Behind striped knee-highs, short skirts and fish-net pantyhose lie hard-core athletes. And they have the blood, sweat and broken bones to prove it.
The group of more than 20 women take their sport seriously, suiting up into knee and elbow pads, wrist and mouth guards and helmets. But the uniform isn”t complete without the main accessory — quad-skates.
A silver jammer moves effortlessly past a purple blocker but gets knocked onto her rear by another. It”s a glimpse of what”s to come — the culmination of nearly a year”s worth of hard work. Saturday, the Mississippi Brawl Stars, formerly the Tri-City Roller Dolls, have their first public bout.
“I”m pretty pumped,” Dena Ryan, 27, of Starkville said of Saturday”s event.
“Like we were saying at practice last week, it”s been a year”s worth of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point,” said Shannon Haupt, 40, of Starkville.
Haupt, aka Shanaconda, admits one draw of the sport, for her, is the fashion.
“It”s punk rock meets stripper meets hockey player,” she laughed, adding it”s among the few places where piercings and tattoos are welcome with open arms.
And whether they pack the house on Saturday or draw only a small crowd, the Brawl Stars are excited about their debut.
“However it turns out (attendance-wise), we”re excited that it”s open to the public,” said Ryan, Mabel Scrape on the Derby track.
“We”re excited to show off the skills we”ve learned,” said Lacrisha Jenkins, aka Lacrusha, who grew up skating since she was 2.
And it has been a learning experience; some team members, now considered hard core, could barely skate when they first started. Thereafter, there still are a slew of rules to learn and also techniques on how to fall without injury.
“I wanted to make friends,” Brooke Ward, 35, of Starkville said of why she joined the team. Soon Ward, aka Daisy Diva, had new friends and new moves to take to the Derby track.
“I got started in this because I used to be a competitive figure skater 30 years ago,” said Tammy Carlisle, 43, of Starkville.
Carlisle, known as Super Nova by her fellow Brawl Stars, later got into martial arts and now works at the Starkville Police Department. For her, it was a natural transition.
Though the sport is very aggressive, Ryan said the Brawl Stars take the “leave it on the track” approach.
“It”s all in (good sportsmanship) and good fun,” she said.
Still, “It”s a full-contact sport,” Ward said.
“And it”s unexpected,” Ryan added.
The Brawl Stars vary widely in background and profession, with women from ages 20 to 43 living in Columbus, Starkville and West Point and careers such as nurses, business owners, students and teachers. And Derby has brought them together, not just on the track.
“I don”t think any of us would have known each other if it weren”t for this,” Haupt said. “I”m a middle-aged mom of six, and I went to a 21-year-old”s birthday party, who works at Pizza Hut. That wouldn”t have happened (without roller Derby).”
The Brawl Stars make their public debut at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Columbus Fairgrounds on Highway 69 South. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the bout also will feature food vendors, Brawl Stars merchandise, music and live drawings for prizes. Residents of the Palmer Home for Children are the Brawl Stars” VIP guests for the event. An after-party will follow at the Princess Theater on Fifth Street South in downtown Columbus.
After the season opener, when the Brawl Stars divide into silver and purple teams to bout against each other, the local Derby girls have monthly bouts booked through November with teams throughout the region, including the Hattiesburg Southern Misfits, Jackson”s Magnolia Roller Vixens and Huntsville, Ala.”s Dixie Derby Girls.
On the Web
· Website: mississippibrawlstars.com
· Facebook: Search for Mississippi Brawl Stars
How to Go
· Mississippi Brawl Stars Season opener: Columbus Fairgrounds, Saturday, 6 p.m., Doors open at 5 p.m., admission $5, 12 and under free.
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