TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls

TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls is an Austin, Texas-based all-female banked-track roller derby league. Founded in 2001, TXRD is one of several leagues considered responsible for the modern roller derby revival.^[1] It is skater owned and operated. In 2006, the Lonestar Rollergirls were featured in a 13-episode television series on A&E titled Rollergirls, which contributed to the renewed international popularity of women's roller derby.^[2]

Notably, TXRD is the only banked-track league to allow both fighting and a penalty wheel. Both are real and unscripted.^[1] While the level of athleticism has increased since the league's development, entertaining the fans is also a priority, and TXRD provides this in a way unique to their league and to the Keep Austin Weird, do-it-yourself sensibility with which it was founded.

Teams

TXRD Cherry Bombs (Green) vs Rhinestone Cowgirls (Red) on August 27, 2011, in Austin, Texas

TXRD features six home teams, a travel team and a juniors team:

• The Hellcats - '50s-style vixens who love their hotrods and switchblades
• The Putas Del Fuego - Cholas with a taste for blood and tequila
• The Holy Rollers - The baddest bullies in the Sacred Heart schoolyard
• The Rhinestone Cowgirls - Texas fillies that offer up the best in country-fried violence
• The Cherry Bombs - Ruthless Rock 'n' Roll misfits run amok
• The Hired Gun$ - The alternate pool, ready to step in when someone takes a tumble
• The All-Scar Army Airborne Division - The fierce travel team, prepared to go to battle wherever they hear the call
• The Cadets - Young, tough, and just as badass as their adult counterparts

Calvello Cup

Roller derby performer Anne Calvello, the "Demon of the Derby", was an inspiration to the founding members of TXRD. They maintained a close correspondence with her in the early years of the league, finally meeting her in person in 2005 during the filming of the A&E show Rollergirls. The Championship Cup has been named in her honor.^[2]

Calvello Cup Champions:

• 2002- Hellcats
• 2003- Rhinestone Cowgirls
• 2004- Holy Rollers
• 2005- Rhinestone Cowgirls
• 2006- Putas Del Fuego
• 2007- Holy Rollers
• 2008- Holy Rollers
• 2009- Hellcats
• 2010- Cherry Bombs
• 2011- Rhinestone Cowgirls
• 2012- Rhinestone Cowgirls
• 2013- Cherry Bombs
• 2014- Putas Del Fuego
• 2015- Putas Del Fuego
• 2016- Cherry Bombs
• 2017- Cherry Bombs
• 2018- Putas Del Fuego

Penalty wheel and Spank Alley

Rather than having skaters accumulate minor penalties throughout the game, as in other rule sets, skaters who have earned minor penalties are assigned a penalty through a spin of the penalty wheel. The penalties themselves have evolved throughout the years from entertainment-only penalties to a mix of entertainment and point-loss penalties to solely point-loss penalties. Current penalties include:

• Long Jump
• Pillow Fight
• Arm Wrestling
• No Holds Barred, Two Lap Duel
• Tug of War
• Push Cart
• Relay Race
• Judge's Choice*

*The Judge's Choice penalty is chosen by 11 fans seated in Spank Alley. Spank Alley seats are reserved for the winner of raffle tickets sold to fans throughout the game.

As part of TXRD's larger community outreach and philanthropy program, proceeds from the sale of Spank Alley tickets are donated to a trust for the son of the original Penalty mistress, Amber Diva, who died in 2003.

In film and television

Skaters and fans from TXRD were featured in the 2002 video for Nashville Pussy's "Say Something Nasty".

In 2006, A&E produced the 13-episode series Rollergirls, featuring the personalities and games of the 2005 season. The show focused primarily on the lives of Cha Cha and Venis Envy of the Putas Del Fuego; Punky Bruiser, Miss Conduct, and Sister Mary Jane of the Holy Rollers; Lunatic and Clownsnack of the Hellcats; and Lux of the Rhinestone Cowgirls. Many other skaters were highlighted.

Also in 2006, TXRD skaters Lux and Venis Envy were featured in the music video for The Flaming Lips single The W.A.N.D. on the album At War with the Mystics.

Hell on Wheels, a documentary about the creation of the all-female roller derby league in Austin, Texas, in 2001 that sparked the modern derby revival premiered in March 2007 at the South by Southwest Film Festival. It focuses on the revival of the game via the original organization from which both TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls (banked-track) and Texas Rollergirls (WFTDA flat track) arose.^[3]

Released in October 2009, the film Whip It! based on a book by former LA Derby Dolls skater Shauna Cross featured both the league (in name) and the Holy Rollers (in name). Two TXRD skaters, Sacralicious of the Cherry Bombs and Rocky Casbah of the Cherry Bombs, provided stunt work and cameos along with other skaters from across the country.^[4][5]

Beginning February 2011, TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls bouts will be broadcast on central Texas television channel KCWX.

The TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls were featured in the 2012 Australian documentary film This is Roller Derby.^[6]

Nokia Lumia's 920 ad campaign video competition in spring 2013 featured skaters from the Hellcats in a cameraphone comparison video.^[7]

The 2013 BBC program How to Build a Planet, hosted by Richard Hammond, featured TXRD Rollergirls in Episode 2, "Engineering a Universe". Skaters demonstrated principles of astrophysics and their effect on heavenly bodies in the creation of a solar system.^[8]

TXRD bouts are no longer aired on KCWX, but are streamed via their TXRD Facebook page and on Twitch Tv, live on bout days.

References

External links

• Official website
• http://www.aetv.com/rollergirls/index.jsp
• www.twitch.tv/texasrollerderby.com