Rollergirls season finale ends in violent thrills

During the Atlanta Rollergirls championship match Sunday night, the "Sake Tuyas" successfully defended their title against the challenging "Apocalypstix." In an unusually close match, the two teams were deadlocked after three periods; the bout came down to a final tiebreaking jam that controversially fell in favor of the "Sake Tuyas".

After enjoying popularity decades ago, roller derby is now making a resurgence in the form of fledgling leagues across the country, including the Atlanta Rollergirls.

The league began operating in late 2004, and though heavy on theatrics, exaggerated drama and plenty of spectacles, the nonsense stops at the edge of the rink. The matches are real and unscripted, and all the bumps, hits, and falls are part of the game.

The rules of the sport take some time to fully grasp, but basically five skaters from each team line up on the track. One skater from each of the opposing sides, the jammers (whose helmets bear stars), line up behind their teammates and compete to pass a member of the other team known as the Pivot (designated by the striped helmets they wear). The first to do so becomes the lead jammer.

After passing through the pack, both jammers attempt to re-enter the pack and gain additional points for each player they pass. The lead jammer may stop the current jam at any point by putting her hands on her hips, a strategy that may be used if the other jammer is in a better position to score points.

This is a full contact sport and though collisions and falls are common, there are some penalties. Illegal blocking (for instance, clothes-lining or blocking from behind) can earn offenders 30-second trips to the "Penalty Pool."

More serious penalties such as insubordination to referees send the player to the "Penalty Wheel," often resulting in the player having to perform some absurd and humiliating task.

In one instance during Sunday's match, three players were forced to place Gardenburgers in their bras, do a lap around the track, and then eat the sweaty soy patties.

The matches are held in the All-American Skating Center in Stone Mountain. A normal roller skating rink by day, it becomes a roller derby arena with the addition of some rope lights taped to the floor to create boundaries for the skaters, as well as yellow caution tape ten feet from the outer boundaries marking the beginning of the floor seating.

This arrangement allows fans to sit so close to the action that there is a good chance they may end up being a part of it.

It has the feel of a high-school gymnasium in both production quality and accessibility of the players.

After the match the boundaries and caution tape disappear and the fans are free to go congratulate the players-try that at a Braves game and see what happens.

The venue was filled with enthusiastic fans who seemed quite knowledgeable about the sport as they would cheer equally for points scored as they did for big hits and spills.

The massive tailgating festivities held before the game were an accurate indicator that alcohol would not be served inside the building.

However, there is no doubt in my mind that the screaming crowd got plenty to drink outside .

The girls are amateur skaters who compete out of love of the game. The personas such as "Viva Hate" (number 34-28-34), "Belle of the Brawl" (number 1832), Ima Gitcha (number 1*) and "Ash Kicker" (number 24/7) convey the tough attitudes the girls carry as well as the fun atmosphere they try to create for the fans.

The action is real and the competition is serious, but the priority seems to be creating a fun event for both the competitors and the fans; they did a surprisingly good job compared to what I was expecting.

Though the 2006 season is over, the Atlanta Rollergirls All-Star Traveling Team will compete at on Oct. 8 against the Sin City Neanderthals from Las Vegas.

Tickets are $10 at the door, and more information can be found at www.atlantarollergirls.com.