Thrills and spills, Roller Derby action at The Plex

Breaking through the opposition's Blockers, Highland Dames player, Broom Kilda, a.k.a. Ashley Warner, skates on to score points for her team.

Hub Staff

It was all about Jammers, Pivots and Blockers at The Plex in Port Elgin on Saturday evening, June 11 as Roller Derby came to Saugeen Shores.

The event, presented by Grey Bruce Roller Derby, saw the Bloody Marys from Mount Forest taking on the Bombshell Batallion from Alliston, with a second match-up of the Striking Vikings, also from Alliston, taking on the Highland Dames made up of players from Saugeen Shores and Grey Bruce.

With five players from each team on the track, the idea of the game, or bout as it's called, is being able to get to the team's Jammer or Pivot through the opposition's Blockers and to go around the track and score points.

Event organizer and former Highland Dame Jeli-Mean a.k.a Jelisa St. Peter from Port Elgin said that the team usually plays in Shallow Lake or Owen Sound but becuase she is from Port Elgin, she wanted to host a roller derby locally and to bring more awareness to the game.

“I played for them last year and I was the special events coordinator and treasurer before I hurt my back,” said St. Peter, explaining that her injury forced her into retirement from the full contact game.

“Fundraising is always an issue,” she continued. “Getting sponsors, getting donations, getting members to come out and play and getting volunteers because everything they do here, everyone is a volunteer, from selling tickets to score keeping.”

Each game requires seven referees to keep watch over all the play but because it's not such a common game that the officials are pulled from as far away as Niagara Falls.

The high scoring games saw The Bloody Marys beat the Bombshell Batallion, 243 to 108 with Highland Dames falling to a stronger Striking Vikings, 292 to 76.

Broom Kilda, a.k.a. Ashley Warner from the Highland Dames said that the Striking Vikings were a very strong team. “Their Jammer kept lapping us, we were getting stuck and they were getting through and they just kept going around and around.”

Anyone interested in getting involved in roller derby visit gbrd.ca.

The Highland Dames Blockers pull together to stop the Striking Vikings Jammer from getting through.

Highland Dames, Slap Schot (R) tries to force her way through the Striking Vikings Blockers.

Voted MVP's of the night between the Striking Vikings and Highland Dames bout were (L-R) Striking Vikings Jammer, Curley Slew; Blocker, Amazon; Highland Dames Jammer, Peaches N' Cream Ya and Blocker, Ella Va Shock.