Skaters grow close, fearless
BY SARA GADZALA | ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR

Ladies, forget what you've been told about minding your manners and being ladylike. When it comes to the Black-n-Bluegrass Rollergirls, being polite doesn't count for much.

"Women a lot of times are told you can't be aggressive and you can't burp and you can't fart and you can't say the f-word," said Doris Danger, 33, who skates with the Rollergirls. "We leave that at the door."

The hairstylist, whose real name is J-me Thomas, jumped at the chance to be an original member of the team back in May 2006, even though she hadn't skated in 17 years. She is now co-owner of the 15-member team.

"I've never really had a big group of girlfriends, and now I've got a group of sisters," Danger said. "I like being competitive. It's really good exercise, and I like wearing the skates."

Due to deliver a daughter next month, Danger goes to every practice despite not being able to participate. She hopes her doctor will clear her to get back on those beloved skates six weeks after her scheduled cesarean section on Oct. 11.

Roller derby, a contact sport that premiered in the United States, reached its peak of popularity in the early 1970s. The sport has experienced a resurgence in recent years, including being the subject of the A&E Network's 2006 reality show "Rollergirls."

Bertha Knuckles, also known as Samantha Graham, a 28-year-old bank teller from Cincinnati, said she used to watch reruns of the Bay City Bombers on public access television channels.

"This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl," said Graham, who joined the team in July. "I absolutely adore it. I look at it as a way to learn to be fearless. This is just a tangible sort of example of how I can get that in my life, and it's fantastic."

Despite fracturing her tailbone during tryouts, Grahampersisted.

Alaina Ruehl, or Hellaina Havoc as she's known on the derby circuit, runs the boot camp for new recruits and said injuries are common.

The 26-year-old sign-language interpreter from Cincinnati has had her share of wounds, including jammed fingers; "derby trophies," or bruises; and a fractured nose.

She said although the team lost its first official bout to Bleeding Heartland of Bloomington, Ind., they will practice hard until the new season starts in February.

The team is still holding tryouts for new members ages 21 and older, but Havoc insists it takes a lot of dedication, as the team practices at minimum twice weekly.

"We'll take any crazy person as long as you can skate," Havoc said.

Crazy or not, the Rollergirls also participate in community service projects. On Saturday, they co-sponsored a motorcycle ride and silent auction that benefited the Heather Lynn Evans Memorial Fund.

Fourteen-year-old Heather was killed when a tractor-trailer slammed into the pickup in which she was riding on July 24 on the AA Highway. Hot T Molly, a member of the Rollergirls, was Evans' cheerleading coach.

"We try to be as proactive as possible," Thomassaid. "We're local people, and we want to help out our communities as much as we possibly can.

The Rollergirls also are hosting a Rock and Fall Carnival at the Independence Skateway from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Donations of nonperishable food items are being requested to benefit the Women's Crisis Center.