Unholy Rollers

"We just went to this tournament of twelve teams in the Western division," reveals Jen Frale — aka She Who Cannot Be Named of the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls. "The teams are so fast, and the girls are so agile and physical; these people are athletes. It's amazing to see how far roller derby has come."

It's also amazing to see how far the Girls themselves have come since their debut in August 2004. They've built up a strong fan base and are now a nationally ranked member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. They played their first international bout with the Oil City Derby Girls in Edmonton, Canada, and they totally kicked ass. And the upcoming season — which begins with tonight's opener against the Pikes Peak Derby Dames — is only going to get better.

Gear up for the inaugural voyage of the RMRG Party Bus; $20 gets you tickets to the derby, free beer and a ride from and back to 3 Kings Tavern, 3 South Broadway, where the official after-parties take place.

"We also have bleachers this year," adds Frale. "We found that sometimes being able to see has been a little bit of an issue for people." So the Roller Girls showed some love by renting seats for their fans.

Pay them back by ordering season tickets, available on the RMRG website (www.rockymountainrollergirls.com) — a sweet $80 gets you into all eight bouts. Tonight's showdown starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bladium Sports Center, 2400 Central Park Boulevard in Stapleton; tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door, and free for kids twelve and under.
Sun., Aug. 19, 12:30-2 p.m.