Hamilton teen to play in his second roller derby world cup

River Evans will be lacing up roller skates while wearing a Team Canada jersey this summer.

The 16-year-old Hamilton resident will represent his country in Brisbane, Australia at the Junior Roller Derby World Cup in late July. 

River was a member of the last Team Canada, too, when the World Cup was in Valence, France in 2023.

To make the team this year, he attended tryouts in both Ontario and Calgary. Among the 90 youth from 13 to 18 who vyed for a spot, River was chosen for the final cut of 15 players. Three other players from Ontario made the team, too. 

River has been competing in roller derby for about eight years. He comes to it naturally. His mother Heather Cronkwright played for Hammer City Roller Derby for about four years. 

“I like it because it's a super high intensity, fast-paced sport, where you've got to really think at quick intervals in order to outplay the other team,” says River. “And so that's kind of the thing that I most like about it, how it's a mixture between fast-paced contact and also strategically moving around and coordinating with your team on how to beat the opposing team.”

Roller derby is often seen as a female-dominated sport, but there are men’s and co-ed leagues, says River. Neither the Junior Roller Derby Association or the Men's Roller Derby Association have gender-related requirements for skaters.

River used to skate in the Hammer City program, but the league cut its junior team after the pandemic, so he now plays for Niagara and Tri-City. He also serves as a referee for local and regional games. Knowing the rules makes him a better player, he says.

River, whose derby name and number are Speed Demon and 666, likes the physicality of the sport, in spite of a concussion he got when another player slammed him on the top of the head. 

“You’re going to come out with bruises. You're going to be sore. It really depends on if you're going up against someone who really wants to just hit you or someone who just wants to get around you. But usually it's going to hurt, but it's fun,” says the Grade 11 student at Bernie Custis Secondary School.

River works out four times a week and each twice-weekly Team Canada regional practice includes endurance and strength-building exercises. 

The trips to the tournaments, across Canada and around the world, are entirely self-funded. Unlike mainstream sports, there is little in the way of funding or sponsorship. So to raise money, the junior team is selling Team Canada hats and shirts, and have a GoFundMe set up to raise money.  

Cronkwright, a homeopath and counsellor who owns a wellness centre on the Hamilton Mountain, says her years playing with Hammer City were an “awesome experience.” She appreciated that as players get more advanced, they are still willing to spend time teaching and practising with those building their skills. 

“But my body started not really loving it, so I had to slow down a little bit, and then I made the decision to retire. But by that time, River had started to really be interested, so we just kind of switched places and I starting taking him to the practices,” she says.

“It’s been really cool to watch him, his dedication to it, and his understanding of the sport and just his energy for it is very inspiring.”

River says he’s looking forward to representing both Canada and his sport.

“Roller derby isn’t widely known so this is really putting it out there.”