Gore-Gore Rollergirls vs Death Track Dolls

Have you ever seen a movie about something which made it look super cool. Then you tried it in real life and were sorely disappointed. Well, I remember watching Whip It! and thinking how rad roller derby seemed. So when I had the opportunity to check out ToRD (Toronto Roller Derby), I jumped at the chance. And, I am pleased to report that my expectations were definitely met.

Last Saturday night at a hanger in Downsview Park I saw the Gore-Gore Rollergirls battle it out against the Death Track Dolls. Admittedly, it took a few jams (and reading and rereading the rules in the pamphlet provided) before I fully understood and was able to follow what was going on (the fabulous announcer, Crankypants, was also a huge help). Once I figured it out I was hooked. It was fast, it was competitive, it was physical, and it was fun.

The audience was diverse, ranging in ages (from grandchildren to grandparents) and styles (preppy, indie, punk, etc), the atmosphere was contagious excitement.  At half-time everyone was treated to the twangy rock-a-billy musical stylings of Ginger St James and the Grinders. While listening, kids got their faces painted and guess the number of Smarties in a jar, while older fans stretched their legs, perused the merch, in haled some pizza and beer.

In the end the Gore-Gore Rollergirls won and were able to keep their undefeated record. There are two more bouts before the semi-finals coming up in October:

• Sept 11: Chicks Ahoy! vs Smoke City Betties
• Sept 25: CN Power vs Garden State Rollergirls

I must confess one of my favourite aspects of roller derby is the clever nicknames of the players (just a few of my personal faves being: Skinned-knee Crosby, Lady Gagya, and Panty Hoser). In fact, my friend and I spent the drive back downtown coming up with fun names for ourselves, just in case we caught abug and decided to be fresh meat.

For some off-the-track derby action, head to Slack's Restaurant and Bar on September 8^th for some Dirty Bingo in support of CN Power.

Photos by E.S. Cheah Photogrpahy

Emer Schlosser
		About the author:
		Always a fan of words in various glorious forms – novels, dialogue, lyrics, etc – Emer translated her passion into a writing career in 2005. She has since supplied gossip on celebrities to Canadian Press, interviewed individuals from the arts for Inside Entertainment, expressed her fondness for food for Cheese Boutique’s blog, & co-founded, edited and contributed to iheartthemusic.com. At the moment she’s taking the mystery out of Green Living and providing some great tips on Home Renovation, Decorating & Design and Curb Appeal to the members of casaGURU.com. casaGURU, “the homeowner’s home online”, is a free web community that connects homeowners and local house experts.
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