The Bow Valley Roller Derby Lady Macs will ride again Sunday (June 12) at the Banff Fenlands Arena at 4 p.m.
Led by Jenn ‘Sutton Death’ Sutton, ‘Rocky Scorer’ Megan Hudson, ‘Bam’ Melody Pilgrim, and ‘Princess van Brawl’ Wenke Signer, the Lady Macs will take on the Barvarian Barbarians out of Kimberley, B.C. in their only home game of the year. The Kimberley squad is hungry for revenge after losing to the Lady Mac’s last year.
Hudson said the team has seen a lot of turnover from the previous season, and the club has been working since October to build up their skills for the season.
“We went through a major rebuilding year last year, and this year the club has a lot of fresh meat,” Hudson said. “A lot of them will be playing in their first or second game of the season.”
The team has also added a new coach for the season. Brangwyn ‘G.I. Jones’ Jones has worked with the team throughout the year, complementing the squad’s youthful energy with years of experience in the sport. Jones plays in a men’s roller derby league and calls games.
“We have really benefitted from his teachings over the season. He’s really involved with derby and knows the game better than almost anybody else,” Hudson said.
“We are so excited to be back again in Banff and to take on the Barvarians again,” said Bow Valley Roller Derby president Lesley Bannister. “We have dedicated our efforts in the last year to strengthening our team and have benefitted from an experienced coach who has prepared us for this bout. As always, we love having our friends, families and fans come out and cheer us on; there really is nothing more rewarding.”
Tickets are $10 for the event, and free for children under 12. A bouncy castle, and VIP area will also be set up, and several door prizes will be given away.
Roller derby is a full-contact sport played between two teams of five players roller-skating around a track. During a bout, both teams participate in short matchups, called Jams, where the designated scoring player, the Jammer, scores points by passing members of the opposing team.
