Maybe it’s no surprise to you (it was all of you who helped her win, after all!), but there was a lot of anticipation in the room that night as the Fan Favorite Award was announced. And so it is with much excitement that we announce this year’s Fan Favorite . . . Rosie Cheeks!

Rosie’s been skating with CLTRG since 2007. Not only is she an amazing athlete, she’s also one of the nicest ladies you could ever hope to meet and is well-known for always having an encouraging word for her fellow skaters, especially amongst the newbies. To celebrate this highly anticipated and much-coveted award, Rosie was presented with a beautiful, hand-made feather fan in the team colors painstakingly crafted by her teammates. After the presentations, there were smiles and cheers all around and we danced the night away.

Thanks to all of our fans for voting for your favorite and continuing to support the Charlotte Roller Girls! Look for Rosie Cheeks on the All-Star roster for the new season (which kicks off this weekend in Indiana against the Demolition City Derby Dolls), and be sure to come out and support all of your other favorite roller girls during 2012!

The All-Stars roster for this bout will be:

Coaches: Tammy Faye Breaker and Lace of Spades

Hitsteria jamming (Photo credit: Gene Lazo)

The Charlotte Roller Girls made some new fans at the Easy Rider 2012 Bike Show on Saturday, January 21 held at the Charlotte Convention Center. The girls held 3 exhibition bouts throughout the day, complete with referees, scorekeepers, and a penalty box. They even brought their announcer, The Clown, fresh off his time announcing at the Roller Derby World Cup. In between the demonstrations, the ladies skated through the crowds to chat with fans and promote the new season.

Sweet Psy*ren and Lykr C’leen (Photo credit: Gene Lazo)

The vision for Girls on the Run is about fostering self-respect and healthy living in young women. Says program coordinator Lisa Keller of the alliance:

“We are pumped to have been chosen and to have a partnership with the Charlotte Roller Girls! Girls on the Run is all about empowering girls and the Charlotte Roller Girls embody that message.”

We look forward to a great 2012 working with Girls on the Run.

The Charlotte Roller Girls are dedicated to the local community through volunteerism, donations, and partnerships with local charitable organizations. A portion of the proceeds from all of the home bouts goes to support local causes. Past community partners have included Time Out Youth, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, The Humane Society of Charlotte, A Child’s Place, Habitat for Humanity and many more. We continue to support the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas with annual blood drives.

VOTE NOW

The first demo bout of the day is scheduled to begin at 11:30am and run until 12:15 PM. The second game will run from 2 PM to 2:45. The final match-up of the evening will start at 5 PM and end at 6. Fans will have a chance to meet some of the skaters and get autographs in between bouts. Exclusive, limited edition merchandise will also be available. Come out and show your support for the official WFTDA league in Charlotte. And oh yeah, we’ve heard the bikes are pretty amazing, too.

The Easy Rider 2012 Bike Tour will roll into town at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 21st and 22nd. Doors open at 10 AM and stay open until 8 PM. Adult Admission is $20. Kids aged 6-12 can get in the door for $10. Kids 5 and under are admitted free of charge. Visit the Easyriders website for more details.

Each year, the Charlotte Roller Girls have an end of the year bash to commemorate the season and commend outstanding members of the league. While the soiree isn’t open to the public we want to make sure each member feels the presence of the most important part of our league – the fans!

From now through January 15th you can let your voice be heard by voting for your favorite Charlotte skater in 2011. Just follow the link below and fill out the survey. Feel free to let us know why she is your favorite, too. Results will be announced at the end of January after the award has been presented to the skater of your choice.

VOTE NOW

The Charlotte B Dazzlers Down on Their Luck Against Blue Ridge Rollergirls French Broads

Margaret Snatch'her starts the bout up against Skelly-Tor

After the most successful season in their history, the Charlotte B Dazzlers stumbled at their final bout against the Blue Ridge Roller Girls French Broads, based in Asheville, North Carolina. In the most physically challenging game of the year, the B Dazzlers put all of their hearts on the line, fighting for every point they earned and demonstrating to the crowd their determination and unfailing team spirit. Unfortunately for them, the French Broad team was bolstered by more experienced skaters and was able to dominate the pack in almost every jam, setting up wall after unbreakable wall for the Charlotte jammers. The final score was 34 to 199. The B Dazzlers end the 2011 season with a 5-4 record.

Read the Full Recap »

Charlotte All-Stars Take a Tumble Against Blue Ridge Rollergirls All Stars

Shawn Shank Redemption gets lead jammer

The Charlotte Roller Girls All Star’s bout progressed in a very similar way as the B Dazzler’s game held earlier in the evening, with the Charlotte jammers being held up by strong Blue Ridge defensive walls. Jammer penalties also became a major factor for Charlotte as multiple power jams allowed Blue Ridge to earn nine double digit jams.

Read the Full Recap »

Shawn Shank Redemption gets lead jammer

In the first jam of the All-Stars bout, Charlotte skater Shawn Shank Redemption faced off against Blue Ridge All Stars’ Dr. Octopushy.  As both jammers approached the back of the pack, Shawn went in for a hit on Dr. Octopushy and knocked her to the outside, allowing Shawn to get through the pack as lead jammer and put the first 2 points on the board.  Next up was Charlotte speed skater Da Bomb Chell who lost lead jammer status to Blue Ridge jammer Caslamity Jane, who then got sent to the box for a major track cut penalty after picking up only 3 points. Da Bomb Chell was able to add 8 points during her power jam before taking a hard hit on the outside of turn 4. The jam was called after her second scoring pass as Da Bomb Chell left the track due to injury.  She was unable to return for the rest of the game, leaving Charlotte without one of their key jammers.

After an extended official timeout, Charlotte All-Star Bashionista started on a power jam advantage as Caslamity Jane finished her time in the box. But Bashionista soon ran into a penalty problem of her own after being sent off the track for a back block during her initial pass, thereby releasing the Blue Ridge jammer. A wall of two Charlotte blockers at the front of the pack tried to slow Caslamity Jane down, but they were quickly pushed out of play and forced to let the Blue Ridge jammer pass and collect all four points.  In the next jam, Blue Ridge fielded Tigra against Charlotte All-Stars skater Rosie Cheeks. Tigra was able to break through the pack first, but Rosie emerged closely behind her, only allowing Tigra to pass a single skater before calling off the jam.

The Charlotte All-Stars entered into the next jam with a slight point advantage of 10 to Blue Ridge’s 8 points, with Shawn Shank Redemption skating against Dr. Octopushy again. Shawn Shank Redemption attempted a repeat of the first jam by trying to force Dr. Octopushy out of bounds, but was unsuccessful this time.  Blue Ridge’s front blockers took Shawn down twice as she was about to break the pack, while Blue Ridge’s jammer was able to push through and pick up 3 points.

Sin Plicity battling it out against Caslamity Jane

Penalty trouble from Charlotte jammer Sin Plicity in the next two jams allowed Blue Ridge jammers Caslamity Jane and Tigra to pick up 23 and 10 points respectively, increasing their lead to 44 points to Charlotte’s 10.  Lykr C’leen jammed next for the Charlotte All-Stars against Dr. Octopushy.  C’leen tried to play a bit of defense on Dr. Octopushy, setting her up against a wall of Charlotte purple in the back of the pack. Unfortunately, Charlotte was unable to hold her long, while their own jammer remained stuck behind a solid defensive wall of Blue Ridge skaters. Dr. Octopushy was able to score 24 points in the meantime.

Shawn Shank Redemption had more luck in the next jam and was able to pass a single skater that the Charlotte blockers had pinned in the back of the pack, but was forced to call it as Caslamity Jane closed in on her scoring run.  In the following jam, Blue Ridge jammer Tigra was able to pull out of the pack slightly before Charlotte jammer, Bashionista, and earned a single point for her efforts.  In the next jam, both Charlotte and Blue Ridge set up solid walls and left their jammers to fend for themselves. Blue Ridge’s Dr. Octopushy was able to penetrate the wall of purple in the back first and sail through the front wall of friendly faces. Lykr C’leen earned herself a trip to the penalty box during her battle against the Blue Ridge blockers, allowing Dr. Octopushy to earn 15 more points, bringing to total score to 84 to 11. Caslamity Jane began her next turn on the track with a power jam and immediately found an outside lane around the pack, adding 5 points to the scoreboard before Lykr C’leen was released from the box.

Rosie Cheeks was the next Charlotte jammer on the line skating against Tigra. Rosie was sent off the track for a major back block penalty while trying to sneak through the inside line. The Charlotte blockers struggled to stay in play and allowed Tigra to earn 10 points virtually uncontested.

Rosie Cheeks takes on a wall of blue

Dr. Octopushy started the next jam unopposed as Rosie Cheeks was finishing her time in the penalty box, but quickly earned a trip of her own right after Rosie was released. Rosie successfully pushed the wall of Blue Ridge blockers out of play and took the lead, scoring 14 points for Charlotte in their highest scoring jam of the game, increasing their total to 25. With just under 7 minutes left in the first half, Rosie’s success seemed to generate a shift in momentum for Charlotte as Bashionista earned 2 points over Caslamity Jane, who was held at the front of the pack by Charlotte blocker Cal Q H8r.

Tigra and Shawn Shank Redemption battled it out next. Shawn was able to take lead status as the Blue Ridge jammer was sent to the box. Asheville’s All Stars tried to speed up the pack by racing to the front, but eventually put themselves out of play allowing Shawn to pick up a grand slam, and then add 2 more points on her second scoring pass before calling it.

Dr. Octopushy earned lead jammer status over Rosie Cheeks in the next jam, but then got held up in the back of the pack by Charlotte blocker Sweet Psy*ren allowing Rosie to skate through the pack for 4 points, and then come around for a second scoring pass attempt, picking up 3 more points.  The period ended after two more jams with Blue Ridge adding 9 more points to bring the total to 111 to 41.

Margaret Snatch'her and Sweet Psy*ren keep Caslamity Jane at bay

In the second half of the bout, Charlotte appeared to have gained back their momentum for their first two jams. First, Charlotte jammer Shawn Shank Redemption was able to break through a wall of blue at the front of the pack to earn lead jammer status as Blue Ridge jammer Dr. Octopushy was held at the back by a wall of purple. Shawn was able to pick up all 4 points on her scoring pass, but not before Dr. Octopushy added one of her own. Charlotte jammer Sin Plicity was also able to earn lead jammer status in the second jam and pass 2 opponents before calling an end to the jam.

The penalty troubles soon began anew in the next two jams, with Bashionista spending some time in the box. In the first, Tigra was able to increase Blue Ridge’s lead by 20 points while skating unopposed, and their jammer Skelley Tor added another 22 in the following jam after Bashionista took a second trip to the penalty box for a back block.

Dr. Octopushy faced off with Rosie Cheeks in the next jam. Rosie looked clear to break through the pack first, but got hit to the outside and was forced to reenter at the back. Rosie decided to take a different tactic and play defense with her blockers. The jockeying for position in the pack left just enough of an opening for Rosie to sail through causing the Blue Ridge jammer to call off the jam, after scoring only 5 points.

In the next jam, Shawn Shank Redemption had some trouble on the track, having to momentarily take a knee to the outside of the track to recover after a hard hit to the ribs, while Caslamity Jane was able to pick up 4 more grand slams increasing Asheville’s lead to 179 to 47.  The Blue Ridge All Stars continued with their high scoring jams in their next turn on the track with Tigra claiming all five points before Sin Plicity was able to break through the Blue Ridge defense.  Tigra picked up 4 more on her second scoring pass, but called it off a little too late, allowing Sin Plicity to earn 1 point for Charlotte.

Lykr C’leen fighting to put more points on the board

Lykr C’leen was able to add another point to Charlotte’s total during her next turn with the jammer star, though not before Dr. Octopushy earned 2 of her own. Next up at the jammer line was Rosie Cheeks and Caslamity Jane.  Rosie was able to make it through the pack first earning lead jammer status, but was followed very closely by the jammer in blue. Rosie was able to advance Charlotte’s score by two points before having to call it.

Bashionista was able to regain some footing in her next turn with the star, getting out of the pack first – though not as lead jammer – and earning herself 3 points before Tigra was able to escape Charlotte’s defense and earn lead and stop the jam.  Lykr C’leen got a break in the next jam when Dr. Octopushy was sent to the box for a back block after taking down Charlotte blocker Sweet Psy*ren.  Charlotte’s jammer struggled to take advantage of her power jam as the rest of her blockers were slow in realizing that she was skating unopposed and attempted to maintain their wall in the front of the pack, while their jammer was trying to fight a wall at the back. Lykr continued to battle through and succeeded in adding 9 more points to Charlotte’s score.

Charlotte’s momentum continued in the next jam with Rosie Cheeks earning lead status over Calamity Jane, who was took a seat in the penalty box for a minute. Rosie added 4 more points to the board.  In the next jam Charlotte’s blockers are able to maintain a slow pack speed allowing Bashionista to put up 9 more points before Claslamity Jane re-enters the track.

Bashionista goes toe-to-toe with Tigra

Blue Ridge jammer Tigra was able to overtake Lykr C’leen in the next jam, but does not earn lead jammer status. She picked up a grand slam before Lykr was able to break through the pack with some help from her blocker, Shawn Shank Redemption, and end the jam after claiming lead status.

As the second period began to wind down, Charlotte was held fast at 73 points with jammers Sin Plicity, Lykr C’leen and Rosie Cheeks taking on Tigra, Dr. Octopushy and Caslamity Jane, increased their score by another 19 points to 217 to 73.

The Blue Ridge All Stars ended their night with another big jam from Caslamity Jane who added 14 more points, when Sin Plicity was sent to the box. The Charlotte blockers staunched the bleeding a bit, holding back the Blue Ridge jammer for a while allowing Sin Plicity to be released from the box. Sin added 4 more points of her own to Charlotte’s final score, ending the night with 77 points to the Blue Ridge All Stars’ 231.

Margaret Snatch'her starts the bout up against Skelly-Tor

After the most successful season in their history, the Charlotte B Dazzlers stumbled at their final bout against the Blue Ridge Roller Girls French Broads, based in Asheville, North Carolina. In the most physically challenging game of the year, the B Dazzlers put all of their hearts on the line, fighting for every point they earned and demonstrating to the crowd their determination and unfailing team spirit. Unfortunately for them, the French Broad team was bolstered by more experienced skaters and was able to dominate the pack in almost every jam, setting up wall after unbreakable wall for the Charlotte jammers. The final score was 34 to 199. The B Dazzlers end the 2011 season with a 5-4 record.

The B-Dazzlers started strongly out of the gate, with Margaret Snatch-her taking on the Blue Ridge French Broad’s jammer Skelley Tor and pulling out as lead jammer. However, Snatch-her, not realizing how closely Skelley Tor was following behind, allowed Blue Ridge to match her two points.  The next jam established the momentum that would continue throughout most of the bout with Asheville showing strong three and four person walls and dominating the pack; Charlotte skater Addie Finitum faced off with Lady Rider, who quickly took the lead and was able to pick up 15 points.  Charlotte’s Do U Juana had better luck in the next jam, earning lead status over French Broad jammer She-Wrex who took a hard hit from Charlotte blocker Star Spangled BanGRR.  Do U Juana picked up a grand slam in her first pass, but wasn’t quite able to capitalize on She-Wrex’s trouble in the pack. Do U Juana got recycled twice just as she was about to break through the front and attempt a second scoring pass.

Addie Finitum gets lead jammer status

Lucky number 7 proved to be a curse for the Charlotte B Dazzlers as they were held at 7 points for the next 7 jams, allowing the Blue Ridge French Broads to increase their lead to 51 points.  Charlotte was finally able to break Blue Ridge’s point streak by starting the 11^th jam of the night on their knees, forcing a no-pack situation to take advantage of a major back block penalty by French Broad skater, Drag’n Slayer in the previous jam. Charlotte jammer Addie Finitum took advantage of the seconds she had to skate unopposed to break through the pack and get lead jammer status.  Drag’n Slayer was released from the penalty box as Addie approached the back of the pack.  Addie got forced to the outside of the pack after picking up 2 points, but her attempt to call off the jam was blocked from the referee’s view, which allowed Blue Ridge to pick up a full 4 points before the jam was finally called.

The unlucky number 7 returned to haunt Charlotte as their score remained at 9 points for the next 7 jams, with Star Spangled BanGRR, Margaret Snatch-her, Addie Finitum, Do U Juana and Sadie Hellcat all taking their chances against the Blue Ridge defense, but earning zero points.

Do U Juana breaks past Drag'n SlayHer to gain lead jammer status and earn 3 points for CLTRG in the jam

Do U Juana was the next skater to advance  Charlotte’s score. She earned 3 points while taking on Blue Ridge jammer Quarter Pound-her, who, regrettably for Charlotte, managed 9 points in the jam bringing the total to 116 to 12 in favor of Blue Ridge.  The first half of the game finished with Addie Finitum skating against Lady Rider again. Addie was sent to the box for a back block penalty, while trying to jump the apex around a wall of French Broad blue, allowing Lady Rider to put 10 more points on the board.

The half time allowed Charlotte to regain some of their mojo as momentum appeared to be shifting in their direction again at the start of the second period. The first jam of the second half saw no advancement in Charlotte’s score as Addie Finitum started in the box to finish her penalty time while Lady Rider put 7 more points on the board for Asheville.  The B Dazzlers then had some success when jammers Do U Juana, Margaret Snatch-her and Addie Finitum were able to pick up lead jammer status in the next four jams and keep Blue Ridge scoreless, although only earning 3 points For Charlotte.

That momentum was quickly lost again as the French Broads added 7 more points to bring their total to 140 while the B Dazzlers remained at 15. In the next jam Do U Juana was able to make some headway again, earning lead jammer status and picking up 1 point for Charlotte against the Blue Ridge jammer Disstressa.

Sadie Hellcat takes a moment to assess the pack

With each of Charlotte’s normal jammers facing 3 minor penalties, the B Dazzlers made a strategic choice to not risk losing their jammer to the penalty box on a fourth minor call and instead fielded other skaters to take their chances against the pack. The B Dazzler’s Agent Cherry Maim’her stepped up to the jammer line for the first time this bout, but was sent to the box, allowing  French Broad’s One Hit Wound’Her to score 14 points. Drag-n Slayer kept up the Blue Ridge momentum and took advantage of her power jam situation to score 10 more points. Charlotte then fielded veteran skater Pamela Ander-Slam, who emerged from the pack shortly behind Blue Ridge’s skater Punk Rotten, who only managed to put 1 point on the board before being forced to call the jam.  Charlotte ran in to more penalty trouble in the next three jams with skater Sadie Hellcat taking two separate trips to the box. Sadie was able to put up 3 points in the second of those three jams, but Blue Ridge added 16 more to their score taking the spread to 181 to 19.

Optimus Fine uses her great blocking skills to open up a gap for jammer, Do U Juana

The next six jams were minor victories for the B Dazzlers as Do U Juana, Star Spangled BanGRR, Margaret Snatch-her, Conine the Barbarian, and Addie Finitum were all able to put some points on the board each time. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to keep their opponents from scoring at the same time as French Broad jammers Lady Rider, Riot Crrls, One hit WoundHer, Disstressa and Drag’n Slayer all score as well.  As the game clock wound down, the B Dazzlers added 15 points to their score, while the French Broad’s nearly matched them with 14 points. The final jam of the night ends with Margaret Snatch-her going toe to toe with Skelley Tor, who grabbed lead status and added 4 more points to the total for Blue Ridge. The final score was 34 to 199 in favor of the Blue Ridge Rollergirls French Broads.