Hard Knocks

Following the advent of roller derby in the 1930s, the full-contact sport rose to great popularity in the 1960s, and has again since 2002. Several leagues were formed in the United States, most of them for women only, whose sexy costumes formed a stark contrast with the roughness of the sport. Players get into character for the game, assuming alter egos with names like Death by Chocolate.

Houston-based photographer Shelley Calton vividly depicts the tempo and emotions of the game, exploring how the players' self image demands both a typically masculine attitude and the female erotic showcasing of their own bodies.