If knocking someone down in a short skirt in front of hundreds of people sounds appealing to you, the Arizona Derby Dames roller derby league may be just the place. The self-proclaimed “sisterhood” of skaters is looking for fresh meat to join the ranks for the group’s upcoming season. Bouts are held at Phoenix’s Castle Sports Club (11420 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, 85029) monthly and pick back up again in February.

“I think our whole idea of it is to have fun and kick a lot of ass without getting arrested, but we still get to wear a skirt and lipstick because we’re tough,” said Derby Dames founder Nicola Vendettoli, 29, aka Suzy Homewrecker.

Vendettoli, a skater who got her start in Austin, Texas (she was featured in roller derby documentary Hell on Wheels), started the Dames in August 2005.

The year-round league contains five teams, including the newest addition of the Runaway Brides. The league is open to women ages 18 and older, and a good mind-set is more important that physical capability when it comes to trying out.

“There are girls that are all different range of sizes, heights, widths, everything, so we don’t expect girls to come out and be fast,” said Jaclyn Skipper, 27, aka Sally Whacker and co-captain of the Brutal Beauties. “We just more look at people’s attitudes and see if the girl is going to mesh with our league.”

Try-outs include some skating and an interview. After women make it into the league, they skate for a 90-day period and are drafted onto teams and starts competing.

Derby Dames practice at least twice a week for two-three hours a week at Skateland (7 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, 85210). During practice, skaters learn how to skate and fall correctly to minimize potential injury in bouts, though the group highly recommends health insurance because of the injury risk. Skipper broke her arm during the sport, which proves the matches are genuine.

“It’s real, and you get huffy-puffy, and when there’s a girl coming from behind and trying to trip you, it just kind of happens,” Skipper said. “It’s not that we intentionally go out to fight, but it’s just a really aggressive sport.”

In addition to the time commitment, dues are $30 per month. Skaters must also pay for their own skates, uniform and helmet, which can cost up to $300.

Besides the mandatory practices, many teams have other fundraising or social events, including bake sales, volunteering at homeless shelters and making appearances at community programs, such as gay pride festivals.

“We say that it’s part spectacle, part sport and part competition, because we’re like a social club,” Vendettoli said. “For some girls, this is their only outlet. There’s a bunch of ladies who have joined and said, ‘I haven’t left my house in years.’”

One skater, Cindy McManimen, aka CinVicious, said the Derby Dames seemed fun when she watched her sister skate with the group. She tried out recently and made it in.

“Everybody here is like such a big family,” said Cindy McManimen, 36, aka CinVicious. “I’m at a point in my life where I need to get out and get some exercise, do something to get going again.”

In order to build trust on the rink, the Derby Dames pride themselves on having friendships away from matches, whether those are built through online forums, hosting sleepovers or end-of-the-season awards ceremonies.

“If we don’t trust each other and skate with each other, there’s no way in hell we can go to a game and play that rough and not feel like we weren’t safe,” Vendettoli said.

Vendettoli said the Derby Dames try to find a happy medium where the action is rough, but not too violent.

“We’re not going to kill each other or put anyone in the hospital or ruin anyone’s life, but, c’mon, who doesn’t want to see girls in fishnets and skirts beating the hell out of each other?” Vendettoli said.

If the Derby Dames aren’t your style, Phoenix is home to two other all-female roller derby leagues, Arizona Roller Derby (www.azrollerderby.com) and The Renegade Roller Girls (www.myspace.com/therenegaderollergirls).