Everybody has a dark side

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Everybody has a dark side. The extent of its manifestation, though, is another matter. For Demi Gore, the kind, helpful demeanor of a Brewhouse bartender gives way to a more sinister disposition on some weekends.

Clad in gothic garb, this eight-wheeled terror zeroes in on prey, showing no remorse for any impending harm inflicted en route to sending an opponent perilously flailing.

In these steely moments, she's a fully-fledged Atlanta Roller Girl. And you, along with hundreds of others, will have the chance to see her in action at Shriner’s on Sept. 20, when the 2008 roller derby season comes to a bruising close.

To sum it up: there are four teams under the Roller Girls’ umbrella – Apocalypstix, Denim Demons, Toxic Shocks, and the Sake Tuyas. Throughout the season (March through September) each faces the other in the lead up to the championship final, which is contested by the top-two points earners.

Last year's winners, the Toxic Shocks, take on Gore’s Denim Demons, who’ve never won the championship since the organization’s inception four years ago.

“We’re really going to try and win it,” Gore said, taking a break from the Brewhouse Sunday afternoon brunch rush. “We’ve worked really hard for it, so we’ll take it.”

Gore has also noticed a cultural change within the team. “I think we’re really working harder together,” she said. “We’ve switched around girls, new captains, and training really hard on strategy.”

There has also been a re-invigoration of public support since the organization moved events from Stone Mountain to Shriner’s in Midtown, which is close to the Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon. Seating is much better and, better yet, you’re allowed to bring your own booze so the tailgating scene has also significantly improved.   

Roller derby seems as compelling to its participants as its spectators. For starters, there is the nostalgic factor – the sport was televised during its 70s heyday. Then there is a bit of wrestling-type showiness; the catchy pseudonyms (Demi Gore, a play on Demi Moore) and all-round bitchy attitude makes for a bit of jester-like fun.

However, where wrestling fails its audience, the fact that it's fake, roller derby easily fills the white-knuckled void. These girls often get hurt.

One of the girls, for instance, had rotator cuff surgery a couple years back, while broken tailbones, bleeding knees and smashed chins are the norm. So, mark your calendars and get out to support these tough and sexy girls for the fight to the finish on September 20.