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03/02/2020 In Talk Derby To Me By Final Straw

OHRD at Battle of the All-Stars

The Battle of the All-Stars (BOTAS) has taken place in Hatfield, PA, every year since 2011. It is a tournament meant to showcase the best talent from states and provinces across North America. Ohio started fielding a team in 2013 and they haven't missed a year since. Team Ohio may be comprised of skaters from leagues all over the state, but there are several names on the roster that will be familiar to OHRD fans! Betty or not, Birch Slap, Belle A. Trix, Catch Mikachu, and active alumnus Paige Bleed were all members of Team Ohio for 2020's tournament. Skaters weren't the only ones seeing action at BOTAS this year. Each state is also represented by talented volunteers from various leagues. Head Referee Stray Taco and home announcer Final Straw filled those shoes for OHRD. Team Ohio prepared together all over the state including practices in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Playing such a demanding sport can feel daunting and playing with new teammates can be a challenge. However, OHRD's Paige Bleed says, "It was awesome! We had to attend at least five practices after making the team and learn to skate well together

02/21/2020 In Talk Derby To Me By Final Straw

The OHkapi Way

Ohio Roller Derby has a newish group in town called the OHkapi Krew. What is an OHkapi, and is it related to the African animal called an okapi? The answer: kind of.  OHRD is comprised of skaters, but also of officials--both skating and non-skating ones--who not only know the rules, but ensure safe gameplay while tracking scoring, penalties, and many other statistics. They frequently have to know how to deal with issues quickly while maintaining game flow, all while maintaining a professional, “no fun” demeanor in front of a cheering crowd. How they manage all that they do is a mystery, or just takes a lot of practice!  In not-so-recent history, referees were called zebras for obvious reasons, and non-skating officials (NSOs) wore pink shirts and were called flamingos. Recently, uniform requirements for NSOs changed, and they now wear black shirts at games. It suits them, as they run much of the behind-the-scenes work and are ninja-like. However, OHRD officials wanted to have a united identity. Someone learned of the okapi, a rainforest-dwelling relative of the giraffe which looks like a small horse that was being painted into a zebra, and whomever was doing the painting got interrupted before they could finish.

09/05/2019 In Talk Derby To Me By HardKore

2019 Rookies!

As their first season with Ohio Roller Derby winds down and preparations begin for the next round of OHRD tryouts in September, we caught up with some members of the 2019 rookie class to discuss their experiences, joys, and growth over the past year. How did you first hear about roller derby, and what made you decide to get involved with OHRD? Slayna Scully: I first heard about roller derby back in college in 2009! I was in my first year at BGSU and went to see the Glass City Rollers and fell in love. I bought a pair of quads that year, but never had the money or the time to get involved. I skated casually and recreationally until I finished graduate school last spring, and then I was free to join OHRD, aka the league of my dreams! Nick Tater: Slayna Scully, who I knew mostly just as an acquaintance through my sister, was involved with OH-Rec League (OH!RL) and convinced me to join because she thought I would enjoy it. I've always been athletic and she just reached out randomly one day and told me to come try a WannaBe Clinic. I was hooked from that first night. I joined

08/12/2019 In Talk Derby To Me By HardKore

Countdown to the Cup

The countdown to the WFTDA North America East Continental Cup is on! Catch up with skaters and coaches from the OHRD All Stars to find out how they’re preparing, what they loved most about the regular season, and their secrets to making magic happen on the track. OHRD took a summer break after the last home game in June. How did you spend it? Betty T. KayO: Ugh, that feels like so long ago. Elektra Magneto: There was a break? I read at least 6 books by the pool, kept up/progressed with exercise, and did derby work. Vyles: I took a fairly disastrous trip to Spain, my dad needed to have some very serious surgery, and I had to move! Let's just say I am ready for some roller derby. Kelsey Khaos: Mostly sleeping on practice nights, and enjoying some down time. The second week I started preparing my life for more intense training leading up the cup. Catch Mikachu: I spent my break training for my Ironman, playing rugby 7s, and getting back into my firefighting workout regimen. Amy Spears: Doing DIY projects around my house (I painted the trim on 23 windows!!!) and catching back up with aerial silks/trapeze classes. Birch Slap: Swimming. Traveling to Cincinnati,

07/10/2019 In Recaps, Talk Derby To Me By HardKore

OHIO FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH, TAKES DOWN CLASSIC CITY

After an intense three months of nearly non-stop derby action, including home games, tournament play, and several thousand miles of travel, Ohio Roller Derby tied the bow on the 2019 regular season with dual home track victories over first-time opponents Classic City Rollergirls (Athens, GA). While unable to blow open a wide enough spread to alter their predicted seeding for the North America East Continental Cup, the All Stars presented a solid performance to complete an 11-2 regular season, while Gang Green showed continued improvement and development of new skaters for a 5-4 season. (63) ALL STARS HOLD (78) CLASSIC CITY AT BAY, 153-107 A sizable early game lead for Ohio Roller Derby ultimately proved insurmountable for the visiting charter team, despite a second half assault that kept the All Stars on their toes. Earning lead jammer status in five of the first six jams of the contest, Ohio quickly opened a 30-1 lead over their opponents. Amy Spears forced the Classic City jammer out of bounds while Kelsey Khaos distracted defense long enough for Bigg Rigg to squeeze through the pack and nab lead in jam 7; BrussKnuckles followed up with a 5-0 run, slipping past a stalled pack in the apex.

06/26/2019 In Previews, Talk Derby To Me By HardKore

Ohio Rolls out the Red Carpet for Classic City

Wrapping up three months of nonstop, hard-fought contests, Ohio Roller Derby will take the track in the Lausche Building at the Ohio Expo Center on Saturday, June 29th against Classic City Rollergirls (Athens, GA) in their final regular season games of 2019. An untested opponent for Ohio, (78) Classic City has been on a slow but steady upward trajectory over the past year and a half, emerging victorious in eight sanctioned games and climbing forty-four spots in the WFTDA rankings during their 2018 season. A lighter 2019 schedule has been no less successful; currently 3-0, Classic City began their season by besting Appalachian Roller Derby in March, then rematched against them in May with similar results. Rolling with the momentum, they posted a 40-point win over Garden State on June 23rd, and will make the most of their trip to Ohio with a closed game against Cincinnati Rollergirls on Sunday, June 30th. While Ohio is projected to receive an invitation to the North America East Continental Cup in August, this last matchup before the June 30th rankings cutoff provides an opportunity to improve their standings and influence both their seeding and schedule for the postseason tournament. Following the home closer, Ohio Roller Derby