User:RiceRiceBaby/txrdlonestarrollergirls

TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls

The TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls are a 5-team banked-track roller derby league in Austin, Texas. Originally called Bad Girl, Good Woman Productions, TXRD is one of two leagues in Austin responsible for the rebirth of roller derby in its current form. TXRD’s five teams, the Holy Rollers, Putas del Fuego, Hellcats, Rhinestone Cowgirls and Cherry Bombs have played the past few seasons on a banked track of modern design at the Austin Convention Center. The 2010 season will be a return to form for the league, as they will bring back blocking to the inside and are working towards a league-operated facility.

The genesis of modern-day roller derby occurred on January 11, 2001 when a man named “Devil” Dan Policarpo gathered a group of more that 50 women at the Casino El Camino in Austin, Texas. Lured by promises of being superstars in a multimedia show with video screens, bands, and a banked track to skate on, they established teams, chose captains and planned for their first fundraiser in March. March came and went, as did Devil Dan with all the money they raised, but his idea grew into a world-wide spectacle of athleticism, entertainment, and empowerment.

Undeterred, the original captains, Anya Jack, April Ritzenthaler (nee Hermann), Heather Burdick, and Nancy Lynn became the She-E-Os and oversaw the operations of the fledgling league. Roller derby itself was not a new sport - [| Leo Seltzer] created the attraction in the 30s - but it was the creativity and determination of the She-E-Os that revived and rejuvenated the sport for the new millennium.

A practical decision was made to play the game on a flat surface until a banked track could be acquired. After more than a year of practice, planning and hard work by the skaters, all-girl roller derby debuted on June 23, 2002 at a roller rink called Skateworld in north Austin in front of 275 raving fans.

The second game and rest of the season took place at Playland Skate Center and attendance steadily increased, doubling each time until selling-out. As the business grew the She-E-Os enlisted the help of an experienced business consultant to provide direction for the league and company as a whole. Shortly into the second season and after a large recruitment, BGGW experienced an identity crisis. After a successful SXSW (South by Southwest Music Conference) show at the Austin Music Hall, a considerable amount of skaters could not agree with the business decisions of the She-E-Os and a split ensued. The skaters that left created a new league called the [| Texas Rollergirls] with similar team names and themes, and eventually went on to help form the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The skaters that stayed, mostly from the Putas and affectionately called the OPP’s (Original Puta Posse), reformed as the Texas Roller Derby (TXRD) Lonestar Rollergirls. Documentarians Bob Ray and Werner Campbell captured all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to bring derby back, as well as the dramatic split, in their film Hell on Wheels.

Shortly after the split, TXRD was able to procure a banked track that was used by the original San Francisco Bay Bombers and moved into a warehouse in east Austin they dubbed “The Thunderdome.” They enlisted the assistance of Greg Rollie, a veteran derby skater from Chicago’s Pioneers in the early 70s, as a coach who taught the proper derby skating form, use of rails and falls, and importance of keeping the game entertaining. TXRD’s trademark style of play sets them apart from any other derby league playing the sport today and has garnered attention from media outlets all over the world.

Most notably, in 2006 TXRD was the subject of a 13-episode A&E reality series titled Rollergirls. That short-lived show not only catapulted the league’s bout attendance, but also paved the way for many would-be derby gals across the country to start up their own leagues, quickly doubling the number of leagues in North America. TXRD was also the inspiration for much of the 2009 film Whip It, which featured two of the league’s skaters as stunt doubles, and used TXRD’s league name as well as the Holy Rollers team name with actress Juliette Lewis as the captain.

In 2006, the Thunderdome moved to the Crockett Center in north Austin. The success of Rollergirls was so great that hundreds of fans had to be turned away from the first bout after capacity had been reached. Due to city zoning restrictions TXRD was forced to move mid-season to a larger venue in order to accommodate their growing fan base. With the support of the City Manager, TXRD moved their bouts to the Austin Convention Center.

Austin had become a roller derby destination. When the television show ended, the message boards and internet remained abuzz and a group of country-wide dedicated derby fans were born. Affectionately calling themselves the Board Whores, they love TXRD and the sport of roller derby so much that vacations to Austin are planned around the season schedule. They love and support the league in so many ways and are truly the best fans in the world.

The sport, the league, and the skills of the skaters continue to grow, and after hosting leagues from across the country over the years, in 2008 an “All-Scar” team representing TXRD flew to Los Angeles to participate in the “Battle on the Bank,” the first-ever nationwide banked-track roller derby tournament. The second annual tournament was held in Austin in June of 2009.