Everything you need to know for D2 in Cleveland

Happy tournament week, derby fans!

Here at Burning River we are busy, busy, BUSY preparing for the big International WFTDA D2 Playoffs coming to Cleveland this week!

Some of the best skaters in the world will be invading the Cleveland Public Auditorium Aug. 21-23. So how do you get in on the action? We make it easy with a variety of bouts and price points!

The first bout begins 10 a.m. Friday, and games continue through Sunday evening. A full schedule can be found here.

Tickets will be available for sale all weekend, but please note, due to venue restrictions, tickets will not be available at the door. Whether you purchase right now, or on your smart phone in the parking garage on your way to the venue is up to you. Please plan accordingly.

But you should totally make it easy by purchasing your tickets now!

Now about those prices …

$60 
This gets you a three-day unlimited pass (ages 13-54). That’s 17 bouts (or about $3.53 per bout). This is an incredible value for true roller derby fans.

$25
Single-day passes. A full day of roller derby for those who can only attend one day. An absolute steal for 5-6 back-to-back bouts.

$12-$15
This low low price gets you into the two evening bouts on the night of your choice. You will be admitted after 5 p.m. Friday or Saturday or 3 p.m. Sunday.

FREE
That’s right, free. Join our volunteers for four hours and enjoy free admission for the rest of the day. Sign up for a set-up shift Thursday and select whichever day of the tournament you please to get in for free. Sign up HERE.

Discounts available for children 12 and younger and adults 55 and older. Check out all the details HERE.

Looking for easy parking? Willard Park Garage, 601 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland, is right across the street from the Cleveland Public Auditorium. $10 all day parking.

We can’t wait to see you and all of the incredible athletes who will be in town this weekend. Follow along with your very own bracket. May the best team win!

For more information, including transportation and local hot spots to visit around the venue, visit www.wftda.com/cleveland.

August is Roller Derby Month in Cleveland!

Hold on to your butts, roller derby fans! August is ROLLER DERBY month in Cleveland! There is so much going on, it’s enough to satiate even the most die hard fans, and sure to convert those of you who haven’t jumped aboard the derby train yet!

First up, we’ll be hosting a double-header event Aug. 8 at CE Orr Ice Arena in Euclid against teams both near and far. Burning River Roller Derby will go skate-to-skate with the Rubber City Rollergirls of Akron as well as our international rivals from Wellington County, Ontario. Get your tickets now for our final interleague bout of the year!

If that isn’t huge enough, mark your calendars for Aug. 21-23 when the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is bringing the International WFTDA D2 Playoffs right here to Cleveland! Some of the top skaters in the world will be gracing us with their roller derby excellence at the Cleveland Public Auditorium for this awe-inspiring three-day event.

Tickets are on sale now! People travel far and wide to see this level of roller derby action. Don’t miss out while it’s right here in our hometown!

All of these things take a lot of behind-the-scenes work and help from our community. Want to help? Kick off the month by bringing your vehicle to our car wash fundraiser Saturday Aug. 1 at Pla-Mor Roller Rink in Euclid from 11 am- 3 pm!

Finally, Cleveland is proud to be named the WFTDA’s league of the month! Check back for the official feature about our league.

For all these reasons and more, there has never been a better time to be a fan of roller derby in Cleveland. See you on the track!

Meet BRRD: Bustin’ Stuff

What is your name?
Bustin’ Stuff

What is your skater number?
41

How long have you been skating?
3 years

What does your derby name mean?
It’s the name of the first Dave Matthew’s Band album I ever purchased, Busted Stuff. I’m kind of obsessed with that band.

What is your pre-bout routine? Any rituals?
I have a solo dance party in my underwear.

Do you have a derby wife?
I do, RAGE aka Raging Blockoholic…since she kicked my butt in musical chairs in December 2012. She will forever be my wife.

Which skater hits the hardest? Who are you afraid of on the track?
Professor Booty…I cringe just thinking of her sherrifs

What was your first derby experience?
January 2013 playing against Glass City in Toledo. I got so many penalties I was almost ejected from the game!

What advice would you give to someone looking to begin their roller derby career?
Do it! It will be the best decision you ever make.

If a genie granted you one wish, what would you wish for?
To bring back Rage.

What are three things you can’t live without?
My son, my fiancée, and derby

See Bustin’ Stuff skate this Saturday at CE Ice Arena in Euclid!

Bring your Pride to Euclid!

Rain may have drowned out all of the festivities scheduled for today’s 27th annual Cleveland Pride events, but those looking for a place to celebrate need to go no further than Euclid’s CE Orr Ice Arena for a parade of roller derby events all day long.

Burning River Roller Derby will be hosting an international double-header event against rivals from Hamilton, Ontario. Parking is free. Doors open at 5 pm, and the first bout begins at 6.

Adult tickets are $12 at the door but wear your rainbow attire, and we’ll give you our discount ticket price of $10! Children are $4 for Ages 6-12; FREE for children 5 and younger.

In addition to the derby action, the Blazing River Freedom Band will be performing during breaks throughout the event. Plus we’ll be dancing into the night at our after party at Paddy’s Pour Haus just around the corner at, 925 E 222nd St, Euclid, Ohio 44123.

Want to get the party started a little sooner? The Cleveland Guardians will also be hosting roller derby events earlier in the day. The team will battle the Cincinnati Battering Rams at noon, followed by a bonus bout in which the Cincinnati Battering Rams take on the Capital District Trauma Authority (Albany, NY). Check out details here.

Make Euclid your new Pride headquarters with a day jam-packed with roller derby action!

Meet BRRD: Premo Donna

Skater Name: Premo Donna

Number: 8181

How long have you been skating?
I have been skating in some form or another for as long as I can remember. I never skated competitively, growing up. It used to be my way to unwind after school, listening to music and skating around.
I have been playing roller derby for 5 years now. I started as a Fresh Meat skater for Burning River in 2010, going into Season 5.
I was drafted to the Hard Knockers in the first draft that year. Later on that season, I made the All Stars travel team.

What does your derby name mean?
It’s a play on words. My last name is Premo, so I decided to use a play on the term “prima donna”, which is Italian for “first lady”. Prima donna is often used to describe someone with an overinflated view of themselves.
I am the exact opposite of a prima donna, and I appreciate irony, so I went with it. Most everyone just calls me Premo, though.

What is your favorite derby moment?
The first time I won MVP Jammer. I was a rookie and it made me so happy!

Do you have a spirit animal that reflects your derby playing style?
My derby spirit animal is some sort of weird rhino-gazelle-giraffe hybrid.

What is your signature move on the track?
I use my shoulders a lot to get through the pack. Last year, my team called me “1000 Knives” because they said that is how my shoulders feel.
Other than that, when I’m jamming, I juke a lot, and I’m almost always on my toe stops in the pack.
I only just started focusing on blocking this year, so I haven’t really developed a “style” yet in that area.

What is your pre-bout routine? Any rituals?
I always had to work on bout days, so my routine is usually the day before. I usually like to wash all of my gear the night before. For travel games, this isn’t feasible.
I always do some sort of eye makeup for a bout. Something about the ritual of it calms me down a bit.

How important is derby in your life?
I have two main hobbies.
Roller derby and horseback riding.
When I am not working or on horseback, I am playing roller derby or thinking about roller derby.

Where would you like to see your derby career go?
I’m pretty happy with where my roller derby career is now. I’m playing for the All Stars and the Hard Knockers this year, and whatever happens next is gravy.

What advice would you give to someone looking to begin their roller derby career?
You can do this.
If it is something you want, you can do it.
Put in the work and the effort, and you can do this.
Go to Rec derby, learn how to skate and learn how to play, then contact our recruiting team!

Anything else we should know about you?
I am married. My husband’s name is Jason and he is amazing.
We have no kids, but we have plenty of pets to keep us busy. We have a beagle mix named Rosco, a domestic shorthair cat named Zazzles who I raised since he was two weeks old, an albino ringneck dove named Caesar, a hedgehog named Vander, a ball python named Eve, and a horse (a Percheron/Saddlebred cross) named Gypsy. As I said before, I have two main hobbies and one of them is horseback riding, but mostly that includes training Gypsy.
When I can find the time between everything else, I also ride four-wheelers with my friends, which I have done since I was six. Our trips are few and far between these days, though.

Meet BRRD: PF Scarrie

Skater Name: PF Scarrie

Number: 80

How long have you been skating?
I am a founding member. I retired in 2011, then returned in 2014.

What does your derby name mean?
Pretty Scary is a common phase used to express emotion. My name is Carrie – spelled it with Carrie in it (Pretty Scarrie). After starting derby – my team mates started calling me Pretty F’ing Scarrie so my skater name was eventually abbreviated to PF Scarrie.

What is your favorite derby moment?
CNY tournament 2015 – WINNING ALL THE MEDALS!

In derby, many skaters take on a “derby wife,” someone that they really connect with on and off the track. Do you have a derby wife? Who? 
Dagney Taghurt. We officially “tied the knot” in 2014, but have been the dearest of friends since 2007.

What was your first derby experience?
The first information meeting at the Happy Dog — 40 strangers getting pumped up and starting BRRD!

How important is derby in your life?
I need to skate for the thrill and the rush of playing. I need the people just as much – they are family!

What advice would you give to someone looking to begin their roller derby career?
It’s not how many times you get knocked down – its how many times you keep getting back up!

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Pink sparkle

Anything else we should know about you?
Im 44 years old — one of the “older” skaters in the league — but I feel that derby has given me the opportunity to turn the clock back! I feel younger now than I did when I was 24!

Welcome to Burning River Roller Derby

Exciting things are happening at Burning River!

First, if you hadn’t already noticed, we’ve officially changed our name from Burning River Roller Girls to Burning River Roller Derby. Subtle? Maybe, but it means a great deal to our skaters.

The league made this change to better highlight the sport of roller derby and the athleticism of the skaters, as well as more accurately reflect who we are as an organization.

“I hope our new name draws attention back to the sport of roller derby and to the athleticism of the skaters.” ~ Midnight Smack.

“Burning River is made up of a diverse group of skaters, officials, and volunteers, many of whom do not identify as ‘girls,’ ” according to Midnight Smack, the league’s president. She noted that the word “girl” denotes a child and also that many integral contributors to our league are men. In addition to being more representative of our members, the new name is more welcoming to trans and non-binary skaters, which is in keeping with policies recently put in place by BRRD.

“I hope our new name draws attention back to the sport of roller derby and to the athleticism of the skaters,” Midnight Smack said.

To go with the new name, we also have a new venue and schedule for 2015! In the spring and summer, the league will face teams from other cities at our new home at CE Orr Arena in Euclid.

Come to our home opener on April 25 to check out the new location!  Tickets on sale soon.

In the fall, we’ll be back on the west side at Ohio Nets Sports Complex in Parma for our home team games. These bouts feature all the skaters in the league broken into four intraleague teams, the Cleveland Steamers, the Hard Knockers, the Rolling Pin-Ups, and the Hellbombers. Home team bouts are fan favorites you definitely won’t want to miss!

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to check www.burningriverderby.com for our full season schedule and more! See you on the track!

Rest in Peace, Ragey

Nov. 23, one of the strongest women we know was the passenger in a terrible car crash that sent her to the hospital in critical condition and ultimately took her life.

Mary “ ‘Rage’ing Blockaholic” Byrnes, 35, was a rising star among the Burning River Roller Girls and a member of the Rolling Pin-Ups, HazMat Crew, and Burning River All-Stars. As her name implies, she was a powerhouse blocker, but was also known for her tenacity as a jammer.

But at BRRG, we all knew that her most prominent skill was her fierce loyalty to her friends and family. She was always there for us, whether it was making us smile with her irreverent humor or having our backs during the really tough times, both on and off the track.

Who will be there for us now, though, as we say goodbye to our beloved Ragey? She fought just as hard in the hospital as she did on the track until the intense trauma took her life Dec. 4.

Rage just capped an incredible second season with many honors. At our annual banquet in October, she was awarded Rolling Pin-Ups Most Improved, HazMat Crew Best Jammer, HazMat Crew Team MVP, All-Stars Most Improved and All-Stars Rookie of the Year. Her death will leave a giant hole on our league and in our hearts.

She leaves behind three children and a stepson, an extensive family and many derby sisters and brothers who loved her dearly.

Memories and condolences are welcomed in the comments. We will be posting details on how to assist her family and pay respects as we have more information.

UPDATE: Celebration of Mary’s life will take place at 6:00 PM, on Friday, December 12, 2014, at Sunset Chapel, 6245 Columbia Rd., North Olmsted, Ohio. Family will welcome friends at the Chapel prior to the service, from 4:00 until 6:00 PM.

Rage, we wish you were here right now to hug and hold. You would know the right thing to say to cheer us up. We miss you so much. Rage on.

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Get schooled on the Fresh Meat class of 2014

The Freshie class of 2014. Photo Courtesy of Victoria Standbridge

Ridin’ Nerdy here, one of the newest members of the Burning River Roller Girls Fresh Meat class of 2014, to introduce the rest of the recruits you will see this weekend at Black & Blue 9!

The Burning River Roller Girls added 10 new skaters to the league this season.

We are: PF Scarrie, a founding member of the Burning River Roller Girls who skated with the league from seasons one through five. After taking a few years off she has returned this season as “refreshed” meat. Her knowledge and experience are valuable assets to our gang of “freshies,” and we are very lucky to have her.

Chinese Takeout, a transfer skater who skated with the State College Area Rollers for about a year before relocating to Cleveland joining Burning River.

The rest of us are true rookies: Mexicali Mayhem, GhostGrace Killah, Vigilannie, Valerian Steel, Jessica Rabbid, Acid Raine, Roth of Khan, and myself, Ridin’ Nerdy.

We are all beyond excited and grateful to be the newest members of this amazing league of skaters. Being members of this league has already given us so many things: the feeling of empowerment, determination, and the opportunity to showcase our abilities as athletes.

With the help, support, and motivation from each other and our veteran sisters we ARE going to see what we can do in this sport this season.

Come witness our debut in the derby world by attending Black & Blue 9, the league’s annual charity bout, on Saturday Nov. 22. The doors will open at 5:30 pm, and the bout will start at 6:30. This year a portion of every ticket will go to LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland.

The fresh meat skaters will be participating in the full-contact musical chairs half time show. This is our initiation, a tradition of BRRG, and a highly anticipated event you do not want to miss!

The same basic rules of regular musical chairs apply, except we will be taking it to the extreme. It will be fast-paced, aggressive (possibly violent), exciting, and on skates!

Oh, and any form of defense or attack is permitted! That’s right, there are no rules here! While we rookies are friends and comrades during practice and outside the rink, in this event we will be battling each other in a no holds barred fight to victory! Scope out the video from last year’s event to see what we mean.

Who will be the skater to secure the final chair? You will have to attend to find out!

Buy your tickets here and be sure to get there early to make sure you get close to the action!

~Nerdy

Meet the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland

Black & Blue 9, the Burning River Roller Girls’ annual charity bout, is fast approaching! This year, the fundraiser benefits the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

The LGBT Community Center, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, is the third oldest LGBT center in America. It is a non-profit organization that works to create and support a community that values and respects the rights, well-being, and diversity of all individuals.

The Center advances this mission by taking on a leadership role in advocating for equality and empowering members of the LGBT community. One of the primary providers of services to the LGBT community, the Center serves roughly 500 individuals every month through its various programs and events.

The LGBT Center sponsors many special events, such as speeches and workshops, and offers regularly scheduled programs such as discussion groups and support groups. The Center also provides access to valuable health and wellness services, including free HIV and STI testing, mental health counseling, AA meetings, and consultations with Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from the University of Akron.

Other regularly scheduled programs include free tai chi and reiki classes, a creative writing group, volunteer nights, and even a martial arts class for teens 12-17. These various events nurture personal growth and skills of LGBT individuals in overcoming the challenges they face in all aspects of life.

The support offered by the Center is invaluable because it not only betters the LGBT community, but the entire community of Greater Cleveland. The Burning River Roller Girls are thrilled to be adding their own support by donating a portion of every Black & Blue 9 ticket sale to the LGBT Community Center. The donation will benefit the Center’s Facility Maintenance Endowment, which means that every dollar donated will be matched by the Maltz Family Foundation, doubling the impact. To add your own support, buy tickets for Black & Blue 9 here on BROWN PAPER TICKETS.

Black & Blue 9 takes place this Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Ohio Nets Sports Complex in Parma. The bout begins at 6:30, but doors open at 5:30, so get there early to secure your seat!