Rock-n-Rollerderby

Austinist reviews the Texas Rollergirls season opening bout:

We had no idea what to expect as first-timers. However, three hours later, when we walked out of the Playland Skate Center, we were downright giddy from what we had just experienced. The Austinist attended last night's opener for the Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby 2005 season, the rollerderby done with a Texas twist.

Doors open and music starts at 6:30. We were outside, in a long, but fast-moving line about 6:45. If you don't care about sitting in actual seats, seating is ample (floor, against rails, up on the wall). The track is flat and fast (marked with a string of lights) and there are no protective barriers between the blur of skaters and the audience. This is a Good Thing.

To kick things off, John Popper belted out a harmonica rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that inspired hootin’ and hollerin’ from the crowd (yeah, it was THAT John Popper, from Blues Traveler; the hat pretty much gave it away.)

Then the games began.

[snip]

This is not a sport for the weak of heart. They shove each other hard, crashing in spectacular balls of fire into the laps of the audience. They frequently end up in fist fights and wrestling matches on the floor that have to be broken up by the only seemingly sane people in the room, the referees. And in case you were wondering, any one of these girls could take you without so much as breaking a sweat to ruin her makeup. We like that.

[snip]

A Texas Rollergirls derby is exactly the kind of gritty, punk-meets-hipster-meets-BDSM event which will scare the hell out of and then subsequently enchant your out-of-town friends with our Austin weirdo ethos.

Despite their rough exteriors, the athletes and staff we spoke with were all exceedingly approachable, friendly and welcoming; they're doing Austin proud.

This is one of those things you need to at least try once as long as you're in our town. Go in with an open mind for low-brow kitsch and you may just walk out a fan like us.

tags: roller derby, rollergirls, Texas Rollergirls, Austin