Back bigger and better than ever, the Gorge Roller Girls are gearing up for their first bout of the 2015 season, and if momentum amassed over the last couple years is any indication, next weekend’s double-header should be an exciting way to spend a Saturday night.
In their third year since being formed, The Gorge Roller Girls now have enough players to field two full teams. The B-team, called the Mountain Maidens, will open the Jan. 24 bout-night with a matchup against the Air Raid Roller Girls from Hillsboro, starting at 5 p.m. The A-team, called the GRG All-Stars, will follow at about 7 p.m. with a bout against the Shanghaied Roller Dolls out of Astoria. Action will be at The Dalles Armory (402 East Scenic Drive), doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors six and under free. Due to limited seating, advance purchase is highly recommended; as of this weekend more than half of the 200 available tickets were already sold. Go to www.gorgerollergirls.org to purchase tickets online.
NDI fundraiser
The Gorge Roller Girls have partnered with Next Door, Inc. for the Jan. 24 bout; money made through a raffle that night will go to NDI’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
New skater intake:
Do you think you have what it takes to be the next derby star, or just want to join the camaraderie and fun of one of the fastest growing womens’ sports in the nation? Gorge Roller Girls are hosting a new skater intake event this Sunday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. For the location and more information, send an e-mail to gorgerollergirlsj....
With a new, smaller home venue this season, spectators will get an up close and personal view of the action. Being at the armory, rather than a school like previous seasons, also allows for beer sales.
“Fans will literally be right next to the track,” said Kimbo Slice, GRG marketing coordinator. “It’s an intimate setting, which should be pretty exciting for spectators.”
Slice, who goes by the name Kimberly Cannon for her day job, has been with the Roller Girls for almost two years and says, like herself, many of the girls who started the sport as fresh meat — as newcomers are labeled — are now competent skaters who bring depth and athleticism to the team.
“I feel like we’ve progressed tremendously,” she said this week. “I, for example, didn’t even know how to stand on my skates when I started. We’ve improved leaps and bounds in a pretty short amount of time.”
In addition to a healthy group of new skaters, the team also has a new coach, who goes by the moniker Scarlene and brings several years of experience from the Portland-area derby scene.
“We’ve really learned a lot from her in the last few months,” Cannon said. “Yo-Duh (former coach) was great, especially in helping us with our fitness level, but having a new coach with that amount of derby experience has been huge for us.”
Among the many skaters to keep your eyes on next weekend, standouts include the speedy team captain, Ginger Binger, who has proven to be a formidable jammer over the last three seasons. Also a three-year team member, Helda Contempt has improved dramatically since she started and is now one of the top blockers on the All-Star lineup. Another key blocker to watch out for is Faye Spounder, who is also president of the GRG’s 501c3 nonprofit organization. New to the GRG lineup this season is out-of-stater, Kesassin, who should be an exciting addition to the team’s offensive prowess.
To prepare for the start of the season, which runs from now through June, the girls have been practicing twice a week in the off-season and four times a week through the winter.
“It’s an exciting time for the team,” Cannon said. “We have experienced skaters who continue to get better and better and a lot of new skaters who are eager to climb the ranks and prove themselves on the track. We haven’t lost a home bout yet, so expect us to come out hard next weekend.”
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