The Colonel’s Roller Derby Roundup

Houston is the best U.S. city to live, work, and play according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The magazine called Houston the “Comeback Kid” because of the area’s ability to battle back from the oil bust of the 1980s. Last year, Houston added over 100,000 jobs in the area, tops among all major metroplitan areas in the United State in job growth.

Personally, I think there is a direct correlation between Houston Roller Derby, and Houston becoming the “Best City” to live in in the United States. Ever since 2006 when I saw my first derby bout in Houston by HRD I have thought, Houston would be a great place to live. So I am giving a lot of the credit to the skaters and volunteers for HRD who make Houston such a fun place to visit.

See you June 8th! And if I weren’t in Dallas for a bout tomorrow, you know I would be checking out the Bayou City Bosses’ fund raiser.

Phil

Battling Babes

They’re tough, yet flirty. Aggressive, but sassy. And they’d knock you to the ground in a heartbeat without so much as a blink or an apology. Well, at least on the skating rink they would.

They’re the women of the Houston Roller Derby (HRD) league, and with the 2008 season underway, they’re putting Houston on the map as a new hot spot for this retro sport.

Established in 2005, HRD (Houstonrollerderby.com) is growing just as much in its participation as it is in its popularity and fan base. The league includes four teams, each with its own tough-girl title. There’s the Bayou City Bosses, Burlesque Brawlers, Machete Betties, Psych Ward Sirens and the all-star HaRD Knocks. The skaters also come with intimidating monikers like Goldie Bloxx, Rosie the Ribhitter and Wreck Hell Welch.

During the 2008 season, which runs from March to September, teams battle each other, as well as other Texas teams. Home matches, or bouts, are held at least once a month at downtown’s Verizon Wireless Theater.
You might be surprised by the athletes you’d see bashing each other on the rink. “We have skaters from every type of background, including housewives, lawyers, IT consultants, graduate students, massage therapists, photographers, teachers and scientists,” said “Carmen Geddit,” HRD interleague director and one of five Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) representatives for the league. “You’d be amazed at the variety of women who are interested in playing a full-contact sport.”

Geddit said HRD skaters train three to four times a week to stay in shape for the grueling bouts. Houston area women are invited to join a recreational league to learn about the sport, train with HRD skaters and get a solid workout. Just be sure to bring your helmet and knee pads.

—Clair Maciel, www.healthandfitnessmag.com

Austin Phil noticed that the Houston Roller Derby is sharing their venue with a few others on the weekend of their last bout.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram has an article about women’s football and roller derby. It has some information about another women’s contact sport in town you may not be aware of: the Houston Energy.

Cached here for posterity:

Violent femmes

Women’s football and roller derby leagues give sports fans something else to cheer about

By MARK LOWRY
Star-Telegram staff writer

For a region that prides itself on athletics, there aren’t a whole lot of chances to see women’s professional team sports in North Texas. Strangely, we don’t have a Women’s United Soccer Association team or a Women’s National Basketball Association team.

What we do have, though, are a three-time championship Women’s Professional Football League team, the Dallas Diamonds, whose home season kicks off this week; and two roller derby leagues, both of which are winding down their seasons.
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