Race for the Cure

BRRG skaters participate in the 2010 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

As you know, the Burning River Roller Girls have chosen Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northeast Ohio as its charity of choice for its annual Black & Blue benefit bout Nov. 19.

What you might not know is we have a history with working with Susan G. Komen, including participation in the group’s annual Race for the Cure.

This year the Cleveland Race for the Cure will be Sept. 10 at our favorite venue, the Cleveland State Wolstein Center.

The Burning River Roller Girls will be donning their wheels and lots of pink for the Survivor Ceremony, which will begin at 8 a.m. at the Wolstein Center. It’s heartwarming and tons of fun, and we’re really looking forward to participating.

You too can participate. For a rundown of the events, schedule and registration fees, visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northeast Ohio.

What: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
When: Sept. 10, registration begins at 6 a.m.
Where: Wolstein Center

Tell us, have you participated in the Race for the Cure in the past? How was it? Have you or a loved one been affected by breast cancer?  Share your story with us!

Hope to see you Sept. 10 for the race and Nov. 19 for Black and Blue 6!

Snapshot: Season 5

Bamm B. Hunt-Her and Rainbow Fright give Bad Mooney Rising a hard time at the Championships July 16. Photo courtesy of Dave Brown.

Now and then, the Burning River Roller Girls will be sharing with you some of the fabulous action shots that were captured at this past season’s bouts. Big thanks go to our photographer, Dave Brown of Dave Brown Images.

This shot is from the Championships, July 16. Read our recap here.

Hit the subscribe button to the left to get notified of updates on the blog, including photos, events, interviews and more!

Gimme a break

Not that kind of break! Luz Cannon and the rest of the league will be using the off-season to fully heal up. Photo courtesy of Dave Brown.

Traditionally, the end of summer is considered off-season for the Burning River Roller Girls. It’s a short off-season, but it’s an important part of our training.

It allows muscles to fully heal after practicing every week multiple times a week from September through July or August. And it’s a mental break from the strain of competition.

Things aren’t totally quiet on the training front, though. Our new recruits (Fresh Meat, as we lovingly call them), are working hard this month to prepare for more skills testing. And of course we have a few dedicated skating soldiers leading those practices and teaching the newbies.

But for most of us, this is a time to rest, play and revisit with the people we love who often get neglected because of our jam-packed derby schedules.

So tell us dear readers, what wonderful, fabulous things are happening in Northeast Ohio over the next couple of weeks? Festivals? Concerts? Events? Help us make the most of this rare time off.

Who is Susan G. Komen?

BRRG at last year's Race for the Cure.

This year, the Burning River Roller Girls will be donating to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northeast Ohio through our annual Black & Blue charity bout.

It’s easy to just think of cutesy pink merchandise and witty slogans about breasts when talking about fundraisers for breast cancer research. So we wanted to let you know this organization is about so much more than little ribbons.

So who is Susan G. Komen?

From the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website:
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and commitment to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer.

Though Susan lost her battle with the disease, her legacy lives on through the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the organization Nancy started in her honor. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 billion since its inception in 1982. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

About the Northeast Ohio affiliate

In March 2010, Komen Northeast Ohio was honored as the Affiliate of the Year by the national organization in recognition of the effective stewardship of donor funds and impact in the community.  Komen Northeast Ohio serves 22 counties in Northeast Ohio by funding breast cancer education, screening and survivor support programs. Seventy-five percent of the funds received remain here in Northeast Ohio and the remaining 25 percent helps fund national research to discover the causes of breast cancer and ultimately its cures.

BRRG is excited to work with this organization to carry on Susan’s legacy not only at the upcoming Black & Blue, but also at the Race for the Cure in September. More details on that to come!

Tickets are on sale now for Black & Blue 6 through the Wolstein Center box office.  A portion of every ticket sale will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northeast Ohio!  Help us support this great organization.

Weekend wrap-up

Cherry Venom clears the way for CoCo Sparx as the All-Stars play The Chicago Outfit. Photos courtesy of Stearns Images.

The Burning River Roller Girls send out a big thank you to their travel team skaters, who wrapped up their season over the weekend. We’re so proud of our Burning River All-Stars and HazMat Crew for representing us as they compete against other leagues around the North Central Region. Way to go, ladies!

 A giant thank you also goes out to The Chicago Outfit Syndicate and the Rubber City Rollergirls for hosting us this weekend in some really exciting roller derby match-ups. Great job!

Many of our refs and volunteers also hit the road with our teams. Thank you for all that you do. We just couldn’t run these games without them.

And last, but not least, thank you thank you THANK YOU to the friends, family and fans who traveled to watch these teams play throughout the season. Seeing friendly faces in the crowd makes playing away games so much nicer. Burning River Roller Girls fans are the best! 

Eva Lucien dodges a block from a Chicago Outfit skater.

WEEKEND SCORES

Burning River All-Stars: 53
The Chicago Outfit Syndicate: 167

Burning River HazMat Crew: 81
Rubber City Rollergirls: 94

Tell us, did you go to any of the travel teams’ bouts this year? Share with us your favorite moments or help us congratulate the girls on a great season.

Black & Blue goes Pink!

Tickets are on sale now for Black & Blue 6, the Burning River Roller Girls’ annual charity bout!

Black & Blue 6

This year, a portion of every ticket sold will go to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Northeast Ohio, in their fight against breast cancer.

What: Black & Blue 6
When: Nov. 19, 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5 p.m.)
Where: CSU Wolstein Center, Cleveland
Tickets: $17 in advance, $20 day of
In partnership with: Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Your favorite skaters will be divded into a black team and a blue team instead of their regular teams. You’ll get to see Hard Knockers battle against Hard Knockers, and Rolling Pin-Ups skate in alliance with Hellbombers. Everything you know about these skaters and teams will be thrown out the window for a game no one will be able to predict.

Event details.

Like last year, teams will be selected by the highest bidders in an auction, and all proceeds from the auction will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Check back here for details on how you can participate!

And last but not least, everyone’s favorite part of Black & Blue is the Full Contact Musical Chairs halftime show. This is a rite of passge for BRRG’s new recruits as they battle each other in a no rules, no mercy fight for the last chair … in skates! Come welcome our new skaters in the event you’ll be talking about for months!

If you’ve never been to Black & Blue, check out News Net 5’s video coverage of last year’s event.

Were you at last year’s Black & Blue event? What was your favorite part?

Following the rules

Ever watch a bout a wonder “Why did she just get sent to the penalty box?” or “What does that hand signal mean?”

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association has now released an app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to make finding the answers a little easier. These are the rules that the Burning River Roller Girls abide by, so this resource caters to the BRRG fan looking for an in-depth understanding of derby.

Screenshot

Features of the app include:
– Add and organize bookmarks to favorite sections or use them as a study aid
– Powerful search screen allows you to quickly find any term in any document
– Stay on top of the latest Rules Q&A from wftda.com
– Use the referee hand signal flashcards to test your knowledge and train your skaters and officiating crew
– High-quality, zoomable track layout and marking guides

Visit Apple for details. 

Don’t have an iPhone? Buy a pocket-sized version of the rulebook or check out WFTDA’s website.

We haven’t tried the app yet, so we’d love your feedback. Have you tried it yet? How do you like it?

Support our travel teams

The home season may be over for the Burning River Roller Girls, but that doesn’t mean the derby action has stopped!

Burning River All-Stars vs. Chicago Outfit

This Saturday, Aug. 13, check out our travel teams as they hit the road to play their final bouts of the season. These skaters are the best of the best of the league and love seeing fans in the crowd for their away games.

First up, you can take a road trip to Chicago as the Burning River All-Stars travel to take on The Chicago Outfit Syndicate at the Windy City Fieldhouse. Our ladies in blue and orange have been training hard, and this event promises to be an exciting match-up. Check out more about the event on Facebook.

Who: Burning River All-Stars vs. Chicago Outfit Syndicate
When: Aug. 13, 8p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)
Where: Windy City Fieldhouse, Chicago
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

Check out rankings for Chicago and Burning River at the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association website. (We’re in the North Central Region).

Burning River HazMat Crew vs. Rubber City Rollergirls

If out-of-state travel is out of the question this weekend, you can take a quick jaunt to the south as our Burning River HazMat Crew hits the track against the Rubber City Rollergirls in Akron. It’s Veteran’s Night, so veterans get in for just $5 at the door at the John S. Knight Center. Check out all the details here.

Who: Burning River HazMat Crew vs. Rubber City Rollergirls
When: Aug. 13, 5 p.m. (Doors open at 4 p.m.)
Where: John S. Knight Center, Akron
Tickets: $9 in advance, $13 at the door, $5 for veterans (At the door only. Must show proof of military service).

Whatever you do, show your Burning River love by wearing your blue and orange this weekend and check back here for more updates and events!

Tell us, are you traveling to see either game this weekend?