Atlanta Rollergirls' Next Bout is Saturday July 24th!

On July 24, the Atlanta Rollergirls are bringing you a night of derby hotter than the Georgia summer. In their first trip back to the home track after June’s nail-biting, down-to-the-very-last-jam battle against Cincinnati, Atlanta’s all-star Dirty South Derby Girls face off against the Providence Rhode Island Riveters. Providence may be looking for some comfort after their June East Coast Derby Extravaganza loss to Bay Area, but they won’t get it from the Dirty South Derby Girls, who are primed to add another bout to the win column. Keep an eye out for former Atlanta Rollergirl, Sweet Tease, who returns to the ATL as a Riveter.

After the all-star game, Atlanta’s Apocalypstix and Denim Demons square off in the last regular-season bout for each team. Will the ladies in pink bring the Demons’ 2-0 winning streak to an apocalyptic end? Or will the Darkness end the season undefeated? This could be the bout that clinches the spot in the championship – don’t miss it!

After The Game

After you leave the Shrine Center amazing things happen.
Here's a glimpse of what goes on when the action on the track is done.

(video courtesy of Reel Mind Studios, www.reelmindstudios.com)

Saturday, July 17th - THIS WEEKEND - Dirty South Derby Girls take it to the streets in Huntsville, Alabama to defend their 2009 Rocket City Rumble champ title. In this second annual derby tournament sponsored by Huntsville’s Dixie Derby Girls, DSDG will represent the ATL in a seeded, single elimination of South Central Derby leagues.

The Rumble may even include a DSDG rematch with the Dallas Derby Devils. DSDG has already beat them twice this year, and Dallas is out for revenge! But not to worry, DSDG has its own secret weapons: returning all-stars Belle of the Brawl, Queen Loseyateefa, and Rebel Yellow will make their brutal Dirty South 2010 debut in Huntsville. Be afraid, South Central teams! On Sunday, the Rumble continues with mini-bouts between mixed teams of skaters from attending leagues, including some of our own ARG skaters, and a final grudge match between two teams eliminated in the Saturday tournament.

On August 21, Atlanta’s own Denim Demons take the darkness South for a bout against the Molly Rogers Rollergirls in Melbourne, Florida. Joined by mid-season draft recruits Fight Attendant and Queen Loseyateefa, the Demons look forward to an away-game win (and the beach!).

The best of the best hit the track skatin' for some awesome derby action against Cincinnati on June 26. First at 5pm, Atlanta's B-Team--The Rumble Bs--took off against the Cincinnati Silent Lambs. The Lambs pulled into the lead early after gaining lead jammer in multiple jams.

The Bs kept up their fight, with powerful jams by Desi Scarnaz and Demanda Rumble. It was anyone's game at half time, with a close score of 77 - 39 in favor of the Lambs. The Bs continued powerful plays and rock solid walls in the second half, but that didn't stop the Lambs from pulling out the ultimate victory with a final score of 111 - 153.

At 7:30 pm, Atlanta's all-star Dirty South Derby Girls showed up to defend their winning streak against Cincy's Black Sheep. The Sheep followed in the footsteps of their prior team, hitting Atlanta hard with powerful jammers and heavy hitting blockers, allowing them to gain lead quickly. Cincy's strategy continued to work on into half time, with a score of 53 - 27 in their favor. In the second half, Atlanta was as determined as ever to secure a win on home turf. Power jams by Demi Gore and Wheelin' Jennings brought DSDG neck and neck with Cincinnati. With only 3 minutes left on the play clock, Demi Gore pulled out a power jam that gave Atlanta the lead they had been craving all night. It was short lived though, as Cincy regained the lead in the final jam, with a score of 126 - 117.

The season’s almost over but we’ve got more spirit than ever, enough to take it off the track and to a local watering hole near you. Put on your team colors and join the Atlanta Rollergirls for a spirit afternoon between 1pm and 6pm Sunday, August 1, at Twain's Billiards & Tap. We get a percentage of the food profits, so eat up!

If you've ever seen a bout and thought, "I could do that," or more likely, "I wish I could do that," roller derby is for you. We are holding our 2nd training workshop on Sunday, August 15, from 11 am - 1 pm at All American Skating Center in Stone Mountain.

Our first workshop was a smashing success! We had an unprecedented 53 women come out and rock the roller skates to learn from the very best Atlanta has to offer. We are looking forward to an amazing class of skaters - don't be left out.

Please bring any equipment you may have (skates, wrist guards, knee & elbow pads, mouthguards). Skates will be available at the rink if you don't have your own. Dress comfortably (it's a workout!) and bring water. We'll be on hand giving you step-by-step instruction that will have you on your way and ready for tryouts in no time. Please bring $5 and be prepared to show us what you're made of!!!

Ever wonder how we have the time to be dedicated athletes as well as live our "normal" lives?

Check out this article in Ruckus Magazine to see how three of our talented skaters balance life and derby all while being amazing moms.

Feel free to vote for as many (or as few) categories as you'd like - just make sure you write in the Atlanta Rollergirl's Dirty South Derby Girls for Local Sports team, and any of the hard-hitting women of ARG for Local Athlete!

Despite what you may think, "Power Jam" is not a spreadable, fruit-flavored energy product, though it totally should be. Instead, a power jam is an exciting time when the normal balance of roller derby breaks down. Teams no longer have to divide their attention between offense and defense, and the team whose power jam it is may be able to score upwards of twenty points in a single minute.

Whenever a team has the only jammer on the track (most often because the other team's jammer is in the penalty box) that team is on a power jam. With no opposing jammer to worry about, their attention shifts entirely to offense. The blockers will try to slow the pack to a crawl so their jammer can catch up to the pack more quickly and they'll create enormous holes so their jammer won't even have to slow down on her way through. A common defense against this is simply to run away. If the pack is moving fast enough, the jammer won't be able to catch up, and she'll never score any points.

So one team is standing perfectly still while the other team runs away at full speed? Surely the outcome must be the end of derby as we know and love it! Blockers scoring points! Jammers going clockwise! Inline skates, balls, and square wheels! Fortunately it doesn't come to that. The power jam team will give chase and attempt to separate a member of the defending team and keep her trapped behind them, forcing her teammates to stay at the power jam team's much slower speed until they can free her. For reasons that must have made sense to someone at some point, this trapped skater is known as a goat.