I recently caught up with a few raging roller derby queens at a weekly practice. I thought such awesomely athletic ladies had an active wild side, and I was right.
Kendra "Salmon Ella" Galiano, 43, and Michelle "Loose Net Lolly" Hill, 38, enjoy India pale ale and sangria but like partying in the parking lot outside the sports center just as much as going out to the bars. Jenny "Blitzkrieg Baker" Baker, 26, and Melissa "Nautical Nuisance" Bunch, 29, often partake in pitchers of IPA at the Blue Line, but only because it doesn't stock Pabst Blue Ribbon. (Tsk, tsk, Blue Line!)
Being a Rage City Rollergirl isn't hard core just because they wear torn-up fishnet stockings. There are practice runs twice a week, and some days the ladies spend over three hours running, walking on the track or doing calisthenics, sprints, "knee taps" (lunges on skates -- try that at the Alaska Club), drills and scrimmages. This isn't a sixth-grade skating party, and all that exercise burns calories too. But, as Pat "Pat Riot" Bergeron, 46, said, "It's all so we can drink beer later."
Their bouts in front of a live audience usually involve a beer garden, a DJ and a raucous good time. The beer garden is sponsored by Crush Wine Bistro and Cellar, which is co-owned by Scott Anaya, husband of Sockeye Sallys rager Polly "Carr Wreck," 37. The ladies have made the Blue Line Pub their after-practice haunt and said it has great nachos, comparable prices and a staff who absolutely love the business they bring. They even provide the girls with free chips and salsa.
The Blue Line features pitchers of beer from $14.50 to $17.50 and drafts and bottles from $4.50 to $5.50. You can get house wine for $5.25 and a slew of snacks from pizza and nachos to hot dogs and chicken wings. The Hefeweizen is frosty, the huge TVs show sports constantly and hockey jerseys line the chilly interior walls. I felt a little like I was in Canada, but it was a unique, unprepossessing surprise of a place to relax.
And the girls need relaxation after derby: It's no skate in the park. Helmets, elbow and kneepads, mouth guards and organization are a priority when the ladies don skates. On the track, crashing, trash talking and ferocity ensue. Once the match ends, the girls revel in a convivial debriefing, which usually involves pitchers of beer. "It keeps us being friends," said Leigh "Tenacious Leigh" Pinney, 33, of the Dirty Pollys. "We smash each other in practice, and then we're best friends."
The girls also like to visit local spots like the Avenue Bar (where they can wear their skates indoors) and are in the market for an official "after bout" sponsor, where they can bring their growing fan base to celebrate and drink. A bunch of beer-drinking, partying roller girls with a ton of fans and lots of excitement? Ka-ching, bar owners.
There are three roller derby teams: the competitive Sockeye Sallys and Dirty Pollys and the "newbies" team, the Cherry Pops. Interested women are invited to join the Pops, even if they've never set foot in a roller skate. They'll learn the basics with gentle coaching and get a chance to be recruited onto one of the main teams.
Upcoming events include a bout Feb. 28 during Fur Rendezvous. Visit ragecityrollergirls.org to get more information.
• Visit Play's Lush Life blog at play.adn.com/lushlife. Watch a roller derby slideshow and video at adn.com/play.
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