With Men’s World Cup Set to Begin, Roller Derby Truly Goes Global

On March 14 and 4:30 AM EST, the first ever Men’s Roller Derby World Cup will begin.

In 2011, when Team Canada and Team France took to the track in Toronto to kick off group play at the inaugural Women’s Roller Derby World Cup, the sport of flat track roller derby was beginning its first tentative steps into global legitimacy. Three years later, on March 14, 2014, when England and Argentina take the track in Birmingham, England, as the first participants in the group stage of the first-ever Men’s World Cup, the sport will have truly become a global phenomenon.

Unlike the Women’s World Cup, there is heavy involvement in the Men’s tournament from the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA), and the event will be played under the WFTDA/MRDA ruleset (the Women’s World Cup has recently announced that it too has decided to use this rule set—despite an initial decision not to), and Miss Trial, the MRDA’s head official, will head up the officials crew at the event.

There will be fifteen countries represented at the World Cup, and as with the women’s event, USA enters the tournament as the heavy favourites, but France, Finland and Canada are all expected to compete with a few other dark horses out there (including a virtually unknown Japanese Team).

Led by Head Coach Lime (who has coached, literally, from coast to coast in this country) and Jess Bandit (one of the coaches of the Mont Royals, and one of our country’s finest players with Team Canada and Montreal’s New Skids on the Block), the majority of Canada’s team features, not surprisingly, heavy representation from the more established men’s leagues in Vancouver, Red Deer, Montreal and Calgary (Glenmore), but Toronto Men’s Roller Derby will send two representatives to England in the form of skater Harrassin’ Ford and Assistant Coach BruiseBerry Pie (who will be joined by Calgary’s Demolition Herbie as Assistants).

Team Canada will take on Belgium, Japan and Scotland in the group stage.

Men’s derby has had a comparatively slow and slightly more fumbling ride to the limelight than the women’s version of the game, staggered by a mix of politics and the perception of the sport as exclusively a women’s game, but over the past two or so years in particular, the men’s game has taken off. The rise of the MRDA (and its direct ties to WFTDA) and the undeniable brilliance of teams like MRDA champs Your Mom’s Roller Derby have thrust the sport into the spotlight.

“Coming from someone who didn’t know there was a men’s roller derby community until I was involved in the women’s game for two years, something like this is huge,” says Ford, echoing the awkward pace of growth of the men’s game. Ford began his career as a ref and played his first co-ed game in summer 2011. At the time, he was light years away from being a national team member, but a phenomenal commitment to skating and to learning the game has aided and quickened his development. He was one of the first members of the Toronto Men’s Roller Derby (and its team, Toronto Outrage) and continues to ref on a regular basis.

Despite his depth of experience as a ref, Harrassin’ is still relatively new to the men’s game. “I’m very excited to be going over and being part of this team after being involved in this sport for such a short period of time,” he says. “It’s an honour for me even just to go over and watch.”

On the track, Harrassin’ points to some of Canada’s more experienced players as the ones to watch. One of the founding members of the team, Vancouver’s Noah Backtalk—who is also a respected coach and ref in the community—will be an on-track leader of the team along with Montreal’s El Tennant and Tank (not to mention The Rev, who, like Noah, is another one of our country’s first-ever players of the men’s game). Harrassin’ also points out that Red, who plays for Ottawa’s Slaughter Squad, is a jammer to watch. However, he notes that one of the stories of the whole tournament could be the father-son duo of Riceball and BrADASS, who play for the Glenmore Reservoir Dogs (Calgary).

Team Canada got together in Montreal this past weekend to make final preparations for the tournament. (Photo from Team Canada’s Facebook page).

Canada opens the tournament against Belgium. They will be joined in their group by Japan and Scotland. All teams play a placement-style round robin(of 30 minute games) in the group stage to set the rankings for the knock-out portion of the tournament (similar to the 2011 Women’s World Cup). Canada is expected to do well in its pool, and if it manages to finish in the top two, will move on to take on either Wales or one of the heavily favoured Finnish or US Teams (“I think we can give them a good competitive game if nothing else,” Ford says of a potential matchup against the US). If they slip into the bottom of their pool, they’d face one of the bottom-ranked teams from the group featuring France, Ireland, Australia and Germany in the “Jug” (consolation) bracket.

Regardless of the outcome, much like the first-ever Women’s World Cup, this tournament is about much more than winning and losing. This is all about giving the men’s game a prominent showcase and growing the sport as a whole. “It’s great when a bunch of different countries can throw together teams that are this competitive,” says BruiseBerry Pie.  “It helps bring everyone up together.” Harrassin points out that “any and all exposure for the sport is good!”

Bruisey goes on to say that this will be especially important for the North American game, where the focus is primarily on MRDA club-level play. “In North American, we don’t really know how much is going on in Europe. They are so close together that they can get together and play each other all the time…the more people play each other the more parity we will have,” she points out, alluding to the potential strength of the European contingent.

From a tight-knit group of women in a roller rink in Austin, Texas, in April 2003, to the top fifteen countries in the men’s game in an arena Birmingham, England, in March 2014, the story of flat track roller derby has been one of steady, consistent growth. While the future is excitably unknowable, one thing is for certain: when the first ever Men’s Roller Derby World Cup comes to a close, it will conclude another incredibly important chapter in the development of this sport.

**See the full Canadian roster here at Canadian Derby Frontier. For the full listing of teams, click here. A full schedule can be downloaded here. The first game kicks off at 4:30 AM (EST). The whole tournament will be boutcast live.

Gores and Betties Continue Playoff Rivalry in ToRD Semifinal

The Gores and Betties’ first playoff meeting was in the 2008 semifinals (won by the Gores 106-70). (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

The Gore-Gore Rollergirls and Smoke City Betties have an interesting history. The Betties are one of the oldest teams not only in Toronto, but in Canadian roller derby in general. The hosts of the first ever Canadian interleague tournament (Betties D-Day in August 2006), the Betties literally spawned the Gore-Gore Rollergirls:  On the eve of Toronto Roller Derby’s inaugural 2007 season, the Betties split into two, forming the Gores. Although the two sister teams would not meet  during the 2007 season, the Gores asserted mastery over their sisters when they crushed the Betties 120-47 in the 2008 season opener. This dominance continued in subsequent  regular seasons, and spilled over into the playoffs as well, seeing the Gores eliminate the Betties in the 2008 and 2010 semifinals, not to mention the 2009 Battle for the Boot.  Coming in to the 2012 season, the Gores had an overwhelming 7-0 record against their counterparts. Of course, records and streaks are meant to be broken, and during the 2012 regular season, the tides finally turned. In the midst of a team-defining season—and taking advantage of a depleted Gores roster—the  Betties simply overwhelmed the Gores to close out the regular season. Now, for the first time ever, the Betties have to be considered the favourites as they head into this semi-final rematch.

PATIENCE PAYS OFF

This season, the Betties defeated the Gores for the first time ever (142-50). (Photo by Neil Gunner)

It’s been a season of rebirth for the Smoke City Betties. Despite early season losses to the Death Track Dolls and Chicks Ahoy!, their performances were light years above and beyond those of the previous two seasons. In both games, brilliant beginnings gave way to missed opportunities: against the Dolls, the Betties led at half, while they jumped out to a 22-0 lead against the Chicks before being blown out in the end. But a strong, confidence-building quarterfinal appearance at the Beast of the East showed that this team was on the verge of something special, and it all came together in the regular season finale. It was a fast, even, well-paced game throughout much of the first half, while the Gores leapt out to a quick lead, the Betties always seemed a step ahead. With a killer-instinct not seen in years, the Betties eventually took advantage of an undermanned and battered Gores to run away with it in the end.

Even with star rookies, the Betties are still led by veterans like Lady Scorcher, titmouse and BruiseBerry Pie. (Photo by Greg Russell)

Consistency has been the trademark of this Betties team, a consistency built from a solid core. Seven skaters skated over 40% of the Betties jams this season, paced by veteran Mia Culprit who lead the league with a 60% track percentage and was the team’s dominant pivot. Sin D Drop-her, Lady Scorcher, BruiseBerry Pie, Platinum Bomb, and Misery Mae provided the leadership support in the pack, while titmouse, putting together the best season of her career (130 points, 50% lead percentage), led a jammer rotation that included BruiseBerry Pie (3.7 points per jam), Wolverina (am emerging double threat) and rookie-of-the year contender Slaptrick Swayze (57% lead percentage). Slaptrick’s greatest challenge for rookie of the year may actually come in the form of her teammate Renny Rumble. Renny looked like a veteran on the track, and was rewarded with ample track time, finishing with a 53% jam percentage and a plus/minus of +70.

A REBUILD IN  PROGRESS

For the first time ever, the Gores did not finish atop the regular season standings. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

The Gore-Gore Rollergirls entered the 2012 season having not lost a ToRD regular season game in four years (their one and only loss); they stagger into the 2012 playoffs having lost two of three. After dominating the first five seasons of ToRD (winning three championships and appearing in all five finals), the Gores find themselves in the unusual position of having to face adversity.  Injuries to top jammers Dust Bunny and Bambi (and a lack of depth at the position) coupled with injuries to some key pack players (like Aston Martini) and the retirement of others (like Brim Stone) left the team exposed and vulnerable (and needing to call up D-VAS injury replacements, which they will also have to do for the semifinals), and the Betties took advantage in the final game of the season, serving the Gores their worst defeat in ToRD history (142 points). Their third place finish marks the first time ever that the Gore-Gore Rollergirls have not finished atop the Toronto Roller Derby regular season standings.

Transfer skater Getcha Kicks will make her ToRD debut with the Gores. (Photo by Joe Mac)

The Gores pack has taken a hit this season, but despite missing another key blocker Molly Boom for this game, they still have a solid core of Lady Gagya, Chronic, and Foxy Sinatra leading the way. Where they may run into trouble is with offense. Despite missing one full game (Bambi) or virtually one full game (Dust Bunny), the Gore-Gore Rollergirls top jammers still had remarkable seasons. Both Bambi and Dusty finished the season with over 100 points (120 and 111 respectively), equal 45% lead percentages, and solid jammer plus/minuses (+47 and +52). While Bambi will be available for the game, she has not skated in virtually two months and may not be her usual self. Unfortunately for the Gores, the jammer depth doesn’t extend far down the bench. This season efforts were made to advance both Draculaura and Santa Muerte into the roles, and while each had limited success, neither has the experience to anchor an offense. This is where it could get interesting for the D-VAS call ups. LowBlowPalooza gained considerable jamming experience with the D-VAS this season including a lot of track time at the recent Fresh and Furious Tournament, and recent transfer skater Getcha Kicks will make her ToRD debut (she was called up as an alternate in the last Gores’ game). The most experienced of the D-VAS skaters, Getcha has anchored an offense before, and she will be a key addition to the team and could make for an interesting story in the semifinal.

* The ToRD semifinal between the Gore-Gore Rollergirls and the Smoke City Betties will be the main event in a double header. Kicking off the evening will be a showdown between ToRD’s Death Track Dolls and the Queen City houseleague champs the Nickel City Knockouts (out of Buffalo). Doors open at 5:00 PM. The semi-final is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 PM. Tickets are available online or at a number of downtown vendors.

2012 Team Preview: Smoke City Betties

2012 Smoke City Betties

	Wins	Losses	+/-	Notes
2011 Regular Season	0	3	– 170	Fourth Place for second straight year.
2011 Playoffs	–	–	–	Did not qualify for playoffs.

2011

When a team goes 0-3 on the season (throw in a two-and-done at the Beast of the East on top of that) and doesn’t manage to score more than 63 points in a bout, it’s hard to say that team had a successful year. Yet that is exactly what could be said about the Smoke City Betties.

The Betties ended 2011 on a high note with an exhibition win over the Hamilton Harlots. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

It’s been a tumultuous few season for the Betties since an appearance in Battle for the Boot 3 in 2009. After that great early ToRD team burst apart, twelve rookies stepped onto the track for the team in 2010. The results were what one would expect. That year the Betties had an average margin of loss of a staggering 191 points. Within one season (only two more rookies were added for 2011) the team managed to orchestrate a nearly complete turnaround, more than halving that average to 77 points. On top of that, they found success outside of ToRD, pulling off a nail biter in Ottawa over the Riot Squad and closing out 2012 with a confidence-boosting win over the Hamilton Harlots 164-75 in October. Despite the last place finish for the second consecutive season, these Betties have a lot to look forward to.

Five-year skater Pretty Peeved called it a career in 2011. (Photo by Joe Mac)

LOSSES AND GAINS

The Betties are truly nearing the end of the team’s rebuild with Memphis Kitty and Hot Roller the only remaining skaters on the roster from that great 2009 team, and this off season saw the retirement of two more vets along with the stepping aside of two sophomore skaters. Five-year vet Pretty Peeved, who began her career as a Bruiser, emerged as a post-2009 leader on the track and was a key pivot for the Betties during the last two seasons. The Betties also lost Lacy Brawler from the pack; the skater who was one of the leaders of the team in track time in 2010 saw that number dip in 2011. P. Doddy and Diva Zapata, two of the twelve 2010 rookies also hung up their skates in the off season, leaving four spaces open on the roster.

Rookie Renny Rumble (#1205) has the potential to contribute right away. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

2012’s draft was easily the deepest yet, and the Betties filled out their roster nicely. Two of the more experienced draftees, Laya Beaton and Renny Rumble, seem to be the most track-ready perhaps of the whole draft. Renny was a dominant skater for the D-VAS in 2011, proving to be a triple threat, excelling at all positions. Laya Beaton was a force on the track who had exhibited some penalty problems early in the year but seemed to clean up as the season went on. Slaptrick Swayze and General Patten are less experienced, but also show a ton of potential. Swayze is a calm, collected presence and positionally focused, key on the track for a team still finding itself, while Patten is a life-long skater who is certainly someone to watch for as her track-sense and knowledge of the game increases.

Both BruiseBerry Pie (left) and Tropic Thunder will be key multi-position players this season. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

BY POSITION

The Betties also picked up a new bench manager this season, plucking former D-VAS Raunchy Hextall (whose injury problems led to her retirement from competition) to run the bench, hopefully filling a hole that has been a constant gap for the team. Misery Mae and titmouse are co-captains for the 2012 Smoke City Betties, and will bring a fresh perspective to the team leadership role.

Pivot:  Pretty Peeved led the way with the stripe in 2011, sharing duties especially with Hot Roller and BruiseBerry Pie. Lady Scorcher and Mia Culprit also pivoted in 2011 and with their experience will undoubtedly be called upon to make up the gap this season. Misery Mae, who had a standout rookie year in 2011 has also shown a confidence to lead the packs and could be a key component of the team in 2012 and moving forward.

Second-year skater Rug Burn will be a key part of a deep jammer rotation. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

Blocker: The Betties have slowly developed a very balanced pack. Led by the versatile Mia Culprit, the Betties can hit hard with the likes of Sin D Drop-Her and Laya Beaton, but also have positionally sound blockers in Tropic Thunder and Mouth of the South. Grim Avenger, who slipped into a bit of sophomore slump last season, seems on the cusp of becoming a core component of the pack, while for Geniune Risk, another third-year skater, this third year could be the year she steps up as well. But with a year of D-VAS experience under their belts, don’t count out Swazye and Renny Rumble as key contributors this season as well.

Jammer: With primary pack skaters like BruiseBerry Pie and Tropic Thunder able to jam when needed, the Betties have slowly developed a deep rotation of jammers. Led by Memphis Kitty and titmouse, who were the busiest jammers in 2011, rookie Rug Burn was a standout first-year skater last year and Platinum Bomb is growing into the role, while Sail Her Poon (who is a potential triple threat) and Wolverina (who is making her much anticipated return to the track in 2012) fill out the growing stable of jammers. On top of that, rookie General Patten looks like a key candidate to join this deepening rotation.

Along with the Dolls vs. Betties showdown, CN Power will also be hosting Roc City in a WFTDA bout.

EXPECTATIONS

Expectations for the Betties grow each year and in 2012 they have reached a new height. In many ways, on the track this team resembles the Smoke City Betties of 2008: a team loaded with talent that seems on the verge of bringing it all together but may not quite be there yet. That 2008 team would lose in the semi-finals to the Gore-Gore Rollergirls, but would appear in the championship game just one-year later. While it may be a bit much to think this team capable of challenging for the Boot this year, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise if this year’s team competes with the Death Track Dolls for that final playoff spot, a battle that will begin at the season opener for the two teams.

2011 STATS HIGHLIGHTS

• BruiseBerry Pie was a triple threat in 2011, appearing in 60% of her team’s jams spread out over the three positions. At 49% and 48% respectively, Lady Scorcher and Pretty Peeved  were also hovering around that 50% mark. Memphis Kitty was the busiest jammer (33% with the star) with titmouse right behind her (28%).
• BruiseBerry Pie led most blocking categories for the team including blocks (with Mia Culprit and Pretty Peeved just behind her), knockdowns (Mia again in second) and assists.
• Memphis Kitty led the team in scoring with 68 points (1.66 points per jam).
• BruiseBerry Pie also racked up the most penalty minutes (but with 8 for 75 jams, it was not as bad a percentage as it seems). Lady Scorcher had a remarkably clean year, sitting only one minute in the box despite being on the track for 61 jams over three games.

**The Betties kick off 2012 with a showdown against the Dolls at the Bunker in Downsview Park. CN Power will be hosting Roc City (Rochester, NY) in a WFTDA sanctioned bout to kick off the double header. Doors open a 5:00PM. Tickets available online and at select locations.

Chicks Smoke the Betties

BruiseBerry Pie made her much anticipated ToRD debut in the Betties' loss. (photo by Sean Murphy)

Smoke City Betties 22 vs. Chicks Ahoy! 131

There was a particular level of anticipation in the Hangar on Saturday night. There were many intriguing stories to follow, from how the new Smoke City Betties “veterans” would perform, to how the Chicks Ahoy! would be able to integrate the largest contingent of fresh meat they’d ever had. But the biggest question was how the actual bout would unfold; after last year’s 250 point blowout, how far had the Betties come? What we did learn was that despite the fact that the Betties are obviously a much better team than they were a year ago, there is still work to be done to get back to a competitive level. After faltering at the beginning of 2010, this year’s Chicks Ahoy! team has come roaring out of the gates, looking calm, organized and strategically sound on their way to an impressive season opening victory.

FIRST HALF

The Chicks' Dyna Hurtcha had a game high 54 points; titmouse had the most track time of her ToRD career. (photo by Sean Murphy)

After gaining considerable experience in a pre-season game in Ottawa, the Chicks had no problems lining up rookie jammer Kookie Doe against the vastly improved titmouse to kick this off. The rookie didn’t look out of place at all, going 4 and done to get her team on the board early (she’d finish with a solid 27 points). Dyna Hurtcha also came to play, laying down the law with some big hits in the pack, before donning the star and picking up points for her team. If Dyna’s level of play at this early stage of the season is any indication, the triple-threat and most-feared award winner of the 2009 season is back 100%. In the recent past, the Betties would not have had a response to a jammer as physical and unintimidated as Hurtcha, but this is a Betties team that looks ready to stand up to any physical challenge. In her ToRD debut, BruiseBerry Pie delivered in a big way, showing no fear in her willingness to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Chicks pack. And while she was sometimes scattered and erratic when wearing the pivot’s stripe, she was often dominant as a blocker and scored some impressive jammer take outs.

Other veterans stepped up for the Betties as well. Memphis Kitty (who led the Betties with 11 points) continues to be a steadying and reliable presence on the track, helping an early push back that kept the Betties in the game, often facing off against Chicks’ veteran Candy Crossbones (a duo that has been doing battle for as long as this sport has been played in this city). After a smart 2 point call by titmouse, the Betties were certainly within reach, down 20-7, and looking prepared to take the game to the Chicks.

Chicks' Nasher the Smasher had her hands full against old opponent, Mia Culprit, who made her return to the track. (photo by Derek Lang)

With some sloppy, physical packs, this bout was perhaps defined by great one-on-one battles that occurred whether over the course of the bout or just within particular jams. Fifteen minutes in, at what could have been the turning point in the first half, two straight stalemates (followed by a Memphis Kitty single) left the game open for either team to take over. With Dyna Hurtcha on a run and looking to sway the momentum back in the Chicks’ favour, Betties’ co-captain Sail Her Poon stepped up to take her on. Despite bouncing off of the Chicks’ power jammer on the initial pass, Poon stayed on the case and managed a late-jam jammer take out on Hurtcha that limited the damage. But Candy Crossbones (who at this early stage in the year looks to be in as good a shape as she’s been since the Chicks’ 2008 championship season) had a fantastic bout with the star. Aided by amazing pack work from 2010 rookie stand out Marmighty, Candy was dominant on this night whether reeling in jammers and forcing calls or picking up critical points at crucial moments, the Betties didn’t have a response for the scrapper jammer. Memphis Kitty picked up a much needed grand slam on the last jam of the first half; but despite this, the continued physical dominance of Bruise, and a strong positional performance from Pretty Peeved (another skater who looks to be in top form early on this season), the Betties were still staring at a 48-15 deficit at the half.

SECOND HALF

Needing to come out strong to get back into this one, the Betties proved unable to rise to the challenge. With jammer Memphis Kitty in the box, and Dyna Hurtcha lined up for the power jam, the Betties failed to track a full set of blockers, leaving only the scrappy and effective Sail Her Poon to fend off the strong Chicks pack. In the most even of situations, the Chicks dominated the pack all night, putting up great front walls and responding well to their pivot’s direction, so it didn’t take long for Dyna Hurtcha to put up 15 points before Poon actually did her team a favour by being thrown in the box and forcing the refs to call the jam for the inability to form a pack. It was great opportunity for the Betties and Kitty made the most of it, taking lead right out of the box. She got caught up in a collision at the back of the pack on her scoring pass and was forced to call it. It would be a pivotal missed opportunity as Candy Crossbones threw down 9 points on the next jam to give the Chicks a formidable 91-16 lead.

Veteran pivot Pretty Peeved had a strong bout for the Betties. (photo by Joe Mac)

While the Betties clearly have the raw talent to pull things together and be competitive, their success this year will depend in large part on how well they come together as a team.  Along with the bench error (from a bench that seem to verge on over-emotional) there were smaller errors as well such as outscored lead jammers(though in fairness a lot of that was due to savvy jamming on the Chicks’ part, including from their confident rookie, Kookie Doe), or skaters unnecessarily being goated by out-of-play players. It was a typical early season bout, with the skaters only beginning to round into game shape, and therefore understandably mistake prone. And just as there were great individual performances, there were also great team moments as well: The recycling by the Chicks blockers and their ability to hold the front frustrated the Betties all night. And the Chicks’ rookies in the bout—Kookie Doe, Snap N Cooter, Red Light Roxy, and Balla Reina—blended in seamlessly, guided well by their veteran teammates.

The story was much the same for the duration of the second half (in which the Betties only managed 7 points). Despite some spirited play from Betties’ pivot Hot Roller and some big hits and strong defence from the Chicks’s blocker, Nasher the Smasher, long and frequent timeouts (prompting some energetic “Let’s Play Derby” chants from the fans) sapped the remaining energy from this one-sided match up  and the Chicks held the course, sailing away with a  131-22 victory.

Chicks' Marmighty (blocking Platinum Bomb) had an extraordinary start to her second season. (photo by Sean Murphy)

ON THE HORIZON

Despite the loss, the Betties have a lot to take away from this. Strong individual performances from the veteran core (and from their lone tracked rookie, D-VAS graduate, Misery Mae) will provide a great focus going forward. Their young core of jammers is continuing to grow, and titmouse played the biggest game of her young career, gaining valuable experience. As the year progresses the wisdom of drafting veterans BruiseBerry and Mia Culprit should become evident too, as both have a lot to offer this team. It will be interesting to see how unified this group can become before their next bout against the Death Track Dolls (April 16). Despite the changes to the lineup, the Chicks look like they are reading to pick up where they left off, and no doubt will carry a lot of confidence into their 2010 championship rematch against the Gore-Gore Rollergirls on April 9.

Check out the stats breakdown, updated standings and keep up with the 2011 JQ rating to track the league’s top jammers at the Stats Page. Keep an eye on ToRD.TV for a video recap and layer9’s bout footage.

Team Preview: Smoke City Betties

SMOKE CITY BETTIES

	Wins	Losses	+/ –	Notes
2010 Regular Season	0	3	-574	Currently on a 5 bout, ToRD losing streak.
2010 Playoffs	0	1	-88	A comparatively solid showing in the semis.

The 2010 Betties lost their 4 ToRD bouts by an average of 165 points. (Photo by Joe Mac)

2010

Things could have ended very badly for the Smoke City Betties in 2010. The team staggered into ToRD’s semifinals as the fourth seed, lining up across the track from the defending champion Gore-Gore Rollergirls. Having lost their previous four bouts by a combined score of 975 – 167, the Betties seemed primed to be blown out, and in a big way. But then an interesting thing happened in that October bout: a cohesive team finally emerged to play its most competitive bout of the season.

After exploding the roster of the squad who’d made a spirited run to the 2009 championship, the 2010 Betties were rebuilding around a small core of veterans. There were certainly a fair share of growing pains along the way, but growing pains build maturity. The Betties ended last season truly looking like a team of the future.

LOSSES AND GAINS

BruiseBerry Pie salutes the crowd in her Hangar debut at the 2010 Clam Slam. (Photo by Joe Mac)

For the first time in years, it is possible to talk about the Betties in terms of gains as opposed to losses. With a favourable position in the draft, the Betties played on their solid youth group by focusing on stockpiling veterans. ToRD veteran Mia Culprit returns to the track in 2011. A founding member of ToRD, and a veteran of the Gore’s 2009 championship team, Mia brings a wealth of experience to the track for a team that desperately needs it. Key is her ability to pivot, which, especially for a young squad, is extremely important. Another key addition to the front of the pack is BruiseBerry Pie. After cutting her teeth with the GTAR’s Derby Debutantes, BruiseBerry will be making her much anticipated ToRD debut in the Betties’ season opener. The hard-hitting pivot potentially entering the prime of her career could be a game changer for this Betties squad. Co-captain Lady Scorcher has said that the roster continuity, along with the addition of veterans, has really helped the team prepare for the season. “Last year we started the ToRD season with 12 rookies, this year we have two, it’s a completely different feel,” she said.  “We’ve had almost a year and lots of experiences that have bonded us as a team, and the new drafts are integrating with the team really well.”

Mia Culprit returns to the track after a one-year hiatus (seen here playing for the 2009 champion Gore-Gore Rollergirls). (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

BY POSITION

The Betties will be led by a trio of new bench bosses this season: Sneaky Teaze, a former player and then coach of the original D-VAS, returns, and she’ll be joined by The Count and Shaun Fletcher. During last year’s rebuild, many of the young Betties were thrust into important roles on the track. “We really had to throw most of our skaters into new roles, with big performance expectations last year,” Scorcher admitted in discussing the pressure on the Betties rookies last year. “It felt a bit like climbing a mountain, but now the peak is in sight and we aren’t limiting our expectations of what is possible this season.” So while it may have seemed punishing at the time, this experience should make for a team that is solid positionally in 2011.

Pivots: Both Mia Culprit and BruiseBerry Pie have considerable experience with the stripe, and will undoubtedly be looked upon for leadership up front. Last season, vets Hot Roller and Pretty Peeved stepped up to take on most of the load in this position and will probably do so again this year. Lacy Brawler and Lady Scorcher are two other experienced options up front (and both evolved into great two-way players late last year), but last season’s rookie triple threat Sail Her Poon can handle the pressure, and Grim Avenger (who had the third most track time among the rookies) ended 2010 with a prominent and versatile role in the pack and could be a pivot of the future.

Nine Betties played their first bouts in 2010 (including Mouth of the South, titmouse and Tropic Thunder). (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

Blockers: Once again, due to necessity, the Betties have an experienced group of second-year skaters who can fill out the pack. Mouth of the South, Sin D Drop Her, and P Doddy (whose track time increased considerably as the season progressed) all gained valuable experience last season and will be looked upon to take on a leadership roles in 2011. Diva Zapata and Genuine Risk both seem poised to take on considerably more of the workload as well. All of this means that rookie additions Rug Burn and Misery Mae (who gained valuable bouting experience with the D-VAS in 2010) have the privilege of developing at a slow, considered pace, free of the burden of expectation that last season’s rookies had thrust upon them.

Jammers: It could be argued that this is the position that the Betties struggled with most last season. Sole vet Memphis Kitty led the youthful attack and she’ll be back to perform the same role this season. The good news is, is that jammer squad who had an initiation by fire in 2010 is back intact. Tropic Thunder led the 2010 Betties with a 24 % jammer percentage and showed considerable grit and determination in what was a challenging role to play on such an inexperienced team. Her 24% was just ahead of Poon’s 22%, though it wouldn’t be surprising if the captain spread herself across the positions more, allowing fellow sophomores Platinum Bomb and titmouse a chance to develop with the star.

EXPECTATIONS

There is a general sense that after such an intense 2010, the future is now for the Smoke City Betties. And things look good in the preseason, as a confident looking Betties squad recently gained a hard-fought victory (81-77) over a similarly matched Rideau Valley Riot Squad. The 2011 version of the Betties looks far removed from the team that suffered a 234 point loss on its last trip to Ottawa (last August vs. The Slaughter Daughters). It remains to be seen how this team can compete in ToRD this season. Aside from the Gores predictably strong squad, there are many unknowns. The Death Track Dolls looked vulnerable in their season opener, and the Chicks Ahoy!—a team that has thrived on a consistent, experienced lineup—will be tested as they integrate a considerable rookie crop this year. Despite all of the new faces on the Chicks, the Betties are not taking their opponents lightly. “They still have plenty of big hitters, fast jammers and strong leaders,” Scorcher points out, adding “we’re really looking forward to starting off the season with this game, as it will be a great opportunity to see how far we’ve come since last playing them.”

There is one thing about this game that is a given: this bout will most certainly not be a repeat of last season’s 266-42 blowout.

From the Archives (July 19, 2009): Betties 68 vs. Chicks 61 (Betties' Slaughter Lauder tries to pass Chicks' Mega Bouche). (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

2010 REGULAR SEASON STATS HIGHLIGHTS

– Over ToRD’s full 2010 season, had an average margin of loss of 166 points. Memphis Kitty’s -123 was actually the top overall +/- on the team.

– Sail Her Poon led the team in scoring (47 PTS, a 1.88 PPJ), while Memphis Kitty led with a 31% lead percentage.

– Pretty Peeved led the team in assists (12), blocks (24) and tied with Lady Scorcher for the lead in knockdowns (3).

– Lacy Brawler (who led the Betties in track time, appearing in 60% of the team’s jams) picked up the most minor penalties (29), majors (8) and total penalty minutes (14).

* Betties play the Chicls in the season opener for both teams on Saturday, March 12. Tickets for the bout are available online, or at various outlets down town. Doors of The Hangar open at 6:30, opening whistle at 7:30.

Check out ToRD.TV’s “Derby Couch” preview: