rev:text
| - Roller derby lives! If you remember either the Great Depression, McCarthyism, or Joanie Loves Chachi, you probably remember roller derby. Sometimes a serious sport, sometimes a three ring circus, roller derby had pretty much died out by the mid-eighties. Then, early this century, a new breed of skaters emerged. All-female teams, skating mostly flat-track and with decided punk personae, revived the sport. These self named rollergirls now have leagues in over fifty cities. Las Vegas' own Sin City Rollergirls, aka the SCRG, aka the Neander Dolls, are a new team, formed by Ivanna S. Pankin (you figure it out). Other players include Trish the Dish, Glam BAMM!, and Lorena Bobbitt.
Now, I remember Joanie Loves Chachi. And I remember roller derby. I decided to check them out. The first time was during a practice session. Practice sessions are informal affairs; the SCRG outnumbered the spectators, and the most vocal fan was the mother of one of the skaters. Nonetheless, it was worth a quick visit.
Next came an actual match, versus the Angel City Derby Girls. If you like to watch highly polished professionals beating the crap out of each other, then you've got to go see...something else. If you want to see a bunch of quirky but obviously competitive people playing for real, see the SCRG. It was fun, and after about the first period the rules were easy to follow.
Interested? Tickets are dirt cheap, and their schedule is on their web site.
|