News

2013 News Archive

On Sale Now: Individual Bout Tickets for Rat City’s 10th Season!

Season 10 individual bout tickets are now on sale! All 8 of Rat City’s KeyArena 10th season dates are now available on Ticketmaster!

The action starts off quick on January 18th, with the first of Rat City’s home team season bouts! See all of your favorite skaters from the Throttle Rockets, Sockit Wenches, Derby Liberation Front, and last years champs, Grave Danger! Home team excitement continues through February and March, finishing off big in April for the home season championships!

Then the season shifts starting in May, as Rat City’s All Stars come to the Key! The last four bouts of the season feature top-notch derby with both the Rain of Terror and All-Star Team, as they take on a selection of visiting teams from around the derby world!

See our 2014 Season Schedule for dates and line-ups.

Fans also have until 12/15 to purchase Premium Season Tickets, which offer 10% off ticket prices, plus our 10 for 10 deal. That’s 10 bouts to commemorate our 10 years of hard hits and power jams, which will include 2 tickets to small bouts at The Rat’s Nest along with tickets to all 8 KeyArena bouts. Premium Season Tickets also offer a custom lanyard and badge, special printed tickets, VIP lounge access, early admission to KeyArena, and a 10 year commemorative pin. After 12/15, only regular Season Tickets are available, with tickets to all 8 KeyArena bouts at a 10% discount.

And for a fan that needs something more flexible, our Flex 4 Pack option is also on sale. Also offering 10% off of the normal price, you’ll get four tickets for your choice of four bouts throughout the 2014 season. All the savings of a season ticket, without all the commitment!

Our 2014 10^th Anniversary Season promises the best in Seattle Roller Derby with a combination of our highly competitive teams from around the world. Following our home team season in spring will showcase our internationally ranked All-Stars Team as they continue the fast paced, hard hitting action over the summer of 2014.

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SEASON 10: Rat City Rollergirls Season Tickets ON SALE!

Season 10 is here! On Sale Now: Rat City Rollergirls 2014 Season Tickets. KeyArena Season Dates:

1/18, 2/15, 3/15, 4/12, 5/10, 6/7, 7/12, 8/9

PLUS 2 Additional Exclusive Bouts at our New Rat’s Nest!

We’re turning 10 & we want to celebrate with our fans all season long! For Season 10, we have added some serious perks for our Premium Season Ticket holders. In addition to 10% off of regular tickets, we are also offering 10 for 10. That’s 10 bouts to commemorate our 10 years of hard hits and power jams! As a Premium Season Ticket Holder, you’ll get 8 KeyArena bouts and an additional 2 exclusive private bouts at our newest training facility. Purchase now and get 10 guaranteed fun nights out starting at $138!

Premium Season Ticket holders will also have access to purchase NEW! reserved VIP and Floor seating at KeyArena! This is only available for the first 5 rows, so act fast to reserve the best seats! You’ll also receive a custom lanyard and badge, special printed tickets, VIP lounge access, early admission to KeyArena, and a 10 year commemorative pin. Premium season tickets are only available until 12/15, and they are likely to sell out so get yours today!

Need more flex? Not sure of your plans for 2014? The Flexible 4 Pack option is perfect gift for the holidays, and still a great value and gets you 10% off the regular price!

Our 2014 10^th Anniversary Season promises the best in Seattle Roller Derby with a combination of our highly competitive teams from around the world. Following our home team season in spring will showcase our internationally ranked All-Stars Team as they continue the fast paced, hard hitting action over the summer of 2014.

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Off the Track with Salem Playoff MVP, Luna Negra

In the weeks leading up to WFTDA Championships in Milwaukee, WI, many fans wanted to know more about Salem Playoff MVP, Luna Negra.  As the Throttle Rockets Captain, she is known as a leader within the league, and a beast on the track. Off the track she’s a quiet, humble athlete, but we caught up with Luna to get the gritty details about what makes her tick.

When did you start skating?

I started skating in March of 2010.

Gosh, you are super fit. What other sports did you play?

I love sports. I love to run and mostly dance. People think I workout like crazy, but I don’t. I do go the gym quite a bit and I really do love to dance. I dance all the time! I love to salsa and bachata,  which is like a workout. The songs are 5 minutes long! Spinning and moving fast. Its so fun! I also try to eat smart. However. I do have a weakness for ice cream and steaks.

What does being a roller derby athlete mean to you?

I love being an athlete. It means so much to me. We put in so much time in training, skating, bonding, and connecting with each other as a team and league. We train hard. I mean hard; but I also couldn’t do this without my family. Sometimes, they make sure that I go to practice or hit the gym and eat. They want me to be happy and succeed. Sometimes, especially for the ASP, we train for years to reach a single goal. I trained for YEARS to make the ASP, and to get a chance to play at playoffs and I have dreamed of playing at Championships…This is very real and extremely important to myself, my team and my family.

Do you have any pre-bout rituals?

Hmm, well with the crazy derby schedule you can’t really have a routine. But I do like to eat the same things, listen to music and visualize and spend time alone time before bouts. I get really nervous and I don’t like people to see me so nervous so I listen to music and think about what I’m going to do on the track to calm my nerves and prepare.

What was it like to hear your name as MVP of the Tournament?

Actually, I didn’t even hear my name called. I couldn’t hear anything! It was so loud and crazy in the arena. I was clapping with my teammates, and then all of a sudden everyone was looking at me and cheering. So I started cheering more because everyone was so excited; still having no idea that my name had been called. Then I am not really sure what happened after that. It was such a whirlwind. Things were being placed and taken out of my hands. There were a ton of pictures being taken. It was insane. It took me an additional two weeks to figure it all out. It’s extremely exciting and I’m very flattered the WFTDA chose me as the tournament MVP.

What was your favorite moment over the Playoffs weekend?

My favorite moment of the weekend was winning the 3^rd game. We accomplished an important goal that we set and that felt SO good. I have trained for over three years for that moment – winning the game that sends the All-Stars to Championships. Some of my teammates have trained even longer than that, so it felt great to achieve that goal. I have never been so emotional over a win.

Sometimes, especially for the All-Star Program, we train for years to reach a single goal. I trained for YEARS to make the team. To get a chance to play at playoffs and play at Championships, this is very real moment, and an extremely important achievement for myself, my team and my family.

What do you think about when you are on the jam line?

My mind is quiet. I’m thinking about how I’m going to get lead jam and score points to help my team win each game jam by jam, point by point.

How is the team preparing for Champs, and specifically for Gotham?

We are preparing for champs game by game. We are working on our fitness, work on our strategy and working on addressing the challenge at, game by game. We are prepping for Ohio and Gotham. Each team has different strengths and skills and we aren’t counting anyone out. We’ll take each game as it comes to us.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I think, maybe, that my derby name has nothing to do with being black. My name is the title of one my favorite salsa songs EVER!(Luna Negra, Rey Ruiz).

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Take Your Derby Skills to the Next Level With Our November All-Star Boot Camp!

Have you been thinking about taking the next steps in your roller derby career? Now is your chance to kick-start and further develop your roller derby goals & skills with an intensive 2-day all day camp with the Rat City Rollergirls All-stars!

This Pre-Season Boot Camp will feature coaching by some of your favorite Rat City All Stars! Every session will allow for individual and specific coaching to your needs and feedback to help you advance your skills quickly! Four on-skates session will cover the following topics; Stopping & Slowing, Blocking: Contain & Force, Pure Jamming, and Pack Work. This boot camp will also include two off-skates classes; one discussing derby strategy and the other an in-depth look at the current rules with Sir Osis and Reed d’Rulz! These sessions will help you develop your game from the start of the first jam whistle until the final fourth. After you’ve spent some time honing your derby skills, the camp will end with a final Black & White scrimmage to put all your new knowledge to use!

A full weekend of intense derby education and training, all for only $100!

Claim your spot now through BrownPaperTickets.com!

The camp is open to any skater who is 16 or older, and has basic skating skills and at least some knowledge of the WFTDA rules. All participants must have proof of health insurance. Participants must also have quad roller skates, along with the proper safety gear – knee, elbow, and wrist guards, a helmet, and a mouth guard.

Coaches and Assistant Coaches for the event will include:

– Method of Madness
– Luna Negra
– K. Beezy
– Missile America
– Full Nelson
– Jerrica Kallio
– Glitter
– Sintripetal Force
– Jukestapose
– Sami Automatic
– The Neutrino

Also stop by our Facebook event page!

Weekend Schedule:

Saturday:

Doors open at 8:30 for registration
9.00-10.30: Yoko Onoudi’nt coaches stopping and other basic skills.
10.30-11.00: Break
11.00-12.30: Method of Madness coaches Pack work
12.30-2.30: Lunch with a difference. Strategy theory will be covered off skates, over lunch.
2.30-4.30: Luna Negra coaches Jamming
4.30-5.00: Off Skates stretching, cool down etc

Sunday:

11.00-1.00: K. Beezy coaches Blocking
1.00-3.00: Lunch with a difference. WFTDA Ref Sir Osis will take a look at the current rules.
3.00-5.00: SCRIMMAGE!

 

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Seattle’s Rat City Rollergirls are headed to WFTDA Championships!

We’re going to Champs!

After being thwarted for five years Seattle’s Rat City Rollergirls All-Star Team has succeeded in securing a bid and are making their triumphant return to WFTDA International Championships! 

The Rat City Rollergirls (RCRG) is Seattle’s premiere all-female, flat-track roller derby league comprised of about 80 active skaters and countless alumni, retired skaters, and volunteers who help run our 100% member owned and operated league.

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WFTDA Division I Viewing Party & Garage Sale 9/27-9/28

Rat City Rollergirls are having a garage sale at our new Rat’s Nest. Are you looking for some cool Fall fashions or home furnishings? How about new books to read or DVDs to watch? Come by and get some really fun items!

We’ll also be hosting a viewing party for WFTDA Playoffs for those who can’t make it to Salem, OR.  Bring a lawn chair, your snuggie, and your favorite beverages! Viewing party will be $5 or free with a $5 or greater purchase at the Garage Sale!

Viewing party starts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the Rat’s Nest at 19022 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA

Garage sale will be Saturday and Sunday at the new nest starting at 10:00 a.m. each day! We’ll have yummy food from Nosh Food Trucks from noon-5pm on Saturday!

Join the Facebook Event here

 

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Fantasy Flat Track: Green vs White!

What happens when campy shenanigans meet serious sport? 

We’ve moved to our brand new training facility in Shoreline and want to celebrate with our most loyal and dedicated fans by letting YOU bid to build, name, and coach your very own dream team of roller derby athletes!

Bid on the auction NOW to be the head coach to select your team. The auction closes 9/26, and winners will be announced right before playoffs. Fans won’t be left out of the fun! Pay to make a skater jam backwards, or to spring a player from the box, or even make a ref jam! Cold hard cash is the game and anything goes in the wild and crazy bout!One bout, two teams made from the best that Rat City has to offer (plus some surprise guests) where YOU control the game. What would you name your team? Who would jam? What strategies would you employ on the opposing team? Now’s your chance to make your wildest flat track dreams come true. This special Green & White bout will feature your 2013 Rat City All-Star program. Members of both the Rat City All-Stars and the Rain of Terror will give you the power to choose their fate.

Proceeds for this event support the All-Star travel fund, so show your pride and support your Seattle All-Stars at their
silliest!

Bid on the GREEN coaching spot here

Bid on the WHITE coaching spot here

TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/467844

Join our event on Facebook!

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Wanna be a Rat City Rollergirl?

Announcing fall tryouts 9/21!

Not sure if you have what it takes? The first step is having the courage to try.

The Rat City Rollergirls, Seattle’s WFTDA Division I roller derby league, are always looking for strong athletes to join our ranks. Roller derby is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, endurance-based sport that takes lots of physical and mental ability, time, and sheer dedication. If you think you have what it takes, consider attending one of our tryouts to show us what you’ve got. Our next tryout is at our practice facility on Saturday, Sept 21st from 10am-2pm (doors open and registration begin at 9:30 am).

OPEN PRACTICES!
$5 with valid insurance
Wednesday Sept 11, 6-7:30pm
Monday Sept 16, 8-10pm
Q&A to follow after the 9/16 practice.

To Register: http://ratcityrollergirls.com/about-us/tryouts/

Facebook Event HERE

Tryouts Video

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Meet Sirius Mischief-Coach to the Stars

Ever wonder what it takes to capture the respect and admiration of a team of strong minded and highly competitive women?  Rat City has undergone an extensive re-organization of it’s training program over the past two years, including an expanded coaching plan, which is focused on teamwork and execution, and it is now successfully paving a road to championships. We sat down with the always stunning Sirius Mischief, formerly of the Throttle Rockets to get her thoughts on coaching this year’s new All-Star Program.

Have you ever coached before?

I bench coached for the Throttle Rockets this past home team season alongside Inspector Parts. It was a really great way for me to get my feet wet. I ran the practices and developed the strategy as we progressed throughout the season. Though we didn’t come out ahead this season, it was a very positive building year.

As a former All-Star skater, how does that help you be a better coach? Is it easier or harder to gain the respect of your former teammates and get them to follow your lead?

The All Stars are a very talented group of skaters. We have some of the best derby athletes in the world with a lot of strategic-minded individuals. I’ve seen people come in with little or no experience in roller derby or skating and try to coach and get eaten alive.

A team is bound to measure the fit of any new leader, and the reality is that it takes time to foster relationships and to build trust. Everyone has to adapt and get used to a new way of doing things. That said, it’s certainly easier for the team to open up to a coach with a roller derby background. I skated on the All-Stars for three seasons and on the Rain of Terror for a season under various models of leadership.  I’ve played with a majority of the skaters on the current All Star Team, so I have a good understanding for the personalities and the depth and breadth of skill we have.

In addition to my experience, I’m not a hothead. I’m dedicated to the sport and to this team, and strive to prove that daily to them with my actions. Both this and my prior experience have made it easier to gain the respect of my former teammates and new team members alike.

In the past, Rat City has struggled with coaching, and has switched up their coaching through the years. What factors contributed to you throwing your hat in the ring?

Last season was run by the skaters and although they did a heck of a job, it’s tough not having coaches. It’s particularly tough getting feedback from skaters whom you are competing with to get on a roster.  There’s no fall guy.  The team needed a vision and coaches so that the skaters could skate and the coaches could lead. It’s extremely taxing to try and balance skating and leading a team.

This season, I felt like the All Stars needed a strong female coach and felt I had the experience that the teams needed. I felt like my calm demeanor, strategic mind and personality was a good fit for leading the team to the top. The last time Rat City took to the floor at Championships was 2008 at Northwest Knockdown in Portland, OR. My experience as a player in recent years, including participating in a few very close bids to return is fueling a passion to see Rat City re-take the floor as Championships this season.

How much weight do the captains and training committee have in the coaching and strategic vision? 

I work very closely with our Training Captain, Method of Madness on developing and revamping the strategic vision for the team. Our skaters are also a valuable resource in shaping that vision. Often they see things we miss or can provide alternate perspectives that we hadn’t thought of. Being open to collaboration and receptive to feedback from the skaters is paramount to the success of the team.

What do you look for in a ASP skater when it comes time to draft members?
I look for a well-balanced skater that has the skating skills, is mentally tough and has a great attitude.  If a skater doesn’t quite have the skills, but is on an upper trajectory then I’m willing to take a risk on that skater.

A team that executes a plan together will always outperform a team of individuals focused on proving they’re right. I tell my skaters “it’s better to be wrong together than right alone” and I look for players who think that way as well.

We see you screaming a lot and making motions to the jammers, what is your role, and what are the other coaches roles?
My role during a bout is threefold: to adjust our strategy in real time based on what is or is not being effective during the bout and/or how the refs are making calls, help keep the team calm and focused throughout the game,  and communicate direction to the track. Trackside, I am mostly communicating with the jammers. I’ll tell them when to call of the jam if they are lead or keep going if the opposing jammer is stuffed in the pack by our defense and we are racking up points. When you are a blocker on the track, skating in a large venue like the KeyArena filled with 4,000 chanting fans, you often can’t hear calls from the bench, so I give quick feedback to skaters as they are coming off the track at the end of the jam or in between jams if the skaters are huddled up on the track in a timeout. I’m also communicating to the line-up and jammer runners on the bench – telling them which skaters need to sit based on penalties and who should be played more because they are on fire. Coach Anayalator is watching for skater penalties and the penalties that the referees call. She wears the “A” or alternate designation so that she can communicate with the refs, challenge calls, and call timeouts.  She and I also have a running dialogue throughout the bout and checking in to make sure we are on the same page

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Seattle vs. New York! August 10th!

For he last KeyArena bout of 2013 (August 10th! Tickets available now!), Seattle’s Rat City All-Stars are bringing the best of the best for you… and by the best, we mean the reigning WFTDA Champions.

New York’s Gotham All-Stars‘ first trip to the Pacific Northwest was in 2008 and they went home with the Hydra. They visited again in 2010 (playing Rat City All-Stars for the first time), sweeping a four-team tournament against Rat City Rollergirls, Rose City Rollers , and San Francisco’s Bay Area Derby Girls.  Since that trip three years ago, Gotham’s won the WFTDA Championship twice more and are currently on a 35-game winning streak in WFTDA-sanctioned play. In fact, over the past six years, only 4 teams have beat Gotham—three of whom won the Hydra that year, and well, Philly’s a team you never want to play in overtime*.

So with proper respect for the opponents, the Rat City proudly welcomes the Gotham All-Stars to 60 minutes of play.
In our house.
For the first time.

The Key Arena bout on August 10 is Gotham’s only public bout on this trip, and, looking at their travel history, might be the only time they visit our corner of the country for another 3 years, so you don’t want to miss this game! To start the evening, Gotham’s secondary travel team, the Wall Street Traitors, will play the Rain of Terror.

With the WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs announced and Rat City All-Stars bracket released, the August 10 bout won’t affect 2013 seeding and is, basically, playoff training for both teams. Rat City and Gotham are seeded at different Division 1 tournaments, however they may meet again this year in Milwaukee at WFTDA Championships.

You don’t want to miss this bout! Get your tickets today!

*Hey derby nerds, Philly isn’t coming to play at the Key this year, but know that they are absolutely lethal in overtime… an example: skip to around 1:28.

 

 

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RCRG #3 Seed at WFTDA Division 1 Playoff

WFTDA Playoff Brackets are out! WFTDA Playoff Brackets are out! WFTDA Playoff Brackets are out!!!!!

With the transition from a Regional Playoff system to a WFTDA-wide competitive structure, it’s been a lot harder to predict the Big 5 tournaments this year. But we can all put our abacuses (abaci?) and crystal balls away…

Rat City Rollergirls All-Stars came out of June ranked WFTDA #12.  This puts the team at a solid #3 seed at Division 1 Playoffs, the highest tournament seed  RCRG has had since 2008.

Start looking for road trip buddies and ask for the days off work, because Rat City will be competing in the Salem, OR Division 1 Playoff, September 27-29. If the All-Stars place in the top 3 at their playoff, they will earn a slot to WFTDA Championships in Milwaukee, WI, November 8-10.

WFTDA is using S-curve to seed Division 1 playoffs this year, so there is relatively even dispersion of rankings across each tournament. The full list of teams competing in the Salem tournament are:

1.  B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (WFTDA #3)
2.  Atlanta Rollergirls (WFTDA #7)
3.  Rat City Rollergirls (WFTDA #12)
4.  Detroit Derby Girls (WFTDA #15)
5.  Charm City Roller Girls (WFTDA #20)
6.  Boston Derby Dames (WFTDA #23)
7.  Sacred City Derby Girls (WFTDA #28)
8.  Victorian Roller Derby League (WFTDA #31)
9.  Chicago Outfit Roller Derby (WFTDA #36)
10. Toronto Roller Derby (WFTDA #39)

Rat City’s first opponent will be #6 seed Boston Derby Dames.

With 2 teams that RCRG faced at 2012 Regional Playoffs, 2 teams from the 2013 All-Star season, and a few easterly teams that have visited Seattle in recent years, there’s an exciting mix of possible opponents in the Salem bracket, including July 13 Key Arena opponent Charm City. Tickets are still available for the game, so get them now! Seeded #5 at playoffs, Saturday’s game could be a preview (ok, get the crystal balls back out!) of Playoffs, so be there!

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Rat City All-Stars vs Rocky Mountain & Rain of Terror vs Port Scandalous this weekend at Southgate Roller Rink!

The Rat City Rollergirls and Denver’s Rocky Mountain Rollergirls have a lot in common. Founding members of the WFTDA. Top ten teams that came out of the now-defunct West Region (as of April 30, Rat is ranked 6th and Rocky sits at 8). R’s and G’s in the team acronyms. A fondness for oysters (though I think the ones from Colorado are a bit different…) And this Sunday, June 23, they’ll share 60 minutes on the track in a special VIP bout at Southgate Roller Rink.

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Rain of Terror trains with the All-Star Program and proves to be formidable competition

With All-Star Season in full swing, and some amazing WFTDA competition flying into the Pacific NW this month from both coasts to play Rat City, we wanted to sit down with our very own Rain of Terror veteran skater, Foxy Throwdown (skating under her real name, Maeleeke Lavan) to get her perspective. The All-Star program, which includes the WFTDA ranked All-Star Team & Rain of Terror B-Team, is comprised of 34 members. Only 14 plus two alternates can be rostered for any bout, which means that athletes are challenged by their own program members to make either roster.

How long have you been on the league, and how long have you been on RoT?

I am completing my 6th season with Rat City and my third season on Rain of Terror.

What is Rain of Terror, and how is it structured as part of the All-Star Program?

RoT is comprised the same way the All-Star team is, yet in a junior varsity or B-Team type capacity. The women of RoT want a higher level of play than their home teams provide and ultimately have the goal of being moved up to the All-Star team to compete and represent Rat City at international level competition. We train with the All-Star team to make for a more seamless transition, so that we are playing the same strategy. It all ultimately helps promote camaraderie among the league.

How do you train?

This past winter I participated in Rat City’s strength training program, where skaters wanting to be part of the All-Star Program (AST and RoT) worked on speed, agility, weight lifting, and endurance training customized specifically for the roller derby athlete. I also love Bikrim yoga and regularly work with a physical therapist to maintain and improve my overall mobility, strength, general health, and to prevent re-occurrence of past injuries. Oh, and then there’s all the skating that I do! I attend a minimum of three on-skates practices a week.

How does Rain of Terror gel as a team after the home team season?

Because we normally skate against each other, once All-Star season starts, a lot of us gel by simply hanging out. We’ve spent a whole season beating up on each other and now we have to be friends; so partnering together in drills, carpooling, grabbing food before or after practice are ways we begin to bond. It sounds simple, and it is, but it’s something that we really don’t do during the home team season.

Do you play a different position or location on the track with RoT?

I most frequently play the inside line but am working on getting back to the second blocker spot and would really like to work into the third blocker position on RoT this season.

What are some of the most challenging bouts you have played this season?

The bout against the VRDL was hands down our most challenging game this season. Our All-Stars traveled to Australia 2 years ago to mentor this league and it worked! The Victorian league brought an extremely hard hitting, fast paced, very controlled game. They were able to adjust to our strategy quickly and ran away with the game. We learned a lot from playing such a great up-and-coming (or perhaps they’ve truly arrived) All-Star team. Those types of games are always the best experience. There’s nothing like getting your ass handed to you to fuel your fire to become a more dominant, cohesive team. I think the games we’ve played since then have proven that we are only continuing to grow, develop and mold as a team and as individual skaters.

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Rat City Rollergirls Bout on 7/13 brings Baltimore and Sacramento to KeyArena

Despite being oh, about a continent apart, Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls have become something of a long-distance rivals to the Rat City Rollergirls. The July 13 bout will be the fourth time the two teams have met in the past four years, and each bout has been exciting (who remembers the time the lights went out at East Coast Extravaganza?*) and Rat leads the series 2-1. The last time the teams met in Baltimore last summer, Rat City took the win.

Charm City has been a fixture at the WFTDA Championship Tournaments since 2010, earning their invitation by placing in the top three at the East Regional Playoffs, but the team’s 2013 record has been mixed—big wins over lower ranked teams, but losses (sometimes big losses) at the hands of this year’s top contenders for the WFTDA Championships. The one shared opponent between Rat City and Charm City is Los Angeles’ Angel City Derby Girls, with RCRG getting an 11-point win over the Hollywood Scarlets while Charm suffered a 17-point loss, so if those games are any comparison, fans should expect a fantastic night of derby from these two All-Star teams!

In the April WFTDA rankings, Charm is ranked 17^th to Rat’s 6^th, and the next set of rankings will be released in early July. The July rankings will influence the seedings for September’s WFTDA Division 1 Playoff Tournaments. With the elimination of WFTDA’s regional model, this could be the first of several times that Rat City and Charm City meet in 2013.

The opening bout of the night features Rat City’s Rain of Terror hosting Sacramento’s Sac City Rollers. Rain of Terror will be playing Sac City’s All-Star team, Capitol Punishers. With only a year of WFTDA membership under their belts, Capitol Punishers have quickly moved up the ranks, currently sitting at #50 (out of 155 ranked teams) and poised to earn an invitation to WFTDA’s inaugural Division 2 tournaments in August. Rain of Terror, not shying away from any play, has two bouts WFTDA All-Star teams this season in their 2-1 2013 record, including a big win over Bellingham’s Blunt Force Trauma and a loss to Australia’s VRDL All-Stars. This will be the first time any Rat City team plays the Sac City Rollers and if last month’s RoT bout against Montreal’s second travel team was any indication, should be a great way to start a night of exciting and competitive flat track roller derby!

*Don’t remember when the lights went out? Check out the Charm vs Rat bout at ECE from 2009 when we had hamsters running the machines with some throwback Coveritlive textcasts!

 

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Get ready for summer tryouts June 29th!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become a Rat City Rollergirl? With tryouts around the corner, we have TWO ways for you to get healthy, fit, and ready to show us what you’ve got.

Rollergirl Wellness Clinic

“It’s not if you get hurt, but when…” is a phrase all rollergirls know. Traumatic injuries occur frequently with roller derby, but if you experience pain with non-contact aspects of the sport, your mechanics may be to blame. This five-part class will help you better understand your anatomy and mechanics, teach you corrective exercises, and prevent overuse syndromes that commonly occur with skating. The core, hip/pelvis, knee, foot, and balance/cross training concepts will all be addressed to make you a more balanced, pain-free athlete.

 

Makin Bacon Camp

Have you been thinking about getting into roller derby? Now is your chance to kick-start your roller derby dreams with Makin’ Bacon, an intensive 4-week camp with the Rat City Rollergirls. Makin’ Bacon precedes Rat City’s summer tryout and it’s a great way to prepare to try out. There are two camps for different ability levels. Our Beginning Skater classes are for new roller skaters–get yourself some gear and skates and come and learn the basics of roller skating and roller derby. The Novice Derby Player classes are for people who’ve been practicing derby for under a year and want to make big gains before tryouts.
Every session has enough coaches to allow for a lot of individual coaching and feedback to help you advance your skills quickly!

 

For more info on being a Rat City Rollergirl: Rat City Rollergirls Tryouts June 29th.

& for more information to sign up for tryouts go HERE!

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Rat City All-Stars return to KeyArena June 8th!

Four teams. Three countries. Two continents. One thrilling night of roller derby!

The Rat City Rollergirls All-Stars make their 2013 Key Arena debut on June 8 in the most international RCRG bout to date! The All-Stars will be facing London Rollergirls’ (yes, THAT London), London Brawling with RCRG’s Rain of Terror playing Montreal Roller Derby’s secondary travel team, the Montreal Sexpos in the opener. This will be the first these teams have met, so be sure to attend this history making bout!

Rat City’s All-Stars compete internationally in the WFTDA Division 1, and are currently ranked 6th in the world. Since 2007, Rat City has competed in the WFTDA West Region, however, following the 2012 WFTDA tournament cycle, the regional model was disbanded. The new divisional model features WFTDA-wide rankings that seed teams into one of four Division 1 Playoffs in September. Using WFTDA-wide rankings should ensure that all Playoff tournaments are highly competitive and exciting for skaters and fans alike. WFTDA-wide rankings are calculated based on game results and include a strength-of-opponent factor. The high caliber play and elite athleticism of the Rat City All-Stars, backed by strong win-loss record against top opponents support the team’s high ranking, which is sure to continue to through the 2013 season.

This is the first time the London Rollergirls have visited the Pacific Northwest, but it’s not their first time facing top tier opponents—London Brawling competed at the 2011 and 2012 Eastern Regional Tournaments where they placed 5th, respectively. London is ranked 4th respectively.  London is ranked 23rd by the WFTDA, but this rank likely underestimates their strength—in the past 12 months, London Brawling had very close games against 2012 WFTDA Championships competitors Windy City(9th), Philly (11th), and Charm City (17th).

On their Northwest trip this month, they’ll also be playing top teams in the area including Rose City Rollers’ Wheels of Justice, Jet City Rollergirls’ Bombers, Terminal City Rollergirls’ All-Stars, and Oly Rollers’ Cosa Nostra Donnas. Additionally, many of their skaters are veterans of bronze medal winning Team England from 2011 Blood & Thunder World Cup Tournament.

Despite June 8 being the Key Arena debut, the RCRG All-Stars and Rain of Terror already have a few games under their collective belts. The All-Stars are 2-0 in 2013, with exciting wins over 7th ranked Angel City Derby Girls from Los Angeles, CA (193- 182) and #38 ranked Victorian Roller Derby from Melbourne, Australia (yes, that Australia!) (230-195). WFTDA Tournament invitations (complete with playoff seeding and location) will be released in July, so Rat City’s performance in May and June will ultimately affect the team’s tournament participation.

Rain of Terror suffered their first loss against the VRDL All-Stars (yes, the same team that our All-Stars played), but booked a big win over our neighbors up I-5, the Bellingham Roller Betties Blunt Force Trauma.

Get your tickets NOW to support Seattle’s domination on the world stage of roller derby at KeyArena this summer!

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Rematch: Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City’s Pink Pistols

Join your favorite roller derby revolutionaries for an evening of rink riots and pistol whips as Rat City’s Derby Liberation Front (DLF) battles its neighbors to the north, the Pink Pistols of Jet City Rollergirls on Saturday, May 25th. The last time this rivalry met on the track in 2012 it came down to an epic final jam with DLF chalking up a win and the Pistols pleading for more. Well, they got what they asked for – another chance to see if the revolution can hold its ground when the Pistols come to town. First whistle is at 6:20 – don’t miss a second of this bitter rematch!

Who? Rat City Rollergirls, Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City Rollergirls, Pink Pistols
What? Roller derby
When? Satruday, May 25th @ 6 PM
Where? Southgate Roller Rink in White Center: 9646 17th AVe SW Seattle, WA 98108
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/364685

Tickets are limited – purchase online from Brown Paper Tickets or in person at Fast Girl Skates!

And stop by the Facebook event page!

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Grave Danger Survives to Three-peat, DLF Settles the Grudge Match

By Peter Cozine

Derby Liberation Front 234, Throttle Rockets 179

Rat City wrapped up the home season last Sunday, as Grave Danger and the Sockit Wenches battled it out to see which would take hope the Championship trophy this year. But first, the other teams took each other on in the Grudge Match.

Fans were given the opportunity to watch the Derby Liberation Front, who ended up in third after a close loss to the Sockit Wenches last month, take on the Throttle Rockets. The Rockets jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a three-jammer rotation of Luna Negra, Missile America, and Sintripetal Force, who were up against a very potent DLF defensive front led by Feline Distemper.  DLF didn’t help themselves, as Kamikaze Kim was sent to the penalty box in the 3^rd jam, subsequently followed to the box by DLF jammer Full Nelson in the next jam.  The Rockets capitalized, scoring over 40 points before DLF even moved the scoreboard.

The Throttle Rockets continued to build on their lead through the midpoint of the first half. Great offensive and defensive blocking from Parker Eyeout and Foxy Throwdown held the DLF jammers at bay, while opening ample opportunities for their own jammer rotation to score.  Finally, the Derby Liberation Front were sparked into action, as Jukestapose put up 13 pts lead later in the half.  A few short jams later,  DLF’s offense ignited on a power jam, allowing Kamikaze Kim to score big, closing the lead for the Throttle Rockets down to 62-48.

DLF continued to chip away at the Rockets’ lead, but the ladies in black were not going to give it up easily.  Calder Bluff and Parker Eyeout demonstrated some impressive defensive jamming towards the end of the half, while the DLF blockers continued to lock the Rockets’ jammers down, and at the end of the half, DLF had managed to put up a small lead.

Missile America used some of her impressive athletic arsenal at the beginning of the second half, rallying the Throttle Rockets around her.  This translated into further success for both Luna Negra and Sintripetal Force, allowing the Rockets to hop back into the lead quickly, 127-99.

The Throttle Rockets had most of the momentum for the second half, but later in the half, DLF veterans Kamikaze Kim and Full Nelson stepped up. Behind them, DLF battled back, blocking well as a defensive unit, and putting them in great position for their jammers to takeadvantage of a string of power jam opportunities late in the bout.  Avihater stepped in during one of those power jams, putting DLF back into the lead, and the team never looked back, as they proceeded to skate cleanly, play tight, and hold on to win a very competitive game against the Throttle Rockets.

Scoring Recap
Derby Liberation Front		Throttle Rockets
#906 Jukestapose	72	#321 Missile America	72
#0 Kamikaze Kim	69	#911 Luna Negra	71
#123 Full Nelson	28	#1618 Sintripetal Force	36

 

At half time, Rat City Roller Girl Glitter presented funds raised by the Rat City Roller Girls to the Special Olympics Project UNIFY®, an education-based program that uses the sports and education initiatives of Special Olympics to activate youth to promote school communities where all young people are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. Go online to get more information on Project UNIFY®.

 

Grave Danger 202, Sockit Wenches 167

The second bout of the evening was the Championship Bout, as two-time champs Grave Danger had to fight off the Sockit Wenches, with the winner taking “Big-T”, as the Rat City Championship trophy is known.

Grave Danger wasted no time, grabbing an early lead as jammers Kutta and Nehi Nightmare started the scoring, allowing Danger to claim a quick 16-0 after two jams. The Sockit Wenches needed to regroup early – and with Anya Heels leading the Wench defense, they stepped up their play after their sloppy start, holding the potent Danger offense to only 10 pts over the following 8 jams.  Meanwhile, the Sockit Wench jammers Sami Automatic, Rawkhell SqWelch, and Penny Racer all found their stride, helping to build a Sockit Wench 39-26 lead mid way through the first half, leaving the Danger bench looking a bit worried.

As play continued, the Sockit Wench fans were erupting, creating a deafening din that had the Grave Danger skaters looking a little intimidated. Relying on some of the best blocking that KeyArena has seen all season, the Wench blockers kept frustrating Danger’s jammers, along with playing effective offense to open holes for their own jammers. With minutes left in the first half, Danger put Kutta on the jammer line to try and stop the bleeding before heading to the locker rooms. Thanks to some strong Grave Danger pack work, Kutta managed a number of passes, scoring 24 points in a momentum changing jam, and slashing into the SW lead. Carmen Getsome took advantage of the set-up to close out the half, scoring on back-to-back jams, and allowing Danger to end the half in the lead, 93-86.

Grave Danger started the second half much like the first, as Nehi Nightmare grabbed 8 points, added to Danger’s.  But the Wenches didn’t want to let “Big-T” slip out of their hands that easily. Jammer Sami Automatic kick started the Wench offense, putting up a big  25 pts in the 5^th jam of the second half.  A few jams later, Wench jammer Penny Racer ran big on a power jam, scoring 19 and bringing the lead back to the Sockit Wenches, 140-123.  With the momentum shifting back in favor of the Sockit Wenches, Grave Danger had to regroup.  They responded well, as Danger’s defense increased their intensity, holding the Wenches from scoring for a number of jams.

A power jam opportunity late in the 2^nd half for the Wenches offered up a chance for the Wenches to push back.  Sami Automatic took big advantage of the opportunity, putting 21 points on the board, and giving the Wenches a 164-157 lead with just a few minutes left in the game.  Grave Danger looked to their jammers Kutta and Carmen Getsome to finish strong, and they did. In the final three jams, Kutta and Carmen scored 45 timely points, while the Wenches’ last opportunity slipped away as their jammer ended up in the box. With a final score of 202-167, Grave Danger three-peated with a win over the Sockit Wenches, retaining their rights to another season with “Big T”.  Both teams played smart and physical bouts, capping off a great season for the Rat City Roller Girls

Scoring Recap
Grave Danger		Sockit Wenches
#187 Kutta Betch	97	#357 Sami Automatic	71
#12 Carmen Getsome	66	#2 Penny Racer	56
#48 Nehi Nightmare	35	#761 Rawkhell SqWelch	32

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Meet Feline Distemper: May’s Title IX Hero

Growing up in my family, extracurricular activities were mandatory. I joined the Girl Scouts, I was in the school band, and every season I played a sport. On some level, every sport I played was made possible by Title IX.  But you could argue that I could have done basketball, softball and swimming without it- that they were pretty socially acceptable for girls by the time I was in school. What changed my life the most was wrestling, and I fully believe that without Title IX, I would have been shut out of such a male-dominated sport.

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Sockit Wenches revving to steal Rat City Championships from undefeated Grave Danger

Hold onto your seats as the Sockit Wenches speed down the flat track and the undead Grave Danger come alive at Rat City Rollergirls Championship bout on Saturday, May 11 at KeyArena. From the starting whistle, the Wenches are set on putting a nail in the coffin of Grave Danger’s two-season hold on the championship title. Meanwhile, Grave Danger skaters have never looked more gruesome, evil and out-for-blood. Don’t miss this hard-fought victory bout to take home the Season 9 trophy.

Fighting for honor in the grudge match the Derby Liberation Front is ready to riot their rivals the Throttle Rockets. Having launched a surprise attack on the Rockets in February at a bout in White Center, DLF is looking to repeat the revolt. Undeterred by any setbacks of the season, the Rockets are bent on nothing less than total Intergalactic Domination, and promise to bring doom and destruction to all who stand (or skate) in their way.

Halftime action will star the School of Rock, and the featured charity for this exciting Championship Bout is the Special Olympics’ Project Unify!

Don’t miss a minute of this season-finale action of our home teams, brought to you by our featured sponsor, Zeeks Pizza .

Stop by our Facebook Event!

 

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Meet Shorty Ounce from Grave Danger

With the Home Team Championships around the corner on May 11th, which promises to be a highly competitive bout between two teams that haven’t competed for the trophy since 2010, we wanted to sit down with Shorty Ounce of Grave Danger to get her thoughts leading up to the big game. Here’s what she had to say:

What does winning the champs mean for your team?

Championships is everything to Danger. We work hard all year for this one game. Our focus and determination as a team means achieving our ultimate goal, remaining as 2013 Champions and we will fight till the end to remain there.

What is different about the team this year than last year?

Our team changes every year, people retire new players are added but I think what the biggest difference from this year from last is that we have this unwavering trust from teammate to teammate. We know exactly what each other is going to do and trust one and other like family. This team would do anything for any team member and it has never been stronger.

What has been your favorite jam moment from this season?

I don’t think I have one specific jam but I really enjoyed the game Danger just played against the Jet City All Stars in April. Getsome and I were in Australia huddled around a friends IPad screaming our hearts out while the game was streaming on justin tv! We were so proud of the team for coming so close to beating a team ranked 35th nationally in the nation. It makes us so proud to be on a team that pushes it’s self to the limit and plays to their fullest potential.

What would fans be surprised to learn about the team?

We are REALLY big goof balls off the track. Sometimes get viewed as the super intense team, and yes, we are super focused when we are on the track but off the track is a whole other story. I have never laughed harder with any other group of ladies.

Does your team have any quirky rituals that you would like to share?

We sing the national anthem in the bathroom before every game. It’s a lot of our performance cues to focus and get into the mental mindset for the upcoming game.

 

 

Who on your team has performed beyond expectations and how?

I think the entire team has stepped it up another notch this season however the following players have gone above and beyond and refined their skills this season.

DeeCap Attack has stepped up into a primary jammer position. She never gives up and has also been know to block a few jams or two becoming one of Dangers strongest utility players.

Meggs transferred from Hawaii and it’s like she grew up with this team; she has provided another primary jammer position for Danger and always has a smile on her face.

Loco- Don’t be put of by her sweet demeanor, she is a beast of a blocker out on the track. Loco continues to learn and grow into an outstanding blocker.

Kutta also transferred from a local team in Bellingham and has become an invaluable utility player for Danger. She not only collects the points as a jammer but has a mean hit holding opposing blockers for laps at a time when she blocks on the track.

Trouble, holy plow stops! Trouble has precise timing and can stop a jammer in their tracks. Trouble has always provided an amazing attitude and smile on and off the track.

What will you do when you win the home team trophy?

Oh you mean Big T? Well, Big T and Danger have grown fond of each other, we take him hiking, boating and some of us even snuggle with him. Big T makes the rounds through each team members house so we all get to see the rewards of hard work and our accomplishment.

Aside from a honey badger, if your team had a spirit animal what would it be?

I would have to say our team spirit animal would have to a bunch of ants. I know not what you expected but these little creatures are hard worker and conscientious in every detail of its work. They live in huge communities where most tasks are delegated to individuals who form work groups to carry out various activities of hunting(blocking), gathering(jamming), and protection(defense). The ant accepts its position within its community without question and is totally dedicated and loyal throughout its lifetime to the entire community. This is the similar to the structure of the team. Ants also carry 10 times their body weight and are extremely detailed with every task carried out.

Don’t wait until the last minute! Get your tickets to champs HERE!

Also, see Shorty and Grave Danger this weekend at Bellevue Skate King vs the Rodeo City Rollergirls from Ellensburg!

Check out the Facebook Event for tickets HERE!

 

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Meet Anya Heels from the Sockit Wenches

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May’s Championship Challenger Decided, and Jet City Takes on Grave Danger

By: Peter Cozine

It was a wet and wild evening last Saturday night, as the Rat City Rollergirls played their last bouts of the regular season. The first bout of the night featured home team action, as both the Sockit Wenches and the Derby Liberation Front were attempting to earn their way into May’s championship game. The second bout brought in a neighboring team, the Bombers, from Everett’s Jet City Rollergirls, as the final visiting team for the regular season.

Sockit Wenches 193, Derby Liberation Front 170

With both the Derby Liberation Front and the Sockit Wenches coming into the night with 1-1 records, action was assured, as the winner would be going on to take on Grave Danger in the championships. The intensity was clear from the first whistle, with DLF taking an early lead, scoring 13 unanswered points in the first few jams. The Sockit Wenches were not dismayed however; they rallied behind the veteran leadership of Anya Heels and Sami Automatic, allowing them to push forward and take the lead. The action continued to build, with the Wenches sending jammers to the box in both the 7th and 11th jams, offering opportunities for DLF jammer Full Nelson to put up 37 points, and putting DLF back in the lead, 57-50.

Both teams pushed back and forth, resulting in eight lead changes in the first half.  Late in the first half, DLF’s jammer took a trip to the penalty box, and gave Penny Racer a power jam situation, allowing the Sockit Wenches to retake the lead, and setting the stage for SW jammer Sami Automatic to rack up a fist full of points two jams later. After putting 25 points up on the board, the Wenches led 77-53. DLF continued to battle behind great blocking from Lucinda Pack and Rumble Fist in the last few jams of the half, as they chipped away at the SW lead, but didn’t catch up, going into the locker room down 86-68.

The second half opened with back-to-back jammer penalties to DLF’s Full Nelson. The Sockit Wenches took advantage of the opportunities presented to them by DLF’s penalties, extending their lead to 128-84 in the first 6 minutes of the second half. The Derby Liberation Front put out jammer Jukestapose, a recent transfer from the Denver Roller Dolls, taking advantage of a jammer penalty to the Wenches’ Raquel Squelch to cut into the lead. Jukestapose demonstrated some of her Rocky Mountain know-how, skating solidly and racking up some crucial points throughout the jam.

With 10 minutes gone in the second half the Sockit Wenches landed a blow that nearly knocked DLF out of the fight, after the jammer in green headed to the box. The Sockit Wenches gave Penny Racer the star, and extended their lead to 50, bringing the score to 151-101. DLF continued to fight on, as inspired jamming from Jukestapose and great blocking from Rumble Fist and Yoko Onoudi’nt allowing them to close on the Sockit Wench lead. With only 5 minutes left on the clock, the score had tightened to 164-146. DLF was catching fire, and the Wenches were looking a little intimidated after a series of monstrous hits from DLF’s Kamikaze Kim. Wench jammer Belle Tolls took a penalty, and DLF was able to close the lead to only 11 points, 167-156. The next jam, both jammers took penalties, and as the jam went the full two minutes, Belle Tolls was able to outscore DLF’s jammer. This gave the Wenches a little breathing room for what was likely to be the final jam – and Sami Automatic was able to break through to take lead jammer, calling off the jam when the clock hit zero.  The Sockit Wenches played together as a team, earning themselves a much-deserved place in next month’s championship game.

Scoring Recap
Sockit Wenches		Derby Liberation Front
#357 Sami Automatic	89	#123 Full Nelson	75
#2 Penny Racer	65	#906Jukestapose	46
#4 Belle Tolls	14	#25 Kimball Machine	26

Jet City Bombers 177, Grave Danger 161

For the second bout, Rat City’s Grave Danger played host to the Jet City Bombers, from neighboring Everett, WA. Jet City brought more than just their skaters, as a massive cheering section wearing Jet City blue spent the evening filling KeyArena with their raucous cheers.

Jet City wasted no time, building an early lead, winning lead jammer in the first jam and executing a star pass in the second. By the end of the 3rd jam, the score was 28-12 in favor of the bombers. Grave Danger responded by putting fan favorite Nehi Nightmare on the jammer line, and she delivered. Scoring 20 points in 5 passes, Nehi led Danger to tie the game at 32-32. Great defensive blocking for Grave Danger neutralized Jet City’s jammers, and Danger was able to build a solid lead throughout the first 15 minutes, building up a 70-47 lead by the beginning of the 9th jam.  Jet City wasn’t finished, though, as jammers Grr Rawr Rawr, Ivana Hercha, and Beelzababe each won lead in the following jams, scoring crucial points for their team and closing Danger’s lead. As the first half wore on the Jet City blockers managed to find some footing and take control of the track, as Grave Danger found it harder and harder to score. Meanwhile, Jet City’s offense came on strong, outscoring Danger by almost 50 points in the final 15 minutes of the first half, allowing them to enjoy a 98-88 lead going into the half.

Grave Danger sent Nehi Nightmare to the jammer line to start the second half. With Carmen Getsome not in the line-up, Nehi Nightmare looked to be Danger’s most reliable jammer. Down by 10, Nehi was able to score some crucial points, and closing the Jet City lead. Once again Jet City was able to answer. Jet City’s Eva Derci and Ivana Hercha were consistent throughout the beginning of the second half, staying out of the penalty box, and scoring points a few at a time. Great blocking from Danger’s blockers, including Jerrica Kallio, opened up some offensive holes for Nehi Nightmare, allowing them to push back with 15 points to retake the lead, 128-122. From there, Grave Danger’s offense stalled out. Jet City managed to execute another star pass, scoring 25 points in the following jam. Both teams continued to battle,  and the tension had mounted in the stands, with the home crowd willing their team to come back.  Danger was able to push back to tie the game at 161-161, just in time for the final jam of the night. Jet City sent their star Pippy Longstalker to the jammer line, facing Grave Danger’s Dee Cap Attack. Both teams skated well, but Pippy Longstalker proved to be too much for the Grave Danger defense, scoring 16 and giving her team the victory in a very close bout.

Scoring Recap
Grave Danger		Jet City Bombers
#48 Nehi Nightmare	63	#36 Pippy Longstalker	48
#187 Kutta Betch	41	#13 Evi Derci	37
#1 Dee Cap Attack	36	#5 Ivana Hercha	32

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Meet K. Beezy: Conservationist and Skater Athlete

In April, we celebrate Earth Day with our partnership with our featured charity, Seattle Aquarium at the April 13th Bout at KeyArena, presented by Chinook Book! As part of this focus, we wanted to explore the athletes in their daily lives as they make extraordinary contributions in our local community.  This month we introduce you to Kate, aka K. Beezy, Grave Danger‘s featured skater this month, and learn about her passionate work off the track, in her own words:

When talking about my job, most people pause and ask, “What exactly do you do for work?” This is mainly because one day, at the headwaters of a stream, conducting surveys of returning spawning Salmonid species and another I’ll be geared up in a wetsuit and mask, viewing fish in a way most don’t get the chance to, in their natural environment.Growing up in the beautiful state of Michigan, I spent most of my childhood outside– climbing trees, swimming in our pond, and camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I hated having ‘indoor’ chores– vacuuming and dishes– and would appreciate when I was asked to mow the lawn or clean the window screens. As long as I was outdoors and I was breathing fresh air, I was happy. I always felt drawn to our natural world, a certain calm when in the presence of nature, and was interested in how things work and why I became a natural scientist.

After receiving a Bachelors of Science from Michigan Technological University, I packed my bags and moved westward with the hope of working in my area of study, Environmental Science. Following an internship monitoring wetlands and a seasonal position at a hatchery, I was fortunate enough to be hired by my current employer, the Stillaguamish Tribe. The Natural Resources Department focuses on all things environmental encompassed within the Stillaguamish River watershed; my focus is Fisheries Management.

Besides working outdoors regularly, I feel very in touch with the natural world because my annual work cycle is completely driven by the life cycle of the Salmon. My tasks and projects rely on the specific real time activities of the fish– my favorite time of the year is just after summer when the air starts to get crisp. The Salish Sea Indians, ancestors of the Stillaguamish Tribe, didn’t have ‘seasons’
but they referred to this time as when the white butterflies appeared. The importance of these butterflies appearing was that it meant that the Salmon were returning to their spawning grounds and to the Indians, a great food source.

Currently, Stillaguamish Chinook are listed as threatened on the Endangered Species Act List; their populations are suffering and need help, which is coordinated through fish hatchery management and habitat restoration. My co-workers and I spend a few weeks in August in the river “broodstocking” for returning Salmon– a process in which we collect live adults and transfer them back to the hatchery to be spawned. The process of broodstocking is a beautiful dance of controlled chaos as we use seine nets in a freshwater river system. I gear up in a wetsuit, mask and snorkel and help ensure that our nets don’t get caught on any snags, to help lead the line, pull the nets, and coerce the fish into our net. Despite all the chaos that is surrounding me and the net, there is this moment right before we begin fishing when I’m underwater viewing a hundred or so 15-20 pound Chinook swimming gracefully in strong currents. This gives me an overwhelming pride in my work and my efforts in rebuilding and maintaining this population of salmon.

After we finish broodstocking, I spend some of my days hiking and surveying 4-5 mile stretches of the river for spawning ground redds (where they lay their eggs) and carcasses. We collect samples of tissue, scales and retrieve heads containing implanted Coded Wire Tags from Hatchery Brood. Handling and sampling a decaying fish carcass may not sound like a dream job to most, but with

Whitehorse Mountain in the background, the sounds of water cascading, and the sun on your face– you get used to it pretty quickly. It doesn’t seem like work when you’re slathering on sunscreen, listening to some music on your MP3 player and walking on a beautiful river that you’ve dedicated your time and energy to restoring and preserving.

Another favorite part of my job is educating our community through the Stillaguamish Outreach Education Program.  Whether it be days spent in a salt marsh talking about different ecosystems, or time at the hatchery showing the spawning process and stressing habitat conservation, I love that I get to teach others about being good stewards to their environment in a fun, hands-on way.  An added bonus is that I can educate the public about the history of the Stillaguamish Tribe and their efforts in preserving and protecting the watershed.

Every day that I go to work is my own personal Earth Day — rain or shine, I get to enjoy the beauty of what our natural world has to offer us and assist in the preservation, restoration, and education of the Stillaguamish River.  Planting trees, spawning fish, or testing water quality– it’s all for the future health of the watershed and the people within it.

 

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Rat City Rollergirls at KeyArena April 13th

Get out your green wigs and face paint, and join us in supporting Earth Day this April by wearing GREEN!! On April 13th, our sponsor, Chinook Book will partner with us to celebrate Earth Day at KeyArena along with our featured charity, Seattle Aquarium!

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

Doors, 4:30, Opening Ceremonies, 5:30

For our featured halftime show, we’re bringing back NANDA to bring out your inner ninja! As always, don’t forget to bring your non-perishable food item for Ballard Food Bank, as the first 250 fans get a FREE Rat City Poncho!

To find out more about tickets and info go HERE

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March Bout Action Brings Wins for Both Grave Danger and the Throttle Rockets

By Peter Cozine

The Rat City Roller Girls helped celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend with their fourth bout of the season. Even with all of the Irish loving activities downtown last weekend, the most exciting event was inside KeyArena, as the Derby Liberation Front faced off against Grave Danger, and the Throttle Rockets played host to this month’s visitors, the Port Scandalous Brawl Stars.

Grave Danger 230, Derby Liberation Front 122

In the first bout of the evening, the Derby Liberation Front was looking for another win, this time against the still undefeated Grave Danger. DLF looked fired up when they first hit the track, but seemed to deflate quickly as Danger grabbed lead jammer in the first 5 jams, leveraging that to put up a quick 25-1 lead. This assault was powered by very strong jamming from Carmen Getsome, Nehi Nightmare, and D’evil’D Meggs. Danger would continue to pass the star cap around, but the big threesome of Getsome, Nightmare, and Meggs looked to be extremely strong, and are going to be very hard to stop moving into championships.

Despite Grave Danger’s early lead and brilliant jamming, the veteran leadership of Kamikaze Kim and Full Nelson dug in and rallied back, grabbing a combined 10 points to try and shift momentum in the other direction. Though she only lined up on the jammer line 5 times during the evening, Kamikaze Kim showed just how talented she is, scoring 21 pts and winning lead jammer in 60% of her jams.

By the 15 minute mark of the first half it looked like Grave Danger was going to run away, as they managed to keep their skaters out of the penalty box, and keep their jammers scoring. Nehi Nightmare in particular was impressive, and would finish the night with a league high 88% lead jammer percentage, and 78 total points. But DLF was able to to push, putting some much needed points on the scoreboard. They finished up the half by demonstrating skilled and gutsy blocking, containing the Danger jammers sufficiently to allow them to take lead on each of the last 4 jams.  This strong effort allowed DLF to head to the locker room having closed the gap to 43 points, 108-65.

The second half started with some very aggressive back-and-forth play between both teams. DLF continued to claw their way back into the game, as they built on the momentum from before the half, allowing them to close the gap to 111-93. Then, midway through the second half, Grave Danger’s game plan really began to assert itself, and they caught fire on the track. With dominant blocking from Jerrica Kallio and Trouble Dutch, Danger’s skaters continued to open holes for their jammers. The ladies in red proceeded to win 9 lead jams in a row, bringing the score to 189-101.

DLF tried to fight back throughout the remainder of the second half, but were unable to put the brakes on Grave Danger’s strong play, and were outscored 41 to 21 in the remainder of the half. With the win, Grave Danger have guaranteed themselves a place in May’s championship bout. DLF’s championship hopes are still alive; they will be playing the Sockit Wenches next month, with the winner from that match-up also heading to the championship bout.

Scoring Recap
Grave Danger		Derby Liberation Front
#2 Carmen Getsome	101	#9 Rumble Fist	29
#48 Nehi Nightmare	78	#16 Fatal Attacktion	29
#187 Kutta Betch	23	#123 Full Nelson	23

 

Throttle Rockets 196, Port Scandalous Brawl Stars 135

The second bout of the night was between RCRG’s Throttle Rockets and the visitors, the Port Scandalous Brawl Stars, coming to KeyArena from over in Port Angeles, WA. The Brawl Stars would make this bout interesting by demonstrating effective blocking, and the ability to make key adaptations through the evening. They also were coming into this bout with a short roster, dressing only 10 skaters instead of the typical fourteen.

With the Throttle Rockets missing one of their top jammers, Missile America, they would spend most of the bout relying on a 2-jammer rotation of Sintripetal Force, and Luna Negra, who would start the scoring for the Rockets. Luna began the run with a quick 4 points, and it didn’t stop, as the Rockets just poured it on, racking up points in each the first 12 jams. By midway through the first half, the TR Machine was in full motion, reflected in the 103-21 score, and fueled in part by great blocking from Sirius Smack, who would end the night having played in more jams than any other Rocket.

With 4 fewer skaters, the Port Scandalous Brawl Stars had to rely on critical blocking from skaters such as WickedSlam and Stone cold StunHer, who were both on the track for nearly 75% of the jams. As the first half came to a close the Brawl Stars were stepping it up, clearly skating with purpose, and having closed the lead slightly, finishing 139-65 at the half.

Coming back from intermission, Port Scandalous demonstrated some great adjustments, allowing them to start creeping back into the game. They cleaned up their play to keep their skaters to stay out of the penalty box, and tightened up blocking significantly, so that with all four blockers on the track, the Throttle Rockets were having a hard time finding any holes to skate through. The jammers for the Brawl Stars beganheating up in the second half as well, allowing both Scarlet O’Tearya and Scuttlebutt Jibber Jabber to end the night with over 50 points each. By the midpoint of the second half, the Brawl Stars were clearly gaining on the Throttle Rockets, and Rat City home fans were getting a little nervous.

The Throttle Rockets continued forward with their jammer rotation of Luna Negra and Sintripetal Force for the majority of the second half, although Parker Eyeout made a few appearances at the jammer line to put up some crucial points. The quick, clean, and agile playing style of the Throttle Rockets seemed to struggle a little bit against the physical, pounding style of play used by the Brawl Stars. However, with the great effort from both Luna Negra, finishing with 107 points, and Sintripetal Force, with 64 of her own, the Rockets were able to hold on against a much improved second half Brawl Stars, coming out on top at the end, 196-135.

Scoring Recap
Throttle Rockets		Port Scandalous Brawl Stars
#911 Luna Negra	107	#33 Scarlet O’Tearya	58
#1618 Sintripetal Force	64	#222 Scuttlebutt Jibber Jabber	51
#070 Parker Eyeout	12	#45 Amberetta Pistol	17

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On March 30th, it’s Your Shot at Becoming a Rat City Rollergirl!

If you think it’s exciting to watch all of the Rat City Rollergirls action from the stands, you should see what it’s like on the floor! And if you’ve thought about such things, here’s your chance! It’s time for the next Rat City Rollergirls to hold the next tryouts – and on Saturday, March 30th, you can give it a try!

All you need is your own skates, protective gear, and a pair of sneakers, and you’ll be ready to show up in the morning for an experience you won’t forget. You’ll undergo an off-skates fitness evaluation, after which you’ll get the chance to hit the track with some Rat City skaters for a variety of derby drills. You’re guaranteed to have a great derby experience no matter what the outcome – and you just might find yourself with a chance to become part of our Rat Lab!

If you’re interested, you’ll want to stop by our full tryouts page for details, and to register – you’ll need to do so before noon on March 29th!

Once you’ve registered, make sure to stop by some of our open practices, which are on March 20th, 6:00-7:30 pm, and March 25th, 7:30-9:30 pm, and consider coming to watch our open scrimmage on March 26th!

Hope to see you on the track!

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Meet Carmen Getsome #12

With the upcoming bout  this Saturday 3/16 with Derby Liberation Front vs Grave Danger, we sat down with the two highest scoring jammers from each team. Meet Carmen Getsome, the league’s #1 highest scoring jammer:

What do you look for when you are jamming?
I look for space, first for the big spaces and if they don’t exist then for the small spaces that I can turn into bigger spaces.  I also make sure I am always monitoring the opposing jammer, the penalty box and time remaining in the jam.

Describe your favorite jamming moment.
My most wonderful jamming memory is from 2009.  Grave danger hadnt won a single game or scrimmage in 2 years and so we were laying it all on the line during our hone season game vs Derby Liberation Front.  The last jam of the game and Danger started off a few points behind DLF with incredible blocking I was able to get out lead jammer but as the jam concluded GD was still one point behind DLF. While on paper that game was a lose as I returned to my bench the pride that was displayed from my teammates for a job well done was overwhelming.

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Meet Kamikaze Kim #00

With the upcoming bout  this Saturday 3/16 with Derby Liberation Front vs Grave Danger, we sat down with the two highest scoring jammers from each team. Meet Kamikaze Kim, the league’s #2 highest scoring jammer:

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March 2013 – Foxy Throwdown

Whats the significance of your derby name and number?

My derby name is a play off of Pam Grier’s Foxy Brown from the old Blacksploitation film. My number is the one I had playing most sports as a kid, was the number of a Heisman Trophy candidate I was friends with and was the number that my first roller derby captain and one of my best friends: D-Bomb.

How did you get started playing roller derby?

I’ve always been an athlete and was looking for something that wouldn’t impact my knee (I had an ACL reconstruction at 16) like the constant jumping in my first love indoor volleyball. After remembering the Roller Girls reality show I Googled derby in Seattle, started going to the gym and skating religiously and boom; six months later I made Rat City. Clearly I was wrong about the knee impact and had no idea what I was getting in to with derby, but it’s my 6th season and I’m still here and in one piece most days!

What is your favorite thing about skating with Rat City?

It’s opened up my eyes to just how competitive I am and what I can do if I forget about fear and the unknown. I’ve met people I wouldn’t otherwise have come across in life; some of the best friends I’ll have in life. I wouldn’t trade Rat City for the world!

What was the last thing you ate?

Rotisserie chicken and roasted root vegetables a la Parker Eyeout.

What is your favorite off skates workout?

BIKRIM YOGA! I love Bikrim so much that after my season ended in 2012 I challenged myself to do 40 straight days of hot yoga. And I did it!

At noon, a train leaves Seattle for Portland while another train leaves Portland for Seattle. It takes one train 4 hours and the other 7 hours to make the trip. Both maintain constant speeds and travel along parallel tracks. If you were on one of those trains, what kind of refreshing beverage would you be drinking in the dining car?

Oh, God. I thought this was going to be a math problem, which is not OK. Whiskey ginger, please.

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Old School Derby Action Arrives at Southgate for Bout 3

By Peter Cozine

Rat City took a trip back to their roots on February 23rd, heading to Southgate Roller Rink in White Center for their third bout of the season. It was clear fans were looking forward to being close to the action, as before the doors opened, the line waiting for entry was out the door and around the block. After the doors opened, there was some serious energy in the air as took their seats to watch the Throttle Rockets try to put up their first win of the season going against the Derby Liberation Front, followed by Grave Danger play this year’s revitalized Sockit Wenches. Over 400 fans, skaters, officials, and volunteers filled the roller rink to watch the Rat City Rollergirls bout on the wooden skate floor, and they were rewarded with quite the evening of derby.

Derby Liberation Front 139, Throttle Rockets 122

The Throttle Rockets started out with some explosive offense early in the first half, not only gaining lead jammer in 5 of the first 7 jams, but capitalizing on the opportunities to put up an early lead. With their blockers also playing cohesively, they managed to keep that lead up until the 9th jam, when DLF captain Full Nelson was able to break through with 4 points to put DLF up by 2, and give them their first lead of the game. Both teams proceeded to send jammers to the penalty box multiple times through the rest of the half, but fortunately their blockers responded and put together strong defenses. As a result, the two teams together added only a total of 9 points to the scoreboard during those power jams. Toward the end of the half, the Throttle Rockets had their offense click with a late rally, allowing them to head to the break on top, 57-43.

 

The second half started with another pair of power jams – but this time, the defense wasn’t able to hold things back. DLF jammer Full Nelson broke out first with a 17 point power jam to give her team a the lead. Soon afterwards, the Throttle Rockets were given their chance, with a 20 point power jam from Luna Negra, bringing the score to 60-59 in favor of the Rockets.  Both teams got their blockers in gear, and defense dominated the rest of the half, keeping the scoring fairly low. Led by the dynamic skating of Kamikaze Kim, DLF was able to push back into the lead toward the end of the half, and held on to it fairly soundly through the last five jams of the game, with a final score was 139-122.

With a win in this bout, the Derby Liberation Front has put themselves in a position to compete for the Rat City Championship, while the Throttle Rockets have fallen out of the running, and will be competing in the consolation bout on May 11th.

Scoring Recap
Derby Liberation Front		Throttle Rockets
#0 Kamikaze Kim	66	#911 Luna Negra	47
#123 Full Nelson	35	#1618 Sintripetal Force	40
#33 Kimball Machine	20	#339 Panda Beer	26

Grave Danger 218, Sockit Wenches 144

In the second bout of the evening, Grave Danger leapt to an quick lead, as the Wenches’ jammer went to the box early in the game’s very first jam. Carmen Getsome capitalized on the power jam, putting up 15 points to start off, and setting the tone. Danger kept up with the pace, winning lead jammer in 8 of the first 10 jams, and putting up the points to show for it. Sockit Wenches Veteran blocker Anya Heels put on the jammer cap twice in the half, and while managing to win lead jammer both times, that wasn’t enough to stop the momentum. Grave Danger continued to build off of their early lead, racking up a 60-point lead by the end of the first half.

At half time the Sockit Wenches made some great adjustments, as they came out of the locker room revitalized. The jammer rotation of Sami Automatic, Belle Tolls, Rawkhell SqWelch, and Penny Racer went to work against the hard-hitting Danger blockers, and began to chip away at the large point deficit they were facing.  Meanwhile, Danger relied on their stars Carmen Getsome, D’evil’D Meggs, and Nehi Nightmare to do the majority of the jamming.

The Wenches playe a much tighter game in the second half, scoring 82 points to Danger’s 96, but it wasn’t enough to against the ladies in red. Sockit Wench rookie Rawkhell SqWelch had a great bout, grabbing lead jammer in all of her first half jams, and scoring a total of 36 points to help her team battle back against an impressive Grave Danger team. Meanwhile, Carmen Getsome demonstrated why she is one of the league’s most dominant players, putting up a total of 101 points in Danger’s 218-144 win.

The fans enjoyed seeing the Sockit Wenches play such a tight second half and, as always, cheering for Grave Danger, the Rat City reigning champions. This win improves Danger’s chances of playing in the championship bout in May, and means the Sockit Wenches must win in April over DLF to have a chance to fight for the trophy.

Scoring Recap
Grave Danger		Sockit Wenches
#12 Carmen Getsome	101	#357 Sami Automatic	43
#187 Kutta Betch	49	#761 Rawkhell SqWelch	36
#88 D’evil’D Meggs	30	#4 Belle Tolls	33

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Rat City Brings The Action Back to Key Arena on March 16

After a brief return to the old homestead at Southgate Roller Rink the Rat City Rollergirls return to Key Arena March 16th to continue the 2013 home season. The first bout of the evening is a highly anticipated match-up between 2012 Home Team Champions Grave Danger and the Derby Liberation Front.

The last time these two teams met in competition was almost a year ago when Grave Danger defeated DLF by just 5 points, helping to keep them out of the 2012 Championship game. Both teams have been training intensely as veteran Rat City skaters work alongside new team members to play hard, smart, and clean. With the final ranking bout of the home team season approaching you will see these teams at their fiercest as they do everything in their power to avoid a loss that could help knock them out of contention for this year’s Championships.

But, as you may have noticed, it’s not all familiar faces this year as Rat City continues to bring in nearby contenders to keep our audiences excited and our home teams on their toes. In the second bout of the evening the Throttle Rockets, after two close losses to Rat City home teams in the beginning of the season, will be looking to show the Port Scandalous Brawl Stars of Port Angeles, WA, that they are still a team to be feared. Of course, since their 15-point loss to the Throttle Rockets last March the Brawl Stars have been racking up wins against teams like the Olympia Rollers’ Dropkick Donnas and Jet City Roller Girl’s home teams the Hula Honeys and the Pink Pistols. Can the Brawl Stars take advantage of the Throttle Rockets’ tough start to the season, or will they be the unlucky victims of the Throttle Rockets’ flat track revenge?

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The Rat City Rollergirls Get Back to Their Roots at Southgate on Feb. 23

On Saturday, February 23rd, the Rat City Rollergirls offer up a special bout as we get back to our roots at place where it all began! Watch from up close as all four home teams battle it out in the floor of the Southgate Roller Rink! No fancy lightshows, no jumbotron, no sitting up in the stands – every fan will be close to the action for the third bout of the season!

Doors open at 5:30, and the action starts at 6.  The first match-up will feature Derby Liberation Front, in their first ranked bout of the season, as they take on the ladies in black, the Throttle Rockets. DLF is coming off of a huge win in January against the visiting Faster Pussycats from Terminal City, while the Throttle Rockets are still looking to chalk up a win after a pair of agonizing close losses.

The second bout will follow things up with some serious excitement, as the Sockit Wenches will take to the floor against last year’s champions, Grave Danger. The Sockit Wenches have strung together a pair of wins in KeyArena, taking down the Throttle Rockets in an extremely tight finish in January, and then putting up an impressive point total against the Terminal City Bad Reputations in February. Meanwhile, the 2012 Champions Grave Danger also took down the Throttle Rockets in February, and are looking to put together their own win streak. Only one of these two can walk off the floor undefeated, and you won’t want to miss the chance to watch it happen!

Tickets for this bout are available at Ticketmaster, but act fast – seating is extremely limited!

Facebook users, head on over to our event page!

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Beauty, Brawn, and Books, at Bout 2 of 2013

By Peter Cozine

Grave Danger 177 vs. Throttle Rockets 136

Last Saturday the Rat City Rollergirls played their second double header bout of the season at KeyArena, The first bout of the evening was between Grave Danger and the Throttle Rockets, anticipated to be the rivalry of the season. Danger was looking to continue their undefeated streak, while the Rockets hoped to bounce back from a loss last month. Danger grabbed an early lead by capitalizing off of two early jammer penalties against the Rockets. The game looked like it was going to be a blow out in favor of GD, but the Throttle Rockets called a timeout to regroup, and began to work their way back. Relying on a jammer rotation of Luna Negra, Missile America, and Sintripetal Force, the Rockets managed to link some consecutive lead jams and reassert their game plan. At the end of the first half both teams went into their locker rooms for a short breather with Grave Danger ahead 74-58.

The second half saw an increase in the physicality of the game. Both teams managed to limit their jammer penalties, leading to some really riveting derby. Danger’s Shorty Ounce and Muffstache set the tone for their team’s blockers, limiting the Throttle Rocket’s successes with the star, and opening up  room and opportunities for jammers Carmen Getsome, Nehi Nightmare, and Kutta. An injury midway through the second half to Missile America left the Rockets down a jammer, and Danger capitalized. Both teams played smart, physical games at a high level of competition but in the end, Carmen Getsome got some, scoring a full 94 points in the bout and leading her team to defeat the Throttle Rockets.

Scoring Recap
Grave Danger		Throttle Rockets
#12 Carmen Getsome	94	#1618 Sintripetal Force	58
#48 Nehi Nightmare	27	#911 Luna Negra	51
#-1 Dee Cap Attack	22	#321 Missile America	24

 

What made this evening uniquely special was a guest halftime appearance by Nancy Pearl, NPR contributor, author, and rock star librarian. After raising over $1600 for First Book Seattle, the fan’s picked “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak for her to read, as a trackful of children were invited to the floor from their seats. It was a roller derby first to have storytime on the track for a halftime act, and it was truly sight to behold for fans of all ages who love reading. When she was finished, Pearl, still in her reading glasses, wrapped up storytime by pointing to DJ Boo Berry and shouting “Now, DJ, Let’s get this party started!!”. The fans roared and cheered the now infamous librarian.

Sockit Wenches 284 vs. Bad Reputations 68

After the intermission, the roller derby action resumed with a bout between Rat City’s Sockit Wenches, and the visiting Bad Reputations from the Terminal City Rollergirls. The Bad Reputations traveled down to Seattle from Vancouver, B.C. to show Seattle fans that Canada was more than Kokenee and Royal Mounties. The BRs Naz Droveya Wylde and Diva LaRevolution had good nights against a very effective SW 4 wall. Naz Droveya Wylde grabbed 32 points in 7 jams, and helped her team to make some noticeable improvements in the second half of the bout. Meanwhile, the Wenches passed the jammer star all around their bench, using all 13 skaters at the jammer
position including the all mighty Anya Heels, Sami Automatic, Sawzall Gabor, and new comer Rawkhell SqWelch. At the end of the first half, the Sockit Wenches held a 169-34 lead over the visitors.

The Bad Reputations seemed to make some adjustments in between the first and second half, reducing their jammer cut track penalties and keeping their skaters on the track. The Cohesive blocking of the Wenches made it extremely difficult for the Bad Reputations to score many points, but Diva LaRevolution, Lamb Baste-Her, and Naz Droveya Wylde continued to make significant contributions to their teams from the jammer position.

The crowd in KeyArena erupted in the second half when Anya Heels made a huge hit against the Bad Reputations jammer, sending her flying through the air and off of the track. In the end, the Sockit Wenches played a complete game and defeated the Bad Reputations by a score of 284 to 68. They have now won 2 games in a row and are looking ahead to their upcoming bout with Grave Danger.

Scoring Recap
Sockit Wenches		Bad Reputations
#357 Sami Automatic	49	#191 Naz Droveya Wylde	32
#761 RawKell SqWelch	47	#360 Diva LaRevolution	16
#888 Sawzall Gabor	46	#KO Lamb Baste-Her	8

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Feb. 9 Bout a Wild Rumpus of Reading and Rolling

Rollergirls love reading. They will read books on the track, they will read books in a stack. Join us for a wild rumpus of roller derby and reading on February 9 at KeyArena. The Rat City Rollergirls will team up with charity First Book to get books into the hands of local kids in need, and will welcome celebrity librarian Nancy Pearl for a very special halftime event.

Each Rat City Rollergirls team has chosen a favorite children’s book, and each team’s fans will be able to vote for those books with dollars and cents. The team whose book gets the most fan donations will receive the honor of being read at halftime by librarian Nancy Pearl, a bestselling author, NPR contributor, and the inspiration for an amazing librarian action figure. These are the contenders:

Grave Danger: The Monster at the End of this Book
Throttle Rockets: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Sockit Wenches: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day
Derby Liberation Front: Where the Wild Things Are

Look for each team’s book at KeyArena on game day, and cast a vote for your favorite by donating some spare change. Fans can also buy a favorite children’s book signed by favorite roller derby teams from Elliot Bay Book Company on the KeyArena concourse. All proceeds from Rat City’s book-off will go to First Book-Seattle, and a portion of sales from Elliot Bay will as well.

First Book is a national nonprofit organization that has distributed more than 100 million books to children since 1992. First Book-Seattle is a local Advisory Board raising funds to provide new books to kids enroll in King County’s Title 1 schools, Head Start preschools, shelters, and other programs. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book-Seattle effectively extends the reach of the many organizations already serving King County kids from families in need.

Get your tickets today for the February 9 bout and book extravaganza at the Key Arena! If you missed out on season tickets, you can still save 10% off individual tickets with pro-rated season tickets and flexible 4-pack options, which are a great way to hand-pick your derby experience to fit your schedule.

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Rat City Hits Key Arena Again on February 9th

Now that our season’s started, it’s not gonna stop! Get your tickets today for our February 9 bout at the Key Arena! In a rematch of the 2012 season championship bout, Grave Danger hits the track for the first time this season against the Throttle Rockets! The Throttle Rockets are coming off a nail-biting loss in January against the Sockit Wenches, and are surely going to be looking take it out on last season’s champions!

Speaking of the Sockit Wenches… this month, they’re playing host to our second visiting team of the season. the Bad Reputations from the Terminal City Rollergirls in Vancouver, BC. Will the Rat City Rollergirls go two-for-two over their Canadian rivals? Be there and find out!

Your favorite Revolutionaries, the Derby Liberation Front, have a bye this month. Perhaps you can find them in the crowd and convince them to share some of their covert guerilla derby tactics!

And finally, don’t forget to “Show Us Your Cans”, as the Rat City Rollergirls are continuing our partnership with the Ballard Food Bank this season! Bring in a canned food donation (or money if you forgot your tuna at home!) and help us support our neighbors in need.

See you on the track!

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Rat City Rollergirls revive old rivalries and start new ones in Bout 1 of Season 9

By Peter Cozine

The Rat City Roller Girls rolled into Season 9 at KeyArena on Saturday, January 19^th with a doubleheader bout that included home team rivalries and regional play against Vancouver, B.C. With a crowd of 4,000 strong, the first bout of the evening between Rat City’s Throttle Rockets and Sockit Wenches set a fierce pace for Season 9 with a nail-biting win down to the final jam. The second match-up between Vancouver’s Faster Pussycats of Terminal City Rollergirls and Rat City’s Derby Liberation Front, highlighted regional athleticism and competition. Both bouts showcased a new rule set which included the elimination of minor penalties and a singular whistle to start each two minute jam clock.

 
 

Sockit Wenches 176 vs. Throttle Rockets 163

The Throttle Rockets (TR) and Sockit Wenches (SW) played a close, back and forth offensive battle. In the end the Sockit Wenches came away with the first win of Season 9 against a strong and revitalized Throttle Rocket team.

Jumping to an early lead in the fourth jam, Sami Automatic (SW) pushed the score to 26-8 by scoring a 20-point jam for her team. Both teams continued to battle, but a power jam in favor of TR in the 13th jam gave them a narrow lead with score of 53-47. At this point TR seemed to have a full head of steam but SW continued to play some smash-mouth derby and kept TR from building a substantial lead. Jams 14 and 15 were penalty festivals, as jammers for both teams served penalty minutes in both jams. Capitalizing off of a penalty to the SW jammer, Luna Negra (TR) dug deep and scored a 15-point jam, surging her team to its largest lead of the night 77-64.

Both teams came out of half time ready to continue the hard-hitting roller derby action.  Sami Automatic won lead jammer and scored 4 points to begin SW comeback.  Great jamming from The Neutrino (SW) and Belle Tolls (SW) allowed SW to creep back into the game, closing the gap with each jam. In the 16^th jam of the second half SW got an opportunity and took advantage of it. Luna Negra (TR) was sent to the penalty box, allowing Penny Racer to outscore (TR) by 16 points.

SW were regaining momentum and their fans were rocking KeyArena. TR captain Panda Beer stepped to the jammer line and showed some gutsy play by collecting 15 points, TR pulled ahead to a lead of 161-149 with time running out on the game clock.

Not to be outdone by TR, clutch jammer Sami Automatic (SW) jammed 3 of the final 4 jams, taking advantage of a penalty against TR by scoring 19 points in the second to last jam. In the final jam Sami Automatic was able to win lead jammer, score a few points and run down the clock in-style, leading her team to a victory with a final score of 176-163.

Next up: On February 9, TR will take on last year’s league champions Grave Danger. SW will face another international match-up against the Bad Reputations also from Vancouver, B.C.

 

Scoring Recap
Sockit Wenches		Throttle Rockets
#357 Sami Automatic	67	#911 Luna Negra	59
#2 Penny Racer	45	#330 Panda Beer	40
#4 Belle Tolls	28	#321 Missile America	29
#1001 The Neutrino	27	#1618 Sintripetal Force	25
#6 Anya Heels	4	#070 Parker Eyeout	10

 

Derby Liberation Front 262 vs. Faster Pussycats 157

In the second bout of the evening Rat City’s Derby Liberation Front (DLF) played an international match up against Vancouver’s Faster Pussycats (FS) of Terminal City Rollergirls.

DLF took an early lead when Raven Luna C scored 25 points in the second jam. DLF was able to execute their offensive strategy with precision as they continued to get big jams from Kamikaze Kim, Full Nelson, and AviHater.  FP relied on their jammers Tiki Timebomb, Kim Janna and NazDroveya Wylde to try and find a way to stay in the game against a physical and aggressive unit of DLF blockers.

DLF asserted their will against FP throughout the first half, capitalizing on penalties, and making use of defensive and offensive blocking. The first half ended with a score of 162-73 in favor of DLF.

In the second half, FP were able to shore-up their defense and jammer Tiki Timebomb was able to capitalize on some timely penalties against DLF, scoring 15 points in the ninth and 12^th jams of the second half.  Blocker Amazombie played a crucial role for FP with her offensive and defensive blocking, helping jammer NazDroveya Wylde produce a monstrous 83 pts.

Despite the improvements made during half time, DLF continued to outscore the FP and were able to finish the bout with a commanding lead. DLF jammer Raven Luna C finished with 88pts, as the highest scoring jammer from both bouts.

DLF prepares for their first home team game on February 23 to begin their campaign for the Rat City Rollergirls Season 9 championship.

 

Scoring Recap
Derby Liberation Front		Faster Pussycats
#99 Raven Luna C	88	#191 NazDroveya Wylde	83
#42 Avihater	47	#321 Tiki Timebomb	40
#123 Full Nelson	27	#1223 Kim Janna	34
#62 Domino Scarvy	24
#0 Kamikaze Kim	22

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Season 9 starts NOW!

Did you ring in your new year with fireworks??? If you missed the show, you only have to wait a few days longer for your next chance! The Rat City Rollergirls 2013 season opener is on January 19 at KeyArena and we cannot wait to show you what we’ve got!

This season brings you a new rules set, high-action game play and competition between your favorite Rat City teams and visiting leagues from all over the WORLD! Each month during the home season (Jan-May) we’re giving two hard-hitting, action-packed games, and are bringing in teams from across the PNW region  to play your Rat City Rollergirls!

January 19th starts off with a bang as the Throttle Rockets do battle against the Sockit Wenches in game one. In game two, Derby Liberation Front faces Vancouver B.C.’s Terminal City Rollergirls, kicking off our season with a little international flair… eh?

Wanna know what a lead jammer is or where the legal hitting zones are? Bone up on the new rules here!

Get your tickets now for our January bout, and for all season! This year there are Flexible Four Pack Season Tickets which save you 10% from purchasing individual tickets and you can pick 4 of the 8 dates you to follow all of the competition and action. You’ll be a roller derby expert in no time

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rat-City-Rollergirls-tickets/artist/1280819

 

DON’T FORGET TO SHOW US YOUR CANS!!

Be one of the first 250 fans to bring a canned good item for the Ballard Food Bank and get a FREE Rat City Memo Board! For more information click here

See you on the track this Saturday!

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