Let them roll it: Sin City Roller Girls

Radiant Photography

Check out the Sin City Roller Girls take on the Tent City Terrors on Saturday.

By Ken Miller (contact)

Saturday, May 22, 2010 | 12:05 a.m.

We’re talking about unchecked aggression here, dude. The Sin City Roller Girls are well-known for their bone-crushing antics once the whistle blows, but they suffered defeat at the hands of Arizona’s Tent City Terrors in February. If you’ve never watched a roller-derby match before, you are in for a serious treat, as Las Vegas’ squad prepares for its bid at a little old-fashioned payback. But even without the drama, seriously, what are you waiting for? This sport has attitude seeping out its pores.

Two groups composed of positions such as “jammers,” “blockers” and “pivots” skate around an oval track, and points are scored whenever certain players lap members of the other team. Matches can seem incredibly technical, but expect to see many penalties (you can’t block with your forearms, hands or head, and you can’t swing elbows either, but yeah, that happens more than you’d think). Pageantry is everything, so expect interesting costumes and, uh, behavior. And be honest — given the current immigration debate, aren’t you just itching to see an Arizona team get its ass kicked?

— Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly