Girls put skates on for a wild ride

“IT’S finally here.”

Orange Roller Derby League (ORDL) president Leanne “Le’EVIL” McCulloch cannot contain her excitement at Orange hosting its first bout this Saturday.

The Easter Meltdown will be held at the Orange PCYC and will bring together ladies from across the state in what is sure to be an entertaining spectacle.

McCulloch said it was about introducing people to the sport.

“This will give people an idea of what roller derby is about,” McCulloch said.

She also hopes the bout will encourage other Orange ladies to take up the sport.

Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five players skating around a circular track.

Each team includes a ‘jammer’ and four ‘blockers’.

Bouts are made up of two 30-minute halves and each half includes a number of ‘jams’ where points are up for grabs.

Points are scored when a jammer passes and laps members of the opposing team.

The blockers attempt to prevent their opposition from scoring points while at the same time helping their own jammer.

The ORDL was established two years ago and some of its members will feature in Saturday’s bout.

Ladies from the Blue Mountains Roller Derby, Wagga Derby, the Canberra-based Varsity Derby League and the ORDL will be divided into the two teams for the bout.

McCulloch said this was a great opportunity for the Orange participants.

“Because we’re not quite established ourselves, having other girls come in will better our skills,” she said.

The venue doors will open at 1pm this Saturday, with action starting at 1.30pm.

There is limited seating at the PCYC and spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs or cushions.

There is the option of ‘suicide seats’ which are just over three metres from the track and get spectators close to the action.

Entry is $10 and kids under 12 years get in free.

More information on the bout and the ORDL can be found on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/OrangeRollerDerbyLeague.