By Lori-Anne Little [1]
BELLEVILLE – The Belleville Bombshells [2], the city’s roller derby team, have put down their roller skates and picked up a set of hair rollers, teaming up with one of their sponsors, Mrs. Rees’ Vintage Beauty Parlour, [3] to shoot a pinup-girl calendar for 2019.
The Bombshells, a group of 16 women with nicknames such as Kray*Rolla, L’il Ms Slamshine, Hericane and Lil Knickers, play teams from across Ontario in games that their website says are “hard-hitting, competitive (and) family friendly.” Popular in the 1970s [4], roller derby is taking off again, and the Bombshells say they see the sport as a way to encourage, uplift and give confidence to women.
The Belleville Roller Derby League is non-profit, funded by member fees and occasional fundraisers like the calendar. Nicole West, known as Lil Knickers when she’s playing, says she’s excited about the project, which will not only raise money for the team but will “show the diversity of derby girls and promote heathy body awareness.”
Michelle Rees, the owner of Mrs. Rees’ Vintage Beauty Parlour, came up with the idea of the calendar. Each month will feature a photo of one Bombshell. They each chose a time period that they wanted to represent through their clothes, hair and makeup.
West said she chose September because her derby persona wears plaid shorts that have a back-to-school vibe.
Rees did the hair and makeup for each player, and the photo shoot was done in a studio at the back of her retro-style beauty parlour on Dundas Street East.
The calendar will be sold at Bombshell games and at Mrs. Rees’ Beauty Parlour starting next year.