Thursday, May 21, 2009

Roller derby? Roller derby!

Roller derby is back in Ottawa! Apparently! I had no idea this was going on, but when an old friend sent me this information I thought I just had to mention it. The Rideau Valley Roller Girls are an all-female roller derby team whose next bout/match/race/fight/whatever is going to be at Barbara Ann Scott arena on May 30th. I'm not sure from reading the press release whether the team name is the Rideau Valley Roller Girls or the Slaughter Daughters. I certainly hope it's the latter. I thought I would put up some portions of the press release here, to whip up some interest in what will likely be an awfully good time on May 30th. Not only that, but some money from every ticket sold is being donated to iSisters technology mentoring.

What is Roller Derby?
Roller Derby is a full-contact sport involving competitive roller skating on four-wheeled skates around an oval track in a counter clockwise direction.

Isn’t Roller Derby fake?
No, Roller derby is a real sport, with real contact. This is NOT pro-wrestling on skates. Our girls train hard and learn how to make effective contact within the rules of the game (no elbowing, back blocking, grabbing, tripping, etc); our skaters learn to give AND to take hard hits. We follow rules set forth by the WFTDA. There is no pre-determined outcome, and there are no staged antics or fake hits.

Well then, isn't it just fighting on roller skates?
No! Though there are bound to be some bad falls and some accidental contact, there are strict rules. Legal blocks allow contact of the hitter’s arm, from shoulder to forearm, to make contact with only the front of her opponent's body, from her neck to her waist. Blockers may also use their bodies to block other skaters. Illegal moves include grabbing, tripping, blocking from behind, elbows to the face and fighting.

And of course, the girls have some colourful names - Semi Precious, Screaming Meanie Massacre, Scotch Minx, Sister Disaster, et al. Lots of fun, I'm sure! Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and can be purchased at Barbara Ann Scott, The Candy Store, Five Cents Tattoo, Artguise, Fabgear 64, Spaceman Music and Sounds Unlikely.