Houston Roller Derby Tickets
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Houston Roller Derby
Houston Roller Derby, a league consisting of four teams Burlesque Brawlers, Psych Ward Sirens, Machete Betties and Bayou City Bosses. It was inspired by the nation-wide revival of roller derby as an athletic sport.
It was conceptualized on a restaurant napkin in the mid-1930 by Leo Seltzer. Taking the premise from the great bicycle races in the Depression Era, Seltzer developed the Transcontinental Roller Derby.
Between 1935 and 1950, physical contact and scoring system were introduced to the game. From the 1950?s to the mid 1970?s, Roller Derby became incredibly popular with the American public due to televised broadcasts, playing to huge crowds all over the nation.
The women of HRD has participated in public events such as the Houston Art Car Parade as well as charity events such as the AIDS Walk, hosting fund-raising car washes, and karaoke nights.
There are currently more than 40 all-girl roller derby leagues around the United States. Thirty of these leagues are members of the first ever ?for the skaters, by the skaters? national flat-track roller derby association, the Women?s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Houston Roller Derby consists of 4 teams. Two teams can bout each other at a time. Two games consist of two twenty-minute periods.
A pack is formed with both teams on the court. Each team in the pack is represented by one pivot and three blockers. Each team?s Pivot is in the front of the line with the blockers in formation behind her. Each team?s Jammer is in the back.
When the first whistle blows, the pack takes off to start the jam, and on a second whistle, the Jammers start racing towards the pack. The Jammer that breaks through the pack first is named ?lead Jammer?.
Once the jammers lap the pack, they try to break through again, receiving one point for each woman they pass in bounds. Each jam lasts a maximum of two minutes, but the ?lead jammer? can call off the jam at any time.
The notable move is the drop of the Bosses in the poll, who?s off and on-rink flava have pushed out some of the best skaters seen in Houston, including F?ng Rage.
Houston Roller Derby in 2006 sent a travel team to the Dust Devil Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, placing 13th overall out of a field of 20 with only one prior public bout under its belt.
HRD participated in the Governor?s Cup in Austin, which was an interleague tournament of Texas teams from Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. After losing the first round match to the Dallas Derby Devils Houston took third place in the mini tournament.
The Psych Ward Sirens took the inaugural season title. Shortly after its regular season, Houston Roller Derby hosted an exhibition at Verizon. HRD is now in the midst of its second season in its new home at Verizon in downtown Houston.
After the initial excitement around Roller Derby, there were many reincarnations of the game that eventually proved unsuccessful until two women in Austin started a Roller Derby league that gained credibility with locals in that city.
Eventually, another league, the Texas Roller Girls formed in Austin, starting the grassroots, ?by the skaters, for the skaters? trend that many forming leagues around the United States are following.
No doubt the Sirens remain the team to beat, led by superstar Mistilla, who volunteers so much extra time to train her opponents, essentially tying one hand behind the Sirens back even though she gives up the secrets of the Sirens success to help other teams.