March, and then in April they hit the rinks and begin preparing for competitions.

"We do ask that participants sign a waiver for 14 days. That means that they can try skating for four trials before we ask them to commit and pay," she added.