When the Rated PG Rollergirls host other roller derby teams at the Roll-A-Dome, it's usually an exercise in intimidation.
But this weekend, the Prince George team opened their rink with open arms in the spirit of learning and training together at their second annual Skatefest.
This year, in addition to opening their season with an invitiational bout with players from across the region, nearly 40 skaters strapped on their wheels for a four-hour bootcamp with two of the country's top players.
Lucy Croysdill, a.k.a. LuluDemon, and Kim MacKenzie, a.k.a. 8Mean Wheeler, of the Terminal City Rollergirls put the Skatefest attendees through their paces Saturday morning. The two will be part of the team representing Canada at the first-ever World Cup of Roller Derby in Toronto next month.
"It's a huge honour," said Croysdill, who said she was feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves over the international competition. The Canadian team is raising money by selling merchandise (Croysdill has her own derby clothing line called Pivotstar) and collecting donations through their website, www.teamcanadarollerderby.ca.
"It costs more for Team Canada to go to the Cup than Team U.S.A.," MacKenzie said.
The duo, who have both been skating for about five years, touched on different aspects of the game - such as hitting, jumping, agility, partnering and mental preparation - for the assembled skaters from Prince George, Edmonton, Fort St. John, Williams Lake, Terrace and Quesnel.
"B.C. has the fastest growing population for skaters," said MacKenzie. "It's inspiring to see new skaters and to see the different levels of ability."
Those varying levels of experience got put to the test in front of an nearly full-house that packed the arena for the 7 p.m. bout. The group was split into Team White and Team Black, with both teams featuring seasoned skaters and those who have just recently passed their skills tests to become full-fledged roller derby skaters.
The spirited crowd was eager for the hits and spills that are the hallmark of roller derby bouts.
Team White took an early lead and continued to dominate the entire first half, with jammer Skele-score consistently using her slight stature and speed to pick her way through the pack and rack up points for her team.
Veteran PG Rollergirl Sistah Viberosis plowed through the blockers during her run as jammer for Team Black, and closed the sizeable gap halfway through the first half, but it wasn't enough and Team White held on to their lead with a 82-81 lead at half time.
When the players returned to the oval after intermission, White continued their trend of strong teamwork and defensive play, prompting Black to call a time out after the half's first two-minute jam.
The tide turned for Team Black during the second half, with Sistah Viberosis and teammate SaraBellum showing no mercy for their less experienced opponents, sending bodies to the floor and creating impenetrable walls as Black took over the lead.
A late time out proved to be fruitless for Team White as they couldn't regain their lead and Team Black skated away with the victory with a final score of 173-133.
Rated PG executive member Jen Herkes, a.k.a. Loki, said the turnout for the game was better than last year's invitiational.
"People know about derby in Prince George now," she said. The high attendance numbers also spelled victory for the Canadian Cancer Society, who teamed up with with the local sqaud to raise money and awareness for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer. The society collected the door money as well as proceeds from a 50/50 draw.
Southbank resident Mike Robertson was part of the crowd, taking in his first roller derby game. Passing through town on his way to Vancouver, Robertson ran into one of the Prince George team members at a store and decided to check it out for his night in town.
"I'm going to start a roller derby fanclub in Southbank," Robertson said. "So many people come [to Prince George] shopping, but they just go to the casino or to the movies. If they knew this was here, they would come."
The Rated PG Rollergirls will play their first competitive bout early in the new year.
