Bout Preview! Portland Rosebuds @ I-5 Rollergirls

It is well argued that, here in the Northwest, there are a few teams which dominate.  Much as we expect Gotham, Denver and Oly to put together great teams and have a level of competition with each other which rises above, there are those teams in the junior divisions as well.  Portland and I-5 are two of those teams.  When it comes time to play those teams, the skaters practice a little harder, get a little more serious, and the pre-bout jitters are a little more intense, and it's definitely true when they bout each other.

This Saturday at the Southgate Roller Rink in West Seattle, these two powerhouses will come head to head:  Portland's strength, power and strategic play against I-5's speed, agility and strategic play. 

Last time I saw these two teams play each other, I-5 was in the midst of their domination last season and not even the Rosebuds could stop them. 

Lex Celerator, Dee Stroier and Liv Vicious make up the core of the I-5 jammer attack, and each of these three has a wealth of tools at her disposal.  Dee has incredible bursts of speed coupled with an eye for lines through the pack that is uncanny.  Liv Can take a little more by way of hitting on her way through, but has power through the pack that serves her very well.  Lex Celerator?  She's got all those tools in her arsenal.  I have seen her make her way through impossible situations which would make Reanimateher think twice.

Add to all of this, some incredibly solid pack play.  The I-5 blockers train hard under the guidance of two of the toughest coaches and most experienced blockers out there: Nasty Niki and Trixxie.  It's a tough nut to crack, but the Portland Rosebuds may have the hammer for the job.

As mentioned in her interview, this will be the last Junior bout for Braidy Punch.  look for her to continue her triple threat ways and put the brakes on the speed skating jammers of I-5.  Scream Cheese, Tempest Fugit, and Bleeda Ford?  They will be right there with her with their incredible hits, awesome defense and score stomping walls. 

Portland stands atop the current standings, but I-5 could get a share of that lead with a victory.  One thing is certain, it's going to be a good one to watch!

Tickets are still available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/170302 if you're going to be in the area!

Weekend NW wrap-up

As mentioned last post, there was a lot going on this past couple of weekends! 

This was the two weeks of new teams bouting for the first time, as the Fallen Brats took on the Kitsap Derby Brats in their first, official bout, Walla Walla Scallions took on the Spokane Pixies and the SDB Tootsy Rollers took on the I5 Rollergirls' B team.

  The Battle of the Brats was reportedly fierce, and Kitsap took the game 393-202 in a scoring extravaganza (Kitsap likes to score all the points, after all!). Number 44 of the Fallen Brats was given the MVP by Kitsap (no name available, sorry!).  I have reports that the Fallen Brats showed some great potential in this bout, and they should definitely be hungry for the future!

Walla Walla Scallions and the Spokane Pixies battled it out on the 16th.  This was Walla Walla's first bout, and they represented themselves well.  In the end, the Pixies' experience proved too much to overcome as the final score was 213 - 100.  I look forward to seeing the Scallions as the season progresses!

The bout I attended myself was the Seattle Derby Brats' Tootsy Rollers vs. the I-5 B team in a positional contest.  I was not able to take my usual notes (I had a microphone in my hand instead of a pencil), but I did have a great vantage point standing right behind the scorers table as I called the bout!

While the Tootsy Rollers have all been in several bouts before on their home teams, they had never had an opportunity to put together a travel team. The coaches did a great job, despite the fact that the team had never even skated all together in a practice!  I-5 had similar difficulties, given that they had only ever bouted once, and that a couple of months ago in Eugene. 

Things started out grim for the Tootsy Rollers as I-5 got out to a 20 point lead, but the Tootsies gave it their all and brought it back to within one point at the half (87-86 for I-5).  The second half was a flurry of walls, power jams and scoring as the lead changed at least 4 times!  In the end I-5 was victorious, 142-136, but the Tootsy rollers will definitely be back for more! A rematch already being scheduled in Burlington on May 21st!  Maya Massacre of I-5 and Feline Fury of SDB were given the MVP awards, and they were definitely well deserved!

All in all, an exciting couple of weekends for NW Junior Derby!  This coming weekend is a great match up which I will be previewing in the next couple of days.  I-5 Rollergirls A team and the Portland Rosebuds are coming to the Southgate Roller Rink in West Seattle.  That one is going to be one to see!

New leagues in the mix and up and coming contests

So there are some new up and coming Junior leagues here in the northwest! 

The Fallen Brats of Olympia had an invitational scrimmage last Saturday involving the Kitsap Derby Brats, I-5 Rollergirls B team and the Seattle Derby Brats positional Division I  juniors.  A great time was had by all, and we welcome Fallen Brats to the scene!  They have their first full bout as an opener for the Slaughter County - Jet City Pink Pistols bout on the 23rd at the Kitsap fairgrounds against the Kitsap Derby Brats, and I definitely look forward to seeing them play!

Also fairly "new" on the scene is Toxic 253 out of Tacoma.  I don't know a lot about them, but I am beginning to hear rumblings that they may be bout ready soon and are looking for someone to play.  If anyone from Toxic 253 reads this, please contact me! 

There is even a youth league on the banked track, as Tilted Thunder's Rail Peeps are taking to tracks both flat and banked, cross training with SDB's Galaxy Girls! 

Add to this list of new leagues:  Fort Lewis Junior Betty league (coached by SDB's own Lilly Lightning) on the tootsy level, Walla Walla Scalions and Bend Oregon's Cinders on the full contact level, and we look to have an incredible amount of expansion in bouting opportunities next season!

Speaking of bouts!  On the 23rd, the SDB Tootsy Rollers will don the black and silver against I-5's B team in a positional contest followed by a black and white scrimmage involving I-5's A's and SDB's upper division juniors. Should be a fun, derbyfull day for me since I am also going to the Kitsap bout!


Then, of course, on the 30th is I-5's bout against the Rosebuds. Many people are loking forward to seeing these two powerhouse teams go at it, and I am proud to count myself amongst their number. I hear it's part of a double header with a mens derby bout, but it's the juniors I am going to see!

Junior Derby is growing fast in the Northwest.  Youth Leagues are popping up all over the place across the nation and the world.  It's so awesome to see the promise that was junior derby come into its own.  It has been said that a sport hasn't really hit the point of sustainability until the youth begin to play.  The formation of youth leagues worldwide and the interest they are generating amongst both boys and girls is a definite bellwether of things to come for men and women leagues everywhere.

The future of derby is, definitely, now.

Featured Skater for April – Braidy Punch!

This month sees another NW Junior Derby star graduating to the adult leagues!  Braidy Punch of the Portland Rosebuds has her final bout as a junior against I-5 on April 30^th in Seattle’s new/old Southgate Roller Rink.

I have greatly enjoyed watching Braidy skate.  As with most of those I see as the “stars” of Junior Derby, she is a true triple threat.  On the jammer line, in the pack or as the pivot she is a force to be reckoned with!  Not only that, she is an inspiring leader for her team, bringing their spirits up in defeat by dancing crazily on the line before the final jam starts or helping them resolve the various issues that come up in a junior derby team, she has definitely been an asset for the Buds.

She will be missed as she goes off to the PDX Fresh meat squad.  I look forward to seeing her skate in “the big league”!

Name - Ruby Weymouth

At what age did you start skating?
I got rollerblades in 7th grade because they were cheaper than quads and skated to school. I got quads in 8th grade, and continued to skate the streets while I was helping start the Rosebuds. I started derby on May 4th, 2008 when I was in 9th grade.

When did you first find roller derby?
My dad and I saw some skaters at a nearby park and asked them what they were doing. They said roller derby and I got really excited because I loved skating. My dad, being the awesome suspender-clad hero that he is, took me to a bout and it changed my life.

What was the best thing about skating with your league?
I love my teammates. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls. I have met so many friends, and they have been so supportive and nice to me in my time as a rosebud.
A team that is able to break out in a dance party and just have a great time in the last 5 minutes of a game because we knew we were losing and we couldn’t do anything about it pretty much qualifies as the best team ever in my book.

Is there a skater or team you see as an inspiration to you in roller derby?
Oh hell yes. All of the Wheels of Justice. Scratcher in the eye in particular. The praise she has given me has meant the most because it was very honest, and clear to me she wasn’t’ saying it just to make me feel good. And because it was coming from Scratcher in the eye! Need I say any more?!  Oh, and of course Honey Hellfire!

Now that you are graduating from and going out for the adult league, what do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Getting used to blocking and getting blocked by a pack where most of the people are bigger than me. I may look like I hit hard when I’m against people half my size, but I probably won’t anymore once I move up.

How do you feel Jr Derby has prepared you for the adult leagues?
Very well of course! I’ve learned a dungload from junior derby!

What advice would you give skaters just starting out in Jr Derby?
Stay on the line and listen to your veteran teammates.