Metro area | Seattle |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Founded | 2004 |
Teams | Rat City All-Stars (A team) The Rain of Terror (B team) Derby Liberation Front Grave Danger Sockit Wenches Throttle Rockets |
Track type(s) | Flat |
Venue | Spartan Recreation Center (Shoreline) Climate Pledge Arena |
Affiliations | WFTDA |
Org. type | WA non-profit corp |
Website | http://ratcityrollerderby.com/ |
Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC, the league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat City is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), [1] and has achieved success on the WFTDA stage, qualifying for WFTDA Playoffs every season, including a second-place finish in the 2007 WFTDA Championships.
The league was founded as Rat City Rollergirls in 2004 by "Dixie Dragstrip", Lilly "Hurricane Lilly" Warner and Rahel "Rae's Hell" Cook. [2] Nearly 2000 fans attended the first league home team championship in October 2005 at a former navy hangar in Magnuson Park, as the Derby Liberation Front defeated the Throttle Rockets 52-32. [3]
The Rat City Rollergirls hosted the 2006 Roller Derby "Bumberbout" Flat Track Invitational on Saturday, September 2, 2006, in the KeyArena at Seattle Center. [4] The Texas Rollergirls won the championship, retaining undefeated status. The Rat City Rollergirls finished second. Within the Rat City Rollergirl league, the Sockit Wenches won the season championship at Sand Point on October 21, 2006. They beat the formerly undefeated Derby Liberation Front, scoring the decisive points in the final seconds of the match, and of the season.
In February 2008 Rat City first hosted the Rust Riot Pacific Northwest Tournament, predominantly featuring B-teams from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Rat City's Rain of Terror defeated the Rose City Rollers' Axles of Annihilation to win the tournament. [5]
In 2009, the Rat City Rollergirls announced a change of venue from the hangars at Magnuson Park to the KeyArena at Seattle Center and ShoWare Center in Kent. Ticket sales for the first bout of the season vastly exceeded expectations of KeyArena management, filling more than 4,000 of the 5,500 seat capacity in what is referred to as the 'lower bowl'. [6] That season, Rat City averaged 4100 fans per event. [7]
On March 6, 2010, Rat City Rollergirls had a turnout of 5,185 in KeyArena. According to announcements that evening this was record attendance for both Rat City Rollergirls and the largest attendance to women's roller derby in history. [8]
On June 5, 2010, the Sockit Wenches defeated Grave Danger to win the season 6 championship. [9] The lower bowl at KeyArena was sold out, with over 6000 fans in attendance and 6885 tickets sold. [9]
In late 2017, Rat City rebranded as Rat City Roller Derby. [10]
As a business enterprise, the league is registered as a non-profit corporation, Rat City Roller Derby, [11] which is owned by the skaters. Although stakeholders in the enterprise, the skaters are not currently paid for their participation.
The RCRG make extensive use of a social media forum (phBB) to structure their organizational and social interactions. [12]
The home teams for play within the Rat City league are:
The travel teams are:
In July, 2007 a junior league was established, the Seattle Derby Brats. The Seattle Derby Brats are an independent organization that rents practice space from Rat City. They were the second junior league to start and the first to have a public bout. The first inter-league junior bout was the Tuscan Derby Brats vs The Seattle Derby Brats at the 2007 WFTDA Nationals. They were the fourth team to be part of the JRDA, the Junior Roller Derby Association but are no longer affiliated. [14] At the 2007 National Tournament, the Seattle Derby Brats skated against Tucson's junior team between the tournament games. [15] The Seattle Derby Brats were founded and coached by Krista Lafontaine Williams ("Betty Ford Galaxy") formerly of Rat City and currently skating with the Rainier Roller Girls. Betty Ford Galaxy retired from coaching junior derby at the end of the 2014 season. Many other local skaters have helped coach and hold board positions. [16]
The Seattle Derby Brats has teams for multiple levels of play. The youngest group of skaters (ages 8 to 11), known as the Tootsy Rollers, play a positional-blocking version of roller derby with little contact. The Tootsy Rollers are split into four teams: Lemon Drops, Acid Pops, Orange Crush and Turquoise Terrors. Division I (ages 11 to 17) is made up of four teams:Poison Skid'les, Evil Angels, Battle Axles, and Stunflowers. Division I plays positional roller derby with more in-depth strategy. Division II (ages 11 to 17) features full-contact play. The teams in Division II are in three tiers, listed in order of skill: the Toxic AvengHers/Mighty Rollers, the Ultra Violets, and the all star travel team, the Galaxy Girls.
PFM Roller Derby was formed as a practice group for skaters wishing to try out for Rat City, and for many years rented track space from Rat City, however the organization, a registered non-profit, has always been independent from Rat City. Composed of skaters in training, as well as recreational derby players who do not wish to commit at the level of league play, PFM alumnae go on to league play with the Rat City Rollergirls, the Rainier Roller Girls, the Dockyard Derby Dames, the Jet City Rollergirls, and the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds. Since 2018, PFM has held practices and scrimmages at Magnuson Community Center. [17]
The 2007 documentary, Blood On The Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls, [18] was directed by Lainy Bagwell and Lacey Leavitt. [19] It played at 14 film festivals around the world, including screenings in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia, as well as Aarhus, Denmark. It was released on DVD in Canada in October 2009 [20] and in the United States in February 2010. [21]
Several of the members of the Rat City Rollergirls were profiled in an article on MSNBC. [22]
In 2008, the Rat City Rollergirls were a featured league in a video game developed by Frozen Codebase and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. [23] [24]
In May 2008, Starbucks initiated an inquiry as to trademark infringement between the Starbucks logo and the Rat City Rollergirls "skater portrait in a circle" logo. [25] [26] After casual observers noted the absence of similarity, the matter was dropped in September 2008 without further legal action. [27]
The Rat City Rollergirls logo artwork was designed by local Seattle artist, Ego. [28]
The Rat City All-Stars competed in the 2007 WFTDA National Championships in Austin, Texas. They placed second, to the 2007 national champions the Kansas City Roller Warriors. [29] In the qualifying round, they beat the 2006 and 2005 national champions, the Texas Rollergirls, who placed third. [30] Eight teams went to Austin to compete in the 2007 Texas Shootout National Championships, four from the eastern regional division and four from the western regional division, these notable teams included: the Carolina Rollergirls (fourth place), the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, the Tucson Roller Derby, the Detroit Derby Girls, and the Windy City Rollers. [15]
Sweeping the WFTDA Western Regional Tournament, the Tucson Dust Devil, in an upset of the formerly top ranked Texas Texecutioners, the Rat City All-Stars rose to first in the national roller derby rankings, up from third, and rose to the first seed for the championships. [31] [32] [33]
In November 2008, Rat City Rollergirls and the Rose City Rollers co-hosted the Northwest Knockdown national championships at the Portland Expo Center. [34] Entering the competition ranked third in the nation, the Rat City Rollergirls were defeated in the first round of competition by the Windy City Rollers.
Season | Final ranking [35] | Playoffs | Championship |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | 3 WFTDA [36] | — | 5 [37] |
2007 | 2 WFTDA [38] | 1 W [39] | 2 [40] |
2008 | 1 W [41] | 3 W [42] | R1 [43] |
2009 | 4 W [44] | 4 W [45] | DNQ |
2010 | 5 W [46] | 5 W [47] | DNQ |
2011 | 4 W [48] | 4 W [49] | DNQ |
2012 | 5 W [50] | 5 W [51] | DNQ |
2013 | 13 WFTDA [52] | 3 D1 [53] | R1 D1 [54] |
2014 | 16 WFTDA [55] | 4 D1 [56] | DNQ |
2015 | 13 WFTDA [57] | 3 D1 [58] | R1 D1 [59] |
2016 | 15 WFTDA [60] | 3 D1 [61] | R1 D1 [62] |
2017 | 16 WFTDA [63] | 4 D1 [64] | CR D1 [65] |
2018 | 16 WFTDA [66] | CR [67] | DNQ |
2019 | 18 WFTDA [68] | CR [69] | DNQ |
2023 | 14 WFTDA NA West Region [70] | DNQ | DNQ |
2024 | 9 WFTDA NA West Region [71] | CR | DNQ |
Windy City Rollers is a women's flat-track roller derby league located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Juanna Rumbel and Sister Sledgehammer in 2004, Windy City is the first flat-track roller derby league established in Chicago, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Treasure Valley Rollergirls (TVR) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 2006, Treasure Valley is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The Rose City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Portland, Oregon, operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Established in 2004, the Rose City Rollers consists of a recreational program, four adult local home teams, and two all-star travel teams that represent the league in competition with others as well as junior skaters on six home teams with a travel team for Rose Petals (7–12) and a travel team for Rosebuds (12–17). Rose City's all-star travel team "Wheels of Justice" won the WFTDA Championships in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
The Kansas City Roller Warriors (KCRW) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Kansas City, Kansas that was founded in 2004. The members of the league are split into four home teams that play within the league and two travel teams that represent KCRW in competition with other leagues. KCRW is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and the Kansas City Roller Warriors All Star travel team was the winner of the 2007 WFTDA Championships, the "Texas Shootout", which took place in Austin, Texas.
Carolina Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Raleigh, North Carolina. Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and founded in January 2004, Carolina is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Santa Cruz Roller Derby (SCRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league in Santa Cruz, California. The first female, amateur flat-track roller derby league in Santa Cruz, SCRD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Texas Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Austin, Texas. Founded in early 2003 and widely credited as the league that started the modern roller derby movement, the Texas Rollergirls were the first flat-track league in the nation to play a version of roller derby using new standardized rules and a track design based on the dimensions of the old banked tracks. As flat-track derby caught on in other American cities, the Texas Rollergirls' rulebook and track design eventually evolved into the specifications that were adopted and ratified upon formation of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2005, of which Texas is a founding member.
Ohio Roller Derby (OHRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2005, the league currently consists of two mixed teams which compete against teams from other leagues. Ohio Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Madison Roller Derby (MRD), founded as "Mad Rollin' Dolls", is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2004, Madison is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and was the fourth league to join the fledgling organization. Since 2006, Madison has qualified for the WFTDA post-season every year, including three appearances at WFTDA Championships.
Jacksonville Roller Derby is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Jacksonville, Florida, (USA). Originally formed as the First Coast Fatales, the league became Jacksonville RollerGirls in 2007, and changed to its current name in 2018. The league has been a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) since December 2010.
Charm City Roller Derby (CCRD), was a flat track roller derby league in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2005, Charm City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
London Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league and a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league were founding members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA).
Denver Roller Derby (DRD) is a flat-track roller derby league based in Denver, Colorado. The league was founded in December 2005. Denver Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), joining in December 2007 as Denver Roller Dolls. In January 2015, the league changed its name to Denver Roller Derby.
Boston Roller Derby, (BRD), is a flat-track roller derby league based in Boston, Massachusetts. The league was founded as Boston Derby Dames in May 2005, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league's all-star team, the Boston Massacre, was one of the top 25 WFTDA Division 1 teams in the world through most of the duration of the divisional ranking system introduced in early 2013, and as of December 31, 2015, the Massacre was ranked at 21. Boston won the WFTDA Division 2 Championship in 2017 and the North America East Continental Cup in 2018.
Philly Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Atlanta Roller Derby (ARD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 2004, as Atlanta Rollergirls, the league finished their fourteenth season in November 2018. Atlanta Roller Derby is a founding member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
The International Women's Flat Track Derby Association Championships are the leading competition for roller derby leagues.
Jet City Roller Derby (JCRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Everett, Washington. Founded in 2006, Jet City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Angel City Derby is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2006 by a collective of skaters, the league is composed of nearly 200 members divided into four teams who skate on a flat track and compete against teams from the state of California and internationally. The league is skater-owned and operated, "by the skater, for the skater," a volunteer-fueled effort by the women and men in the organization. Angel City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). In recent years Angel City's all-star team, the Hollywood Scarlets, has been considered one of the top teams in the WFTDA.
Fort Wayne Roller Derby (FWRD) is an open gender flat track roller derby league based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Founded in 2005 originally as Fort Wayne Derby Girls, the league currently consists of a women’s team and an open gender team that compete against teams from all over the United States and Canada. Fort Wayne Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).