Now Introducing... ORD!
The Kokeshi Roller Dolls are making sweeping changes... starting with our name. Okinawa Roller Derby is our new league name! The Kokeshi Roller Dolls will now become a B-team under Okinawa Roller Derby, for local home team bouts and mixed scrimmages. The newest league members are still our Baby Dolls. The reference to kokeshi is better understood here in Okinawa than abroad.
KRD had its humble beginnings as a small group of skaters learning to play derby, and grew into a strong and ambitious league. Seven years later, we are still fielding a competitive team, but now with a new look. We decided to stray from the usual red accent color that most Japanese derby teams use; Okinawa is distinctly different from mainland Japan, and begs recognition as a tropical island surrounded by turquoise seas. The water is rendered similarly to traditional Japanese woodblock prints, in an effort to pull from the local culture's aesthetic. The colors, a bright teal, and deep navy, are seen in the beautiful pristine ocean that surrounds us, while the dynamic waves display the power and strength we tap into to crush opponents. Our travel team, the Undertow, are represented by a deadly natural force; the superficial calm disguises the danger.
Moving forward with the rebranding has been a massive undertaking for the league, but the benefits of having an exciting new look to rally behind have drastically improved our clarity as an athletic league. We were inspired by the many leagues which have recently updated their names to include "Roller Derby" to be taken more seriously as an athletic endeavor. Who are we? Where are we from? What do we do? Okinawa Roller Derby says it all.
We hope to receive the continued support of our peers and predecessors as we strive to make the league better with each season that passes.