LIHU‘E — Committed women’s roller-derby chicks have expanded their practices to the Westside of Kaua‘i. That was one facet of the information being distributed by the Garden Island Renegade Rollerz roller-derby skaters during the four-day Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair.
LIHU‘E — Committed women’s roller-derby chicks have expanded their practices to the Westside of Kaua‘i.
That was one facet of the information being distributed by the Garden Island Renegade Rollerz roller-derby skaters during the four-day Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair.
“We’re now in Hanapepe,” one of the skaters chirped. “We practice at the Hanapepe Heights basketball courts on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 5 p.m.”
The G.I.R.R. also practices Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5 p.m. at the Kapa‘a armory.
That expansion to the Westside adds to the Garden Island Renegade Rollerz which will host its next bout on Oct. 2 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Anahola Village Park.
Tickets for the bout are $20 for adults, with children 12 years and under being admitted free. Outlets include Work It Out in Kapa‘a and Malie Organics in Kalaheo.
The October bout will feature live bands, a halftime show, food booths, and a keiki corner for a night of family fun.
During the fair, skaters were spreading the word about women’s flat-track roller derby, a flier stating that roller derby is a fast-paced, intense and extreme sport where fishnets, roller skates and bruises are the norm.
Information on the G.I.R.R. website states the league practices backyard style at community basketball courts, tennis courts, driveways and garages — “If we can tape it, we can skate it.”
The G.I.R.R. is looking for skaters, referees, masters or mistresses of ceremonies, disc jockeys, scorekeepers and other non-skating volunteers, and the farm fair was a perfect venue for disseminating information about the sport and G.I.R.R.
Skaters are required to have helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards and quad skates. There is a limited amount of loaner gear, but skaters must supply their own mouthpieces.
Currently the G.I.R.R. has two teams for inter-league play, with a goal of promoting a positive attitude with a focus on female empowerment and to remain a positive influence in the community.
As skaters, G.I.R.R. works to develop the skills necessary to compete within the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.
There is also a program for junior flat-track roller derby for youth ages 5 through 17 years old.
Visit www.girenegaderollerz.com for more information.
