The West Kootenay Roller Derby league had a thrilling 2013 home season. The Kootenay Kannibelles, the WKRD travel team, had a few adventures as well. There was the first ever Roller Derby Canadian National Tournament in Edmonton, AB. There were hundreds of kilometers traveled and handfuls of teams played all over Western Canada and the US. There was Spokarnage, the tournament where the Kannibelles proved themselves the hungriest carnivores of all, beating out some high level USA teams to win first prize. No big deal.
So when you see that the Kannibelles are going to open up the WKRD home season for 2014, it's a game you won't want to miss you may even want to go online and scoop up advance tickets as soon as you've read this sentence. Thanks to the support of Selkirk College, the WKRD is able to start our 2014 season a full 2 months early. This means that the first game this year, while usually in April, is going to be in February instead. February 8, 2014 at 5 PM, to be exact.
The Kannibelles will be hosting Avalanche City Roller Girls from Fernie, BC. ACRG has been working hard for the last couple of seasons, determined to carve out their place in the derby world. The 'Belles played ACRG in Sparwood last August and it was a nail-biter from the beginning. The final score was 208-140 in favor of the Belles, and if you know derby you know that is a deceptively small win margin. The Kannibelles may have started earlier and pulled ahead in derby in Western Canada, but Avalanche City won't hesitate to nip at their heels as they climb the ranks themselves, and our Belles will have to fight as hard as they ever have before!
The Belles have experienced some big changes since 2013. Perhaps most notably, Coach Phil Yer Pants stepped down after three years of feasting with the Belles to pursue other non-derby goals; as we are sometimes reminded, even our most dedicated league-mates have "other lives". He leaves behind big skates to fill after his time leading the team. Stepping into these with bravado are Kai Bosh (a WKRD referee, coach of the Nelson Killjoys, and skilled derby brain with feet to match), and Bobbi Barbarich (aka Beretta Lynch, a long-standing force in Canadian roller derby in her own right and a skater and coach known across the globe for her speed, strength, and smarts). Together they will take on the task of corralling these unruly carnivores and directing them to their next meal, and the Avalanche City Roller Girls, though a skilled and charming group of athletes, are certainly looking delicious.
Come see the carnage for yourself and get a taste of the great roller derby that will be coming to the Kootenays in the 2014 season! February 8, 5 p.m. at Selkirk College in Castlegar. Advance tickets are available online at www.kootenayrollerderby.com for $10 in advance, or at the door for $15. Kids 12 and under $2
-Shove