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Derby rolls out in Canmore

Fishnet-clad gladiators hurl jaw-shattering blows onto marked women, pummeling opponents onto the cold pavement below. Welcome to the world of Bow Valley Roller Derby, which officially launched Saturday (June 2) at the Canmore Rec Centre.
Bow Valley Roller Derby’s Abby “anNamolly” Lever (R) battles for track position during Saturday night’s (June 2) roller derby event at the Canmore Rec Centre. The Bow Valley
Bow Valley Roller Derby’s Abby “anNamolly” Lever (R) battles for track position during Saturday night’s (June 2) roller derby event at the Canmore Rec Centre. The Bow Valley team pulled off a come-from-behind win in the inaugural event.

Fishnet-clad gladiators hurl jaw-shattering blows onto marked women, pummeling opponents onto the cold pavement below.

Welcome to the world of Bow Valley Roller Derby, which officially launched Saturday (June 2) at the Canmore Rec Centre.

“This was beyond belief. We had a plan and it worked,” said Rachelle ‘Skid Roe’ Honeyman.

The first official match in Bow Valley Roller Derby history was not for the faint of heart. With opening night nerves exposed by the vicious Red Deer Nightshades opposition, the home squad fell behind early by a 50-point margin. Plagued by penalties, they slowly grew stronger as the first half went on, gaining confidence and points in the dying minutes.

By the second half, the defence found its groove and the offence took flight. The 50-point deficit was halved, then eliminated, then surpassed. Honeyman devised a simple plan.

“Hit more, take less penalties,” she said.

After the final hit, Bow Valley found themselves on top, 170-149. The victorious home team circled the Rec Centre as the home crowd rose to its feet.

“It was like a whole new high. I did not want the game to end,” said Tonya ‘Handsaw Gretel’ Lowe, a library clerk from Banff.

“We just had to learn how the other team plays. They liked to check,” Honeyman said.

After the match, the team reflected on months and months of work that went into finally producing a team.

“It’s been a full-time job. This sport takes over your life,” said Honeyman, who also works as a volunteer firefighter. “But this is the beginning. There’s nowhere to go but up.”

“There are a lot of aspects to building a team,” Lowe said. “It’s really a passion.”

She said the difference between practice and games was pace.

“In practice, it can feel like forever for two minutes to pass, but in the game it flew by,” Lowe said.

Ideally, they’d like to join a proper roller derby league. That will require more players in the valley to scrimmage, as well as have a greater number of alternates to draw from. The team will attempt to bring in more players on June 27 with a Fresh Meat Night at Elizabeth Rummel school. The team attracts players from Banff, Canmore and Exshaw and is open to all comers.

More than 600 people showed up for the inaugural event

“We’re so glad so many people came out to show their support. We’ve gotten so much help and support from other organizations in town,” Lowe said.

There are no plans to hold another home game in the near future, however, the club hopes it will continue to grow. For more information, visit www.bowvalleyrollerderby.com


Rocky Mountain Outlook

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