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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

Photo By: Jules Doyle

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

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

Photo By: Jules Doyle

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.

Photo By: Jules Doyle

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

Meet Feline Distemper: May’s Title IX Hero

Photo Credit: Danny Ngan

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.

Photo Credit: Danny Ngan

I started leaning towards team sports that had more physical contact. Even then, my positions were limited by what others believed I was capable of. I wasn’t trained to be faster for softball or more agile for basketball. I was trained to be a power hitter and a pitcher, to jump for free throws and block shots.

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!

Meet Shorty Ounce from Grave Danger

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

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.

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

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?

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

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!

Meet Anya Heels from the Sockit Wenches

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

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 Anya Heels of the Sockit Wenches 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? Winning the championships would mean everything to my team. We’ve worked so hard this season, coming from last place to being a contender for the championship title has been no easy task. We’ve experienced a lot of turn over in the last few seasons and what seemed like an insurmountable task has proven to be possible for this group of incredibly dedicated athletes. Taking home that trophy would be the ultimate reward for our hard work.

What is different about the team this year than last year? There are so many differences! Leadership, confidence, training, and more. We’re more focused than ever, we’re thinking strategically, and we know that we have what it takes to win.

What has been your favorite jam moment from this season? Can’t think of one right now.

What would fans be surprised to learn about the team? Almost half of the skaters on the current team joined within the last year.

Photo Credit: Hans Reutter

Does your team have any quirky rituals that you would like to share? None that we’re willing to share!!!

Who on your team has performed beyond expectations and how? Rawkhell Sqwelch. This girl came out of nowhere! She’s one of our highest scoring jammers which is impressive on it’s own , but she’s also new to derby and has already progressed so much. She recently made it on the Rain of Terror (Rat City’s B team) and we are proud that she’s representing the Wenches on a higher level!

What will you do when you win the home team trophy? That’s right, WHEN….not if. WHEN! What will we do? I’m sure we’ll jump around, cry, hug each other, take pictures and then celebrate the crap out of a great season.

Aside from a honey badger, if your team had a spirit animal what would it be? Unicorns. We’re all rainbow riding unicorns.

Don’t wait until the last minute! Anya will be retiring after this season, so get your tickets HERE!

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

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Jet City Bombers 177, Grave Danger 161

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Meet Kutta Betch: Conservationist and Skater Athlete

Photo Credit: Bryan Clark

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 Kutta Betch, 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.

Photo Credit: Kari Neumeyer

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.

Photo Credit: Kari Neumeyer

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.

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

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

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Throttle Rockets 196, Port Scandalous Brawl Stars 135

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

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:

Photo Credit: Frank Blau

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.

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:

Photo Credit: Jules Doyle

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

Photo By: Jules Doyle

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

Grave Danger 218, Sockit Wenches 144

Photo By: Jules Doyle

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.

Photo By: Danny Ngan

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.

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

By Jules Doyle

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?

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!

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

By Peter Cozine

Grave Danger 177 vs. Throttle Rockets 136

Credit: Bryan Clark

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.

Credit: Danny Ngan

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.

Credit: Jules Doyle

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.

Credit: Bryan Clark

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.

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.