Atlanta Rollergirls' Champ Bout Saturday September 25th

Well sports fans, here we are again - at the end of another exciting derby season. 2010 was an epic year on all levels for your Atlanta Rollergirls, and you better believe we’ll be going out in a CLASH of titanic proportions. This is when a season's worth of work pays off, where the urethane meets the track, and how Champions are made.

At 5pm, the Sake Tuyas and Toxic Shocks take to the track to refight the battle waged in August. The Sakes are fired up for a win with Toxic prey in their ninja sights. The Shocks, who were so close to advancing to the Championship last month, undoubtedly have some scores to settle. With the memory of the August bout still fresh, both teams have recalibrated their game and are coming ready to take care of business once and for all. Expect the ultimate Grudge Match!

Then at 7:30pm, the Denim Demons and the Apocalypstix face off in the bout you've been waiting for all season - The Championship. Friendships will be left on the sidelines and game faces will be fiercer than ever, as both teams want the 2010 season title, and want it bad. After July’s down-to-the-final-jam contest, expect a bout of Olympic proportions! The Demons are primed to avenge their defeat, and take back more than those precious three points. The Stix are out to prove that July’s victory win was meant to be theirs. The Kraken awakes, but will it be wearing lipstick or denim?

The Atlanta Rollergirls brought the heat like never before to the next to last bouts of their sixth season. Atlanta’s hot wheelin’ Dirty South Derby Girls took on Raleigh, NC’s Carolina Rollergirls in DSDG's last home game of 2010. DSDG started off strong, confident they could reel in another win on the home track. Carolina fought back with some serious blocking by Ms. Anthrope the Mordant in the back of the pack and crowd-pleasing jamming from vet Holly Wanna Crackya. Carolina chipped away at Atlanta's initial lead point by point. Shortly after half-time, the teams were separated by only a single point, with Atlanta barely leading. The taste of a win was inevitably short-lived for Carolina though, as Atlanta’s Alassin Sane, Belle of the Brawl, Amelia Scareheart and Switchblade Siouxsie held back the Carolina jammer for a full 2 minutes allowing jammer Demi Gore to rocket into the lead with a phenomenal 29 point jam. This gave the Dirty South Derby Girls the advantage they needed, leading them to win with a final score of 114 - 84.

The Toxic Shocks faced off against the Sake Tuyas in a war to win all wars. The Shocks were prepped for battle with a shot at next month's Championship Bout on the line. The Sakes came prepared and ready to roll out, eager to claim a win this season. The Sakes rocketed out ahead, with multiple lead jams from Brutal Strudel and Regreta Garbo and hard-hitting action from Captain Shannihilator and Co-Captain AT Hellion. The Shocks fought back and regained the lead quickly with unanswered jams by Desi Scarnaz and solid teamwork from heavy hitters Chopper Bleed, Canna Whoopass and Alassin Sane. It was still anyone’s game at half-time, with the Shocks leading the Sakes 70 - 50. Early in the second half, the Sakes gave it all they had with a power jam by rookie Samwise Banshee. The game ended with a power jam by the Shocks' Canna Whoopass that led her team to win with a final score of 153 - 90; just 6 points shy of sending them into the Championship.

On Saturday, September 4th, the Apocalypstix took their game on the road to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the PrisKilla Prezleys at their home in Graceland. The Stix made their intentions known during the very first jam, gaining lead jammer and a grand slam immediately. Continuing that blow, the Stix kept the Prezleys at bay with multiple point-scoring jams throughout the first half. By half-time, the Apocalypstix were still in control with a score of 92 - 10.

The Prezley’s held on and fought hard, gaining lead jammer a few times and gathering more points along the way. Still, they were no match for the Stix heavy defensive playing and strong jammer ability. There was a whole lotta shakin’ going on as the Stix continued to dominate and control the Prezleys on into the second half. Apocalypstix rookie, Slamborghini, nailed her first jam ever, scoring Atlanta another whopping 20 points and making a name for herself as a force to be reckoned with. Leaving the Prezleys singin’ the blues, the Stix prevailed with a devastating final score of 207 - 42.

Demi Gore has been with the Atlanta Rollergirls since its inception in 2004, and her six seasons of experience have made her an indomitable force on the track. In the Dirty South Derby Girls' recent match-up against Carolina, Demi earned MVP, and wowed the crowd with an epic 29 point jam that put Atlanta back in the lead in the second half. Purportedly built from "rubber bands and death metal," Demi gets ready for every game by blasting Slayer's "South of Heaven."

In addition to the Dirty South Derby Girls, Demi skates with ARG's Apocalypstix, and notes that a favorite part of derby is being a part of a great organization and "two kick-ass teams." When she's not tearing up the track, Demi owns and operates Chocolate F/X, a candy business making chocolates and confections inspired by a tattoo and monster aesthetic, and is also the head of production for Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Sandy Springs.

Desi Scarnaz has been with the Atlanta Rollergirls for about a year, but has been on skates for as long as she can remember. She was awarded the MVP award for the Toxic Shocks in their game against the Sake Tuyas in August for her formidable blocking and many successful turns as jammer. Desi, who is half Cuban, adopted her name as an homage to her Cuban heritage (and also in honor of her love for red heads). "Red-headed cubans aren't very common, so I stuck with Desi Arnaz because he was married to Lucille Ball. I also really liked the 'I Love Lucy' show."

Outside the rink, Desi enjoys a job working with monkeys. According to Scarnaz, sometimes her job amounts to simply, "getting paid to try not to get outsmarted by them. They're smarter than you think. It can be frustrating." Desi appreciates the ability of derby to act as a stress reliever after a long day of chasing monkeys. "I love that even if you have an awful day, you can still have a great day at derby. Sometimes that frustration and anger from your day can really drive you to skate faster and hit harder."

Samwise Banshee, mid-season rookie for the Sake Tuyas, joined the Atlanta Rollergirls just over six months ago, but her hard work and dedication earned her the MVP for the bout against the Toxic Shocks in August. Banshee's derby name is a combination of the character Samwise Gamgee (Frodo's right-hand man in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and the mythological, Irish shrieking ghost. As her derby name indicates, Banshee's a bit of a nerd and proud of it: in her spare time, she enjoys playing "Dagorhir"--which is essentially a full contact fighting game with foam-padded weapons that draws on fantasy and middle ages themes.

The recent match against the Shocks was Banshee's first home game, and despite her amazing debut, she said she was "terrified" as she lined up to jam for the first time. "I didn't want to let the crowd down and I certainly didn't want to let my team down." To keep her nerves in check before the game, Banshee enjoys dancing. "I basically just turn up the most obnoxious dance music I have (right now it's Ke$ha, don't judge me) and dance around my living room like a dork for about 20 minutes. I also make my dog join me. He's a great dancer."

Can you strut on wheels? Our rollergirls sure can! Join them at the East Atlanta Strut, on Saturday, September 18th. See them in the parade at 2 pm, and check out the artists' market, live music, food and drinks, kids' entertainment and more. Support your local charities and businesses! Will this hipster hootenanny become a bohemian bacchanalia when our ladies take to the streets?

Some of us rollergirls find it hard to face the idea of a life off skates. Even for a day. So look for rollergirls the day after the Champ Bout and Grudge Match at the first annual Midtown Festival of the Arts. We might have to limp there, but we’ll be rolling around, sampling the culinary goods, visiting the beer garden, and taking in the arts. Look for a special rollergirls dance performance choreographed by our own Canna Whoopass. Come join us September 26th at Peachtree St. and the Midtown Mile.

It’s time! All those falls, all those bruises, all those next-day struggles to get out of bed are about to pay off. Saturday, September 18th, at 8 am, the Atlanta Rollergirls will hold their 2010 tryouts!!! You have put in the hard work, so strap on your skates and show us what you’ve got.

Atlanta Derby Brats Are Here!

What could be cuter than a gaggle of young girls, suited up in helmets and mouthguards, racing around a skate track, dreaming of the day that they score their first jammer take-out? That’s right. Nothing. Except maybe YOUR little girl out there…

ARG is proud to roll out the Atlanta Derby Brats with an inaugural 2010 Junior Derby Camp this October. The 5-session camp, held on Tuesdays 6-8 pm at Decatur First United Methodist Church, will introduce girls (ages 7-17) to basic skating skills, some fundamentals of roller derby, the satisfaction of teamwork, and the confidence of participating in the best girls’ sport ever.

Can’t skate yet? That’s okay. We’re keen to help you find your balance and get comfortable on quads. But sorry kids, no hitting this time. It’s just the basics, and safety is our primary concern. However there’s no better way for your derby-star-wannabes to gear up for our much anticipated junior derby league! All trainers are current or retired Atlanta Rollergirls, eager to teach, inspire, and motivate a new generation of young female athletes. For more information about the camp, required safety equipment, and registration, check out our website: www.atlantaderbybrats.com. Camp starts October 5th!

Jammers. They get stars on their helmets. They get their own starting line and their own starting whistle. They even each get their own referee: a stripe-wearing entourage of one who whistles and points at them when they become lead jammer as if to say "Look here, everyone. Watch this girl. Isn't she great? Just look at her go." You might think they'd let it go to their heads, but the trouble with having your own personal referee is that it makes it hard to get away with anything. No surprise, then, that sometimes both jammers end up in the penalty box at the same time. The game would get awfully boring with both jammers just sitting around though, so along with everything else, they get special penalty box rules too.

In a normal situation, a jammer serves a full minute just like anyone else. However, if the second jammer is sent to the box while the first is still there, then the moment the second jammer sits down, the first can leave. It's not unfair, though. The second jammer also leaves early. As soon as she's served as much time as the first one did, she's free to go. So, the blue jammer sits down in the box. Seventeen seconds later, the red jammer arrives. Blue jammer instantly gets set free. Seventeen seconds after that, the red jammer also gets to leave.

It's not uncommon to see the second jammer in this situation playing it strategically: either rushing to get to the box to reduce her own time, or dragging her wheels to lengthen her opponent's time. Both jammers serve the same amount of time though, so it's kinda like when you were a kid, and your mom would have you cut two pieces of cake and then have your brother choose which piece he wanted for himself. Except this time your younger brother isn't there to ruin everything. And there's not any cake.