By: Zoe Strickland Managing Editor
It’s time for roller derby.
The Panty Raiders boasted a nearly threefold win in their bout against the Thrill Kill Kittens. After a combined 50 jams, the scoreboard totaled 246-90.
The bout was hosted on Nov. 12 at The Madhouse, the home of Cherry City Roller Derby, a Salem-based flat track derby league.
The amount of points earned may seem drastic, but roller derby is no stranger to high scores.
“You have four blockers from each team, and you have one jammer. The jammer wears the star on her helmet, and she’s the only one that can score points,” explained Jab-her ‘jaws, a three-year native with the Thrill Kill Kittens. “So the object of the game is to get your jammer through one time around and then every opposing blocker that she passes gets (her) a point.”
The bout started off strong with Tiny Tank scoring the Panty Raiders their first four points in the first jam. The Thrill Kill Kittens got a slow start and landed their first points during the fourth jam. Each jam is a two-minute playing period that can be ended early if the lead jammer puts their hands on their hips, signalling an end to the period.
The final scores at halftime were 128-37, foreshadowing the Panty Raiders’ eventual victory.
Juno Nothin’ powered through the second jam of the second half, earning the first points of the second half and gaining the Thrill Kill Kittens a promising ten points.
The 14th jam of the second half started off with Thrill Kill Kitten jammer Flex Appeal being benched for a penalty, only to be allowed back on the track early because of a penalty on the part of Panty Raiders jammer Lucy Skates n’ Diamonds. The dual jammer penalty resulted in there being no lead jammer during the 14th jam.
Roller derby is high-energy and ruthless, but every person at the bout exuded a strong sense of community.
“I play roller derby because I love the athletic sport of it, and I also love the girls that I play with. We really do become like a family … you just really get to know each other … I started for the athletic aspect, but I stayed because of my team and my league,” said Cherry Pi, a skater with the Panty Raiders who has been involved since the Cherry City league was founded seven years ago.
“The league is like one whole big family … It’s a great release; it’s a great way to have fun and the adrenaline is amazing. And at the end of the day we all love each other and we all support each other,” Jab-her ‘jaws added.
The bout continued on for another 12 jams, resulting in the Painty Raiders holding the Thrill Kill Kittens hostage with a final score of 246-90.
The Rydell Belles face the Dolls of Anarchy in the next home bout on Nov. 19. Tickets are sold online at cherrycitygirls.com or in a select number of locations in Salem.
Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu
