Replete with punny names, pigtails, and knee and elbow pads, it’s the 6th season of the DC Rollergirls! Hear me roar, yelled all the skaters as they invaded the Armory last weekend in a crazed fury.
For those who aren’t already familiar with roller derbies, it’s a fringe sport played on a roller rink, on roller skates (none of those cheesy rollerblades, thank you) and peppered with lots of falling and groan-inducing body checks. The scoring is weird and arcane, involving a jammer, a speedy member of the team who has to lap the others in order to get points, and I still couldn’t figure it all out after watching it for a solid two hours. The players all have fun stage names(Nasty Pelosi being one of the more memorable ones) and one of the mascots is dressed like a giant pickle.
While neither of the matches were particularly competitive (both were blowout wins), it was a blast. The closer you are to the action the more impressive it is — it takes a lot of skill.
There were some merch booths set up and beer men walking around, selling tallboys to the thirsty masses. I clear my throat in Rick Ross‘ general direction when i say the crowd at the Armory was surprisingly large, with all walks of life well-represented — there were kids, dudes, chicks, parents, everyone. Who woulda thunk it?
See the DC Rollergirls for yourself on March 18th at the DC Armory. Buy tickets in advance here. $16 for adults, $10 for children.
Written by Joel Church. Buy his book Fingerprints here at Amazon.
DC Style Is Real 