 | |
| Metro area | New Orleans |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Teams | AllStars (A team) Second Line (B team) |
| Track type(s) | Flat |
| Venue | Human Performance Center |
| Affiliations | WFTDA |
| Org. type | LLC |
| Website | bigeasyrollergirls.com |
Big Easy Rollergirls or BERG (est. 2005) [1] is a women's, flat-track roller derby league in New Orleans, Louisiana. Big Easy is a founding member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). [2]
The Big Easy Rollergirls league was founded in the spring of 2005, and had planned their first bout during Mardi Gras 2006. [3] Unfortunately, the league was disrupted by and had to regroup following the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, beginning competitive play on September 16, 2006. After a citywide tryout, BERG had two teams and more than 30 active members its first season. The debut bout was won by the Hor-Nots (v the 'Aints) 128–123 in overtime before a sellout crowd.
In their second season, the Big Easy Rollergirls doubled their membership with new recruits and was able to field four local teams: Confederacy of Punches, Crescent Wenches, Marigny Antoinettes and StoryVillains, as well as a travel team, the Big Easy Rollergirls Allstars. By the fourth season, the Big Easy Rollergirls switched to a two-team structure: The Big Easy Allstars (A team) and the Crescent Wenches (B team). The Marigny Antoinettes are now the incoming year's "Fresh Meat" and the StoryVillains are now the recreational team composed of retired Big Easy Rollergirls skaters.
The Big Easy Rollergirls organization has continued to grow and evolve, [4] maintaining a rigorous athletic training regimen (both on skates and off) while regularly contributing to community-service–oriented efforts around New Orleans. [5] Charities and organizations BERG has worked with include the Slaughter, Louisiana Volunteer Fire Department, Arabi Wrecking Krewe, New Orleans City Park, Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NO AIDS Task Force, Common Ground Collective, KaBOOM!, KIDsmART and the Louisiana SPCA.
The Big Easy Rollergirls are a diverse group of female athletes, ranging in age from the twenty-one to over fifty. [4] By day, they are dental hygienists, community college students, teachers, lawyers, stay-at-home-mothers, and waitresses.
For their first two seasons, home bouts were held at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World in Algiers, New Orleans. [6] The league currently holds their home bouts before large crowds (400 - 600 attendees) at the University of New Orleans Human Performance Center.
Voted “Best Local Sports Team,” by local magazine Where Y’at in their first season, [7] the league's mission continues to be to encourage and empower women through the sport of all-female flat-track roller derby. In doing so they provide alternative athletic entertainment while supporting charitable organizations that benefit the community at large.
In 2011, BERG converted from an LLC to a non-profit corporation, but does not have 501(c)(3) status.
In October 2011, Big Easy were ranked number one by the Derby South organization, which represents leagues from five southern states. [8]
After the 2013 season, they were ranked 93 in the world by the WFTDA. In 2014, Big Easy made their first appearance at WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs, coming into the Duluth tournament as the third seed, and ultimately finishing in fourth place. [9]
| Season | Final ranking [10] | Playoffs | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 28 WFTDA [11] | — | N/A |
| 2007 | 30 WFTDA [12] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2008 | 9 SC [13] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2009 | 17 SC [14] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2010 | 17 SC [15] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2011 | 18 SC [16] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2012 | 24 SC [17] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2013 | 97 WFTDA [18] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2014 | 67 WFTDA [19] | 4 D2 [9] | DNQ |
| 2015 | 79 WFTDA [20] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2016 | 142 WFTDA [21] | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2017 | 162 WFTDA [22] | DNQ | DNQ |
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