Gotham Girls Roller Derby (GGRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in New York City, New York. Founded in late 2003, Gotham Girls Roller Derby is also a founding member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The first flat track roller derby league in the metropolitan New York area, GGRD is one of the preeminent leagues in roller derby, having won five WFTDA Championships. From the introduction of the WFTDA Division system in 2013 through March 2017, Gotham was continuously the top-ranked league in the organization until Victorian Roller Derby League took over top spot.
Video Gotham Girls Roller Derby
League structure
Gotham Girls Roller Derby hosts has a four-team home league, and also four interleague teams, composed of member of the four home teams, that play against teams from other leagues. The Gotham Girls All-Stars, as the league's A team, represent Gotham in WFTDA interleague competitions that count towards WFTDA rankings.
The skaters, referees, and other league volunteers have the option to adopt derby names for their uniforms, league activities, and other league business. Members choose their own names which they may start using after an initial league probationary period.
Gotham Girls Roller Derby is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. The IRS recognized Gotham Girls Roller Derby as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity in September 2008.
Maps Gotham Girls Roller Derby
Teams
Home teams
Most GGRD skaters compete on home teams, which practice together and jointly manage the league. The borough-based home team designations do not necessarily reflect the residences of the skaters on a particular team, each of which is supported by a 'Jeerleader' squad. A few skaters do not compete on a home team, and only skate as All-Stars.
- The Brooklyn Bombshells. Founded 2004.
- The Manhattan Mayhem. Founded 2004.
- The Queens of Pain. Founded 2005.
- The Bronx Gridlock. Founded 2006.
Travel teams
Additionally, the league fields compilation teams:
- The Gotham Girls All-Stars - The all star travel team competes against other leagues' A teams in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. Members are selected via a tryout process, and largely also play for home teams.
- The Wall Street Traitors - An "all-borough" travel team which competes as Gotham's B Team for exhibition games with other leagues, composed of skaters from the home teams.
- The Grand Central Terminators - An additional travel team debuted in June 2012, for exhibition games with other leagues, composed of skaters from all four home teams who are neither on the All-Stars nor the Traitors.
- The Diamond District - A team comprising rookie skaters, who are not yet members of one of the home teams. The District operates as a developmental team, and plays similar teams from other leagues.
Junior Derby
- Gotham Girls Junior Derby - an educational program set up in 2012 to train junior roller derby skaters age 8-17.
League history
Early years
Karin "Chassis Crass" Bruce and David "Lefty" Leibowitz, both working independently to start a women's roller derby league, met through an online ad in 2003, and together formed Gotham Girls Roller Derby (GGRD), and recruiting skaters and holding "open skate" sessions at Empire Roller Skating Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. In 2004, GGRD continued to recruit skaters, referees and staff and held fundraisers. GGRD began practicing twice weekly at The Skate Key in the South Bronx, and also at the Rev. Joseph Moffo hockey rink at Tanahey Playground in New York City's Chinatown. GGRD hosted their first exhibition bout, called "Beat Down in the Boogie Down", and a crowd of 600 came to The Skate Key to see the Brooklyn Bombshells defeat the Manhattan Mayhem, in overtime.
In 2005, GGRD launched its first full season at The Skate Key, drawing over 500 fans to the season opener. The league now had a roster of 20-25 skaters and after two games between Manhattan and Brooklyn, formed a third home team, the Queens of Pain. The Queens of Pain were undefeated throughout the season and became the first GGRD Season Champions, winning the GGRD Golden Skate Trophy by defeating the Manhattan Mayhem in the finals. Over 100 hopeful skaters attended Gotham's first open tryouts, and 24 skaters were accepted for the 2006 season.
2006-2007
GGRD formed its fourth home team, the Bronx Gridlock. In March, the Skate Key unexpectedly closed three weeks prior to Gotham's scheduled 2006 season opener. GGRD launched "Operation Crashpad" in search of new practice and bout venues, and throughout the season, practices were held at public outdoor venues in non-ideal conditions. Venues included Tanahey Playground, Peter's Field, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Stanley Isaacs Playground, William F. Passannante Ballfield and basketball courts under the West Side Highway, all in Manhattan, as well as Dutch Kills Park, Mafera Park and the parking lot of a Costco on Vernon Boulevard in Astoria, all in Queens.
Sellout crowds attended games at the Schwartz Athletic Center in Brooklyn and at Hunter College in Manhattan, with an additional event held in Seaford, Long Island as a shared doubleheader with the Long Island Roller Rebels. The Queens of Pain won the GGRD Championship for the second season in a row.
In February 2007, GGRD secured a practice space dubbed the "Crashpad" and welcomed fourteen new skaters to the league. Season bouts were held at City College of New York in Harlem with two additional bouts at Hunter College. The Bronx Gridlock went undefeated and won the league championship in a final over the Queens of Pain.
In a November interleague double-header, the Brooklyn Bombshells defeat the Long Island Roller Rebels All-Stars, and the Manhattan Mayhem defeat all-stars from the New Jersey Dirty Dames of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
2008-2009
In 2008, Gotham continued practicing at the "Crashpad," and held eight bouts at Hunter College, with an additional season-opening interleague doubleheader against Philly Roller Girls and the Connecticut RollerGirls (who played the Wall Street Traitors) at the Schwartz Athletic Center.
At the East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX) in June, the Wall Street Traitors defeated New England Roller Derby, a collection of skaters from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. GGRD's rookie team, the Meatpacking District defeated Windy City's rookies, the Skater Tots.
The league hosted an international doubleheader in July, as the Brooklyn Bombshells defeated all-stars from Montreal Roller Derby and the Manhattan Mayhem defeated all-stars from Providence Roller Derby. At home, the Queens of Pain defeat the Bronx Gridlock to win their third league championship in four seasons. In September, the Wall Street Traitors traveled to Asbury Park to defeat the Jersey Shore Roller Girls.
The 2009 season opened with a March double-header at the Schwartz Athletic Center, as the All-Stars defeated the Boston Massacre of Boston Derby Dames, and the Wall Street Traitors defeated the All-Stars of Suburbia Roller Derby in a 30-minute exhibition. The remainder of the league's eight home bouts were held at the Hunter College Sportsplex.
In May, the Meatpacking District lost to Les Filles du Roi of Montreal Roller Derby in Gotham's first international travel. In October, the Brooklyn and Queens teams hosted a double-header at Hunter College with each team playing the Sockit Wenches of Seattle's Rat City Rollergirls. The Sockit Wenches defeated Brooklyn by 20 and Queens by 19, marking the first home losses for Gotham teams in interleague action since 2005.
In November, the Bronx Gridlock roar back from a 42-point halftime deficit to defeat the Manhattan Mayhem, 116-105, winning the Gridlock's second GGRD league title. Bonnie Thunders scores a league-record 88 points in the winning effort.
2010-2012
In March 2010, Gotham's season-opening action saw the Wall Street Traitors travel to Tucson and fall to the Saddletramps of Tucson Roller Derby. GGRD opened the home season with an April double-header at the Schwartz Athletic Center, as the All-Stars defeated Charm City Rollergirls, and the Wall Street Traitors lost to Buffalo's Queen City Roller Girls in a 40-minute exhibition.
In June, the Traitors lost at Maine Roller Derby. Later in the month, at ECDX, Gotham traveling teams pick up five victories against one loss. The Traitors lost to Philly's Independence Dolls but defeated the Carolina Bootleggers for their first 2010 victory. The Meatpacking District defeated Philly's rookie squad, the 'Cheeseskates,' and also beat the Jersey Shore Roller Girls. In July, the Meatpacking District fell in a visit to the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls, and the All-Stars defeated their original rivals, Madison's Mad Rollin' Dolls, in a bout hosted by the Boston Derby Dames. In September, the Wall Street Traitors defeated Ithaca, Long Island, and Albany to win the first-ever New York State tournament, the "Empire Skate Showdown," hosted by the Long Island Roller Rebels, in a series of abbreviated 30-minute bouts.
In September, the league signed a lease on a new practice space ("Crash Pad II"), located in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. The league moved to the new space in Fall 2010. In October's annual interleague double-header, both Gotham home teams were victorious as the Brooklyn Bombshells hosted the Providence Pigeons, a mash-up collection of players from Providence Roller Derby, while the Manhattan Mayhem took on the All-Stars of Suburbia Roller Derby.
On October 30, the Bronx Gridlock won its third league title by defeating the Queens of Pain in the sixth league championship, held at Nat Holman Gymnasium on the campus of CCNY. The league drew its largest home crowd ever, with over 1,500 fans in attendance. Bronx jammer Bonnie Thunders extended her own individual single-game league scoring record to 91 points.
In August 2011, the league hosted its first co-ed event, a triple-header called "Roller Derby Daredevils: Battle over Brooklyn," held at Brooklyn's Aviator Sports and Events Center. The New York Shock Exchange men's team faced Baltimore's Harm City Homicide, which preceded victories by the Wall Street Traitors over the Suburban Brawl of Suburbia Roller Derby and the Gotham All-Stars against the Mile High Club of the Denver Roller Dolls.
In October, the Brooklyn Bombshells won their first league title with a 133-124 victory over the Bronx Gridlock.
During the summer of 2012, the league established the "Grand Central Terminators" as a third standing traveling team, made up of skaters from all four regular home teams, designed to compete against "B" and "C" team competition from other leagues. The "Meatpacking District" team, previously a label for collections of first-year skaters, did not compete in 2011 or 2012. In August, the league held a double header at the Abe Stark Rink in Coney Island, Brooklyn, in which the local Bronx and Brooklyn teams shared the bill with the New York Shock Exchange, who hosted the St. Louis GateKeepers.
On September 1, the Wall Street Traitors won the Empire Skate Showdown, the unofficial New York State Championship, for the third straight year, posting 30-minute victories over the Assault Squad of Syracuse's Assault City Roller Derby, the Long Island Roller Rebels All-Stars, and the Roc Stars of Rochester's Roc City Roller Derby.
In October 2012, the Manhattan Mayhem defeated the Brooklyn Bombshells to win their first-ever league title. Later in that month, a scheduled public double-header against two teams from Windy City Rollers had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. The bouts were relocated to Gotham's practice space, where, in front of a much smaller audience, the Terminators defeated the Third Coast, and the Traitors fell to Second Wind for their first loss of 2012, sending the Skyline Cup back to Chicago.
Following the WFTDA championship tournament, Gotham's Wall Street Traitors traveled to Raleigh and defeated the Bootleggers of the Carolina Rollergirls, 153-127, to end their season with a record of 6-1 in full-length bouts and 3-0 in thirty-minute bouts.
November also saw the first competitive action of Gotham Girls Junior Derby, which is organized by the skaters of GGRD for girls age 8-17. The GGJD began training in Spring 2012 and hosted Black Mamba Junior Derby from Syracuse, NY. The GGJD outscored the visitors, 210-135.
Bouting venue history
The league has competed at a variety of locations throughout New York City.
- 2004 - 2005: Skate Key in the Bronx (now defunct)
- 2006-present: Schwartz Athletic Center at Long Island University-Brooklyn
- 2006-present: Hunter College Sportsplex, Manhattan
- 2006 (one bout): Skate Safe America in Old Bethpage (Long Island)
- 2007-present: Nat Holman Gymnasium at City College of New York, Manhattan
- 2011 (one bout): Aviator Sports and Events Center, Brooklyn.
- 2012 (two bouts): Abe Stark Rink, Coney Island, Brooklyn
WFTDA competition
2005-2006
The Gotham Girls All-Stars lost their first inter-league bout in September 2005, against the Dairyland Dolls of Mad Rollin' Dolls of Madison, Wisconsin, 82-72. In February 2006, the All-Stars competed at the first-ever WFTDA-sanctioned roller derby tournament, the Dust Devil, in Tucson, Arizona where they finished in 10th place. with "mini-bout" victories over Atlanta Rollergirls and Duke City Derby (Albuquerque), "mini-bout" losses to Texas Rollergirls and the Kansas City Roller Warriors, and a full-length bout loss to Madison. The 2006 season concluded with an All-Star victory at Philly Roller Girls and an All-Star loss at Providence Roller Derby.
2007
The Gotham Girls All-Stars begin the 2007 season with a loss to the Carolina Rollergirls and a victory over Chicago's Windy City Rollers. In August, Gotham dominated "Heartland Havoc", the first-ever WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, as the 2007 Eastern Region Champions, with significant victories over Grand Raggidy Roller Girls, Philly, Windy City, and Detroit Derby Girls. At the 2007 WFTDA Championships in Austin, Texas, the All-Stars were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champions, Kansas City. The All-Stars concluded the season with victories over the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon and the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls of Denver.
2008
At the East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX) in June 2008, the All-Stars earned a milestone 60-point win over Texas Rollergirls followed by a victory over the Denver Roller Dolls. In October, Gotham won their second consecutive WFTDA Eastern Region title at the Derby in Dairyland Tournament in Madison, Wisconsin, with victories over the Mad Rollin' Dolls, Philly, and Windy City. In November, the GGRD All-Stars moved up to the #1 WFTDA ranking and won their first WFTDA Championship at the Northwest Knockdown tournament in Portland, Oregon. The top seed from the East, the All-Stars' winning streak, starting in October 2007, was extended to twelve games, with victories against Duke City Derby of Albuquerque, Philly and Windy City. Bonnie Thunders was named the tournament MVP.
2009
In April 2009, the All-Stars won their fourteenth consecutive game in Baltimore over Charm City Rollergirls. In June, the All-Stars extended their winning streak to sixteen with a 185-31 win over Carolina Rollergirls in Raleigh, and an 84-76 victory over Texas Rollergirls, on neutral ground in Woodbridge, Connecticut. The All-Stars won their first two bouts at September's "Wicked Wheels of the East" Regional tournament in Raleigh, defeating Providence and Boston, but fell 90-89 to Philly in the Final, losing in the final moments and ending their winning streak at 18. In November, the All-Stars handily defeat Detroit Derby Girls 187-38 in their first-round matchup at the 2009 WFTDA Championship, but then lost to the Oly Rollers of Olympia, Washington, 135-105, in their quarterfinal matchup. Oly went to win the 2009 title, marking the second time in three years that Gotham was eliminated by the eventual WFTDA champion.
2010
At ECDX in Philadelphia, the All-Stars defeated Windy City for the fifth consecutive time, this time earning the new Skyline Cup trophy, henceforth to be contested between the two leagues. The All-Stars also defeated Boston for the fourth straight time. In August, the All-Stars returned to Portland and swept the Bay Area Derby Girls, Rose City, and Rat City Rollergirls at "Hometown Throwdown", hosted by Rose City. In September, the All-Stars regained the WFTDA East Region title at the "Derby in the Burbs" East Region Playoffs, hosted by Suburbia Roller Derby. The All-Stars defeated the Rhode Island Riveters of Providence Roller Derby, Charm City, and Philly to sweep the tournament and claim their third regional title in four years. At the 2010 WFTDA Championships in November, "Uproar on the Lakeshore" in Chicago, Gotham first defeated Texas 151-52 to advance to the semifinals. The All-Stars then lost to the eventual champions, the 5280 Fight Club of Rocky Mountain, 108-79. Gotham bounced back on the tournament's final day to claim 3rd-place, defeating Philly Rollergirls for the seventh time in eight all-time meetings, 162-51.
2011
In 2011, the All-Stars dominated regional flat track competition, defeating Pittsburgh's Steel City Derby Demons in April and Baltimore's Charm City in May. Over a June weekend, the All-Stars defeated both the Boston Massacre of the Boston Derby Dames and the New Skids on the Block from Montreal Roller Derby. Later in June at ECDX, the All-Stars achieved significant victories over Rose City and Philly. In September, the All-Stars won the "Nightmare on 95" WFTDA East Regional tournament in Baltimore, with victories over Steel City and Philly. The All-Stars were also originally slated to play the Dutchland Rollers, who controversially chose to forfeit the bout.
At the 2011 WFTDA Championships, "Continental Divide and Conquer" in Denver, the Gotham All-Stars prevailed over Rocky Mountain, Texas Rollergirls, and Oly Rollers, making Gotham the association's first repeat champions, having previously won in 2008. Jammer/blocker Wild Cherri was Gotham's MVP. The All-Stars finished 2011 with an undefeated 13-0 record in sanctioned WFTDA competition.
2012
In April and May 2012, the GGRD All-Stars hosted private WFTDA-sanctioned bouts against the Long Island Roller Rebels and CT RollerGirls, winning both; the 630-65 score versus Long Island set a modern roller derby single-team scoring record (since broken).
The Gotham All-Stars were undefeated through the regular season, with additional victories over Philly, Denver, Rose City, Steel City, Windy City, Bay Area, and Texas. The July victories over Bay Area and Texas extended the team's winning streak to a then-record 23 consecutive sanctioned WFTDA victories (dating from November 2010).
In September 2012, the All-Stars captured their third consecutive WFTDA East Region title at the "Sugarbush Showdown," defeating Carolina Rollergirls, Charm City, and Philly. In November 2012, the All-Stars captured their third WFTDA championship in Atlanta at the "Grits and Glory" tournament, defeating All-Star squads from the Naptown Roller Girls, Denver Roller Dolls, and Oly Rollers. Bonnie Thunders led the team in scoring, punctuating the championship bout with 178 points in Gotham's 233-130 win, the team's 29th consecutive sanctioned victory. After the conclusion of the RDX Tour in Australia, the All-Stars wrapped up their season with victories over two Australian leagues, a sanctioned win over WFTDA member Victorian Roller Derby League of Melbourne and regulation win over Sun State Roller Girls of Brisbane (not yet a full WFTDA league at the time).
Rankings
Banked track
While Gotham Girls Roller Derby is a flat-track organization, over the years Gotham has skated exhibitions on banked tracks. In February 2011, the Gotham Girls sent an ad-hoc collection of All-Stars and All-Star alumnae to compete in a non-WFTDA exhibition against the Los Angeles Derby Dolls on a banked track at the Derby Dolls' facility. It was the Gotham Girls' first experience on a banked derby track, and the Derby Dolls prevailed, 132-106. As an epilogue to the 2011 tournament season, the All-Stars traveled to Chicago to compete on a banked track in the Kitten Traxx Chicago Invitational, first falling to Rocky Mountain by three points and then defeating Chicago's Windy City Rollers to take 3rd place.
On March 3, 2012, the GGRD All-Stars again began their competitive season with an exhibition on the banked track against the Los Angeles Derby Dolls, and again fell to the more experienced banked track squad, 158-122, dropping Gotham's all-time record on the banked track to 1-3. In November 2012, GGRD's All-Stars traveled to Australia to participate in three banked track exhibition bouts with the Derby Dolls. The All-Stars were victorious in all three bouts in the "Roller Derby Xtreme" tour, held in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, bringing Gotham's all-time record on the banked track up to 4 wins and 3 losses. A regular roster of GGRD All-Stars was joined by two local skaters in each of the three stops.
In the media
In May 2010, the league and the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York announced that Gotham' 2010 home bouts would be telecast on a delayed basis on NYC life, the flagship station of NYC Media, the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York.
The NYC life Fall 2010 programming lineup expanded the Gotham Girls' telecast schedule to show bouts five nights a week on late-night programming. The series of eight televised bouts were produced directly by the league's volunteers, and the arrangement marked the league's first foray into television broadcasting. The broadcasting agreement was renewed for 2011 and 2012, with the network continuing to air delayed 88-minute broadcasts of Gotham games along with player and team profiles.
In April 2011, the league produced its first pay-per-view internet broadcast of live bout action.
In October 2011, Gotham skater Suzy Hotrod was featured photographed without clothing in ESPN Magazine's annual "The Body Issue", representing roller derby alongside athletes from many other mainstream American sports.
League champions and major awards
League Champions are determined in an end-of-season playoff bout. Award winners are determined by poll of league members. The C.A.N.T.S.L.E.E.P. award is the "Crass Award for Never-Tiring Support for the League with Endless Enthusiasm and Positivity," named for league founder Chassis Crass. In 2005 this award was titled the "Miss GGRD" award, and it was renamed in 2006.
Retired numbers
- 11 - Chassis Crass
- 340 - Bonnie Thunders
In May 2009, the league retired the uniform number of league founder Chassis Crass. Her framed Brooklyn Bombshell retired uniform hangs at Manitoba's, 99 Avenue B in Manhattan. In December 2016 at Gotham's end-of-year awards night, Bonnie Thunders' jersey was retired by the league.
References
External links
- Gotham Girls Roller Derby YouTube page
- GGRD all-stars on Flat Track Stats (independent ranking analysis)
Source of article : Wikipedia
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