Derby Girls Sell Out the Civic

Before Saturday, the FM Derby Girls had high hopes: they expected just about 500 to come to their first-ever bout. That number might just be enough to bring some recognition and further jumpstart their plans for a future in the area.

The night of the bout came, the line outside the Civic Center began to grow, and grow, and grow. Civic Center employees didn’t quite know what to expect, but handled the crowds well. All told, the Civic sold out every ticket, nearly 1,700, and an estimated 300 fans were turned away. On top of all that, the Derby Girls defeated the Winnipeg Roller Derby League by a margin of nearly 50 points.

“These Great Plain-sers were new to the sport but they had pompoms and signs to wave. They hollered and clapped. When there was a grand slam you could hardly hear us announce it due to the noise in the stands. My only suggestion to the FM Derby Girls in regards to their fans is get them another bout NOW,” said volunteer announcer Cracked Pepper on her blog.

To say the least, the crowd was excited to see their first roller derby bout in Fargo. The teams made it to the Civic Center floor, 20 minutes late, after waiting for the fans to settle in. And cheers rained down as the girls broke out to a first half lead of 35-27. Many watched, rapt, hollering from the edges of their seats.

Penalties hampered both Fargo and Winnipeg. For much of the second half, neither team had a full roster on the floor. With 10 minutes left in the bout, four Winnipeg players, including their jammer, found themselves sidelined. When the jam was over Fargo had brought the lead to 78-51, and from that point on their victory was all but assured.

The final score, an impressive 101 to 55.

Strong leadership from derby veteran Barbital kept the blockers in position to keep Winnipeg to low scores. This leadership, along with the high scoring jams led by Messi Jiggler (the night’s lead jammer with 29 total points) and Shock Therapy, guaranteed the team’s victory.

All told, the Derby Girls’ first bout was an obvious success. The turnout was tremendous, the crowd huge and the victory sweet. And the credit lies squarely in the team’s collective lap. Their ability to spread enthusiasm for a sport the area has not seen has proved impressive.

The future of the FM Derby Girls is clearly in good hands after such a spectacular first showing. By the time the bout ended, and fans headed to the Hotel Johnson for the after party, calls were already being made for future bouts.

As of now, the next bout takes place next year, January 30, in Winnipeg. Anyone up for a road trip?

For more information on the Derby Girls and their first game check out http://www.fmderbygirls.com/.

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