Preamble: Jen Wilson returns with her viewpoint of the bout at Forest City between the hometown Thames Fatales and the visitors from across the lake: the Nickel City Knockouts of Queen City Roller Girls.
All photos copyright Jen Wilson / genr8.com
True Grit – Thames Fatales vs Nickel City Knockouts
October 6, 2012 in London, Ontario Continue reading “True Grit – Nickel City knocks out Thames Fatales in fast and furious rematch”
Final Double Header – Thames Fatales vs. HCRG Eh! Team – August 18, 2012, a set on Flickr.
It was the best of times it was the best of times. Arch-frenemies the Thames Fatales from Forest City dropped into the venue in Dundas to square off against the Eh! Team of Hammer City. The night was the Final Doubleheader of 2012 for the Hammer City league. On the billing were Thames Fatales vs. WFTDA ranked Eh! Team which was to be followed by the ever-rostering Belles of the Brawl from Brantford against the league team Hammer City Harlots.The Shake and Bake and the Anya Face lippy balm were in full flight and fight mode literally. For Mirambo of Thames Fatales, it was a return to Dundas and the first bout of her Derby career. It was where it all started.
/… more to come
Preamble: Jen “Sureshot” Wilson has been a very busy lady in her world of art, but has graciously taken a time out to provide once more her incisive viewpoint of the Derby goings-on at the end of season doubleheader at Forest City. Her previous story on the Thames bout with Filles du Roi and Luscious Lunch Ladies against Royal City All-Stars is also here. Take a moment to read that, too!
War on Wheels
by Jen Wilson
The Guernica themed program said it all. The arena in London filled up fast and everyone eagerly anticipated a good night of derby. After the Star Spangled Banner, the Canadian anthem wouldn’t play so everyone sang it which gave the night a down home feel which put our American sisters at a bit of a disadvantage.
The Thames Fatales were up against the Roc City B-Sides from Rochester and watching the Fatales warm up made me think that they were going to have a wicked game. The London teams work hard and it shows. They mean business. The B-Sides were no push-overs though! Lethal Lorelei was a very hard hitting blocker who powered around the track and wound up in the sin bin often. Actually, many players from both sides warmed the sin bin seats repeatedly throughout this bout. Slacker Smacker, Killson and Back Alley Sally did most of the jamming for the Thames Fatales. Killson was blowing past everyone seemingly leaving the B-Side blockers stunned. Annie Takers, Jemecide, None Yabiz and Mirambo did some awesome blocking, but the B-Side jammers did a great job too with Halestorm, Temper Tangent and Tata Pain. It was a hard hitting game.
At one point Slacker Smacker went down from slamming into Mirambo but she walked it off and got back in the game. The Thames Fatales were holding the lead and then kept that momentum until the end. They kicked the B-Sides’s B-hinds.
The next game was the London Luscious Lunch Ladies against a mixed team of Guelph’s Royal City Rollergirls plus their coach alongside some Eastside Derby Girls, too!. The Lunch Ladies were in fine form and Glamarchist’s Bowie face paint gave everyone some eye candy.
They gained a strong lead early on and kept it throughout. Thor, Elle Boes and Box Kick Betty were the jammers. Thor is a very strong skater and all the Lunch Lady jammers did great dodging and weaving around the blockers. Hot Cross Guns from Guelph is small but fast, although when she’s caught by the London blockers she can really fly. Dynasty Hit and Hustle were also jamming on that mix-matched team, and Hustle always seemed to plow through whatever was in her way. Goodbye Kitty from Guelph was a powerhouse blocker, but again the training and endurance of the London team won out.
Mischievous Lady T, Andi Slamberg and Glamarchist did some great blocking as did Torque E Mada and Bloodlust Barbi.
Both games were hardcore with lots of fouls on all sides, so there were many power jams to be had. Everyone’s favorite derby photographer Joe Mac [jm: aww really?] was there snapping away and I spoke with the announcer Lightning Slim from Tri-City about the World Cup that will be in Toronto very soon starting in December.
Killson from the Thames Fatales is on the Canadian team and I can see why! She is one of the fastest jammers I’ve seen. Go Team Canada!!!
All photos courtesy of Jen Wilson. This is a gallery of some of her views of the night.
le moustache de mirambo
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Forest City closes off the season against Mystery Machine Team. Looking suspiciously unmystery-like is Hot Cross Guns from Royal City.
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Preamble: After the wrap-up of the ToRD season at The Hangar with the festive Clam Slam leading into the Canada Day weekend, July turned into the jampacked Derby month as we ventured into the realm of the 2 Fresh 2 Furious tournament, then the longest weekend afterwards which started by heading out to Tri City and ending up in the Hammer, then the next week back to Royal City and finishing the week amongst the Rollergettes. The following takes place between July 23rd and July 24th.
this piece is written with notes contributed from Andi Slamberg and Lightning Slim
Another journey up to Tri-City on another hot July day, this time to see the Fatales and the Tramps – not in New Hamburg – but in the downtown Waterloo Rec Centre. A quick visit to the Mike’s Fries across from the bus station and a very strange poutine. Then smilin’ Suzy Slam showed across the street and we were off after a quick Tim Hortons visit, and did we ever need it.
Thames Fatales and Venus Fly Tramps clashed in an old rivalry from days before Derby was on the boutcast map. The Fatales had never lost to the Tri-City league team, but it had been too close for comfort at this year’s Beast of the East. Surprises were in store for the evening. Events had started earlier in the doubleheader with the ascending Luscious Lunch Ladies squaring off again against the new Total Knockouts, the third team in Tri-City Rollergirls’s league.
Who knew what manner of mayhem would happen on the track? With captain for the night #69 Mirambo around would anyone wonder otherwise? Although the programme promised a dozen Thames Fatales on the roster, they could have truly used the missing #234 Anya Face, #25 PiepShow and #187 Killson. were carrying a team of 9 black and forest green [nine!] against a very tall looking team of Venus Fly Tramps in their green and pink.
#234 Anya-Face was cheering her team on from the sidelines after her injury at CWRDA. #25 Piepshow was out with other endeavours in life. That #187 Killson was also a no-show was probably a fatal blow to the Forest City Derbygirls. This is not to detract from the Tramps who sported the likes of new transplant #314 Perky Set which was a strange sight, given the last time we saw her in action was against the Fatales while sporting the red and black of the Hamilton Harlots.
Venus Fly Tramps took the lead from the start and never let it go. However, Thames tirelessly tried to fight back sending in a mainly three jammer rotation with #5446 Slacker Smacker, #317 Sufferjet and #69 Mirambo. After having seen Perky Set in action representing the Harlots in Forest City against Thames Fatales, it took some getting used to wrapping your head around the concept of π Perky Set playing in Tri-City. But she was a dominant player that night for the Venus Fly Tramps. Although her height made her a conspicuous target for the Fatales to zero in on the track, at the same time it gave her a blocking and jammer advantage and allowed her to mess around amongst the Thames. One might think it may be more advantageous for the jammer to be smaller, but having the lay of the land, Perky Set became part of the jammer rotation in the second half for the Tramps and created another problem for Thames with which to contend. Perky Set found the holes that she was helping to create in the first half. This is the first time we had actually seen the Venus Fly Tramps crew of #3 Kitty Krasher, #37 Lilith No-Fair, #22 Freudian Whip, #40 Leigh-zzie Borden, #80 Gunmoll Mindy play outside of the Thunder. Everybody was just hitting everybody in sight and giving it their all. No guts, no glory? My highlight shot of the night was seeing Mirambo jump the track to get herself some jamming space.
So the outmanned crew from Thames in the end couldn’t fill in the gap and fell 176 to 89. But as it is kept being said the score hardly mattered in the long haul as it is always exhilarating to watch Derby being played at its highest peak of the spectrum, seeing spectacular attempts at passes and take-outs, jammers skating at the edges of the track looking for tiny slivers of space and trying to avoid the track cuts and blockers achieving air as takeouts land, strategies being implemented on the fly.
Two hours earlier, the evening’s excitement had started off with the highly anticipated rematch between the Total Knock-Outs and the Luscious Lunch Ladies. It was indeed a black and blue battle against the yellow and blue. Captain Andi Slamberg of the Luscious Lunch Ladies provides the analysis:
“We LOVE playing the TKO’s, those girls are nothing but fun, and fire! They bring such a great attitude and hard work to the track! We played them last year, and won, but they had a pretty good run in the second half so we knew we had to play our best.
“Both teams are a little different from last year: the TKO’s seem to have a lot of new faces and, the Lunch Ladies have some players off on injuries. We lost some girls to the real world (outside derby) along the way, but we also took on a lot of new girls ready to give their all! I have to say Anne Tastic looked amazing for only being in her second game she had some good jammer take outs and big hits on the TKO blockers, as well as some crazy good blocking from Bloodlust Barbie who’s just returned the to track from a few months off, she really was a key blocker for positional blocking in this game, and the Lunch Ladies vets were stellar all game! Grisly Blaire was a huge part of this game, blocking and jamming for us when needed, she has this magical way of taking up the whole track with her legs, so lucky for us she was able to keep the jammer behind her most of time, and when she wasn’t blocking she was racking up some much needed points for us!
“Boxkick Betty And Mighty Thor really took their game up a notch this game, they had a few power jams to work off of in the first half and really put us up jam after jam. I also have to give a mention to Elle Boes, she’s been a great influence and hard worker on our team this year jamming and blocking for us! That’s not to say we were too far ahead though in the points, history seemed to want to repeat it’s self, and the TKO’s really made a move in the second half, they put Pandemic Pearl out to jam a bit more, and with some great blocking by TKO pivot Fox Smoulder and Annaslaysia Killsemov we weren’t able to contain her, this allowed them to claw back and gain some much needed points. Final score was 180 to 114 for us, and I’m sure we’ll be meeting these ladies on the track again!”
The Derby gods must have been smiling down on us after the night was over at the arena because the night never ended at the arena. It kept going and going and going and we were fabulously hosted and entertained by fabled stories of Derby adventures and woke up somehow the next day on the hottest Sunday of the year and then we were in the Hammer for a league practice at their rink. If it was hot outdoors, the heat that was trapped was even worse. But they prevailed and if the Derby players on the floor could take it, then so should we. Practice was still continuing while we hit the road by 3. One more GO Bus back to Toronto and finally saw the driveway of home Sunday evening. The first words we heard were: “Was it worth it?” Hell yeah.
And there was one more little scrimmage to come with the Rollergettes and the Belles of the Brawl from Brantford.
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Well, we could not be at the Beast of the East, but going to Hammer City to their season opener doubleheader was not second best to say the least.
By admission within their programme for the night, the Hammer City Rollergirls were going through rebuilding and “some realignment. Under the new HCRG structure we have two fierce teams”, the regional Hammer City Harlots and the WFTDA Hammer City Eh! Team.
The rematch between HCRG and Forest City brought back to mind the two matches from last year, both won by the Hammer, and one of which we were privy to watch at Thames Fatales’s Western Fair stage. The vaunted run and gun and take no prisoner style of Hammer City Eh! team at Quad City Chaos’s first year in 2010 was in full evidence against Thames, rekindling the memorable hits and memorable names at the Battle of the Waterfront (which took place on the hottest day of the year between Death Row Dames in blue and Harlots in red that with the most sudden of sunshowers brought the bout to a skidding stop). The battle with the Thames was the last we were to see of HCRG in 2010 where Perky Set and VicaDoom led the red of the Harlots over the Thames Fatales in forest green and black.
But before we go too much further into the nitty gritty details, one really begins to appreciate the massive organizational efforts made by leagues everywhere to get their events up and running. Original Tankgirl Miss Carriage amongst everyone at HCRG fielding questions from the volunteers and marshalling the media and the musicians and the scoreboard and the NSOs and zebras and merchandise tables and food options and setting up change rooms and kids friendly areas and all the family types and balloons and drawing materials and announcers and the areas for beer [no beeramids in Hamilton] the track and the benches and the chairs with the big J on them for Mirambo and company and the ticket handlers and sellers and suicide line wavers and waivers and keeping everything friendly. And did we mention that Dave Andreychuk Arena with the sunlight streaming in through the end doors was so reminiscent of George Bell Arena and the lighting which is amazing for photo types. If only The Hangar could be as good. [Happy Mothers Day too!]
HCRG, once the champions of Beast of the East in 2008, were missing at this year’s Beast and Quad City Chaos as HCRG as a league underwent a massive organizational change. HCRG carry their Derby history through the Steeltown Tank Girls, Hamilton Harlots, Eh! Team, Death Row Dames. But for now it’s down to the two teams in the Hammer.
This piece is not intended to be another history of HCRG or Thames, but another chapter is being written, so to add to that story is our valued contributor: Lee Way Wreck’Em [incidentally the lead jammer with GTA Rollergirls Derby Debutantes] who witnessed the weekend. The first thing noticed was the massive changes in rosters. Forest City’s Thames Fatales were already without Sufferjet on the jammer line [although playing at Beast] in Hamilton and Piepshow was taking time off since November, but looking forward to a return at the end of May. As well, missing in action in more ways than one was CommieKaze.
These were not the HCRG Eh! Team or Hamilton Harlots of days yore. This was a HCRG without the likes of Dicey or Dangermouse, Vicadoom or Carla Coma, ChainSaw Mary or Jett-Girl, Perky Set. Longtime vets Eduskating Rita and Bitchslap Barbie, Hawkeye Fierce and Miss Carriage are still on the Eh! Team, yet the league as a whole incorporated newer talents presenting new challenges in defending the name of the Hammer.
It was probably Thames being battle toughened already in the season and Hammer playing in their first games of the season that gave Forest City an advantage. Thames Fatales had already launched their season by travelling down to Mid Michigan in a rematch of their bout from 2010. Then came two very tough losses at Beast of the East 2011 against eventual finalists Gore Gore Rollergirls and ultimate champions Slaughter Daughters.
From the get-go in Hamilton, Thames showed themselves to be a high speed team in warm-up that continued onto the game. Thames Fatales have been around longer as an experienced unit, with their roster of ten led by the able veterans including C of 234 Anya Face and A of Mirambo #69 along with 420 Backalley Sally, 13 Dollface Massacre, 5678 Annie Takers amongst others pulled ahead. Both sides dealing with penalties and attendant problems, power jams and Thames trapping walls allowed points to accumulate. Without Piepshow or Tamahawk, the jamming core revelation of the Fatales was Slacker Smacker who practically rotated 1-2 with speedster Killson. Eventually, Jemecide got thrown into the action, too getting two jams, including last jam!
There was no lack of will however on the track, the trademark Hammer style on display, Eduskating Rita still laying the big bombs on the track, captain Bitchslap Barbie, JJ Bladez and Miss Carriage on the jam and Lock N Roll’s go for broke takeout play.
Down 39-63 at the start of the second half, Eh! Team woke up, playing more effectively in the second half, coming up with plays to stop the jamming invasion. Thames’ speed on the jam though negated that, with the presence of Killson. It was a toss-up between Killson and Slacker Smacker as to who was more effective from the jammer position.
“London played solid, they dominated the pack,” says Lee Way. Though it was thought the score was going to be closer, “Hamilton tried to execute plays [to deter the scorer], but they had to pay attention to who was the jammer. London knew what plays to run at the right time. The jammers skated incredibly.”
The first game of the night was the newlook Harlots wearing the Hammer black and white and gold.
The Hammer City Harlots wearing the Hammer City Rollergirls logo tops of black [sans Harlots symbol or red!] squared off against the bright yellow and blue of Luscious Lunch Ladies, the more rookie laden team of the Forest City Derby Girls.
The Luscious Lunch Ladies already had a handful of bouts to their name. But added to their roster was the presence of 666 Elle Boes which gave the Ladies a major, almost unfair advantage because of her Derby background with the original London Thrashers, then the Thames Fatales. Coming out of inaction, it was decided to put her on the Luscious Lunch Ladies for the night to get some gametime in.
The MVP of the night for the Lunch Ladies was Grisly Baire as chosen by the Harlots. The final 210-64 score in favour of the LLL signalled to all on the outside that this was a new Harlots in the making. It was not a night without casualty as #K9 Scooby Doom left the bout leaving with a shoulder injury.
Hammer City coming on the short end of the score on both games does not belie the gritty efforts and hustle and heart of Luscious Lunch Ladies and Harlots, Thames Fatales and Eh! Team on the track and kudos to everyone who ran the show so the fans could see their favourite players in the Derby world.
Andi Slamberg with the Luscious Lunch Ladies knew they had to step up their game to face the Hammer.
“As soon as we knew the Lunch Ladies were going to be playing the Harlots we kicked our practices into overdrive! Regardless of the the shake up at HCRG we knew that the Harlots were a fierce team and we weren’t sure what to expect. We knew that they had some rookies and some more experienced players who weren’t ready to join the Eh Team, so we were lucky when Elle Boes was added to our roster! It was great to add some experience to our team as well since all of us only have 2 or 3 games under our belts.”
“We also had amazing leadership from our captain Mighty Thor and our bench coach Anya Face! Everyone took a a huge leap forward with their game play during this game, spotlight on Grisley Blaire who was a huge force with keeping the Harlots jammers on lock down, and then ended up being a super awesome jammer for us in the second pierod and won MVP voted by the Harlots. The entire Lunch Ladies team really came together, and pulled everything we’ve been learning onto that track. The Harlots were an amazing team, and you can see that they are working towards being the dominating force they once were, I can’t wait to see how they grow and continue to improve! As they do so will the Lunch Ladies and we will be there with open arms to challenge them on the track again! The FCDG Vs. HCRG games aren’t going away anytime soon! We have nothing but love for this league and all they’ve accomplished but it seems like this year is the year of FCDG this is the first time our league has every won against them and it was a huge honour but we’ve worked hard to earn it and boy did we ever!”
Thames Fatales and Luscious Lunch Ladies in their development have shown they are going to be teams to look out for as they represent the Forest City Derby Girls. Lots of savvy and coaching.
For Hamilton, it’s a process that’s going to take time, trying to make a cohesive whole again on both teams. Lee Way concurs herself there are no worries for HCRG: “They’ll be a force once again. I expect them to be dominant again.”
A
fter a trip down to the Mid-Michigan Derby Girls in a rematch, Thames Fatales scored a 169-71 victory to get their wheels in motion for the new year ahead.
Forest City’s #5678 Annie Takers delivers the state of the league address.
FCDG has worked really hard during our off season to strengthen all of the skills each of us bring to the track. Communication is the key to our success, and after spending the last few months polishing it up we are ready to lace up and skate hard. We are looking forward to meeting up with some new teams on the track as well as some good ol’ sibling rivalry to appear with the teams that just can’t seem to get enough of us FCDG gals. Looking forward to another successful Derby Season! Bring it on!
April 30-May 1st
(Luscious Lunch Ladies have been compelled to withdraw their team from Beast of the East 2011. Sorry, Debutantes).
May 7th
May 28th
June 17- 19
June 25th
July 16th
August 6th
October 1st
November 5th
Annie Takers in closing:
“Wootwoot! should be good! We are focused on the BEAST and kickin’ it for those gals!”
[[fair warning: this story is anecdotal and based on a few memories at a time that is now 3:34 a.m. or 2:34 a.m. now at the daylight or eastern standard time whatever – and more than subject to change once the players are back from the Canadian beers at the afterparty] – and photos or video to come may just prove us totally wrong as usual].
“Detroit!”
When the Mid Michigan Derby Girls’ coach was asked what team she was supporting at the WFTDA Championships her immediate response was “Detroit!”
The Motor City team may not be the force it once was but its influence has spread through the state. [Don’t forget that little movie shot around there in Grand Rapids]. And it has definitely hit Mid Michigan Derby Girls whose mission statement is just as bold as any other league in Derby, This organization, Mid Michigan Derby Girls is Eastern/Mid Michigan’s premier all-female, flat track; not for profit, skater owned and operated roller derby league. Our goal is to bring roller derby back to Mid Michigan. We will demonstrate that women of all walks of life can be strong and independent, while managing a career and a personal life, and can excel in an otherwise male dominated sports world.
Continue reading “Thames and Mid Michigan tango in season finale”
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