Hildabeast & Killer Kindness
I spent the weekend at a roller derby event in Nashville, Tennessee. Sounds interesting doesn’t it?
Interesting doesn’t even cover it!
The Music City Rhythm & Bruisers vs. The Bleeding Heartland Derby Girls.
Originally, I agreed to accompany my mother, her friend and her friend’s daughter (Allison) because of the outlet shopping opportunity. I knew there was some roller skating event that night we were going to.
I didn’t know my mom brought me a t-shirt promoting Allison’s team. Normally, I would disagree to wearing the same shirt as my mom in public, but compared to how everyone else was dressed, I looked way normal.
There was so much excitement! I can remember watching roller girls on TV with my grandmother and thinking it was fake (like wrestling), but this was real. I didn’t quite understand all the rules and terms (like jammer & bout), but I got the bottom line. Allison did awesome and I was impressed with her skills.
I don’t know how these girls kept their tempers in check. If some girl came racing by me and pushed me down, I think I’d come up swinging. There were a few penalty box elbows and the other team purposefully sandwiched Allison after the whistle during the first round, knocking the breath out of her.
In the program they all had names like “Smith N. Wesson,” “Killah B. Killed” & “Bamma Slamma.” There was also an ad from Aflac! Which I found very ironic.
Allison’s name was “Killer Kindness” which fits her very well. I would have never thought of her in this rough sport, but even though she comes off passive, she’s a killer on skates.
What’s even more ironic is that many of these woman skaters are professionals in real life. Allison has a full-time position at a university in human resources and is going to school to get her master’s degree.
My favorite was on the Nashville’s team - Hildabeast. Oh, what a beast she was! More like a tank that split the red sea when she skated by.
Wow. Roller Derby. I’m kind of speechless. I guess I could say, Only in Nashville. But that wouldn’t be true. What was Allison’s handle in the rink?
I saw a show on TV, I’m racking my brain trying to remember it-maybe on HBO? About women’s roller derby. You take these mild-mannered housewives, secretaries, lawyers, teachers, women from all walks of life, you put them in a roller rink, and all this aggression just pours out of them. They say they love it!
Good question CCE. I went back and edited the post, because I wasn’t clear about Allison’s name in the rink. And Elizabeth it was amazing the lives these women came from!!!
Although I’ve not been, there’s been a few articles in the ‘city’ paper about a local group of skaters in the lower pare of the state that’ve started a league. All those interviewed are much like those you mention, who’d have guessed indeed!?!
Dude, that’s my town. I would’ve worn a matching shirt with you & yo’ mamma! Who knew we had a roller derby team?
~sighs~ I’m way too far out in the suburbs!
Sounds like a blast:) My dh met a roller derby woman who works at our neighborhood video store and he came home so excited, he thought that I should join up! I just laughed at him, I can’t even rollerskate well! He just liked the idea of me in a very short skirt, body checking other women I guess, lol.
[…] came home from my roller derby weekend to find this in our living room. Most wives wouldn’t complain about a Christmas tree they […]
Hard to imagine your mom at roller derby. Some of the local team come every Thursday to the home school skate time with their kids. Just your everyday normal homeschooling mom — with tattoos and blue hair. They are super nice.
As for the tree - pretty brave of your hubby. Brave as in “are you stupid?” Especially after the poop remark. Quite clear how you felt.
Thanks for the update on roller derby. I think I’ll watch. I use to roller skate in my younger days and loved it. Now I’m petrified I’d break a bone. So now I’ll take a look sounds wonderful. I remember watching this years ago. Those gals are brave….and I remember the skating was real..
Regards,
Dorothy