This past Saturday the
Cincinnati Rollergirls opened their fifth season at the legendary Cincinnati Gardens.
Miss Print and the team were kind enough to invite myself and my friend Alex out to shoot some photos and hang out at track side. Who are the Rollergirls? They're the city's all amateur flat track women's roller derby team. They're not paid athletes, simply playing for the love of roller derby and following their motto "Live to skate, skate to live." This isn't the scripted "
Roller Jam" pro wrestling rip off that was on TNN years ago, its a full contact (I'd say balls to the wall, but...) sport played in an electric environment within the city's legendary arena.
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| - "K. Lethal" of the Black Sheep, the Rollergirls varsity team. |
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| - 3,100 fans packed into the historic Cincinnati Gardens to see the Rollergirls. |
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| - The Silent Lambs look on after a member of their team fell to the ground. Shirley "Carl" Temptya ended up leaving the game with a broken leg. |
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| - Coach "Pale Rider" leading the chant "This one's for Carl!" The Silent Lambs would go on to win their bout. |
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| - "Bombtrack" cheers on the Silent Lambs. |
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| - A member of the San Diego Wildfires team falls to the ground at the hands of the Cincinnati Rollergirls Black Sheep team. |
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| - Every member of the staff goes by a nickname, even the referees like "Captain Gorgeous." |
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| - "Sk8 Crime" and other Rollergirls signing autographs for fans after the bout. Fans are welcome to come down to the arena floor and meet the team after games. |
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| - The Silent Lambs celebrate a victory over Circle City (Indianapolis). |
The bouts are intense and being at track side gives you a whole new appreciation for what these girls do and the game they play. The team and their staff are incredibly appreciative of their fans and very friendly. Tickets are more than reasonable, the beer is cheap and the environment is awesome. The Rollergirls are back in action on April 17th against St. Louis and if you can't make it then they have more matches, plus you can catch them around town in the opening day parade! Check out their full
event schedule for details. I highly recommend checking out a bout.
The Cincinnati Gardens is not only historical, but my favorite place to see hockey in Cincinnati. The environment and atmosphere the Gardens offers is a true Cincinnati experience and the Rollergirls definitely do the place justice. You should check out and support a great local team who's truly in it for the love of the game.
Check out the blog of roller derby diva and Enquirer journalist
Lauren Bishop, aka #95 "Miss Print." She had a hell of a game Saturday night and has been an awesome friend and supporter of Queen City Discovery.
Thanks to the Rollergirls for letting me hang out, hope "Carl" heals up soon!
View all the stories from and related to the Cincinnati Gardens over the years.
Updates | Oct. 16, 2017:
- The Cincinnati Gardens is now closed and awaiting an impending demolition. For all the QC/D stories on the great place over the years, go here.
- The Rollergirls were preparing for their final bout in the building in 2014, but got a few more seasons in before relocating to Xavier University. You can still catch them at Schmidt Fieldhouse.
Update | March 13, 2018:
