The Manson Sisters were played by Rachel Piplica and Kristen Adolfi--better known as Iron Maven and Krissy Krash of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. The pair skated for the Hurl Scouts in the film and, in real life, skate for the Tough Cookies, the team on which the Scouts were based.
The movie is written by Shauna Cross, a former Roller Derby skater with the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. She cross-skated under the name Maggie Mayhem with a team of rogue cops called the Sirens. Many of the teams, skaters, names, and plot lines are inspired by Cross' time with the Derby Dolls.
At one point in the film, Bliss Cavendar lies about being 22 instead of 17, which was Ellen Page's actual age at the time.
Eulala Scheel, who plays Brooke's daughter Shania, is Marcia Gay Harden (Brooke)'s real-life daughter.