The East Kootenay Roller Derby League (EKRDL) will be making its only Invermere stop of the season on Saturday (June 2) and Invermere’s own Killer Rollbots will be looking to make it two wins in a row when they face the Kimberley Bavarian Barbarians in the second match of the double header.
“We’re really excited to be playing… and now that we get to play in our hometown in front of our home fans, we’re really stoked,” Rollbots captain and EKRDL media representative Jess ‘DeVotchka Thrash’ de Groot said.
The Killer Rollbots will look to build on the momentum of a 257 to 96 pounding they laid on the Cranbrook Mountain Town Maulers on May 12, while Cranbrook will look to redeem themselves with a match against the Fernie Avalanche City Roller Girls. For those who are not familiar with the sport, roller derby takes place on an oval track where five skaters from each team take to the track at a time. Four skaters from each team are designated as blockers and one skater from each side is known as a “jammer” who scores points by passing members of the opposing squad.
“Derby is fun to watch because it is such high entertainment value,” said de Groot. “It has lots of action and there’s so much to cheer for.”
The event itself — The Good, the Bad and the Derby — is a family-friendly sporting event with a western theme. Those who attend wearing a western-themed item will be automatically entered in a draw to win prizes. Tickets for the bout are $10 in advance, $15 dollars at the door, $5 for kids aged six to 12 and free for those under five. Tickets can be purchased at The Valley Echo building on 13th Street in Invermere. de Groot said sales have been going extremely well so far, and thinks it’s in part thanks to her team’s contagious enthusiasm for the sport.
“We live in a small town where we have traditional sports like hockey, but this is something that’s totally different,” de Groot said. “You’ll see people you probably see around town all the time in a totally different light.”
Doors open for the event at 4:30 p.m. at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena, and the first game starts at 5:30 p.m. Games tend to last about an hour and a half and the Killer Rollbots’ match will be the second one of the night, beginning at about 7:30 p.m.