Check out these exclusive interviews with Audrey Autopsy, Lizard the Ho Slayer, Shirley Tempest, Ripper in Two and Curb Check from the Sandusky Rollergirls, remixed with extreme footage from their very first inter-league bout.
Warning-- exposure to roller derby may inspire viewers to join roller derby.
The Sandusky Rollergirls were created last April. A call for skaters was eagerly answered and well supported throughout the community. By fall, these lethal ladies were ready to show their city what they could do.
Their first inter-league bout was held in September. The Black Widows lined up alongside the Yellow Jackets, with overwhelming attendance and a final score of 171 to 124. Candy Wrapper and Audrey Autopsy from the Black Widow's earned several of their team's winning points as the bout's leading jammers.
Who jammed what where? When teams play each other, it's called a bout. And stay with me, because what seems like a complicated free-for-all is actually very organized and easy to follow once you learn the rules.
As a Roller derby expert, I would explain the game like this-- the whistle blows and a pack of girls takes off, like a human barricade on wheels. A second whistle blows and two more girls join in. These are the "jammers" and there is one for each team. Their goal is to break through the others and make their way around the circle, earning points with every lap.
And the goal of "the others" is to keep those jammers from getting past them. By any means necessary.
Roller derby has seen a massive revival since the release of the movie Whip It. Leagues are sprouting up across the nation, renewing interest in quads and roller rinks, not to mention good-old-fashioned fun.
"It's a stress reliever," said Audrey Mitchell, better known as Audrey Autopsy. "And gives me something to do. I've met so many people, and I have something recreational that I look forward to-- and it keeps me in shape."
They've barely gotten started and the skaters are already giving back, proving these scary chicks have a soft side. Get ready to meet the teams because the Sandusky Rollergirls will be hosting a Toys for Tots benefit at their home, the Ghostly Manor, this Saturday.
The halls will be decked for the holidays, with Christmas lights and 3-D Winter Wonderland. Admission is free with a wrapped gift. And the girls will be providing instructionals as well as baked goods-- because nothing goes better with a hip-check than a cookie.
The league has also made a major transition, requiring a re-introduction. Since their debut, the Black Widows and the Yellow Jackets have traded their original colors for red and pink, becoming the Hellcats and the Heartbreakers. The new teams will face off on February 12, 2011 for their next inter-league bout; the Valentine's Day Massacre.
A call for fresh meat will follow in April as the Sandusky Rollergirls prepare to take on Toledo's Glass City Rollers in May. So if you've got the guts, be sure to try out. They're practicing twice a week. But don't be fooled-- what seems like a commitment is actually an addiction.
Is it rough, tough and dangerous? Absolutely. But behind those mouth guards, they're smiling-- because roller derby is a lot of things; mostly fun.
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