MEDIA RELEASE

Roller Derby is back on the Big Island, and Paradise Roller Girls presents its first derby bout, “Fairies vs. Scaries” on Saturday, Nov. 27 at Hilo’s Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the action starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door the night of the event. Tickets can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com, at local outlets including CD Wizard, Hilo Burger Joint, and Mountain View Village Video, or from your favorite derby girl.

Paradise Roller Girls is a women’s flat track roller derby league based out of Hilo. The league began in February 2010 with a small group of thrill-seeking women looking for good fun in a quiet town. Now, more than 60 women are part of the spirited “warriors on wheels” group, which holds practices several times a week throughout East Hawaii.

“The sports that most women participate in don’t require knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, a helmet and a mouth guard,” said PRG’s president, Meg Premo, aka Megative. “But don’t let that scare you. Derby is a fantastic, physical outlet for women, and fun for the whole family to watch.”

Indeed. Derby girls skate around an oval flat track, whipping their team mates through a tight pack of opponents eager to knock them down and prevent the lead jammer from scoring points. Derby girls choose clever personas (Fisty Kristy, BamBooHoo, Avatart, Devil’d Meggs, and Noella DeVille are some of PRG’s monikers) and they dress the part.

“Derby empowers women. Our league has even banned the word ‘sorry.’ If someone says sorry at a practice, they have to drop and give us five pushups for each offense,” Megative said.

PRG adheres to Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) rules and has qualified referees in the league.

— Find out more:
www.paradiserollergirls.com