There’s a new sport in Orange County with some high-octane, estrogen-fueled hazard on wheels. If you’re looking for an adventurous, quirky way to spend a Saturday night, the OC Roller Girls might do the trick.
Donning fishnet stockings and some cheesy nicknames, these gals take to the track each month before an eclectic crowd of friends, families and fans.
OC Roller Girls is part of a league with teams from around the county (the Huntington Heartbreakers and Psycho Ex-Girlfriends, to name a couple). OC Roller Girls held a one-year anniversary bash in July.
The sport is nothing new. Invented in the 1930s, roller derby gained popularity in the 1960s and ’70s with a revival in the late 1980s that included extreme obstacles such as alligator pits.
These days, the derby is more of a fringe sport and continues without the gator pits of yore. The Roller Girls say they use the punk rock model of do-it-yourself promotion. Likewise, the league gives a shout out to punk with local bands at each bout and a crowd worthy of a Ramones show.
The game is played with five players per team, with “jammers” from each team trying to pass a gaggle of so-called blockers on a flat, circular track. Each bout, as the games are called, lasts about as long as a hockey game.
Tickets are about $13. The next bout is set for Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Anaheim Hockey Club off the Riverside (91) Freeway. More details: www.ocrollergirls.com or (714) 614-3230.
,Billy O’Hare
