Editorial
Front Page - Friday, June 4, 2010
River City Roundabout
Keep on rolling
Erica Tuggle
The Chattanooga Roller Girls faced off with the Columbia Quad Squad in a neck and neck battle that ended with the Quad Squad as the victor by six points. This sold out first home bout of the year, held at the Convention Center, was thankfully injury free.
- Erica Tuggle
The sold out first home bout of the year for the Chattanooga Roller Girls brought out the seasoned fans of the sport as well as those first-timers to witness the speed and strength of the Roller Girls. Entire families, from children to grandparents, were on hand to cheer the team on as they went head to head against the Columbia Quad Squad clad in red jerseys and, barely there, bikini bottoms.
The Chattanooga Roller Girls “A Night of May-hem,” began with a choice. Should I sit in the seats provided a few feet away from the skating area, or perhaps in the aptly titled “suicide seats” on the floor beside the track where the girls would fly by? It was trial by fire for this reporter, as I dared to take one of the suicide seats.
For those who have yet to attend a game, known as a bout, the premise of the sport is simple. Each team has one “jammer,” three blockers and a special blocker called a “pivot.” When the whistle blows, the jammers race to overtake the pack (who were given a head start), lap them to become the head jammer and then earn points for each player they successfully lap. During these point-scoring sequences called “jams,” the sturdy blockers try to squeeze out, bump and otherwise obstruct the opposing jammer from scoring points while simultaneously trying to help their jammer forward.
The blockers of the Quad Squad truly lived up to their name by hindering the Roller Girls jammers from getting through and sending the Chatt-town ladies sprawling more than a few times. The Roller Girls returned the favor.
By half time, the score was 23 - 35, with the Quad Squad leading. As the crowd took a break, a costumed gorilla and banana ran around the rink, and a life-size R2D2 unit beeped and posed for pictures by the merchandise table. Somehow, these sights mixed with that of women in war paint make up, bumping one another to the ground and eating up the track to score point after point, made me feel like anything I saw wouldn’t be quite that out of the ordinary.
Once play resumed, the air took a decidedly more intense nature as the hits became harder, the jammers got faster and the points on both sides held close distance. The jammers of the game for Chattanooga alternated between Corn Smut, Violet Heartbreaker, Conway Gritty and Ghetto Blaster. Chris Tease from the Quad Squad was the jammer that started most of the jams for the opponent’s side and seemed to be the most elusive to take down. As the second half continued, the Chattanooga girls played harder, and the penalties began to add up. This resulted in setbacks as the home team’s jammers had to sit out during certain jams, leaving the Quad Squad jammers to rake in the points.
The girls were put back in the game by the speed and agility of Corn Smut as, in back to back jams, she added four and five points respectfully with 15 minutes on the clock. Ghetto Blaster then continued this streak by earning a grand slam for the Roller Girls that added 10 points to their score. With nine minutes left, the score was 54 to 66 with the Quad Squad leading.
The crowd was cheering harder than ever for the Chattanooga girls, and booing for the Quad Squad in the seemingly good-natured way the sport dictates. The bout was down to the wire, with the last jam dependent on the outcome. Unfortunately, the Chattanoooga Roller Girls weren’t able to pull those final necessary points, and the game ended with a win for the Quad Squad: 68 - 74.
Both teams lined up for low-fives from the audience and each other before the unusual trophy was presented to the Quad Squad. Everyone was invited to the after party at Discoteca, where the announcer encouraged those in attendance to buy their local Roller Girl a drink. The girls of both teams most certainly deserved praise and recognition for their performance, amplified by the fact that the girls do not receive payment for their play, as it is donated to the organization of their choice. In the Roller Girls case, a portion of the proceeds from the bout went to the Humane Society, where the girls volunteer every month.
The girls will be ready to rumble once again with home bouts on October 23 and December 11. The Roller Girls welcome all women over 21 to join their team in skating or non-skating positions, and assure those interested that they will teach them the skills to get the thrills.
For information on the Roller Girls events, bouts or how to support them join their Facebook page or visit www.chattanoogarollergirls.com. Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncounty
herald.com.
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