Roller derby girls knock crowd flat

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"Ohhhhhh!"

Groans poured out of the bleachers. The fan-favorite in this section, a skater named Bea Line, took a hard hit and crashed to the floor on the track's far turn.

One male fan, wearing a neon-pink wig and holding a 24-ounce Bud Light, yelled, "Where's the penalty? Where's the penalty? Come on, Bea Line! You can do it!"

Bea Line, who captained the Renegade Brigade, had her work cut out. Her team was being soundly beaten by the Marshals of Mayhem as the clock wound down.

What's it going to take for the Brigade to come back, I asked a gray-haired man sitting near the guy with the wig. He was the father of Bea Line, whose real name is Jenna Allen.

"Start knockin' people down," Jim Gourley said.

His daughter, he made clear, was just the skirt-wearing thug to send bodies flying.

"She played high school basketball, and they called her 'The Ax,'" he said proudly. "She's the greatest mom, greatest laid-back person in the world -- until she competes."

And so it went Saturday night at the Slaughterhouse (aka JBS Sports) in Greeley. Lots of moms, lots of laid-back ladies transformed before the crowd's eyes.

They became "Back Stab Her," "Baby Bruise," "Irish Rager" and "Emma Evil."

They showed off tattoos and spikes.

They wore short skirts and fishnet stockings.

Needless to say, the fans loved it. Judging by the crowd size at Greeley's roller derby debut -- 400 tickets were snapped up, and spectators filled bleachers on both ends of the track -- this cowtown has a love for ladies with 'tude.

Even the scantily clad announcer -- a tattoo-covered dude from Denver going by the name Dump Truck -- was warmly embraced.

Fans also enjoyed the oddness of the halftime spectacle. When the entertainer -- a flame-juggling teenager -- briefly caught her clothing on fire, a spectator was overheard saying, "This is soooo Greeley."

Roller derby has an unusual scoring system that left some fans scratching their heads. Sharon Street, the mother-in-law of Ashley Street (aka "Emma Evil"), asked me just what the "pivot" skater is supposed to do.

Not entirely sure, I answered with the derby standby: "Knocks people down, I think."

Is Emma Evil really an evil woman, I asked the mother-in-law.

"No," Sharon Street replied with a grin. "She is only evil here."

Emma Evil, Bea Line and the rest of Renegade Brigade did their best to mount a comeback.

With 2:58 left in the bout, Irish Rager put the Marshals' star skater, RollaRella, to the floor with a nasty shoulder. The Bea Line section, about 40 fans strong, including a contingent who traveled from Denver, cheered lustily.

Mike Buckles, the Bud drinker, was disappointed Bea's team didn't win, but he loved his first derby experience. He thinks the Slaughterhouse Derby Girls -- the local league that formed just a few months ago and spawned both the Marshal and Brigade teams --is a great addition to Greeley.

"I was very surprised there were so many people," Buckles said. "I think it was really fun. It's really exciting."

As for Allen (aka Bea Line and The Ax), who happens to be a mother of a toddler and a 12-year-old, her team's loss came down to not enough Marshals getting blasted onto their yellow fishnet booties.

"I think once I really started knocking everyone to the ground, we were able to get through the pack," Bea Line said with a gleam in her eye.

Chris Casey covers immigration, diversity and higher education for the Tribune. You can reach him at (970) 392-5623 or ccasey@greeleytribune.com.

UPCOMING BOUTS

The Marshals of Mayhem and Renegade Brigade are the two teams that compete in Greeley's new Slaughterhouse Derby Girls league.

Upcoming bouts:

June 28 -- Greeley STOMpede

Aug. 23 -- Midsummer Night's Extreme

Oct. 11 -- Rink Rash Rumble

Dec. 13 -- Snow Brawl

Information: www.slaughterhousederbygirls.com