-
WFTDA
______________________________ Always recruiting skaters, refs, volunteers and sponsors!
For more information e-mail contact@gr-rollergirls.com.
In the beginning…
April 2005: I was living in Eastown with a certain knife-wielding red head (aka. The Vindicator) and a mustache-twirling man-of-the-mike (our very own Niagara Balls). I had just gotten out of a relationship that ended badly, and I realized that I needed an outlet for my energy (or, rage), when a buddy from high school sent me a link to her roller derby team’s website. (The skater was the now-retired Ratt Scallion from Providence Roller derby).
I started looking at the team and fell in love; with skaters, their sport, and the incredible commitment it took to make it all happen. They looked so proud, and the footage of their bouts looked like the perfect mix of sport, feminism, camaraderie, fashion and rock n’ roll (The sport has changed a lot since those days).
I spent a good 10 hours that day researching online about the sport and immediately connected with Crash Baby who was starting the Detroit Derby Girls. My best friend and co-worker, The Vindicator, was away working in Ohio for 2 weeks, so I was very lonely. Clearly obsessed, I sent her at least 5 Emails that day filled with links and information on how WE were going to start up our own roller derby league.
The Vindicator, who was a press reporter at the time, didn’t ask a single question. She was hooked too.
We recruited our partners-in-crime, Ricochet, Bruzin Suzin, and MakeYaDizzy Lizzy to go to an open skate on a Friday night at the Plainfield Skating Center (may she rest in peace). There, we got our asses kicked by 10-year-olds. They were doing everything in their power to make us fall and it worked. That’s when we met Wheels McGee, who skated up to us like a knight in shining bearings. He told us we were going to die if we didn’t exit the skating floor, and he gave us free passes to Adult Night.
Lesson. Learned.
We needed to learn how to skate before we could start playing sports in skates.
From there, we made a cute little recruitment flier and started bugging our friends and their friends to come skate with us at Adult Night. This went on for about a month, with more and more girls showing up attempting to teach each other how to skate. One fateful night, the rink announced that they were canceling Adult Night. I spoke with the manager of the rink, explained that we wanted to start a Grand Rapids roller derby team, and wanted to have private practices at their rink. The only hitch being that we REALLY needed a skating coach to make that happen. They gave us 2 nights a week and a speed skating coach, the same man that saved our lives, Wheels McGee.
Our first official practice was hilarious. Out of about 10 girls, one person, Ricochet, knew how skate. Wheels taught ALL of us in 1 month. Within 3 months we had about 15 girls and started learning the fundamentals of the very complicated game of roller derby! That is, after we got insurance, protective gear, helmets, and a steel pair of balls.
Fast forward 6 months, we were hosting recruitment parties and fundraisers trying to get the word out about the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls. The name and logo came to me in a dream, with artist Ricochet creating the logos we still use today. We signed a contract with the DeltaPlex; a 5,000-seat-arena beyond our wildest dreams. They gave us April 1, 2006–April Fools Day–for our inaugural bout. Thanks, DeltaPlex.
We sold more than 2,000 tickets to that first game. The venue even ran out of beer! Grand Rapids came out in droves and supported their local Roller Derby.
Authors: Shutter Speed and The Vindicator
Support derby with your green thumb!
Present this flyer at the checkout and 20% of your purchase will benefit the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls! (Total before taxes. Produce excluded.)
Valid May 1st – 31st.
Bos Greenhouse & Farms
1674 Spaulding
Grand Rapids MI 49546
Phone: 616-949-0407
www.bosgreenhouse.com
BOS is a local family owned (The Bos family) working greenhouse and farm in their 98th year located in the Cascade area. Their greenhouse’s carry annuals, perennial’s, hanging basket’s, container gardens, vegetable transplant’s and herbs. 90% of what they carry is grown on site, so everything is Michigan hardy.
They are also a farm and grow everything from Asparagus to Zucchini (Michigan season availability). Fresh produce is sold directly to the customer at the Farm market next door to the greenhouse’s.
May open hours:
Monday-Friday 9am – 8pm
Saturday 9am – 6pm (Closed Sun)
All Stars play in the Midwest Brewhaha tournament
The Grand Raggidy Roller Girls are hitting the road! We are one of several teams participating in the the 1st annual Midwest Brewhaha on May 22 and May 23. Ten states, 20 teams, more than 300 roller derby girls all packed into one weekend! The event is the first of its kind in the region, based on number of participating teams and style of play. Full regulation games all weekend for all participants. It was created for skaters to maximize their interleague play over a weekend.
Two rinks will be buzzing for two days with 12 regulation bouts between the all-star teams of WFTDA North Central member leagues and 12 bouts open to any established team, including those not chartered by WFTDA.
The Grand Raggidy Roller Girls will start the weekend out playing The Hammer City Eh! Team from Canada. HCRG is the second international member of the WFTDA. GRRG recently celebrated their five year anniversary as a league and is excited to show our neighbors from the north what we’re made of!
Following the first full day of derby delight, GRRG will match up against the Omaha Rollergirls who are currently ranked 3 places below us at 12th. This will be an intense game as both teams will be rallying to improve their ranking in the North Central Region.
The event will be sanctioned by WFTDA and travel team bouts will count toward the participating leagues’ national rankings. Wish us luck and stay tuned for more news about your favorite roller girls, The Grand Raggidy Roller Girls!
All events will be open to the public, giving fans a chance to see up-and-coming regional derby talent as well as seasoned veteran skaters. They will be held at Milwaukee County Sports Complex at 6000 W. Ryan Rd., Franklin, WI. Tickets will be $40 for a weekend pass, $25 for a single-day pass and a $15 at the door after 6pm on each for the headline bouts each night. You will be able to purchase tickets and see a complete schedule of bouts at www.brewcitybruisers.com
Grand Raggidy Roller Girls VS NEO Roller Girls — DOUBLE HEADER!
The Grand Raggidy Roller Girls are ready for a battle of the broads in a double header against North East Ohio’s Rock ‘N’ Roller Girls! Not only is this the first time the two leagues will duke it out, it is also the last home bout for GRRG until September!!! So get your tickets and get ready for a show as the hits keep coming courtesy of GRRG.
The G-Rap Attack! will play against NEO’s Audio Assault in the first of two games of this double header. The Attack is prepared to show NEO a thing or two about roller derby with their ever growing roster and skill. Like any one hit wonder, the Audio Assault will have their moments on the track but the G-Rap Attack! is the real rock star in this show.
The second bout will be the All Stars versus the Rock ‘N’ Roller Girls. The All Stars are currently ranked 9th in the North Central Region and are always pushing to improve their standing. NEO is a WFTDA Apprentice league trying to climb the ropes in their third season. They show great promise as a future league of the WFTDA. How these games will play out is still unknown, but we all know who the favorite is…
Date: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Time: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Rivertown Sports, 2605 Sanford Ave SW, Grandville, MI
