Filled with intensity and athleticism, Classic City Rollergirls ready for season

With a rulebook that consists of 32 sections, it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of roller derby. But no one can mistake the atmosphere of a lively Saturday night at the rink.

Fans will get to drink in that intensity at 7 p.m. on Saturday as the Classic City Rollergirls ‘B’ team, the “Bad News B’s,” open the season against the Appalachian Rollergirls from Boone, N.C. Athens’ roller derby league also debuts at a new arena, the Athens Arena in Bogart, near Georgia Square Mall.

“It’s kind of like a high school football game on steroids,” said Tre Boo_Shay, otherwise known as Carla Hadden, a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia.

The league, which consists of more than 40 skaters, added a second team last year, and outgrew its original venue, (though they continue to practice there). Last year, they had record-setting crowds, including one bout where they brought in more than 600 fans. That’s why they’ve moved to the Athens Arena, which has a capacity of about 1,200.

Their Facebook fan page has more than 1,300 fans, and the group’s Twitter account has more than 300 followers.

Formed in 2006, the Classic City Rollergirls have developed a niche in the community as an outlet for women looking for camaraderie and exercise.

Lynn Jordan, who goes by the skate name TenderizHer, moved to Athens from Philadelphia. She noticed this group filled a need.

“Athens is a great town, there’s a lot of variety in the town, and this was something that was lacking,” said Jordan, who has skated with the group for more than three years. “There’s not a lot of female sports you can do over a certain age. Usually after 18 you stop varsity stuff. This is a fantastic way to promote athleticism, teamwork, and I’ve noticed personally that it’s carried over to my job.”

The sport requires plenty of dedication and commitment.

To join the group, skaters must pass a two-week boot camp and an assessment test before they’re cleared for a scrimmage or bout. Practices are three times each week, and the season runs from April to November. Jordan said it takes a girl about a year to become comfortable for a bout.

“You don’t have to be in great shape,” said Jordan, who works at UGA’s veterinarian teaching school. “You just have to have a want and desire to get better.”

The typical stint for a skater with the team is three to five years, Jordan said.

Roller derby has three positions: Jammer, blocker and pivot.

A lead jammer is the only position that’s strictly offense, and allowed to call off a jam by placing her hands on her hips repeatedly.

“It’s structured like football, but (the) motion is like basketball,” said Erin Cooper, also known as Rita Bandita.

Bouts consist of a series of two-minute periods during which jammers try to score points by passing opponents’ blockers and pivots, who are blockers that could become jammers later in a jam. Each bout has two 30-minute periods.

“It’s quite mind-blowing the amount of things that are going on at once,” Jordan said. “Just when you think you’re prepared for everything, something else happens. So it usually takes people several games under their belts to feel comfortable and effective.”

Finding a skate name is something that varies in creativity and individual personality.

Hadden chose her name because of a personal interest. Tre Boo_Shay is a nod to a weapon from the Middle Ages called the trebuchet.

Others, like Jordan, picked TenderizHer based on the physical nature of the sport, and the propensity to find a play on words.

The sport has an international name registry. Each name has to be approved and two skaters can’t use the same name. With 700 teams in this country, and more in Europe and Australia, finding a name can be difficult.

Lacey King, also known as ChokeCherry, said the local group has a bank of names and someone always willing to brainstorm. Once a name is picked, “that’s who they are from here on out,” King said.