Texas Rollergirls

We recently went to a bout at the Texas Rollergirls infamous Blood Shed. Wow! What a great time!
Those ladies are some hella awesome athletes and the fans are not even playing around!
We were all swanky and in the VIP section. The lady behind the bar was super nice and so funny.
There are food trailers out back to feed your belly.
While the bouts were amazing and we had a really great time, we did leave a bit early… there was no AC.
When I say these ladies are awesome athletes, I truly mean it. They practice here together in the heat with no AC in the truly horrendous Texas Summer heat.
If you have never been, you must attend. It’s a great show, a great time and great fans!

A Bout at the BLOODSHED! Courtesy of Unilocal I was able to go to the Inaugural Bout at the Bloodshed, the Texas Rollergirls training facility. This was my first Roller Derby experience other than see the movie, Whip It, which I did enjoy. The event itself was lots of fun, seeing the girls work so hard to get around the track, working together, weaving their way around the jams, shoving folks aside, etc. It is a fast paced game so you really have to keep your eyes glued to the action. There are distractions though… a great place to people watch. The announcers are entertaining and enthusiastic. At this bout there were extras! We got to try out a couple food trucks: CHAAT and Svante’s Stuffed Burgers. (See those reviews posted indepedently.) Drinks were flowing as well. The band Ghetto-​Birds played bring back memories of the ‘80s punk rock scene. Over all it was an awesome experience and I have my calendar marked for the next event!
My only beef — the venue is hot as it is in a warehouse. There were fans but they were not effective especially in the reserved section. If the group wants to move all games to this place they need to get in touch with the Big Ass Fan company.

What a cool & out of the box extreme sport. Once I learned the rules to the game I could sit back and enjoy the event. This is great for all ages — adults, they do have a full stocked bar + a concession stand for kiddos.
The way the arena is set up I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house — you can see all the fun from any section.
Looking for an out of the box activity that isn’t super expensive? Check out Texas Rollergirls — you’ll have a blast!

I’ve been to see the Texas Rollergirls play at the Austin Convention Center twice now.
I didn’t know anything about roller derby when I watched the first bout. But the program has a «Roller Derby 101» section and the commentators do a great job of explaining the more complicated strategy. By the second bout, I understood what was going on and really enjoyed it.
I would recommend sitting in the VIP section. It’s a little more expensive, but the view is so much better. Also, the roller girls that weren’t playing came into the stands and talked with us. I enjoyed meeting them! Also, the VIP section has servers so you don’t have to wait in line at the bar.
They have two bars, two concession stands, and a merch stand. The layout is pretty good and the venue is nice. The only complaint is that their sound system isn’t great.
If you don’t mind your kids hearing the occasional curse word, it would be a fun family outing.

This was my first time at roller derby so I had no expectations and have nothing to compare it to, but the hubby and I both found it very entertaining… even though we had no idea what was going on. We arrived late… apparently before the first match starts the MCs explain the rules-​note: will have to be on time for next «match» (is that what they’re’re called?) — no «bouts.» That’s it.
These gals take the sport seriously while at the same time showing great respect for members of the other teams. One big happy family! Player names like «Bloody Mary» (she rocked BTW!), «Lucille Brawl,» and «Babe Ruthless» only add to the whimsical, yet ass-​kicking, environment.
Everybody there, from other spectators to team players, were so friendly. While we were sitting there, one of the players from a team in Bout 1 even came up, introduced herself, asked if we were having fun, and thanked us for coming! The teams also invited the crowd to attend the after party with them (Jackolope’s on 6^th)…which we did for a bit.
If you’ve never been before at least go once to check it out. Apparently, Texas Rollergirls was the #2 league in the U.S. for 2013. Good times!
p. s. THANKS to @YelpAustin team we had comp tix to sit in VIP section! Thank you, thank you! Awesome! There were waitstaff in that area who took drink orders during the event. Didn’t even have to wait in line for a beer! BONUS!

Love this. First time ever. I may not understand what’s going on all the time but the environment makes it fun no matter what!

First time to a roller derby event and it was a fun experience. It took a short while to get the hang of the rules but after we got up to speed it was more enjoyable. Would be a fun outing with the family and it seemed pretty kid friendly. Seating is easy to come by and the view is pretty good from the bleachers. Sound system isn’t the best and it was a bit muffled, but it got the job done. They did a pretty good job with the play by play on the intercom to keep the lesser informed people like me in the loop as to exactly what was happening which was nice.

Catch a match if you get a chance, it’s a fun time

Ok — not going to lie, but I had only recently watched the movie Whip It on DVD because I’m a huge fan of Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. The movie totally pumped me up and I went to look up Austin’s Roller Derby scene. So glad I finally checked it out. As first-​timers, we weren’t very familiar with all the rules, but we got the gist of the game nonetheless. Perfect timing for us as we actually attended the Last Derby of the 2013 season with a double feature that closed out with the All-​Star Teams of Austin’s Texecutioners vs Houston’s All-​Star Team. The first bout was a little slower paced, but when the All-​Star teams came out, the pace and aggression was faster and tangible! Great venue, great sport, and all around great time. Love that this is a family-​friendly event. The bleachers were packed.
I loved that the emcees narrated the rules at the start of the game to ensure that all newbies in the audience understood what was going on. Fun DJ music pounding through the arena coupled with a whole bunch of rough and tumble kickass women knocking the crap out of each other. We sat in the general seating, but now I kind of wish we sat on the Floor Seating where you were at ground-​level and up close with all the bashing. Typically I’d avoid public events where people are hip-​checking, knocking, and sticking their booties out to block you, but if it’s Roller Derby, I’d totally welcome the accidental elbow to the face and total wipeout! What a fun time!

$ 15 for general admission ticket, $ 5 beer, great family fun.

All I have to say is these girls bring it. After watching the movie Whoop it its like I have been dying to see a Roller Derby and what better place than in Texas right? It was amazing I love sporting events trying to understand the game is half the fund and after reading up a little on wikipedia I got more into it trying to find penalties ect plus trying to name the maneuvers the girls were playing. They sold out of VIP tickets but I think next time I will def buy mine early its even more exciting watching them closer you get into it.
Girl power!!! I think its awesome and exciting events like this exist. One of my favorite parts was when the little younger derby girls came out I thought it was adorable. Especially how the older Derby girls encourage the younger girls :) can’t wait till next time.

I’ve been fan since we moved to Austin — I grew up watching the old Philadelphia Warriors when Jammin’ Judy Arnold (now the Rev. Judy Arnold) used to rule the old Spectrum when it was «the ladies turn». A MAJOR shoutout to the 2011 Champion Hustlers and to Pussy, Curvette (You’ll be missed), Jule, Bullet Tooth (you’ll be missed too), Acute and the always amazing Belle Star!

Watching women roller skate is sexy enough without the added bonus of showmanship, some cat fighting, and cold beer to wash the whole thing down. Classic! This may be the best way to get drunk in the entire region.
Mullets are allowed, but jorts and tube socks are frowned upon in the audience (unless you are female). Try to look smart. Button up that flannel, even if you are wearing a wife beater.

Derby, girls, skates, flare, serious competition, and beer. What else could a guy ask for??? Derby girls are awesome, the matches are serious, they aren’t staged and are nothing like the derby for decades ago. Cool thing is the derby is player run, more of a co-​op and derby restarted in austin. Oh yeah, there’s often a band playing between matches.
Truth be told I have a thing for fishnet tights, tight tank tops, knee pads and sparkly helmets. At least I can man up and admit it.
Always fun, a great 1^st sunday evening of the month thing to do!

The Texas Rollergirls are no joke. Last night m’lady and I took a tripski to Playland Skate Center to check out some roller derby.
I ordered the tickets online for $ 13 + service charge (recommended so you don’t have to wait in line). I’m kind of certain that this place sold out. There were a lot of people that showed up. We arrived around 6:10, 20 minutes before doors opened, and there was a good 100+ people in front of us. Thankfully it was a gorgeous evening as we had to wait outside.
I’m not sure if the seats were «reserved» or if they were first come first serve, but by the time we got in there were no seats available, so we ended up sitting on the floor. No biggie, but definitely remember to bring a blanket, sweater, or some sort of cushion to keep your ass from losing all sensation.
Make sure you load up on $ 3.50 Lone Star pounders and $ 1.75 pretzels — tasty.
Initially the rules to Roller Derby are fairly daunting, but we quickly got a hang of it by reading the little pamphlets that they hand out prior to the game.
I’ll be honest… I rooted for the team with the most hot girls. That tended to be the smaller team and in both instances the team that was demolished by the opposing team.
I was surprised how long the matches went. The event officially kicked off at 7pm and we didn’t leave until after 9:30. $ 13 for 2.5 hours of solid entertainment and throw in some live music by The Happen-​Ins.
The one complaint that I do have is that these events tend to be on Sunday nights. I know a lot of folks in Austin don’t work much on Monday’s, but I do. This means I must limit my alcohol intake and cannot make it to the afterparty 15 miles away at the Irongate on east 6^th. On top of that, it’s at 6:30pm — prime dinner hours.

This was my first roller derby event ever and hopefully won’t be my last!
We arrived about 15 – 20 minutes before doors and the parking lot was already packed. We parked on the street and ambled over and joined the «we already have tickets» line that was snaking around the building. Quite the turn out I tell you! People watching in line was half the fun.
A decent band was jamming when we walked in, and we cruised around the rink and found a spot up front on the floor. (You will have to be one of the first people in line to grab an actual seat. Another tip — bring a little pad or sweatshirt or something to sit on. Last but not least, wear pants — they will serve as a buffer from the cold hard floor, and also as something to wipe your hands on should you use the restroom). My date grabbed two Lone Star pounders and we settled in for some Rock and Roller derby!
Luckily the program had the rules and such listed but we caught on pretty quickly. The action is quick and lots of fun — the DJ blares tunes while bad ass gals in roller get-​up skate their tails off! Unfortunately we couldn’t see the scoreboard (I’d make sure to pick a different seat next time) so we relied on the announcer. Regardless we got pretty into it — pretty hard not to that close to the action! (They don’t let kids under 12 sit on the edges cuz the gals come crashing in on you — awesome!)
These ladies have some major celebrity status here, but it’s way cool that you can get up close and personal with them: They cruise the parking lot and the rink beforehand, you can charge into the rink after the game to get high fives, and they even scatter about afterwards to thank you on your way out!
My date and I had a great time and put banked-​track roller derby next up on our to-​do list. But we’ll be back to see these gals again. Hell I might even join the rec league — it looks like a blast. Now I just need a name…

I like to sit as close to the track as possible and consider it very good luck if a skater falls on me. This is the flat track league and they are a national contender in the WFTDA. I also dig the banked track league, but in that league (TXRD), I’ve never seen a skater fall on a fan.
I enjoy watching Rice Rocket, Belle Star, Lucille Brawl, and Vicious Van Go-​Go. They are delightful to see and you can get Frito Pie at the bouts.
This league broke off from TXRD.
I saw the whole story about the birth of modern all-​female roller derby in the documentary, HELL ON WHEELS, directed by Bob Ray. You can watch it for free somewhere on line. It chronicles the birth of the Texas Rollergirls.
Support you local Roller Derby. This league is legendary. We are lucky to have it in Austin. I also love Playland, the rink which hosts the bouts.

While leaving Rollergirls, I heard some very shady looking fat man proclaim to his wife, «That was the most exciting thing we did all night.» This left me confused, but I understand the sentiment behind it.
What you basically get is a high octane 2 hour event, complete with decently priced beer for a venue, some very interesting names and costumes, and best: some girl on girl action… skating action at least. Highlight for me had to be when one big girl knocked that crap out of some tiny girl who was trying to pass her. She knocked this girl off her feet and into the crowd. It took me awhile to understand the whole game, and points and everything, but once I did I really enjoyed watching this. My tickets cost me $ 12, and was worth every penny.
This is definitely a must go see, no matter what type of person or sports fan you are.

A few weeks ago, I went on a date to see the Austin Roller Girls play Atlanta. It was my first Roller Derby Match, and I had no idea what to expect. With a name like the Texecutioners, I kinda thought there would be bloodshed and mayhem, but there wasn’t…there was more!
The match was really fun to watch, a spectacle involving Austin crushing Atlanta, a 20 piece band, a man with a chainsaw, popcorn, lone star and several photos taken with a guy in a pink and black suit who called himself «the Honey Man.»
The most memorable part about the night however, was when my date and I went back to our bikes only to find out that he lost his bike lock key. We stayed about 30 minutes looking all over the place for it, and to no avail. One of the Roller Girls, a super sweet woman, not only helped us search for it, she actually DROVE us to my friend’s house and back (12 miles total) so he could get his spare key!
Not only did we get to watch some thrilling entertainment, but we were saved for the evening by one of the Texecutioners! Doesn’t get any better, does it?

The BEST live event I’ve been to in Austin, hands down.
This shit is real.
For 12 bucks (or 15 if you wait), go EARLY to find parking, have the (dude? chick?) stamp your hand for $ 3 beer consumption, and then it’s like entering another world.
The crowd all seems well-​versed on the rules of the game, and you’ll eventually get it, while witnessing some speedy skating peppered with hot chicks occasionally beating the crap out of each other.
The four teams’ names expertly lay down the tone of a Rollergirls’ event: the Hell Marys, Hotrod Honeys, Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, and Hustlers — all sporting a mixture of sugar and spice, pleasure and pain, sex and death… it’s a serious scene of competition, comedy and performance.
My favorite team member: Lucille Brawl, or maybe it’s KittyKittyBangBang, or then I do have a thing for Sedonya Face, but also Slim Kickens is pretty bad ass… Muffin Tumble… or maybe Choctawesome, ok… it’s too hard to pick.
They’re all totally hot and completely scary at the same time.
Like a bouquet of roses with a side of Satan.
Crowd is a great mix of colors, ages, staunchy conservatives and full on freaks. All just goin with the vibe due to/​in spite of the raunchy announcer (who, last time, painted his face red, complete with horns and a cape).
It’s impossible not to get caught up in the energy… I’m all revved up just thinking about the next event (*May 6).
Unilocalers represent.