
Rebels history was made on Saturday, March 13, in Flint, Michigan. That’s where the guys played their first bout ever, against the Flint City Derby Girls in a special “Girls vs. Boys” match-up. After helping out the Circle City Socialites for so long as coaches, refs, and practice buddies, the men finally entered the track as skaters. The intro song blaring from the speakers as the Rebels emerged one at a time – their introduction not just to the packed house in Flint, but to the roller derby world? “Hey Mickey.”
Making their bouting debut as Race City Rebels: #2, Dexter, DV Ant, Jamburglar, Meek, Ron Scaremy, Scott Red-Handed, Sir Nix-a-Lot, and Westside Slam. Rounding out the roster were a few Socialites dressed as honorary guys for the night: Ho Crackher, Megan Enemies, and – in her first bout ever – Pistol Hips. The Flint City Derby Girls were joined on the track by their (male) coach.
Fittingly, the first Rebels pack on the floor was pivoted by Dexter, whose long time work – and passion – for derby has finally culminated in the Rebels, one of only about a dozen men’s leagues in the U.S. Meek, Jamburglar, and Scott Red-Handed rounded out the debut pack, with Ron Scaremy in the jammer cap. The first injury of the night hit in the first jam, causing a downed Flint girl to be helped off the track – not the most encouraging sign for how the rest of the bout would go. The same pack lined back up and the Rebels ended the jam with a 0-8 lead.
Slowly but surely, the guys – helmed by bench managers Beattie Sedgwick and Lady Miss Bier – continued to build their lead with their typical fast footwork and knock-‘em-down hits. With 19 minutes left in the first period, jammer Meek hit the floor twice thanks to the two hardest-hitting Flint blockers, Di Butterfly and Cherry Popper, but still managed to scoop up 10 points to bring the bout score to 8-27, Rebels. Ho’s steady wall-building, newcomer Pistol’s deft speed, and Megan’s quick thinking helped the guys consistently grab and maintain the front, and it wasn’t until the ninth jam that Flint snagged lead jammer – twice in a row – boosting them to a total of 13-30 at the 14-minute mark. Rebels skater #2 then showed some airtight blocking chops as he single-handedly held the Flint jammer back for some time, then knocking her down with a seemingly effortless nudge. At the 10-minute mark, jammer Dex finished the jam with a bout score of 13-43, Rebels, assisted by plenty of hard hits directed the Flint jammer’s way by Westside Slam. A couple jams later, Slam proved he could take it as well as he could dish it out, surviving a battery of hits while skating as jammer but never hitting the floor.
With three minutes left in the first period, jammer Meek headed to the penalty box. But no harm done: Scott Red-Handed and Jamburglar took turns knocking the Flint jammer to the inside. (Most charming moment of the night: Jamburglar hitting the jammer to the floor, then pausing to inquire, “You OK?”). In no time, Meek zoomed back onto the floor in a burst of his renowned speed, and ended the jam 13-75, Rebels. Jammers #2 and Scaremy racked up a few more points just in time for the half.
Leading off the second half, jammer Sir Nix-a-Lot put his agility to use as he leaped across the inside of the corner, around Flint blockers, to earn a fourth point. Bout score so far: 16-82. Scott Red-Handed and DV Ant took turns jamming, and by the time #2 donned the jammer cap with 18:50 left in the bout, Flint had just one skater left on the floor thanks to a rash of penalties. A slow pack combined with #2’s steady speed helped him stem the scoring rally that Flint had been enjoying for a few jams, bringing the bout score to 32-94. Dexter then jammed to earn 12 points at the 16:00 mark. Jammer Meek, always fun to watch because of how quickly and smoothly he cuts through the pack before his opponents can so much as make a move toward him, threw in some jammer-on-jammer action by knocking down the Flint lead jammer, forcing her to call off the jam. More great derby played out in the next few jams. At the 13-minute mark, Sir Nix-a-Lot assisted jammer Ron Scaremy with a mighty whip, and in the next jam, DV Ant (who joined the Rebels just a few practices ago) held back the Flint jammer with great positional blocking in the rear of the pack.
By the 4:30 mark, the score was 44-137, with the Flint jammer in the penalty box. Megan Enemies deftly slowed the Rebels pack down to a crawl, then did some quick positional blocking to help jammer #2 through even faster. Jammer Meek racked up another six points, followed by jammer Dexter, who sprang across the inside corner to become lead jammer and bring the bout score to 44-147 at the 1:16 mark. In the final jam of the evening, jammer #2 earned one last point for the Rebels with style, knocking the Flint jammer to the ground along the way.
Final score: 44-148. Rebels, of course.
Click here for video footage courtesy of ABC News 12!
Upcoming bouts, all against men’s leagues:
March 20 – St. Louis Gatekeepers (St. Louis, Mo.) – AWAY
April 10 – Magic City Misfits (Orlando, Fla.) – HOME! (Tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/96883)
May 8 – Spring Roll Tournament (Fort Wayne, Ind.) – AWAY