Prepare for a possible oil spill.
The Rated PG RollerGirls and the Oil City Tanker Girls of Edmonton will bring the sport of roller derby back to town when they battle for wheel supremacy tonight at the Roll-A-Dome.
And make no mistake -- the RollerGirls will be out to punch a few holes in the defences of the Tanker Girls.
"It'll be an amazing game," said RollerGirls pivot Alicia Lock, known as Lockdown when she's geared up for mayhem. "There will be a lot of hard hits and a lot of capturing the jammer. I'm sure that they're going to try and slow down our jammers."
Back in January, the RollerGirls traveled to Edmonton and beat the Tanker Girls 176-135. Points in roller derby are scored when the jammers on each team break through the pack and fight their way past all opposing skaters.
Cruely Sue and Torrent are the main jammers for the RollerGirls.
With the formation of a three-team league, roller derby arrived on the local sports scene in 2008. In December of that year, those three clubs were spit into two for a Blue versus Red exhibition game.
The RollerGirls are now well-established. And, all around them, more and more teams are popping up. They include the Gold Pain City Derby Girls of Quesnel and the Lake City Derby Girls of Williams Lake. There is also a new team in Fort St. John.
"It's an all-women's sport," Lock said in reference to the growing popularity of roller derby. "There's men's and women's lacrosse, there's men's and women's soccer, baseball -- all of that. This is a sport women can call their own. And you can come out and not be a fit player but, from fresh meat up to a RollerGirl, we teach you how to skate, be a team member and also nutrition -- eating properly, exercise, stuff like that. It's better than spending your money on the gym and way more fun."
Doors will open at 6 tonight and the game will start at 7.
Tickets (ranging from $5 to $10) will be available at the door and can also be purchased in advance at Books & Company. There is no admission charge for kids aged five and under.
