Fort Wayne Derby Girls: Ring Their Bells
As I sped out of the gravel parking lot of Roller Dome South, my windows were down, Poison blared out of my speakers, and adrenaline pumped through my veins. All of a sudden I was in the middle of a Richard Linklater film, but that was all right because I'd just seen the first bout of the season for the Fort Wayne Derby Girls. Two of the three teams in the league squared off tonight: the Smoking Guns and Little Arsenic Annies. I was a little disappointed looking over the rosters because neither my (Pink Painther) nor Lisa's (Pushy Cat) favorite skaters were on these teams. But wait, that means they're both on the other team, the Alpha Dollz. I guess we know who our team's going to be this season.
As we walked in the door, none other than Pushy Cat was handing out the programs. Lisa didn't recognize her, but I pointed her out and Lisa went up and got her autograph. It was so cute, because Lisa was embarrassed, never having gotten anyone's autograph like that, not even at Gencon. Pushy pulled a pen out of her bra and signed the program, and Lisa was smiling so big.
We grabbed out customary suicide seats and counted down the minute til the start of the bout. We decided to root for Little Orphan Annies, whose coaches were dressed up as Daddy Warbucks and Punjab, because Lisa liked their pink outfits. The Smoking Guns were dressed in orange and looked like escaped convicts...it's not a very flattering outfit. Ironically, as the Smoking Guns took their introduction laps they were throwing out shirts, and Miz'ree threw one straight to me. Oh well, so now we have an orange roller derby shirt for the team we like the least in the league. :/ Given that the 6'5" Strawberry Poundcake plays for the Smoking Guns, I wasn't about to insult them by throwing it back. :)
As the bout started, our choice of teams turned out to be a good one, with the Annies winning all but one of the jams in the first session. (If for some unknown reason you're not familiar with Flat Track Derby rules, go here. The entertainment between periods was provided by two South Side High students known as AlphaOmega Step Team. I went out to the car to deposit my camera, whose batteries had run out, and get a soda. I'd brought some Gobstoppers with me to eat, only realizing that ball-shaped candies might not be a good idea, lest they spill out everywhere! Ah well, live and learn. :)
Turned out I was right to be worried as well, when during the second period I had the bag of candy out and Develyn-Cide plowed right into me, causing me to spill my drink. Luckily the bag of candy remained intact, but I got another t-shirt thrown my way for being the first fan to catch a Derby Girl in the lap that period. I must say, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night. :D She was very apologetic between periods, when Kitty Kiljoy also came over to us to commiserate about a bad call at the end of the period that erased NINE points from the Annies, leaving it only a nine-point game at the start of the third. I told her to just keep kicking their ass and it wouldn't matter.
Majestic had been skating like a fiend all night long, taking just about every other jam for the Annies, and coming out like lightning on every one. I swear she jumped over two downed girls around a turn one jam to become lead jammer...and that was one of the few times I could even see how she got in front of the pack. Lisa and I cheered her on every time, as we did all the Annie's jammers, screaming their names and urging them to go faster faster FASTER!
In the end it was Majestic and the terror-on-wheels Kitty Kiljoy that kept the Smoking Guns from making up any ground...that duo is going to be hard to beat, but I have faith in Pushy, Pink, and the rest of the Alpha Dollz. I can't wait for their first bout of the season next month!
Before we left, Lisa wanted to go get Majestic's autograph as well, so we tracked down a pen and had her sign the Annies' page in the program. She deserved the recognition for skating so well (and so much!) tonight. If you've got a flat track roller derby league in your town, you'll be doing yourself a favor to check them out...it's really surprising how much fun it is. :)
As we walked in the door, none other than Pushy Cat was handing out the programs. Lisa didn't recognize her, but I pointed her out and Lisa went up and got her autograph. It was so cute, because Lisa was embarrassed, never having gotten anyone's autograph like that, not even at Gencon. Pushy pulled a pen out of her bra and signed the program, and Lisa was smiling so big.
We grabbed out customary suicide seats and counted down the minute til the start of the bout. We decided to root for Little Orphan Annies, whose coaches were dressed up as Daddy Warbucks and Punjab, because Lisa liked their pink outfits. The Smoking Guns were dressed in orange and looked like escaped convicts...it's not a very flattering outfit. Ironically, as the Smoking Guns took their introduction laps they were throwing out shirts, and Miz'ree threw one straight to me. Oh well, so now we have an orange roller derby shirt for the team we like the least in the league. :/ Given that the 6'5" Strawberry Poundcake plays for the Smoking Guns, I wasn't about to insult them by throwing it back. :)
As the bout started, our choice of teams turned out to be a good one, with the Annies winning all but one of the jams in the first session. (If for some unknown reason you're not familiar with Flat Track Derby rules, go here. The entertainment between periods was provided by two South Side High students known as AlphaOmega Step Team. I went out to the car to deposit my camera, whose batteries had run out, and get a soda. I'd brought some Gobstoppers with me to eat, only realizing that ball-shaped candies might not be a good idea, lest they spill out everywhere! Ah well, live and learn. :)
Turned out I was right to be worried as well, when during the second period I had the bag of candy out and Develyn-Cide plowed right into me, causing me to spill my drink. Luckily the bag of candy remained intact, but I got another t-shirt thrown my way for being the first fan to catch a Derby Girl in the lap that period. I must say, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night. :D She was very apologetic between periods, when Kitty Kiljoy also came over to us to commiserate about a bad call at the end of the period that erased NINE points from the Annies, leaving it only a nine-point game at the start of the third. I told her to just keep kicking their ass and it wouldn't matter.
Majestic had been skating like a fiend all night long, taking just about every other jam for the Annies, and coming out like lightning on every one. I swear she jumped over two downed girls around a turn one jam to become lead jammer...and that was one of the few times I could even see how she got in front of the pack. Lisa and I cheered her on every time, as we did all the Annie's jammers, screaming their names and urging them to go faster faster FASTER!
In the end it was Majestic and the terror-on-wheels Kitty Kiljoy that kept the Smoking Guns from making up any ground...that duo is going to be hard to beat, but I have faith in Pushy, Pink, and the rest of the Alpha Dollz. I can't wait for their first bout of the season next month!
Before we left, Lisa wanted to go get Majestic's autograph as well, so we tracked down a pen and had her sign the Annies' page in the program. She deserved the recognition for skating so well (and so much!) tonight. If you've got a flat track roller derby league in your town, you'll be doing yourself a favor to check them out...it's really surprising how much fun it is. :)