Mad Rollin’ Dolls opens the 2008 season to a capacity house
The Mad Rollin’ Dolls, Madison’s iconic roller derby league, kicked off its fourth season Saturday night with a upset win by the Vaudeville Vixens over the 2007 championship team, the Reservoir Dolls, and a battle of the blockers between the Quad Squad and the Unholy Rollers.
When the wheels stopped spinning and damages had been assessed, the final scores were Vixens 82, Res Dolls 68 and Quads 86, Unholies 62.
The Dance Hall Divas took the track smoking, with co-captain Harlot Bronte blazing through the pack as a standout jammer. Harlot has always been fast and elusive; this season she’s even faster and sneakier. Her coup of the evening came in the second period, when the Res Dolls had pulled from a 19-point deficit to a 53-50 lead.
The Res Dolls had seemed uninspired in period one, but something happened in their locker room during halftime, and jammers Mouse, Dutch Oven and rookie Rosetta Stoned, aided by a tight pack, dominated play. In the thrilling second jam of the second period, Rosetta scored 8, while Crackerjack at pivot single-handedly refused to allow Vixen jammer Dolly Pardon Me to pass for almost two laps.
But then, with the Res Dolls on a roll, jammer Carrie A. HackSAW took a major penalty. Harlot scored 16 fast points while Carrie sat in the naughty corner. The Res Dolls never caught up again.
It was a defensive battle for much of the first period between the Unholy Rollers and the Quad Squad. The Quads are plagued by injuries (one member reckoned they have only 11 healthy skaters on their roster) and the Unholy Rollers, despite a roster heavy on rookies and second-year skaters, have seemed tough in off-season training, so it was almost impossible to predict how this game would play out. As it turned out, the game was won and lost in the pack, and at least for this night, the Quad’s more experienced team trumped the Unholies' determined and promising newer blockers.
Veteran jammers for both teams, joined by newbie Quad Lil' Miss, thrilled the fans with speed and sass. But after a few low scoring jams in period one, the Quad jammers found the holes in the Unholy defense and picked up point after point. Although the Unholy Rollers never took a lead, they never trailed by much. With a few more bouts under their belts, you can be sure their defense will come together.
About 1,000 fans, another sell-out crowd, jostled for trackside seats hoping a Derby Girl would land in their lap. Derby ambiance – the over-the-top characters, the edgy costumes, fights and trash talk – drew Madison to the Derby in past seasons. But last night, the Dolls proved beyond any doubt that this is real sport, played by real athletes. They’ve polished their skills, strategies and speed over their first three years. Last night’s play was an awesome display of how far they’ve come.
The Dolls’ next regular season bout is Saturday Feb. 23, at Fast Forward Skate Center. The Res Dolls will battle the Quad Squad, and the Vaudeville Vixens will take on the Unholy Rollers. The action starts at 7 p.m. For details and tickets, visit madrollindolls.com.
The Dolls donated part of the last night’s proceeds to the Britnee Smears Leg Fund. Quad Squad jammer Britnee broke her leg in a freak fall during the championship bout last April. The Dolls’ charity will help her pay medical bills not covered by her insurance.
After the bout, Dolls and die-hard fans adjourned to the Badger Bowl for beers, bowling and a little Texas Two-Stepping. Around midnight, Pupy Costello and his Big City Honky Tonk relinquished the stage to Crackerjack, co-founder of Mad Rollin’ Dolls and president of national Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), who announced names of skaters drafted for the first-quarter 2008 Dairyland Dolls All-Star team. These skaters will compete with all-star teams from around the nation in the run-up to the national championships, Nov 14-16 in Portland, Ore.
They are Anya Knees, Jenny Knoxville, Lizzie Borden, Princess Die and Stitch (Quad Squad); Back Doris, Jewels of Denile, Mauly Tov, Maverick and Wildberry Punch (Unholy Rollers); Chop Suzzy, Darling Nikki, Dolly Pardon Me, Ninja and Stevie Knocks (Vaudeville Vixens); Crackerjack, Dutch Oven, Mouse, Paine Mansflield and Stank Girl (Reservoir Dolls).
The Mad Rollin' Dolls will host the Eastern Division semi-finals, “Derby in Dairyland,” Oct. 10-12, at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center. This tournament will feature blood-curdling competition among the top 16 leagues in the WFTDA eastern division.
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