Grand Rapids has had its share of women’s sports teams over the years, but the
Grand Raggidy Roller Derby is one of the only contemporary sports teams to last more than 10 years.
On Saturday, our roller derby teams, the Grand Raggidy Attack and the Grand Raggidy All Stars, will welcome the Barbed Wire Betties from Dekalb County, Illinois and Tri-City Roller Derby from the Waterloo region of Ontario.
This is the first time that the Barbed Wire Betties have ever faced the Grand Raggidy Attack, but both teams have a well-deserved reputation for being real scrappers -- so you know this match opening a double header is going to be an intense one. And while our Grand Raggidy Attack have a predicted 70 percent chance of beating the visiting team, the Betties are currently on an unstoppable winning streak, making our home rink advantage dependent on our fans to show up en masse.
After this match, the Grand Raggidy All Stars will roll like hell against one of the fastest teams in the league, Tri-City Roller Derby. This will be a nail-biter, as both teams arrive in town with a set of skills that will surely lead to an exciting game with so much action that you might just drink the bar dry.
In their last match, the All Stars lost to Tri-City by only 30 points, but our team is up for the challenge and, as always, we’re willing to bet against all odds for a hometown win.
As with any Grand Raggidy Roller Derby event, the fun doesn’t land just on the rink because tonight’s theme is all things western, so giddy up to the match in your most festive cowgirl or cowboy outfit. Heck, you can even come dressed as a cow, but if someone tries to rope you…well…you have been warned.
Tickets to the event are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Discounts for kids, students and seniors are also available. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased from skaters prior to the event. Advanced tickets can also be purchased
at Brown Paper Ticket’s site.