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Connecticut stormed into Holyoke, Massachusetts on Saturday to fiercely battle the Pioneer Vally Roller Derby (PVRD) teams. The Connecticut Roller Girls (CTRG) would face the Western Mass Destruction and CT’s men, the Death Quads, would face the Dirty Dozen. This particular bout was organized so that the men’s and women’s teams would alternate playing each period.

The men stepped up to the line first.

CT’s Johnny Holeshot (#30 in red&yellow) at the line against PVRD’s Dr. Spankenstein (#113v in green)
Photo by Dead End Allie

Right from the start, our Death Quads felt the heat and speed of Massachusetts’ jammers. Dr. Spankenstein, Jurasskick Park, and Davy Jones were the first three jammers for the Dirty Dozen. Their speed was absurd. Death Quads Johnny Holeshot, Cirkle Jerk, and A Boy named Rob, were doing whatever they could to keep up, but the team was still vastly overpowered by the speed and agility of the Dirty Dozen.

CT’s Jacques Strap works to try and catch up to Western Mass’s Jurasskick Park.
Photo by Dead End Allie

The Dirty Dozen were hitting hard and skating fast, and their points soared. When the buzzer blared, the men of Massachusetts had a powerful lead with a score of 47 to Connecticut’s 11.

The Roller Girls were up.

The Connecticut Roller Girls came out in new uniforms: Predominantly black outfits with purple helmets. C. Mya Rage (#86′d), Paula G. Imnaughty (#913), and Ramona Rotten (#1977) were the newest recruits skating (for the first time!) on Saturday for CTRG. As the team took their warm-up laps, the girls practiced whipping their teammates forward and putting on the pressure around the turns.

Black Cherry started the show for CTRG against Western Mass Destruction’s Nora Morse - a pairing that was repeated throughout the night.

Black Cherry and Nora Morse at the jammer starting line

Black Cherry pulled lead jammer status and started the team off with a great momentum. She was followed by Pam Terror, Violet Riot, Nelly Knuckles, Pearl Jammer, and Girl Fawkes all who helped pull Connecticut into a 10 to 2 lead half way early in the first period. Especially noteworthy was a clutch block by C. Mya Rage who barreled forward in the 5th jam to knock down a Pioneer Valley Roller Girl and clear the way for Pearl Jammer to sneak through the pack. The team was really skating well, but Western Mass Destruction wasn’t going to let this one come easy; PVRD’s Big Vinny’s Kid, Pixie Scabs, and Chickadee Struction, were fighting back - and they were fighting hard.

The match was intensely defensive. Check out this video showing just one moment of the defensive power. Brutal!

Roller Derby. CTRG vs. PRVD from mikedidonato on Vimeo.

Yes, the girls were hitting very hard Saturday night.

By the end of the first half, Western Mass Destruction had narrowed the gap in points to 4. The score stood at CTRG 20 - Mass Destruction 16.

Meanwhile… the men returned.

When we last left the Death Quads, they were struggling 36 points behind the home team in Holyoke. Sadly, the second half saw no mercy from the Pioneer Valley Team. They fought aggressively to keep the points rolling. Jurasskick Park, Davy Jones, and Dr. Spankenstein continued to wreak havoc on our CT heroes.

Dr. Spankenstein races towards Cirkle Jerk.
Photo by Dead End Allie

At one point Jurasskick Park was jamming against Cirkle Jerk. I have never seen such speed from a jammer as I did from #1993. Jurasskick Park soared around the ring weaving through the Death Quad blockers. While it was a bummer to see CT falling further behind, it was impressive to see the skating prowess of the Dirty Dozen.

As the men’s bout came to a close the score put the Dirty Dozen on top 123 to 35.

The Roller Girls’ Return

The girls came back and started right in where they had left off. But this time Western Mass Destruction’s Ballistic Miss L, Pittstop, and Nora Morse were ready. They skated hard, and despite the hits from Miz Con SepJen and Victoria Deck’em, they pulled off 10 quick points to steal the lead away from the CTRG. At this point, each team’s strategy became paramount. The teams were trading the lead back and forth. The blockers were fighting to control the front of the pack and the jammers were fighting to break through.

CT’s Pam Terror slows slightly to try and prevent MA’s Blood Bath and Beyond from hitting Black Cherry

At one point the CTRG were down nine. Girl Fawkes came up to face Pittstop as jammer. The whistle blew and the girls were off! Girl Fawkes broke through first and snagged lead jammer status. As she flew around the ring, she lapped Pittstop… but not before pulling off a sick tactical take down and knocking Pittstop to the floor. The hit gave Fawkes enough time to break through the pack again… pulling in nine points and tying the score.

There were only a few minutes left.

The girls signal one another to help make the team aware of advancing jammers.

The last few minutes were extremely intense. Unfortunately the Connecticut girls suffered a serious set back as jamming Nelly Knuckles was sent out on a penalty. This gave Western Mass Destruction a key chance to try and take the lead. They capitalized on the opportunity and grabbed a critical few points. As the time ticked down, all the while the crowd roaring with excitement, the CTRG fell behind 43 to 47.

It was a great night for roller derby. Great job to all the players!

Statistics!

Top Scoring Dudes

The Death Quads
10 - Circkle Jerk
9 — Johnny Holeshot
9 — A Boy Named Rob

The Dirty Dozen
42 - Jurasskick Park
38 - Davy Jones
27 - Dr. Spankenstein

Top Scoring Ladies

CTRG
15 - Black Cherry
11 - Girl Fawkes

Western Mass Destruction
14 - Nora Morse
12 - Kookie Kutteroff

What’s next?

I had an opportunity to chat with Pam Terror before the bout started up. Apparently the girls did really well at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Philadelphia last month. This particular bout was the last one for this season so they will be going on break for the duration of the summer, returning to the rink in the fall. Until then, feel free to check the CT roller girl website for additional information on upcoming events.

On Friday the thirteenth, three Connecticut roller girl teams entered the Roller Magic arena in Waterbury, each trying to exit as the sole champion. The regular season had come and gone leaving all three teams tied. The Elm City Bone Crushers, the Iron Angels, and the Widowmakers arrived to play each other in 30 minute mini bouts. At the end of the night, if a single team won both its bouts, she would go on as champion. If again, all teams tied, then the team with the greatest point differential would be deemed champion.

Let’s take a closer look at the three teams.

The Elm City Bone Crushers
ECBC, as their adoring fans refer to them, came into the 2008 season worn and beaten from their losses the previous year. But Doomcake (#13), their willful and powerful captain, wasn’t going to let history dictate this year’s success. After a heartbreaking loss to the Widowmakers early in the season, the team came together for a well-earned victory over the Iron Angels. Their roster* includes:

Doomcake (#13 captain)
Vixen Vega (#80085 asst. captain)
ChaCha LaRue (#xoxo)
Chelsea Grin (#T-4)
Ether Bunny (#ZZZ)
Jenghis Kahn (#1162)
Murderface Maully (#82)
Susan Bea Anarchy (#79)
Smith & Wendly (#357)
Syd Rock (#2)
Victoria Deck’em (#8)

The Iron Angels
The 2007 Connecticut Rollergirl reigning champions have a strong roster. Last year’s victory was testimony of the phenomenal power and leadership of the team’s captain and assistant captain: Tina Colada (#B-52) and Pearl Jammer (#GO) respectively**. The compassion and camaraderie of the Iron Angels is unparalleled. Their roster* includes:

Tina Colada (#B-52 captain)
Pearl Jammer (#GO asst. captain)
Girl Fawkes (#V)
Mount Saint Helen (#1980)
Nelly Nuckles (#2-KO)
Niki Nos Nitrous (#N20)
Pam Terror (#9)
Slaughterhouse Sadie (#70)
Violet Riot (#911)
Virginia Woolferine (#168)

The Widowmakers
These rollergirls have a passion and a professionalism that make them quite a menace in the ring. The Windowmakers have been a consistent contender in the Connecticut scene. The 2008 season began with a fantastic comeback for the Widowmakers as they pushed past the Bone Crushers in a tight 86 to 83 overtime victory. Under the power of their team’s seasoned captain Revengela (#1-2-3-4), the Widowmakers were out to try and take their first championship. Their roster* includes:

Revengela (#1-2-3-4 captain)
Black Cherry (#C-4 asst. captain)
Barbie Q (#2-3 team manager)
Eleanor Bruisevelt (#1933)
Luciana PULVERotti (#110R)
Milla Lowlife (#40)
Miz Con SepJen (#7)
Parker Poison (#As33)
Peekaboom! (#718)
Pepper Grind-Her (#10+)
Ruby Wreckingball (#TNT)
Slick Shoes (#85)

Huge crowds gathered to watch the Championship showdown.

The Championship

Bout 1

The first bout on Friday saw a competition for the ages between Elm City Bone Crushers and the Widowmakers. As the whistle blew, the girls took off in formation; the jammer’s driving forward with fiery intensity. Doomcake showed her prowess as she maneuvered through her opponents and quickly took the first lead jammer status. With it, the Bone Crushers drew first blood with a 5 point lead. Syd Rock came out next against Luciana PULVERotti. Despite Luciana’s aggressive drive, the ECBC defense kept her down and Syd Rock, with impressive maneuvering, sneaked through to win the jam. Right from the beginning, ECBC was showing some notable muscle and strategy on their skates. After ten jams, they had an impressive lead and were consistently scoring lead jamming status.

And then came the single most violent jam of the night. Syd Rock came out as the Bone Crusher jammer following a striking 5 point jam led by Chelsea Grin. Opposite her, at the starting line, was Eleanor Brusivelt, who earlier had led a successful jam under some remarkable defense work of her teammates. The whistle blew and the girls took off. As the jammers stormed around the track, they came face-to-face with a pack that held like a wall. Careening around the corner, the aggressive shoulders of the blockers dropped the jammers, and the trip up brought seven rollergirls tumbling to the ground. The girls got up and Syd promptly slammed into Milla, Ether Bunny clocked Eleanor Bruisevelt, and after getting up Eleanor bashed MurderFace Maully. More roller girls hit the floor in this one jam than in any jam I have seen to date. As testimony to the strength of these two teams amazing defensive players, at the end of this violent jam neither team had been able to successfully navigate through the pack to score any points.

The Bone Crushers were successful in their drive putting down the Widowmakers in a 50 to 17 victory.

Bout 2

After a short intermission where we were entertained by the Creepin Cadavers, the girls got right back into action. Since the Bone Crushers won the first round, they were able to relax until the third bout. This second bout put Iron Angels up against the Widowmakers. Tina Colada started at the line with Eleanor Bruisevelt. The teams were trading lead jamming status pretty consistently. Right away this looked like a bout of defense versus a bout of offense. The Widowmakers were pushing hard on Pearl Jammer, last year’s MVP, and were effectively holding her back. Parker Poison, Revengela, and Slick Shoes were in rare form consistently laying down the Iron Angels’ jammers. Angel Violet Riot seemed to be coming out a bit more as the Iron Angels tried to combat the Widowmakers’ hard-hitting defense, but to no avail. The points kept coming for the Widowmakers and they closed out with a 36 – 26 victory.

Bout 3
The Deciding Bout.

Despite losing the previous round, the Iron Angels were not out of the contest. If they could win against the Bone Crushers with a 21 point victory, they would take the championship.

The Bone Crushers, however, were truly intent on crushing their opponents. Doom, Syd, Ether, and Chelsea Grin traded the jammer position for the first eight jams over which they took every single lead jammer title. Pearl was the first to break the Bone Crushers run. Pearl, Pam, and Nelly Knuckles came up with a short rally, but were kept honest by the devastating drive of the ECBC. Jam after Jam the girls in red were pushing their points skyward. As the clock ticked the final seconds away, the Elm City Bone Crushers threw their hands in the air, they had defeated the Angels 42 to 11.

The girls gathered ringside to collect their trophy.

ECBC pose with their trophy.

Statistics!
Syd Rock and Doomcake were the highest scorings players of the evening. Syd with 47 points and Doom with 31. These women alone showed Connecticut that the Bone Crusher’s weren’t fooling around. Eleanor Bruisevelt and Luciana PULVERotti took home 18 and 11 points respectively for the Widowmakers. Pearl was the leading scorer for the Angels with 10.

Congratulations to all the Roller Girls for an amazing season and endlessly entertaining bouts! The next big event will have the travel team, the Stepford Sabotage, against a bunch of east coast teams at the EAST COAST EXTRAVAGANZA on June 21st in Philadelphia, PA and then against some of Western Massachusetts’ finest on July 12th in Holyoke, MA. For more information check out the CT Roller Girls Website.

*The rosters listed here were not the exact rosters for this particular bout.
** UPDATE: A Roller Girl kindly pointed out in the comments that last year’s Iron Angels captain and asst. captain were Nelly Knuckles and Dead End Allie. Tina Colada and Pearl are the captain and asst. captain for this season.

On Sunday night the crowds gathered once again to witness the aggressive roller derby girls in action. This bout had the Elm City BoneCrushers taking on the reigning champions, the Iron Angels. Both teams have some considerable strength to them. The Iron Angels were coming in with a 1-0 record after defeating the Widowmakers in February. The BoneCrushers were coming in vengeful and furious with a record of 0-1 after barely losing their bout with the Widowmakers in January.

Amidst the cheers of their loving crowd, the RollerGirls came onto the flat track for the first jam. Jamming for the Iron Angels was Assistant Captain Pearl Jammer (#GO), and opposing her for the BoneCrushers was captain Doomcake (#13). Striking quickly before the BoneCrushers could organize their defenses, Pearl grabbed lead jammer status and pulled in a quick 5 points. The early lead for the Iron Angels was short lived however as BoneCrusher Syd Rock (#2) came up next against Girl Fawkes (#V). Syd has a furious ability to navigate through the menacing shoulders of the opposing blockers and responded to Pearl’s grand slam with 9 points of her own. No, the BoneCrushers were not going to let the Angels’ title as champion intimidate them, they had their own agenda and it was proving aggressive and effective.

BoneCrusher Chelsea Grin (#T-4) jammed next against Angels captain Tina Colada (#B-52) and showed the strength of her shoulder in a sick take down. One after another, the BoneCrushers were coming out in force. Doomcake added 4, and Syd 5 more. Sadly, the bout’s momentum faltered when ChaCha LaRue (#XOXO) took a bad fall in an early jam.

The bond between the girls became more than apparent as Iron Angels and BoneCrushers alike tended to the fallen RollerGirl. Pearl Jammer and the EMTs helped ChaCha get to a stretcher. Despite the pain, ChaCha looked to be in good spirits as she was carted off to the ambulance. While always unfortunate, injuries do shine some light on the strong camaraderie of the CT RollerGirls.

ChaCha LaRue gets some attention

After the injury, the score stood 18 to 6. The Angels weren’t making it easy for the BoneCrushers. Fawkes pulled in 9 more points bringing the score a bit closer after a few jams. Yet still, the BoneCrusher defense was dominating. Ether Bunny (#ZZZ) had a wicked hit on Angel substitute Token (#X) and Susan B Anarchy (#79) successfully dominated Pearl late in the first half to keep Syd Rock screaming around the ring pulling in points.

The first half ended with the BoneCrushers holding a significant lead over the Angels. Would the Elm City BoneCrushers be vindicated after their last frustrating loss?

Beaver Knievel (#97) re-establishes the pack after Doomcake soars through

The second half was just as furious as the first. Girl Fawkes held the relentless Syd Rock at 11 points in the early part of the second half with a hit that knocked Syd into the air. It was clear that the girls were getting tired. With 11 minutes left the Angels were down over 20 points… but then they began to rally behind the blocking of Slaughterhouse Saide (#70) and Mount St. Helen (#1980). First Tina Colada pulled 4, then Pearl took 3, Violet Riot (#911) snagged four, Token 3, and Pearl 7 more. Could the BoneCrushers keep the advancing Angels far enough back to claim victory?

Yes! The BoneCrusher defense closed the door on the Angels through the last 5 jams securing a critical victory and bringing about a unique situation entering into the championship. Each team is now tied with a record of 1-1. While the format for the championship in not yet certain, you can be sure that it will be furious.

STATISTICS!
Top Scorer was BoneCrusher Syd rock with 44 points over 15 jams.
Next up was Iron Angel Pearl Jammer with 26 points over 13 jams.

This is especially impressive when you realize that there were only 36 jams total. These two jammers were pushed to their limits.

Chelsea Grin had the most trips to the penalty box with a grand total of 5. Susan B. Anarchy was right behind her at 4.

I talked to Syd Rock briefly after the bout. Tonight was, she believed, her top performance as a jammer. She comes from Tuscon, but did mostly blocking there. When asked which she preferred, being a blocker or jammer, Syd replied “Blocker. I like to hit people.”

Congratulations BoneCrushers!

The next stop for the RollerGirls is coming this Saturday (April 12th) in Philidelphia where the Stepford Sabotage will take on a local team the Philthy Britches. After that there will be a quick bout against Gotham’s Bteam in Brooklyn on the 19th. Finally, on May 17th the Stepford Sabotage will be taking on the Maine Roller Derby Port Authority in Maine. Get all the details at the CT Roller Girl website here.

Great job to all the players! We’ll see you in Maine!

It’s in the works! You should see it by the end of today.

The crowds turned up in great numbers on Sunday night to witness the aggressive meeting between CT’s Stepford Sabotage and the Rhode Island Riveters. The Riveters are a seasoned team with some great experience and a national ranking (14th!). Stepford, while still young and anxious for a rating, is decidedly feisty. We showed up knowing we’d be in for some great competition.

But on this Sunday the girls didn’t start the show, no, it was the men’s turn to debut. Three men’s derby teams showed up to welcome Connecticut’s first men’s derby team, the CT Death Quads, to the derby scene: The New York Shock Exchange, Western Mass’s Dirty Dozen, and Baltimore’s Harm City Homicide. The four teams mixed players into two squads for a fast and furious single period bout. It was extremely fun. The guys were brutally hitting one another, and what a mix of player skills! From Feelgood Marshall to Davy Jones the men were really throwing it all down.

Fans for a change, CT’s Stepford Sabotage (Ether Bunny, Revengela, Tina Colada, Violet Riot, and Black Cherry) watch the men do their thing.

With the crowd all riled up, the girls came out welcomed with cheers of anticipation. As they warmed up by skating a few laps, Miz ConSepJen and Luciana Pulverotti walked around selling cupcakes to support the traveling team.

MC Hitman Hank was joined by Rhode Island’s Al Mighty. They introduced the players on each team and we started right in on the action.

The first jam put CT’s Powerhouse Pearl Jammer (#GO) up against Rhode Island’s Hysterica (#42). Hysterica, speed skater turned roller girl, was fast. She whipped through the pack quickly, snagged lead jammer status, circled once, and strategically ended the jam. Black Cherry (#C-4) came up next as jammer against Craisy Dukes (#high 5). Craisy repeated the process for the Riveters. If Stepford was caught off guard, they didn’t show it. The slow start didn’t deter the girls. Syd Rock (#2) snagged the first lead jammer status for Connecticut followed by Black Cherry and Tina Colada (#B-52). Despite grabbing these leads, the girls in green were coming up short on points.

Jetta Von Diesel (#VR6) and Hysterica plan their attack

As the bout progressed it became clear that the Riveters’ defense is staggering! Jean Harlot (#1937), Burnin’ Helen (#73), and Sass E. McNasty (#8ball) were just some of the Riveters who were working to stop The Sabotage in their tracks. But as the first half came to a close Stepford seemed to strengthen… really landing their hits. Two consecutive jams in the final minutes of that first period saw Violet Riot (#911) plow into Bunnicula (#***), and Syd Rock savagely slam Jailbird Jenny (#111). Pearl and Doomcake (#13) concluded the half with critical strategic wins of lead jammer status.

Pearl, Ether Bunny, and Syd talk strategy during the intermission.

After a quick break they were back at it. The second half saw great strategy by Riveters Craisy Dukes and Rhode Kill (#90mph). Rhode Kill was especially effective at taking a broad corner and driving the opposing jammer out of the ring in that first turn. It was brutal, but effective. Cleo Patronize (#10) had amazing stride and raised her team’s score even further. As the time ticked away CT had one final surge pulling in 23 points to the Riveters 12 in the last 8 jams.

It wasn’t quite enough. The Riveters secured a strong victory 107-47.

Craisy Dukes and Rhode Kill on their victory lap

“It’s a hell of a start,” Girl Fawkes (#V) commented. And indeed it was. Stepford is working to get a rating in the national association, but to do so they have to play two ranked teams. Hopefully they will get a rating by the summer. Both teams skated their hearts out on Sunday. Great job Roller Girls!

Statistics!
Point Leaders:
Stepford Sabotage
Black Cherry: 17
Pearl Jammer: 9

The R.I. Riveters
Hysterica! 36
Cleo Patronize: 18

Trips to the penalty box were, more or less, evenly distributed between the teams. Pearl with 3, Cleo with 4.

Both teams have bouts fast approaching. The Riveters will be up in Maine on April 12th, and Connecticut will see a battle between the Elm City Bone Crushers and the Iron Angels on April 6th. The Stepford Sabotage will be back on the road in Philly on April 12th and against Gotham’s B-team on April 19th. It’s a hectic schedule so for all the details check out ctrollerderby.com.

What a bout! On Sunday February 24th the Widowmakers and Iron Angels donned their skates in an epic match-up that we were all expecting to be extremely exciting. The girls did not disappoint.

The night started with the Iron Angels skating off their bench to the wailing riffs of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. Led by captain Tina Colada (#B-52), the Angels were starting their season off after clinching the win at last year’s championship bout against the Widowmakers. And now the Widowmakers were back. After the Angels introduction concluded, the Widowmakers screamed off their bench to Billy Idol’s White Wedding… they were skating with a vengeance. Unlike last December, this time the Widowmakers had come with Luciana PULVERotti (#110R) and Milla LowLife (#40 oz. “The Champaign of Roller Girls”).

The Angels, however, aren’t a team to be caught unawares; they too had new players in their ranks. Mount Saint Helen (#1980), Beaver Knievel (#97), and Virginia Woolferine (#168) had joined the team and were ready for action. Yes, the crowd was expecting excitement but nothing could prepare us for the two 30 minute periods that followed.

It Begins…

The bout started with Angel Pearl Jammer (#GO) up against Eleanor Bruisevelt (#1933). The ref’s whistle screeched once and the pack was off… it screeched again and the jammers took off. Using their skate’s toe-break as a pushing point, the Jammers propelled themselves forward on their toes accelerating quickly to overtake the looming pack.

Right from the start, the match-up showed promise. The blockers were defiant. Pearl, who has the incredible skill of finding openings between even the most vicious opponents was held back by the Widowmaker defense. Eleanor broke through first and snagged lead jammer status. But Pearl is not one to give up easily. She wove through the pack behind Eleanor. The two derby girls met stiff resistance as they circled around to reach the pack again. Pearl snaked through quickly and snagged two quick points before Eleanor could end the jam. Yes, it was clear from the first jam that the bout would depend heavily on the defensive strategies of each team.

The Widowmakers drive was ferocious. After Eleanor’s efforts Luciana, Black Cherry (#C-4), and Milla consecutively took lead jammer status away from the fighting Angels. What was remarkable is that despite the Widowmaker’s early dominance at breaking through the pack, Pearl, Pam Terror (#9), and Girl Fawkes (#V) were able to slowly chip away at the score. One point here, two points there. After six jams the score stood tied at 9-9.

And Then Began a Remarkable Defensive Struggle.

Revengela (#1-2-3-4), the authoritative Captain of the Widowmakers, took the jamming spot across Pam Terror. The whistle blew and the two jammers raced up towards a very formidable pack. Miz Con SepJen (#7), Parker Poison (#A33), Pearl, and Mount Saint Helen were among those who were intent on cutting short their competitor’s drive. One jam… two jams… three jams… four jams went by scoreless. The Widowmakers were making a break for points, but the Angels kept cutting them off by strategically ending the jams. Acting as pivot Black Cherry, perhaps the single most charismatic roller girl to grace a derby ring, successfully crushed the Angel’s jammer again and again… all the while blowing kisses to the adoring crowd. The Widowmakers were making big hits.

But the tide had turned. The Angels started taking the critical lead jammer status away from the Widowmakers. Violet Riot (#911) made a huge contribution as she earned 7 crucial points for the Iron Angels. Girl Fawkes came out next and, backed up by Mount Saint Helen’s aggressive drop of Widowmaker Milla LowLife, widened the gap with 2 points and then 8 more points for the Angels. Tina Colada and Milla LowLife skated opposite each other to end the first half with a score of 34 to 19. The Iron Angels had taken a healthy lead.

The 2nd Half

The second half saw some incredible strategy. Occasionally a blocker would reach back and grab the hand of her jamming teammate. She would then swing her arm furiously around her body and whip her team’s jammer forward. The jammer could take this sudden burst of speed and work to pull ahead or make up lost ground. Lord those girls can skate.

Black Cherry used another unique strategy when she skated as jammer. Numerous times she would find herself blocked by one or two defensive Angels. Motioning back to her blocking teammates she would encourage them to slow down… thus pulling the pack away from the her and the wall that prevented her escape.

What could this possibly do? Well, there’s a rule in Roller Derby that says that the pack must remain reasonably tight. Roller girls can’t stray too far away before the refs raise their hands and the girls have to stop blocking any opposing jammers. In pushing the pack back, Black Cherry could get the ref to call out the loose pack. The Iron Angel blockers would then have to let Black Cherry skate through unopposed scoring an extra point or two.

The angels were using strategy as well. As time ticked away Violet Riot skated twice as jammer against Black Cherry. Both times she barely squeezed lead jammer status away from the fearsome Widowmaker. As the pair raced back towards the pack, Violet theatrically tapped her hips ending the jam with a 0 -0 score and pushing the clock further and further down.

When the final buzzer sounded the Iron Angels took the victory: 60 to 48.

Statistics!
Black Cherry: 27 points in 9 jams (lead 4)
Tina Colada: 22 points in 11 jams (lead 4)
Girl Fawkes: 16 points in 4 jams (lead 3)

Trips to the Penalty Box?
Widowmakers: 24
Iron Angels: 11

Players with the most trips to the penalty box:
Miz Con SepJen: 6
Tina Colada: 4

After the match we headed over to the afterparty at The Brass House. There Keller and I had some beverages and witnessed the ceremonial inauguration of two new roller girls. They were handed birth certificates with their roller girl nicknames. Cake was served and the bar welcomed the two new recruits.

The CT roller girls will put these new girls to work. Especially since next month will see the CT All-Star team, the Stepford Sabotage, up against the Rhode Island Riveters. Rhode Island’s team is older and more experienced with brutal players like ‘Da Silva Bullet’ and ‘Jetta Von Diesel’. The Stepford Sabotage will have their work cut out for them on March 16th, but the fans have faith! For more information on the upcoming bout, check out the CT roller girl’s website here:

CT Roller Derby

Sunday’s bout was amazing. Great job Roller Girls! We’ll see you March 16th!!

Last night the RollerMagic Roller Rink in Waterbury hosted the first bout in this second season of Connecticut Roller Derby. The night had the Elm City Bone Crushers (ECBC) up against the Widowmakers. When these teams met last season the Widowmakers came home with the victory, but last night there were new players wearing skates and both teams were anxious to start the season off with a win.

I brought a bunch of first-timers with me to this particular bout. The sport was introduced to the new comers with a demonstration, narrated by the MC’s. As Hitman Hank and David Coppafeel explained the means by which the jammers score points, my friend Celina shuddered in awe: “Oh my God. They have to go THROUGH THE PACK?!?”

Yes, the Pack was formidable last night. The only thing more intimidating than the pack of six blockers and two pivots was the EMT’s stretcher which ominously stood at the ready just outside the roller rink. Adding to the excitement was a new rule; instead of the three 20 minute periods that we witnessed last year, this year’s bout would be made up of two 30 minute periods. I can only imagine what those last 10 minutes must feel like when you’re wearing skates and dodging the menacing shoulder of an opponent.

The Bout Begins

The bout started with ECBC’s captain Doomcake (#13) up against Eleanor Bruisevelt (#1933). Right from the onset the ECBC showed great defense. They kept the Widowmakers at arms length with an early lead and great consistency. As the evening progressed it was clear that a few new players were playing major roles in the action. Syd Rock (#2 Bells) jammed seven times for the Bone Crushers and she was Fast. Apparently Syd recently moved to CT from Arizona where she skated with The Copper Queens, a derby team out of Tucson AZ.*

Also new were Milla Low Life (#40oz), and Luciana PULVERotti (#110R) for the Widowmakers and Murderface Maully (#M82) and Smith & Wendy (#357) for the Bone Crushers. The first half saw some killer hits from these girls. In fact, in those first 30 minutes there were 38 personal fouls. Thirty Eight! There were Elbows being thrown everywhere.

What was especially fun to watch in this bout was the strategy. There was some extremely good skating by the defense. In one of the final jams of the first half Bone Crusher Chelsea Grin (#T-4) was skating opposite Eleanor Bruisevelt. Eleanor broke through the pack early on, but didn’t take lead jammer status. The widowmaker’s defense was keeping Chelsea back. As Eleanor gained on her rivals Chelsea furiously darted forward… getting to the front of the line just in time. The ref declared her Lead Jammer and she manically tapped her hips ending the jam. Both teams were left scoreless for the jam and the Bone Crushers maintained their lead.

Intermission

As the girls caught their breath, the crowd was entertained with some SICK dancing by the CT based group ‘Poetry in Motion.’ There were 5 guys who came out and Flared, popped, and freestyled to the cheers of the CTRG crowd. The Roller Derby intermissions are typically pretty good, but this one stood out as one of the best. The fifteen minutes flew by and before we knew it the girls were back on the track and the refs were blowing the starting whistle.

The Second Half

That first Jam put Syd Rock against Revengela (#1-2-3-4). Syd got a killer start but was NAILED by Widowmaker Peekaboom (#718). The bout was close. Really close. At the start of the eighth Jam the score stood 64 points for the Bone Crushers, 63 points for the Widowmakers. We were getting anxious. Half our crowd was rooting for the ECBC the other half for the Widowmakers. The Widowmaker fans got a jolt of energy in the ninth jam when Bone Crusher Syd Rock was slammed so hard she skidded 10 feet across the floor into the penalty bench. The hits were getting harder.

Time was ticking down. And the defense was getting tough. in those last few minutes few seconds would pass without an aggressive exchange of shoulders in the ring. ECBC Susan B. Anarchy took down Milla Low Life in one particularly memorable slam.

It was ECBC 75 to WM 71.

And there was time for one Jam left. The Bone Crusher fans amongst us started chanting “DEFENSE!” the Widowmaker fans were screaming for Widowmaker jammer Black Cherry (#C-4).

The Jam started. And the crowd was electrified… and the bone crushers had a lot of team members in the penalty box. Black Cherry broke ahead in the sprint from the starting line. She skated hard and forced her way to the front of the pack!! Lead Jammer status was called. She whipped around again and broke through the pack AGAIN. Upon doing so, she immediately ended the jam.

She’d pulled in 4 points! The time expired! It was 75 to 75!!

OVERTIME!!!

I’ve never seen an overtime before, so I was quite thankful when the MC’s explained what happens in OT.

Overtime in Derby is accomplished by a two minute jam. What makes it different from regular play is that the jammers immediately start getting points and it’s impossible to get lead jammer status. If the results of that jam were another tie… they do another jam. It will keep going like that until one team pulls ahead of the other.

And now, after a full game of being behind the Elm City Bone Crusher’s the Widowmakers had a chance to take it all. Black Cherry was up against Chelsea Grin… The whistles blew.

In just seconds Chelsea Grin was sent to the penalty box. Was it over for the Bone Crushers?!?! Black Cherry was flying around the rink like it was child’s play. Just when we’d thought the game was over, Chelsea stormed back into the ring. We were on our feet with excitement.

Chelsea skated around once… twice… and the bell sounded. Would it be enough?

There was a lull that seemed to last a lifetime. The refs wanted to make certain they got the points right.

the first score announced was the Bone Crushers. 8 points! Chelsea did great!

another lull as the scores were calculated… and the results!

Black Cherry got 11 points! THE WIDOWMAKERS WON IN OVERTIME!

What a bout! It was a joy to watch. The end statistics show how closely these two teams were matched:

***UPDATE! Chelsea Grin informed me that in fact the scorekeepers made a mistake with the numbers and, in fact, Chelsea scored 35 points!!! (35 is a lot.) Rock on Chelsea!***

There were a grand total of 59 personal foul penalties given out in the bout. FIFTY NINE! That’s practically one a minute!

What a show. Great job to all the players and people behind the scenes. From the fans, thanks.

If you’d like to come to the next bout, check out the next bout on February 24th. For more information go here! There are also a handful of inter-league bouts this year. Check back on the roller girl website or here for updates!

* Tucson is actually one of the oldest leagues in the US. The Texas Rollergirls (in Austin) were first.

What a way to end the year! On Sunday, Connecticut’s Roller Girls debuted their all-star team ‘The Stepford Sabotage’ and crushed the visiting Long Island Roller Rebels in a spectacular show of speed and strategy. ‘Season’s Beatings’ was a monumental event, not only in its excitement but also in its significance. This battle for the ages was the first inter-league game hosted by Connecticut’s roller derby league, and it was an awesome sight to see. A frost in the air set the mood as crowds braved ice and winter storm warnings in order to come and cheer on their favorites. The two teams may have started friendly off the track but it seems skates can quickly turn women violent.

The bout launched into action with CT’s Pearl Jammer up against Long Island’s C-Roll. Pearl, the leading scorer for CT, started it off right pulling in a quick four points for the girls in green. Sabotage’s Pam Terror, a whirlwind of dynamite, followed suit against Summer Slam. The Stepford Sabotage, with her early lead, seemed poised for victory from the onset. But C-Roll fought back and showed the locals that these Roller Rebels would not go down easy. The third jam saw C-Roll pull 10 points against 0 for the Stepford Sabotage. It was this jam that gave CT a personal introduction to Long Island’s Captain Morgan. The only thing more menacing than her ability to keep the Sabotage at bay is her evil eye… which, rumor has it, can bring the toughest rollergirl shaking to her knees.

The CT roller girls rotated Doomcake into the jamming spot followed by Tina Colada. In the same way that cake and frozen drinks send you into a wild sugar high, Doomcake and Tina Colada left the audience in a dizzy coma; their sweet moves came at a good time: CT wasn’t risking wearing out there jammers. Instead the team threw skater after skater into the mix. The Roller Rebels with only 11 players (one of which, Trixie Timebomb, was hurt early on) were getting worn down. By the end of the first period the Stepford Sabotage had a commanding lead of 39 to 17.

Peekaboom!’s Skate. Up close and personal.

The second period roared with remarkable strategy and defense. The blockers barricaded their opponents with relentless energy and power. Eleanor Bruisevelt, Peekaboom!, and Miz Con SepJen were doing wonders at keeping Long Island Jammers C-Roll, Regine Bull, and Amaretto Sourpuss back. At the same time, Captain Morgan and Anna Tramp were holding back the CT Jammers with smooth skill and prowess. Jam after Jam came up scoreless. When the Jammers did break free of the pack they did so neck and neck, an invigorating derby ensued and all eyes were on the Jammers.

The period ended on a down note as Black Cherry took a bad spill. She clawed her way off the track in heavy pain where she waited grimacing until the EMT’s could come to her aid. Once Cherry left the track the Roller Rebels showed no mercy as Captain Morgan improved her reputation for brutality with a fantastic knock down of jammer Tina Colada.

Stepford’s Mascot, Dead End Cupcake (with butcher knife), anxiously watches the bout beside M.C. Hitman Hank

The final period saw even point scoring by both teams until the 6th jam of the period. Pearl Jammer took her place at her starting line next to Ragine Bull. The whistle chirped once, and the pack was off… it chirped again and the two jammers took to an all out sprint. The Stepford Sabotage had Parker Poison, Peekaboom!, Violet Riot, and Elenor Bruisevelt up front. As Pearl approached, her teammates opened the path for her and then immediately locked Regina Bull down. She was stuck behind the girls in green. Meanwhile Pearl skated viciously around the pink clad Roller Rebels, not once… not twice… but three times. Only once before in CT roller derby history has a roller girl succeeded in a triple grand slam against her rival. This 15 to nothing jam put the Stepford Sabotage up 91 to 43 with only minutes remaining. The girls cheered at their success, but the action was far from over.

Doomcake and Black Cherry skating to victory

Not three jams later, a series of penalties left Stepford in a dangerous situation. Pearl Jammer was up again, but her only defensewoman was Revengela. Long Island’s Summer Slam had an opportunity to take back points. Despite being the the only lonely green shirt in a sea of pink, Revengela was not intimidated. If anything, her bloodlust was only amplified. Summer Slam began her trip around the track. Revengela started hard and did an admirable job at keeping Slam back and getting Pearl through. Slam only got around once before the penalties expired and the Stepford Girls stormed the track again.

The last jam saw C-Roll in her prime. C-Roll had been pushed to her limit with an ABSURD 19 Jams under her belt. Despite this, she still pulled in 10 more points for her team in the final jam. The refs watched carefully. As Miz Con Sepjen slammed into yet another unexpecting Roller Rebel, a ref called her out on Tripping. Miz Con SepJen’s eyes glowed with Fury and she exploded back at the ref. She brazenly refused to leave the track. The ref, fed up, threw his hand in the air and ejected her from the game. Complete insubordination is not taken lightly. As Miz left the track she raised her hands to the crowds and encouraged them to cheer for her teammates still in the battle. The crowd exploded in cheers. It was an extremely entertaining display of defiance. The refs were fools to mess with Miz. Her crowd appeal is said to rival that of Bono.

When the buzzer sounded the final score stood at 106 to 61. Pearl brought home a grand total of 45 points. C-Roll stood in for the most jams, Ragine Bull snagged the most penalties (14).

Next up for the Roller Rebels is some relaxation. Their season has ended. The CT Roller Girls will be back at it on January 27th as their season starts with a show down between the Elm City Bone Crushers and the Widowmakers. To get more information check out CTRolleryDerby.com

Sunday night I witnessed some of the most entertaining Roller Derby I’ve ever seen: the 2007 CT Roller Girls Championship. The Iron Angels met the Widowmakers for one final showdown. Hundreds of fans came to show their support and the ring was overflowing with excitement - the Iron Angles had come back from a 0-2 season start, the Widowmakers had endured consistent success throughout the season. This would be one for the history books.

The girls came out sporting new uniforms: The Iron angels in short gray military skirts, the Widowmakers in short black and purple skirts - fishnets optional.

The bout started in the typical fashion: introductions, intense rock music, and a derby how to. Once the formalities were out of the way, the girls got down to business.

Iron Angel Pearl Jammer and Widowmaker Black Cherry started the bout. Both teams were putting their best out front. Pearl was followed by Pam Terror… Black Cherry by Slick Shoes. The Angels took an early, dominating lead. Despite this, Black Cherry continued to inspire awe with her ability to drop her shoulder and lurch into her opponents. Some say her shoulder is extremely sharp, and judging by the force with which the Iron Angels were hitting the floor, I would believe them.

The Widowmakers fell into a bit of trouble at the end of the first period - widowmakers were getting hurt. Black Cherry took a fall - she winced getting up - but she still continued skating for the rest of the jam. When the whistle blew she noticeably slowed and collapsed in front of her team’s bench. Her ankle was shot. She would need some rest time before coming back out to Jam.

Roller Girls wait for the jam to Start

The second period started much like the first with Pearl, Pam Terror, and Dead End Allie dominating the jams. The Widowmakers sent in Miz Con SepJen to pull in points for their team. At one point as Miz flew around the ring she slammed into an Iron Angel and went careening out of the ring and straight into a referee. The ref, Johnny Arson, was thrown backwards over the penalty bench where he buckled into a heap on the floor. The crowd exploded in cheers.

The score after the second period.

The Widowmakers were trailing heavily… but something changed in the third period. Suddenly the mood was a bit more vicious and more playful at the same time. Widowmaker Peekaboom was aggressive like I’ve never seen. Girls were getting smashed out of the ring left and right. At one point the fans pulled back in fear as lead jammer Pyroclastic Pistol was clobbered by the rejuvenated Black Cherry and rolled violently out of the ring into the crowd… all the while tapping her hips repeatedly to strategically end the jam.

Band KissKiss performs at the Intermission. Note the sweet Les Paul guitar.

The Widowmakers continued to struggle against the Angels. The girls in black and purple were working a few new strategies mainly… hold back Angel Pearl Jammer. Pearl was cleaning up. She’d averaged about 35 points or so per game for the season, and Sunday night was no different. Two thirds of the way through the third period Widowmaker Miz Con SepJen got in front of Pearl and skated with a wide stance, swerving slightly, keeping Pearl at bay. After some success she even began to taunt Pearl, shaking her booty mockingly in Pearl’s face. The crowd cheered.

But Pearl proved patient. She waited, and waited, and in a manner that us mortals will never understand, Pearl was suddenly in a full sprint! She snaked through her opponents as if it were child’s play. Pearl can skate. That’s for certain.

When the final buzzer rang the Iron Angels had 110 points to the Widowmaker’s 46.

The Iron Angels Won! The Iron Angels are the 2007 CT Roller Derby Champions!!

(photo by Slim Fast/Megan Moss Freeman)

As the team gathered for their photos with the Roller Cup (and the CT roller girl cheerleaders shown in front), the MC’s asked who would be the MVP. All at once the girls started chanting “PEARL PEARL PEARL PEARL!”

The cup was passed to Pearl Jammer who raised it high above her head. The applause from the crowd was deafening.
It was a powerful moment of Derby.

The Iron Angels did indeed dominate. Pearl, Dead End Allie, and Pam Terror were the top scoring jammers with 35, 24, and 20 points respectively. Pearl’s dominance was further evident in that she pulled off lead jammer status in 11 of the 15 bouts in which she jammed (amazing!). Miz Con SepJen and Black Cherry were the high scorers for the Widowmakers and Peekaboom won the ‘most aggressive’ award with an amazing 8 trips to the penalty box. EIGHT!

Yes, Sunday night was some of the best Derby I’ve witnessed. But the end of the season doesn’t mean the end of the entertainment. On December 9th the Long Island Roller Rebels will be coming to CT to feel the wrath of the CT Roller Girls Stepford Sabotage.

Let me know if you’d like to come! It’s going to be amazing.

On Sunday Sept 9th, Roller Magic hosted the CT Roller Girls in Waterbury for yet another battle of furious speed and mayhem. The Iron Angels were up against the Elm City Bone Crushers - a highly anticipated rematch. The Angels were coming in with a bitter taste in their mouths after having been defeated by the Elm City Bone Crushers at their last meeting. This was sure to be another good bout.

I arrived at about 6:15 with my friends Nicole and Shaun. They were both Roller Derby virgins. Nicole was rooting for the Iron Angels. Shaun, swayed by player ChaCha LaRue’s devilishly attractive Derby photo, was rooting for the Bone Crushers. As we anxiously awaited the start of the match, a handful of little kids danced in excitement.

Little Kids Dancing - Excited for Roller Derby! from mikedidonato on Vimeo.

The action started with the piercing riffs and fist pounding bass drum of AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’. We did everything we could to hold back from chanting “THUNDER” as the Iron Angels stormed out for their introductions.

The Elm City Bone Crushers (ECBC) came out next, equipped with bats, chains, severed arms, and skulls pierced with spears. Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ boomed from the amps. It was freakin’ Awesome.

After a demonstration explaining the rules (the Bone crushers had to put down their bats; weapons are not allowed) the Derby girls got out on the starting line. The first few jams went back and forth with each team strategically ending the jams after looping through the pack once, thus securing a quick four points.

The Iron Angels took an early lead - their pack was producing holes in the ECBC defense, and the jammers were taking full advantage!

In the fifth jam Dead End Allie took up the Angel’s Jamming position next to the ECBC’s ChaCha LaRue. The Jam started and the girls took off. Dead End Allie pulled some sweeet moves and achieved the first Grand Slam of the evening.

Grand Slam: When a Jammer successfully passes the entire opposing team and then proceeds to loop around and also pass the opposing jammer for a total of 5 points.

The Angels were taking their revenge out on the Bone Crushers and it was getting violent.

Let’s take a step back from the action and look at how all this Derby goes down.

There are about 10 girls on each Roller Derby Team. Five of whom are out on the ring at any one time. Each team has a captain and an assistant captain. Outside of the players themselves, there’s a horde of referees, officials, EMT’s, and volunteer support staff who help out with keeping statistics and running the show. There are typically a few MC’s, a DJ, and a memorabilia shop that sells all sorts of hip roller girl paraphernalia. It’s a pretty huge operation.

*picture from Ct Roller Derby site

I had a chance to talk to referee Ian Fluenza and ask a few questions. As the Roller Girls skate furiously around the ring the refs have to keep track of points, penalties, and point out the lead jammer to the eager crowd (the lead jammer is the jammer who gets through the pack first and as a result has control over the length of the jam). My obvious question was: do the refs get dizzy? Strangely enough, I guess they don’t. But Ian Fluenza did comment on how it can be tricky counting points as the Jammer’s weave in and out of the pack.

Out on the ring the 4 girls in the pack play both the roll of defense and offense. They do their best to help their team’s jammer through and keep back the opposing jammer. This match had among others: Susan Bea Anarchy, Vixen Vega, Victoria Deck’em, and Jenghis Kahn for the ECBCs and Nelly Nuckles, Niki Nitrous, and Slaughterhouse Sadie for the Iron Angels. There’s a lot of rotation of positions with Derby Girls moving in and out of the jamming position and the pack.

At the first intermission the Angels were winning by over thirty points.

Despite the slow start, Captain Damanda Beatin’ and her Bone Crushers weren’t letting up. In the midst of the second round the Bone Crushers seemed to get a sudden boost of energy. Chelsea Grin took a 12 point round followed immediately by a Grand Slam by Ether Bunny. But Iron Angels Pearl Jammer, the leagues highest scoring Derby Girl, and Tina Colada kept fighting back.

By the end of the second period the gap between the teams had widened and the angels had passed the 100 point mark.

The Action continued into the last period. Despite the score gap the Bone Crushers pushed on. When Judy Scarland grabbed lead jammer status during a jam in the third period and swung her fist in the air the cheers from the crowd were deafening. Still the Iron Angel’s were rolling with incredible momentum. Their jammers kept pulling in points.

At numerous times during the bout our mouths fell open in awe at the insane maneuvers being pulled off. Nicole turned to me in the third period, stunned, and commented:

“that jammer just grabbed the hips of her teammate to whip herself forward!”

The determination and drive of the girls was very noticeable. I can only imagine how exhausting it is to skate sprint around aggressive opponents for a 20 minute period.

As the clock ticked down those final seconds the official scoreboard settled on the final tally: 143 to 72. The Iron Angels took a victory lap around the ring to the hollering cheers of their fans.

Pam Terror celebrates the win.

Sadly, I got word from Ian Fluenza that Bone Crushers Demanda Beatin’ and Chelsea Grin both were injured in the bout. Chelsea with a nasty shoulder separation that’ll keep her off her skates for a bit. From all of us here at MikeDiDonato.com we wish you a speedy full recovery.

The next bout will be the Bone Crusher’s vs. the Widowmakers on October 14th! Check out the CT Roller Girl website for more info!!

On Sunday, the crowds gathered once again at the Waterbury RollerMagic rink for a taste of Roller Derby. The Iron Angels (0-2) would be taking on the Widowmakers (2-0) in a bout that truly lived up to its hype.

I had been looking forward to this one for awhile. The Angels were coming back from a bout break and the Widowmakers were returning from a brutal slaying of the Elm City Bone Crushers back in June. The last time these two teams met the Widowmakers took the victory. Could they repeat the win?

After a quick and always entertaining demo explaining the sport, the whistles blared and the girls got skating.

Iron Angels Pearl Jammer, Tina Colada, and Pam Terror started the bout switching off as Jammers. Their speed was devastating! Within the first 4 minutes the Iron angels had pulled off numerous 4 and 5 point rounds. But the Widowmaker Jammers Barbie Q and Pepper Grind-Her were answering each point run with one of their own.

It wasn’t long before the action dropped its first skater. The Angel’s assistant captain Dead End Allie took a violent spill on the near side of the ring. After struggling for a moment she tried to get up but her ankle buckled and she fell back to the ground. Even as the EMT’s ran across the ring to assist her, Dead End Allie, showing unmatched dedication, tried unsuccessfully to get up yet again, wincing in pain all the while.

She left the ring on crutches.

The Widowmaker defense wasn’t fooling around. Revengela, Ruby Wreckingball, and Slick Shoes were hitting hard.

And then there’s Black Cherry.

Perhaps she is the most feared by Iron Angel Fans. There were a number of rounds where Black Cherry, as pivot, skated furiously in front matching her speed to that of the oncoming jammer… then she’d unexpectedly drop her shoulder and swing violently into her opponent. On more than one occasion she sent the Angel’s jammer careening out of the ring a good 10 or 15 feet… the crowd (including her mom in this sweet t-shirt) rewarded her with deafening cheers.

The match remained close through the second period and into the third. Soon, there were ten minutes left and the Widowmakers trailed by 9 points. A lead for the Angels to be sure, but hardly a comfortable one. The Widowmakers suffered a short setback when Eleanor Bruisevelt fell after getting a roller skate in her back… though she didn’t stay down for long. After two or three rounds of rest she was right back out there beating back Iron Angels.

As time ticked away the roller girls began to get a bit more vicious. Check out this video of Widowmakers and Angels exchanging blows:

CT Roller Girls get Brutal from mikedidonato and Vimeo.

Soon, there were only 45 seconds left on the clock. The Widowmakers were trailing by 15 points… and Pepper Grind-Her was sent out as the Widowmaker Jammer. The bout got started and she got in front… Angel defense was doing everything in their power to keep her back… but she slipped through.. again and again.

The points started racking up… and up… and up… All eyes were on the clock as it ticked the final seconds away.

The final count? Pepper Grind-Her brought in 10 points for the Widowmakers… An extremely impressive run but just shy of what was needed. Final score?

Widowmakers 75, Iron Angels 80.

The Iron Angels Won!

Queen’s WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS exploded from the speakers, the crowd erupted in cheers, and the Iron Angels piled in a heap of skates and skirts celebrating victory.

While I may still be an inexperienced Roller Derby fan, I think it’s safe to say that Sunday’s skating was the best I’ve seen. To witness Violet Riot pull slick maneuvers to escape a crushing blow from the likes of Miz Con SepJen and to see Black Cherry’s intensity first hand… it’s exhilarating and like no other sport out there.

The next match is Sunday Sept 9th, it’s going to be the Elm City Bonecrushers vs. the Iron Angels: A rematch that will surely rival Sunday’s bout in bruises. Check out the Roller Girl website for more info.

http://ctrollerderby.com/

A few more pictures:

Roller Girls in Training

Ref Major N.Fraction
(500 bonus points for Pi approximation!!)

Roller Derby is THIS sunday at 6:30pm!!!

Fire me an e-mail for more info:

mikedidonato AT gmail D0T com

At the Roller Derby bout on Sunday we got an opportunity to chat with Ivanna B. Choo during one of the intermissions. She mentioned that Roller Girls come up with their own names. Not only that… there’s a database of names and once a name is chosen by one roller girl, it is off limits to all other roller girls.

And the database… is huge.

I challenge the readers of MikeDiDonato.com … can you come up with sweet unique Roller Girl names?

On Sunday the CT Roller Girls met in Waterbury to lay waste to each other. The Elm City Bone Crushers took on the Widowmakers. I was excited despite the fact that the Iron Angels wouldn’t be making an appearance.

I was rooting for the Widowmakers. Jesse was rooting for the Bone Crushers.

Roller Magic was decked out in all sorts of Roller Derby getup. The bout had a western theme, so cowboy hats and boots were a common sight.

After an unexpected delay (due to a Puerto Rican parade) we settled in by the air hockey table with a prime view of the roller action.

The girls got serious fast.

The Widowmakers started off strong with three consecutive dominating rounds. In a mere 15 minutes the score was heavily favoring the purple vixens. This did not make the match any less exciting. Bone Crusher’s Cha Cha LaRue and DoomCake (fantastic names!) were bringing in big cheers.

Widowmaker Slim Fast’s swinging arms mesmerized us.

Black Cherry, another Widowmaker, showed incredible skill. When she first took the position as Jammer all our group could do was mutter “Wow” over and over again. That girl can skate.

The roller girls did not hold back. There were more than a few full layouts of pack members doing their very best to take down the opposing jammer. Here, Widowmaker Pepper Grind-Her is about to lay down the hurt on Bonecrusher Ether Bunny.

At the end of the first round, things were looking grim for the Bone Crushers. But the Bonecrushers persisted. Ether Bunny, of the bone crushers, seemed to break free. She successfully navigated through the barrier of blockers with surprising ease. That, coupled with a huge number of penalties given to the Widowmakers, kept hope alive.

Suddenly as the clock ticked to 6:23, catastrophe struck. Widowmaker captain #7 Miz Con SepJen took a bad fall. EMTs ran out to her. She was hurt.

She had dislocated her shoulder when pulling off a monster block. It had to be popped back into place… and that’s not an enjoyable process. When she finally got to her feet, with EMTs at each side, the crowd applauded profusely. Shortly thereafter the game got started again and the Widowmakers rallied behind their fallen captain and took the game.

Unfortunately for CT Derby fans, this was Slim Fast’s last night with the Widowmakers. She’ll be headed to NY to start her own league.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will be waiting intently for the next bout. It’ll be July 22nd and is a showdown between the Widowmakers and the Iron Angels. Prepare yourself for action.

Special thanks to Ryan L. for his Sick photos. Check out all of them here.