DeKALB – Stuart Tilton is known as Artimus Pyledriver when he referees bouts for DeKalb’s roller derby team, the Barbed Wire Betties.

If there’s one stereotype he’d like to dispel about the women who skate around the track in helmets and knee pads with numbers inked on their arms, it’s that they’re all stay-at-home moms looking to keep busy.

“It’s just tired,” Tilton said. “Everybody says that.”

Members of the Betties range in age from 22 to 49.

Sierra Big John, who goes by the nickname, Phoenix Enforce-Her, said women from many professions and walks of life are on the team. There are stay-at-home mothers and massage therapists, students and accountants.

“You name it, there’s a derby girl there,” Big John said. “Guaranteed.”

The Betties are preparing to host their first home bout against the DuPage Derby Dames Outrage at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Huntley Middle School, 1515 S. Fourth St., DeKalb. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Roller derby today is a bit different from what some people might remember from the “Roller Games” bouts that were shown on TV decades ago featuring teams like the L.A. Thunderbirds.

The Betties and their opponents skate on a flat track, with five skaters to a side. Each team has four blockers and a jammer. The jammers score points by lapping the opposing team’s blockers.

The blockers’ job is self explanatory – they use their bodies to try to stop the jammer from passing them.

“It’s like football,” Tilton said. “You’ve got blockers, which are the linemen. And you’ve got the jammers, which are like the running back. And instead of having a ball, [the jammers have] got this cover on their head.

“And the object is to get out of the pack first and then come back. And when [the jammers] come back around, they can score points by passing the opponents. So that’s how the game is won -- that’s how points are scored.”

The skaters go by colorful nicknames, with names, such as Skeleton Keyes, Snowbeast, TsunAmy, Crack Her Jax and Wine-o-Holic.

So what’s the deal with everyone – including the referees – using an alias? Players said it’s tradition – and a counter-culture thing.

“It’s just a nod to old-school, fistfight roller derby,” Big John said. “You’re not the same person here as you are at home.”

Britt Halverson, also known as Val Cree, is an accountant by day and a derby girl by night. She said the stay-at-home mom stereotype for derby girls may exist because roller derby is very time-consuming.

“We practice for six hours a week, and then we also have responsibilities to the team outside of practice,” Halverson said.

Halverson said those responsibilities include fundraising and promoting bouts. Big John said the team also participates in community events and service, including the Sycamore Pumpkin Parade and Toys for Tots.

The team’s franchise record is 1-7 since they formed in July 2012. The team competes with opponents from surrounding areas like Aurora, Roselle, Bloomington, and even as far as Warsaw, Indiana, and Beloit, Wisconsin.

The next 12-week fresh meat program for new members will be Nov. 19. Those trying out must be at least 18 years old.

Advance tickets cost $10 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com, and tickets are $12 at the door. Military with ID and seniors tickets cost $7 and children younger than age 8 get in for free.

For information about joining or attending the bout, check out the Betties’ website at www.barbedwirebetties.com or contact the Betties at barbedwirebetties@yahoo.com.

More information

What: Barbed Wire Betties vs. DuPage Derby Dames



When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday



Where: Huntley Middle School, 1515 S. Fourth St., DeKalb



Cost: Adults, $12; Military/Seniors with ID, $4; Children under 8 free. Advance tickets for $10 through brownpapertickets.com



More information: www.BarbedWireBetties.com