2010/05/24 The Clipper Weekly
May 26, 2010
Derby girls ready to roll
Beausejour Brawlers revved up for May 20 bout
By Mark T. Buss
The skaters of the Winnipeg Roller Derby League are putting names to the faces of next weekend’s “Beausejour Brawl”.
The two teams taking part in Beausejour’s inaugural roller derby event May 29 at the Sun Gro Centre will be called the Beausejour Bombs and the Clipper Cleavers as an homage to the host community and the main sponsor of the event, The Clipper.
Winnipeg Roller Derby League (WRDL) spokeswoman Michelle Nyhof – who goes by the derby name Portage ‘n’ Maim – said her counterparts are pumped about the opportunity to skate at the Sun Gro, so much so they held a two-hour practice at the rink last Tuesday night to get a feel for the place.
“Beausejour is the perfect community for us to partner with to hold a bout because the Sun Gro facility is ideal for roller derby,” Nyhof said. “The floor is in great shape for skating fast and the seating is going to give fans attending an excellent view of the hits and falls.”
Co-founded by Nyhof in 2008, the WRDL has grown to more than 90 members with the top-14 forming the competitive team, the Murder City Maidens. With full body contact allowed on the flat track, skaters often sacrifice skin and bone as they slam their bodies into the other team’s players.
The Maidens sold out their inaugural “First Blood” bout in March at the Winnipeg Convention Centre where they took on Thunder Bay’s Babes of Thunder in front of 1,900 spectators.
The WRDL will be making their rural Manitoba debut at Beausejour Brawl. So far this year they have travelled to Fargo-Moorhead to take on the Derby Girls and to Red Deer to tackle the Belladonnas.
The Maidens next play host to Fargo-Moorhead on July 3 in Winnipeg.
In Beausejour, the Bombs and the Cleavers will be a mix of about 30 WRDL skaters who plan on landing big hits in front of a sold out crowd before signing autographs and making their league T-shirts and other merchandise available for purchase.
As an added bonus, Winnipeg’s premier rockabilly band The Rowdymen will be performing following the roller derby action.
“Rockabilly and roller derby go hand in hand so it should be a great night,” Nyhof said.
A portion of the event’s proceeds will be going towards community projects like the Beausejour Outdoor Recreation Facility and the Beausejour Beavers.
“Our whole league has been extremely happy to partner with the Clipper and the Beavers Hockey team on this event,” Nyhof said. “For most of us, roller derby is not only fun but it’s an important part of keeping fit. Being able to contribute to (recreation based) fund raising fits very well with what the Winnipeg Roller Derby League is all about.”
Tickets are only $10. As a licensed event, tickets must be purchased in advance in Beausejour at The Clipper office at 27-3rd Street South (268-4700), the Beausejour Hotel at 610 Park Avenue or in Winnipeg at Ragpickers Antifashion Emporium at 216 McDermot.
Article from http://www.clipper.mb.ca