For the past few years, the Atlanta Rollergirls have provided Atlantans with an alternative to mainstream athletics that is almost equal parts spectacle and sport. The all-female roller derby league has been a part of a nationwide resurgence in this retro sport, modernizing it with comic book-y team names like the Toxic Shocks and the Sake Tuyas and skater aliases such as Amelia Scareheart and Scarbie Doll.
After moving to Midtown’s mysterious Yaarab Shrine Center last year, the Rollergirls are coming off their most successful year to date. As they skate into their fifth season on Feb. 28, we thought it would be helpful to provide you with a few things you may need to know about the Rollergirls and roller derby in general.
1. The Atlanta Rollergirls were one of the founding leagues of the national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.
2. Each league, including Atlanta, is owned and operated by the skaters, who pay dues to participate.
3. Last season’s monthly double-headers always sold out well in advance. To help give more people an opportunity to get in on the action, the Rollergirls are selling individual tickets to each of this season’s bouts for $12 or, for diehard fans, a $20 ticket to both bouts. They’ve also created more seating inside the venue to allow for greater capacity.
4. While today’s roller derby includes plenty of theatrics and aggression, there are no staged fights or fixed outcomes as were common in previous derby incarnations. In fact, like in any other sport, there are strict rules and regulations and skaters are penalized for fighting and other offenses. And as many Rollergirls can attest, the broken bones and other injuries are completely real.
5. Rollergirls know how to party. This year’s afterparties will be held at the Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta and fans are always welcome to join in the post-bout revelry.
6. Atlanta’s league consists of four teams; the Apocalypstix, the Denim Demons, the Sake Tuyas and the Toxic Shocks (the reigning league champs). The best skaters from each team comprise the Dirty South Derby Girls, a traveling all-star team that plays other leagues for national rankings.
7. Most roller derby skaters and fans don’t fit the typical sports fan mold. Though some Rollergirls come from athletic backgrounds, many were never interested in team sports before discovering roller derby. And the tattooed and eccentric crowds that attend would be more at home at rock concert than a Braves game.
8. Despite its punk rock reputation, the women that comprise the Atlanta Rollergirls come from many different backgrounds. The list of jobs they hold down outside of derby includes minister, professor, project manager (for an ad agency), graphic designer, swim team coach and primate researcher.
9. In addition to their roles on the track, each Rollergirl also has other duties, such as ticketing, marketing and event planning. Like the sport itself, none of these are paying jobs, which is proof of how passionate these women are about derby.
10. If you miss the first bout, the Rollergirls compete the third or fourth Saturday of each month through July. The league championship bout takes place in August and Atlanta hosts Southern Fried Smackdown, WFTDA’s South Central Regional Tournament, for the first time Sept. 25-27.
INFO
What: Atlanta Rollergirls Season Opener
When: Feb. 28. 5 p.m.: Dirty South Derby Girls vs. Steel City Derby Demons
7:30 p.m. Apocalypstix vs. Toxic Shocks
Doors open at 4 p.m.
Where: Yaarab Shrine Center
Cost: Tickets to each bout are $12. Double-header tickets are $20.
Call 404-872-5818 or visit www.atlantarollergirls.com
