I grew up on the straight-laced side of Texas, where getting my ears pierced for a second time was stretching the boundaries just a bit. So should it be all that surprising that when I first heard about Rollergirls, they scared me? I was living up in Seattle at the time, and all the tattoos and brawniness, fishnet and shoving was intimidating.
Little did I know that April 21, 2012 would have me in the middle of the Austin Convention Center with the Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, Hotrod Honeys, Hell Marys and the Hustlers…and nothing but a camera to block any incoming blows.
You heard me. The Texas Rollergirls are back this Saturday at the Austin Convention Center and they’re taking no prisoners. Doors open 5:15 at 4th St. and Red River, with the opening ceremony at 5:45, and bouts at 6:00 and 7:30. (If you’re a Rollergirl virgin like me, “bout” means live action time.)
Don’t worry about the rest of the article, just buy tickets HERE.
The Hell Marys Take on the Honky Tonk Heartbreakers
It Gets Better
Flat Track Derby started in Austin with the Texas Rollergirls and has spread internationally. All four home teams will be playing this Saturday, from “rodeo sweethearts” (Honky Tonk Heartbreakers) to “rough and tumble girl gang” (Hotrod Honeys). And how fun is that? It’s like a street fight on skates.
Look at this bunch! The Hotrod Honeys have swords.
These women are strong, well-trained, competitive, and admit to being a little bit mean. What they are doing is truly a sport, but it happens to be an extremely entertaining sport. I don’t know exactly what to expect this Saturday, but I’m really excited about covering the event and I hope to see you there!
Tomorrow’s Austinot Podcast
The Hustlers came out on top in 2011
If you’ve been around these here parts, you know that we release an audio podcast every Friday. If we can get it recorded before the leaf-blower guys visit our complex.
Tomorrow’s Austinot Podcast episode will be all about the Texas Rollergirls. We’ll be discussing the rules of the game, each player’s awesome name, the uniforms and all the juicy details surrounding this unique sport.
Our podcast is quirky, fun and one-take. And tomorrow’s episode will be hilarious, because neither Eric nor I have ever been to a bout and we believe everything we read on the Internet. So stand by for some entertainment and the opportunity to show off everything you know about the Texas Rollergirls. We invariably need a lot of correction.
Austinot Brittany asks:
Have you ever seen the Texas Rollergirls in action? Should I be scared?
(Photos courtesy of Bill Smotrilla.)