DERBY LUV - Roller Derby Blog and Comic!

Roller Girls: Photography by Susan Moss - Official launch @ Blizzarts

Susan Moss, a Montreal action photographer that takes hot and wonderful photographs of everything from bands to burlesque, has once again used MTL Roller Derby as well as visiting teams, The Hissy Fits, for example, in a photography and roller derby montage book. Derby Luv's Georgia W Tush with her All-Star Travel team and star jammer status makes prominent appearances throughout, and your very own Nia Capps' is with her team on the back cover.

You can meet us both and the rest of the MTL Roller Derby Rollergirls and pick up and view copies of the book at the cocktail launch party tonight at Blizzarts in Montreal. Susan is a great lady, and a wonderful photographer and we appreciate her support and enthusiasm for the tough and beautiful world of roller derby. Details are below.

A new book from MudScout Media:

Roller Girls: Photography by Susan Moss
Official launch @ Blizzarts

3965A St-Laurent

on Thursday, April 24, 8pm–3 am

Roller Girls Photography by Susan Moss
ISBN 978-0-9739550-6-4

6” x 8”, 112 pp., full colour, hard cover Photography/

Recreation MudScout Media April 2008, $28

“[Susan Moss’] latest exhibit, Roller Derby, captures the grit and beauty
of the sport she describes as "burlesque on wheels." Moss has created a
crazy, sexy kaleidoscope of pink laces, neon green fishnets, blue mouth
guards, red lipstick and purple roller skates.”
-Montreal Gazette
Roller Girls is a trackside take on the rough and tumble world of roller derby, as its rockin’ revival gets up to speed across the continent. Chronicling the newest generation of beautiful bruisers, the original photos within capture the thrills, chills and spills of the modern bout, along with the inside scoop on roller lingo, roller rules and culture.

Susan Moss is a Montreal-based action photographer par excellence. Whether it’s bands or bathroom stalls, portraits or puddles, she wades right in to get the shot – and manages to make everyone look hot in the process.
http://www.susanmossphotography.com/

For more information, please contact: Emma McKay / 514-569-6299 / emmajane@mudscout.com / http://www.mudscout.com/

300 leagues

According to the Derby Roster, there are now 300 amateur roller derby leagues worldwide. Amazing!

Beast of the East Bout Results

What you were all waiting for!
In game order:

01 Pool A - First Round 10:30
Hamilton - Steel Town Tank Girls (40) Toronto - Smoke City Betties (18 )
02 Pool A - First Round 11:00
Montreal - La Racaille (65) Ottawa - Bytown Blackhearts (29)
03 Pool A - First Round 11:30
Hamilton - Death Row Dames (17) Buffalo - Devil Dollies (54 )
04 Pool A - First Round 12:00
Montreal - Les Contrabanditas (50) Toronto - D-VAS (27)
05 Pool A - Quarter Final 12:30
Hamilton - Steel Town Tank Girls (30) Montreal - La Racaille (32)
06 Pool A - Quarter Final 13:00
Buffalo - Devil Dollies (16) Montreal - Les Contrabanditas (42)
07 Pool A - Semi Final 13:30
Montreal - La Racaille (39) Montreal - Les Contrabanditas (32)

08 Pool B - First Round 15:00
Hamilton - Harlots (52) Toronto - Gore-Gore Rollergirls (13)
09 Pool B - First Round 15:30
Toronto - Bay Street Bruisers (45) London - Thames Fatales (38)
10 Pool B - First Round 16:00
Toronto - Chicks Ahoy! (65) London - Trashers (13)
11 Pool B - First Round 16:30
Montreal - Les Filles du Roi (37) Toronto - Death Track Dolls (23)
12 Pool B - Quarter Final 17:00
Hamilton - Harlots (53) Toronto - Bay Street Bruisers (15)
13 Pool B - Quarter Final 17:30
Toronto - Chicks Ahoy! (30) Montreal - Les Filles du Roi (38)
14 Pool B - Semi Final 18:00
Hamilton - Harlots (58) Montreal - Les Filles du Roi (29)

15 3rd Place Game 20:00
Montreal - Les Contrabanditas vs. Montreal - Les Filles du Roi - Cancelled for time

16 Final Game 20:30
Montreal - La Racaille (18) Hamilton - Harlots (55)

Labels: beast of the east

London Calling

So I'm sitting here looking at my luggage, waiting for my boyfriend to come home from work so we can drive to San Francisco. We're flying to the UK tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. It's not just the idea of seeing family, or revisiting some of the best sights in the world, but I have been gifted the chance to meet and skate with two different derby leagues in the country.

Thanks to my Derby Luv connections I have made friends with Central City ref Chet Wisconsin, and through MySpace have befriended the London Rollergirls. What an opportunity!!

Along with this excitement I had the pleasure of skating in my first bout a week ago and it seems that one high is melting into the other and I can honestly say April has been an amazing derby month for me.

I'll keep y'all posted on my adventures in the UK and keep you updated on the Santa Cruz Rollergirls.

Rock n' Rollerskate

Raven Von Kaos

More Beast of the East - results pending

Please just hang in there, I've got an email out to our head ref in Montreal and Georgia W Tush, our league president to see if we can release allt he results and scores on mtlrollerderby.com and derbyluv.com because I know everyone wants to see the numbers. I'm trying!

In the meantime, here are some highlight photos and some interview quotes... heavy on the Montreal, but what a great weekend Montreal put on for all of us! (I was there, but I just worked the bar, the rest was all the league and our committees and board members - what a great job!)
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/galleries/ALM_08_0419_Beast/alm/index.html

The BEAST. OF. The. EAST!

First off, kudos to MTLRD for pulling this event together and setting up this tournament. What a derby crash course for those that aren't familiar with it, what a challenge for the newer teams, and what a chance to show off for the established teams.

Here's a breakdown - well as much as I caught(I was stuck working the bar longer than my planned shift), but I will try to get the proper results and scores from our Head Ref later...

Steel Town Tank Girls (W) vs Smoke City Betties (L)
La Racaille (W) vs The Bytown Blackhearts (L)
Death Row Dames (L) vs Devil Dollies (W)
Steel Town Tank Girls (L) vs La Racaille (W)
ToRD D-VAS (L) vs MTLRD Les Contrabanditas (W)
Semi-Final 1: Les Contrabanditas (L) vs La Racaille (W)

ToRD Gore Gore Rollergirls (L) vs Hamilton Harlots (W)
Bay Street Brusies (W) vs Thames Fatales (L)
London Thrashers (L) vs ToRD Chicks Ahoy (W)
Death Track Dolls (L) vs Les Filles du Roi (W)
Chicks Ahoy (L) vs Les Filles du Roi (W)
Hamilton Harlots (W) vs Bay Street Bruisers (L)
Semi-Final 2: Hamilton Harlots (W) vs Les Filles du Roi (L)

Beast of the East: Hamilton Harlots

Special nods go out to the London Thrashers, Death Row Dames, and the Thames Fatales. This was one of the first games for some of these teams, and kudos to them for working hard and doing ther best. London played with 7 players against a full bench of Chicks Ahoy, and that was awesome.

Other special notes, the teams to beat will obviously be the Hamilton Harlots, Les Filles du Roi, and a runaway win in their second appearance in MTL La Racaille. Iron Wrench, jammer and captain of La Racaille created a buzz amongst the crowd with her speed and natural agility. Hamilton Harlots, though, deserved the Beast of the East title, they skated tight, fast, and smart. Since I'm moving to Hamilton in a couple of weeks, my response was, " I wanna grow up to be a Harlot someday."

Okay then, it was a long day and a crazy after party, so I will see about getting those scores. In the meantime, you can check out all these teams online for news on their season openers.
Derby Luv to ya!

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD

Beast of the East - Day 1 - Opening Reception

Last night, I entered Les Saints on St-Catherine St in Montreal after meeting some of the London Thrashers outside. Those rollergirls made the almost 8 hour trek to Montreal and were tired but excited to be here.

Inside I found a couple of my Contrabanditas teammates working the door, and got a look at the team reception gift tote bags that are filled with merch and tournament goodies, and I only wish I had a camera for those of you that are not here to see them, because the tote bags made by Outlaw Productions (owned by Jess Bandit of Les Filles du Roi) were awesome!

As teams arrived, we noticed ToRD was running late with their travel and hoped they would arrive soon, and Hammer City arrived in full force, all at once, with cheers of hellos.

I spent some time at the bar with Myna Misshap and Blammo, the only ToRD girls that were already checked in and talked about Toronto and Montreal.

MUFF (Montreal Underground Film Festival) opened the event with prize raffles of T-Shirts and tickets to the next night's Lesbians on Exctasy show. Then it was time for "Hell on Wheels".
I am sad to report, if you haven't seen it yet, that the review were right. Not enough skating or details about league starting, too much talking. But the movie does really show off how attached to a new league founders can become. The 4 team captains of the original BGGW were so afraid to give up control, they almost lost their league. Happily, for all of us, we all know that Roller Derby spawned from the Austin beginning and thanks to those Texas ladies, we all get to play now!

At the end of the movie, we got a preview of the Beast of the East trophy. Created by Tommy Toxic, a MTLRD ref, it's a trophy that is at least 4 1/2 feet high, a golden pedestal marked with The Beast, and Le Bete (en francais) holds a man hole cover tilted like the serving dish in the MTLRD logo, with a beast head left bleeding being served up. MTLRD plans for it stay in Montreal, but I heard stirrings of the Hammer City plans to take it home to Hamilton. Games start in 45 minutes, and 12 hours from now, the Beast of the East champions for 2008 will be decided... and someone is going home with The Beast!

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD, ToRD

Beast of the East Weekend Commencing in ... 5... 4... 3...

Yes, I blog from work occasionally when I am on break - though I know they'd hate it. I can't help it today, as I am coungting down until the Beast of East tournament kicks off here in Montreal. Even though I am off roster and can't play in the tournament itself, here's what my weekend schedule looks like:

Friday 5 PM work day is over (WOOHOO!) 5 a 7 (that's sank ah set if pronounced by me) with work with 2 for 1 mixed drinks or beer... on a beautiful spring day... Slam back 2, party party... go home - go shop (I really need some clothes) - change into Nia Capps and head to the registration party, and "Hell on Wheels" Screening to kick off the Beast weekend. Add drinks, meeting those that will become my Hamilton, ON roller derby family and crying over it being my last Montreal HOO-RAH, more beers, movie at 10 PM -..... who knows?

Saturday 9 AM - get up and get moving... cat to the vet, pills to make her sleep on moving day, shop (I am sure I won't find anything tonight, I hate shopping for work clothes), then get to the Beast tournament late at about 2 PM (hopefully by 1 PM in time to catch my friend Seth on a DJ Set for the morning semi final game.

At some point, I'll be working a volunteer few hours shift doing something (don't know yet) and then cheer my lungs out for some more time, with beer. Then 10 PM off to bar Syndrome for the after party... I can't imagine the debauchery that will go on there. Oh, and it's MTLRD's 2nd birthday so there may be surprises! Cab it home, drunk and disorderly...

Sunday 8 AM Get up and get going, in sunglasses with aspirin and a bottle of OJ and Water - chicken soup broth.... ugggggggBRUNCH - say good bye and see you next week to all my Hammer City friends to be, cheer MTLRD for a successful completion of the first annual Beast of the East - hug all of my Ditas.... and saunter off to sleep for 12 hours.

I wish I had a camera so bad... I'll have to hope Georgia fishes some photos from people and comes through for you, I know it's going to be a blast!

GO HABS GO! I mean, GO DITAS GO! I mean... BLACK MARKET DERBY! ummmm you know...

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD

Leaving Montreal..... soon...

So everyone knows now, so I can publicize it... The Beast of the East Tournament in Montreal on April 18-20 is my last hoorah with MTL Roller Derby. No, I didn't kill anyone, drunk drive a truck into our practice building, or get kicked out for being injured (Grade 2 calf muscle strain/pull 2 weeks ago), I'm leaving Montreal for greener, more English, pastures (if not as awesome) and will be moving on down to the Hammer. That's Hamilton, Ontario, for those that are not familiar. Home of the Hammer City Rollergirls, the Hamilton Harlots, Steel Town Tank Girls, and Death Row Dames.

I have to say, I was happy to hear Hammer City might have some spots open for recruitment this year, so maybe my derby career can continue. I hope I can work my new life schedule around their practice times and just fit right in.... secretly, as a Contrabandita in Montreal, I want to be a Harlot if I have to move. Why? They are the only team I saw that amazed me and beat Les Filles du Roi when we all played last year, and beacuse everything I own is Dita red and black, so my wardrobe already matches.... hahaha

But would I jump to play a Death Row Dame or a Steel Town Tank Girl? Hells yeah! If I go to Death Row Dames, Nia Capps fits (as in I broke a girl's knee caps) If I go to Steel Town, it works, as in (I got a new set of steel knee caps) but if I become a Harlot, Nia Capps takes on whole other meanings hahaha. I think I'll change my name to RiaPurr instead ;)

With packing, Beast of the East, the move, and time to sleep, my posts may be VERY sporadic over the next few weeks, hopefully Georgia W Tush and our other bloggers won't totally abandon you! I'll get here when I can, and will blog about Beast of the East as much as I can this weekend! Get ready!

Labels: Hammer City, MTLRD

Burning River Roller Girls and Roller Names That Rock

The Burning River Roller Girls are sizzling up the cover of, and article in, Cleveland's Friday Magazine this week in promotion of their upcoming second season of hard hitting roller derby:

"The theme of this season is 'Fresh Meat,' " says the MILFinator, aka Ursula Allison, a league organizer and member of the Hard Knockers. "We have a lot of new girls this year -- interest just keeps on growing.."

As a bonus to the article, there is an additional piece on Roller Derby Names that Rock!

What? So I guess, "Nia Capps" doesn't rock??? ;)

Labels: roller derby

Roller Derby as Fine Art

The Sordoni Art Gallery, located in the Stark Learning Center on the Wilkes University campus in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvannia, is presenting an exhibit that will bridge fine art and roller derby.

"Sweetheart Like You: Roller Derby Portraits" features the works of artist Michael Poster and runs until May 4th.

Labels: roller derby art

2008/04/24