Battle Ready: Roller Girls poised for continued growth as season begins

"Skate, Battle and Roll!"

It's a cry that blends the grace required to skate, the toughness of the girls who play the derby and the rock 'n' roll attitude they display. And it's the name of their next bout.

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls kick off their highly anticipated second season Saturday before taking their skills on the road.

The roller derby team will battle with its sister league, the Southern Illinois Roller Girls, before making its way around the tri-state area to compete in 12 bouts during a nine-month season.

For team president Julie Moser Strickland -- known as "Sue Bob Fight" by her teammates -- taking the team on the road is a major achievement. It's also a sign of the club's growth and the way the sport has been embraced by local fans.

"Derby is still pretty new in this area, so there aren't a lot of opportunities," Strickland said. "Last season I said I wanted us to travel more and this season I got my wish."

Two years ago, the team was too small to compete in bouts, borrowing players from surrounding teams just to have enough skaters for a team scrimmage. Marquishia Winters, who answers to "Laryn Kill" on the derby rink, has seen the progress of the CGRG since the very beginning.

Roller derby veteran Marquishia “Laryn Kill” Winters watches during the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls’ practice Feb. 8 at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. The roller derby team will hold its first bout of the season against the Southern Illinois Roller Girls at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Arena Building.

"We started off with mostly scrimmage games," Winters said. "Then we had our first official season which was really sporadic. But now we've worked more on team development and becoming a more active team."

Winters said she also wants the community to realize roller girls do more than skate. After each home bout, the team donates all proceeds to various charitable causes. The team has donated about $10,000 from past bouts and hopes to eventually attain not-for-profit status.

"We're more than just 'roller derby girls by night,'" said Winters. "This team is also a business."

Fellow team member Elizabeth Shelton, also known as "Bombshell Boomer," said because the team donates proceeds from their bouts, they depend on donations from local businesses for support. She said the team works hard to prove they are a "smart investment."

"Our league is part of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association," Shelton said. "They recently did a survey of a thousand women's derby fans and found that 82 percent of them could identify sponsors of their local derby teams."

The survey also revealed that more than 90 percent of those fans viewed the businesses favorably, which Shelton said is "huge" for businesses from a marketing standpoint. Shelton said the team does everything it can to support donors in return and to "make a good name for them" in the community.

The team also is making an effort to support team recruitment with "Fresh Meat" -- a 90-day period for new recruits to attend practice and public events with the team before they become official members. The process teaches new members the basics, such as stopping and falling properly, before they officially compete.

Renea "Slobber Knocker," Ruppenthal, right, helps Sarah McGraw during The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls' practice Friday, Feb. 8, at the A.C. Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. McGraw is taking part in the team's "Fresh Meat," program, a 90-day period where new recruits attend practice and public events with the team learning the basics, like stopping and falling properly, before they compete as official members. (ADAM VOGLER)

Jamie Palen, dubbed "Rox E. Berry" by her teammates, is one of the team's most recent "Fresh Meat" graduates. Palen said her experience with roller derby has been unlike any other.

"It's not really like the team sports you have in school," Palen said. "It's really involved, and there's so much more going on around you than you realize, even if you're watching from the stands."

Saturday's season opener will be Palen's first bout. Palen said she not only looks forward to the bout, but the rest of the roller derby season.

The bout begins at 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Arena Building. Tickets may be purchased for $7 in advance from Pitter's Cafe and Lounge, PMac Music or the CGRG website www.capegirardeaurollergirls.com.

Tickets may also be purchased for $9 at the door, with free admission for children 5 years older and younger.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

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410 Kiwanis Dr, Cape Girardeau, MO

Members of the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls warm up during practice Feb. 8 at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau.