‘OVERTHEEDGE
| March 12 - March 26, 2008

Women the

ANDREW BAILEY

Sports anp Ciuss Epiror

It all started on August 13% 1935,
smack in the middle of what is now
considered to be the “Great Depres-
sion.” People were bummed and
Seabiscuit wasn’t exactly the hope-
lifting phenomenon that Tobey
Maguire would have you believe.
A new dance marathon craze was
sweeping the nation, which fea-
tured shiny nerds dancing horribly
with other shiny nerds; it was truly
an abysmal time for everyone. That
is until Chicago promoter Leo Selt-
zer came up with a concept that
would evolve into one of the great-
est spectator sports that I have ever
known, and I’m a single dude with
an intense cable package who rarely
leaves his couch, so that’s saying
something.

To compete with the dance mara-
thon craze sweeping the nation Selt-
zer came up with the first ever Roller
Derby. Unlike the mega-sport which
we know it as today, Seltzer’s Roller
Derby consisted of just one man and
one woman teams skating around a

track showcasing en-
durance, it was kind of
like cross country ski-
ing, sort of. The sport
remained like this
until cultural genius,
and my personal hero,
New York sportswriter
Damon Runyan went
to a Roller Derby
event in 1938 and
saw two skaters tus-
sling with each other
for a short while and
realized immediately
how this sport needed
to evolve. Soon fierce
all-girl Roller Derby
leagues were created,
demonstrating speed,
skill, and toughness.
The rest, as they say,
is history as such heroes as Midge
“Toughie” Brashuhn and Gerry
Murray catapulted Runyan’s con-
cept into a widely beloved sport
that Uncle Leon and the Alibis sing
about so fondly in their hit “Roller
Derby Saved My Soul.”

Today’s sport is a hybrid of pas-

i

Chance of a Lifetime

“

ROLLERGIRLS! Council members- Marissa Balahura,
Bryndis Ogmundson, Shannon Marie. (from right)

PHOTO TAKEN BY ANDREW BAILEY

sionate, durable, young women who
compete and have loads of fun by
creating unique personas and wear-
ing flashy kick-ass outfits.

Now on to the tremendously ter-
tific news that Andrew Bailey is
absolutely stoked about: Thanks to
the first ever recipient of Bailey’s

heroes award, Bryn-
dis Ogmundson,
women in Prince
George have the in-
credible opportunity
to participate in the
Roller Derby phe-
nomenon. Bryndis
has won hero status
among her peers,
with the help of a
small group of ladies
in town, by creat-
ing an all-female
Roller Derby League
in Prince George.
If you’re a woman
reading this article
and are over the age
of 19 than I strongly
encourage you to
take advantage of
this fantastically unique opportun-
ity. No pre-requisites or any type
of athletic ability is needed, and
there will be plenty of practices
for interested women to take part
in before any teams are finalized to
give every woman a chance to learn
the sport and build on their ability,
most notably how to skate on four
wheeled shoes. Seriously ladies,
dudes dig Rollergirls in the biggest
of ways, and it is also an amazing
way to meet interesting and fun
women like yourself and build in-
credible relationships in a team dy-
namic, as well as participating in a
sporting event while dressed like a

Sport oO”

A spectator cheers on during a residence life event involv-

Eating

total rockstar! Practices start soon
and, as this is a new league, there
is tons of space for all women in-
terested. If you can’t skate, or have
never even heard of Roller Derby
before it does not matter, just come
out and participate in practices, be-
cause every other woman will be
starting from the same place you
are, and everyone will develop their
skills together.

If you are interested, and you
bloody well better be, information
and sign up sheets are available at
Meow Records downtown (100-300
Brunswick St.), or through Bryndis
Ogmundson (pictured next to this
article) who is an extremely nice
and tremendously approachable
lady, usually found around the radio
office or Meow Records, and would
be ecstatic to answer any questions
you may have. If you can’t find
either Meow Records or Bryndis,
then come by the newspaper office
and I’1l point you in the right direc-
tion. Don’t let this opportunity pass
you by as it will give you a lifetime
of memories and stories to trump
other ladies at parties. “Oh you won
the Nobel prize last year? Well I
was a flippin’ Rollergirl!” You’ll see
who people are more interested in.

Dudes can also participate through
a variety of volunteer opportunities,
I myself will be volunteering and
teally guys, seriously, its Roller-
girls, get a clue and get involved.
Class dismissed.

ing eating wads of soda crackers
PSOTO TAKEN BY Haakon SULLEVAN