Press Kit - Steel City Roller Derby

Steel City Derby Demons
Press Kit 2008-2009 Season
Nationally Competitive 2008-2009 Season
The Steel City Derby Demons are Pittsburgh’s only
all-female, flat-track roller derby league. This year, the
SCDD’s all-star Steel Hurtin’ embark on their second
competitive season, as part of the nationally-recognized
Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Founded in 2004, the WFTDA promotes and fosters
the sport of women’s flat track derby by facilitating the
development of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and
goodwill among member leagues. The governing
philosophy is “by the skaters, for the skaters.” The Steel
City Derby Demons Steel Hurtin’ compete within the
East Region, battling leagues from Connecticut, Washington D.C., Virginia Beach and others.
With a year of competitive experience under their belts, the ladies of the Steel Hurtin’ have few new tricks up
their sleeves. This year, they will go head-to-head against some of the best WFTDA leagues in the country, battling for a spot in the 2009 Eastern Regionals, and hopefully, Nationals.
The Steel City Derby Demons are also proud to announce the debut season of the fledgling B-Unit. While BUnit will not compete for WFTDA ranking, they will play interleague bouts along side their Steel Hurtin’ sisters
in another first for the SCDD: double headers.
From November through April, the Steel City Derby Demons will host double-feature bouts.
The Steel Hurtin Roster
Athena - Captain
Betty Bonecrusher - Co-Captain
Ally McKill
Attaxyl Rose
B.B. Basher
Bekkie MK Ultra
C.C. DeKill
Cheeseburger
The Crippler
Damage Dahl
Dirty Merdi
Dresta Kill
Girl Rolla Warfare
Hissy Fit
Hurricane Heather
J-Bomb
La Diabla
Mel Practice
Snot Rocket Science
The Steel City Derby Demons - Pittsburgh Roller Derby www.steelcityderbydemons.com
b-unit roster
Busty Brawler - Captain
Amanda Smakround - Co-Captain
Auntie Establishment
Icepick
Iron City Pounder
Kinky Kurlz
Lolli Pop!
Madame Abagael
McShovin
Mission Impassible
Pinky Dontachadare-O
Tower O Terror
Wham Bam Pam
Pictured left: The two Steel
City Derby Demons Travel
Teams, the Steel Hurtin’ and
B-Unit.
The 2008 - 2009 season
schedule (see end of packet)
includes various teams from
Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio,
Virginia, and New York.
about the league
The Steel City Derby Demons, a skater-owned and operated organization, is Pittsburgh’s only all-female roller
derby league. Founded in 2006, the SCDD takes pride in their membership, comprised of strong and independent women who hail from the original City of Champions. As part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the Derby Demons are not playing the roller derby of yesteryear. This new era of roller derby
was founded in a DIY spirit, and continues to evolve as a home for unconventional athletes.
Veering away from the sensational, the rules of the game encourage strategy, rather than theatrics. The WFTDA
currently has 61 member leagues across the nation, adding new leagues on a regular basis.
the home teams
During the off-season, when there are no WFTDA games scheduled, the Steel City
Derby Demons split into four fearsome home teams which compete against one another for the highly revered SCDD Championship trophy. Kitsch in design, the trophy
reads vintage vamp with a new punk rock spin. Believe it or not, the entire furious
home season comes down to a trophy that is…a leg. Reminiscent of the greatly coveted leg lamp from A Christmas Story, the trophy is artfully composed of a mannequin
leg, a discarded skate, and a whole lot of heart. The teams that compete for this masterpiece are every bit as original as the prize. Their punny and alliterative names only
hint at the in-depth themes listed on the following page.
The Steel City Derby Demons - Pittsburgh Roller Derby www.steelcityderbydemons.com
Bitch Doctors
These two-time champs of the SCDD have the derby voodoo, and they’re not afraid to use it. Known for their masterful pack work, the Bitch Doctors are experts at blocking the
opposing jammer, while creating a path for their own jammer
to speed through and score points. This proven method of
edging out their opposition has made the Bitch Doctors the
team to beat.
hot metal hellions
More machine than human, these futuristic rollergirls are
known for their hard hits in the pack and their agility on the
track. In the 2007 season, the Hot Metal Hellions nearly beat
The Bitch Doctors for the league Championship trophy. In
2008, they gave the Wrecking Dolls a run for their money by
defeating them in the season opener.
slumber party slashers
These are the girls your mom never let through the front
door. They paint nails, curl hair, and slash throats. Guided
by the mantra, “Slashers are Awesome”, this team triumphed
in their first win against the Hot Metal Hellions in the 2008
season. wrecking dolls
Just as the team name suggests, the Wrecking Dolls are
a bunch of hard-working, blue collar women. Their “DO
MORE” mantra earned them honor of being the first (and
currently only) team to beat the Bitch Doctors in the history
of the league (mid-season, 2008). Losing only to the Hot
Metal Hellions in 2008, they earned a spot in the Championship game, where they were squarely defeated by the Bitch
Doctors.
The Steel City Derby Demons - Pittsburgh Roller Derby www.steelcityderbydemons.com
The history of roller derby
In 1935, during the Great Depression, Leo Seltzer invented a new spectacle and called it Roller Derby.
Originally, the derby was a long distance track race, occasionally punctuated by collisions and falls. Recognizing that these run-ins were the most exciting part of the race for spectators, Selzter tweaked the rules of his
game to encourage such contact. The result was a full-contact sport, featuring elbows, body-checks and fights.
The fans loved it.
Roller Derby peaked in the late 1940s and 50s, drawing as many as 30,000-40,000 fans per bout. The hype continued through the 1960s and 70s until the expenses of travel and competition from other forms of entertainment
killed off the last of the large leagues in the 1980s.
Derby remained dormant until 2001, when a revival began in Austin, Texas. Since then, derby leagues have
been popping up all over the country. While the new generation of roller derby pays homage to the theatrical
traditions of the past, there are now real rules, real penalties, real referees, and real champions. Today’s roller
derby is an honest and competetive sport, packed with maximum entertainment value.
our bout venue
All bouts throughout the home and travel season are held at the Bladerunners Ice Complex in Harmarville. For
more information, please see their website at http://www.bladerunnersice.com
bout promotion
Roller derby bout promotion has quickly taken shape as a new form of art. Leagues
from across the country have utilized artists within their ranks, as well as their communities, to define their own unique aesthetic. The Steel City Derby Demons have
worked with several community artists, the work of which can be collectively described as vintage comic book.
These posters are distributed to skaters and refs, and can be found in store windows
throughout Pittsburgh and the near suburbs several weeks prior to each bout.
The Steel City Derby Demons - Pittsburgh Roller Derby www.steelcityderbydemons.com
bout promotion
Please direct all press inquiries to the SCDD League PR Chairperson:
Crystal “B.B. Basher” Rupp
[email protected]
Cell: 443-340-7970
Home: 412-271-4349
General Inquiries:
Steel City Derby Demons
P.O. Box 10720
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
www.steelcityderbydemons.com
[email protected]
2008 - 2009 bout schedule
Saturday November 22, 2008
Harrisburg Area Roller Derby at Steel City
Saturday January 10, 2009
Steel City at Naptown Roller Derby (Indianapolis)
Saturday January 24, 2009
Connecticut’s Stepford Sabotage at Steel City
Saturday February 21, 2009
Columbus Roller Girls at Steel City
Saturday March 21, 2009
Long Island Roller Rebels at Steel City
Saturday April 11, 2009
Steel City at Fort Wayne (Indiana)
Saturday April 18, 2009
Dutchland Rollers (PA) at Steel City
This schedule is subject to change. Keep checking our website for
the most up-to-date information. www.steelcityderbydemons.com
The Steel City Derby Demons - Pittsburgh Roller Derby www.steelcityderbydemons.com