Louise ze Animal: Featured Skater of the Week!

Read about Louise ze Animal from the The Crescent Wenches as our Featured Skater of the week on
Flat Track Fever

Mace m Dixon: Featured Skater of the Week

Read about Mace M. Dixon from the The Confederacy of Punches as our Featured Skater of the week on
Flat Track Fever

April 19th Championship Double-Header Bout!

The Crescent Wenches at 2-1 battle it out with the undefeated The Marigny Antionettes for The Championship Crown.


Crescent Wenches


The Marigny Antoinettes

The StoryVillains at 1-2 take on The Confederacy of Punches at 0-3 for third place.



The StoryVillains


The Confederacy of Punches

Who will skate home a champion? And who will just skate home?

Buy Your Tickets Today before they sell out.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Doors open at 6PM. The bout starts at 7PM.

The Zydepunks, recently featured in Rolling Stone as outselling 50 Cent at a local retailer and just played to a packed crowd at The French Quarter Festival, are playing the half-time show.


The Zydepunks

The Pussyfooters will be performing and cheering us on!


The Pussyfooters

We will be taking donations for City Park. For your generosity, you will get a free drink ticket!

Afterparty at the R Bar, 1431 Royal Street.

We will also be taking donations and have a 50/50 raffle for Soviet Block and her three children in honor of
Ashley Morris

Donations for Soviet Block

We will be taking cash donations for Soviet Block at our April 19th Bout. We will also be having a 50/50 Raffle where the proceeds will go directly to Soviet and her family.

If you are unable to attend, you can always donate at Remember Ashley Morris

To read even more about Ashley and his contributions to this city, please read Chris Rose's article

March 16th Bout Favorite Moments

Annihilasian: My fave moment was definitely "threatening" Fleur d' Lethal from the penalty box. I was also miked up for ESPN, but was concerned I wasn't trash talking enough. So when I was stuck in the box before the jam started, I yelled to Fleur as she was lining up "Hey, hey Fleur! When I get outta here, I'm gonna beat the *&$% out of you!!!” followed by looks of fear, terror, concern and confusion from refs Treble Crush and Carrie Fister.













AntiEm: I spent most of the bout at the ticket table, playing irresponsibly with the walkie talkies but I did get to see a good deal of the first half and some of the second. My favorite jam was when Louise Ze Animal winked at me while she was jamming. It was also really cool to see all the donations for McDonogh 32. The kids are gonna get some good use out of those pencils!!
















Ez By U: OMG! While doing crowd control during the introduction of the skaters my name was mentioned, and someone tap me on the shoulder and said, “That's you GIRL!” That was great. Another moment I got to watch the entire bout. All the girls are awesome - great game to all!



















Fleur d'Lethal: Being a Wench, skating as one, it felt so good. The whole day was great, and winning was icing on the cake. My cheeks were hurting from non-stop smiling after winning, and also because of realizing we are going to take on the Marigny Antoinettes next bout!



















Galfreaka: This was truly one of the most remarkable bouts I have ever watched. The skill, the strategy, the crowd participation, the sheer endurance and hard work put in by all the skaters on both teams was amazing to watch. I had to put down the camera and watch in awe for short periods and I could hardly stand to miss a moment!(when I am taking photos I often miss most of the match as I have to focus on one spot and wait for y'all to hit that spot and then shoot the photo- y'all are fast!) I was taking shots from the top of a Mardi Gras float (the best view by the way: looking down from above you can see the whole track- so much better than being on the same level as the action), anyway, and at one point I was joined by the ESPN film guy up there and it made me so proud of all of y'all to watch his reaction to Derby. He loved it and he was really enjoying the match and in awe of how amazing and tough all our skaters are.













Jambot: Not expecting to hear my name during the introductions and my friend, Melissa, realizing it at the same moment as me and screaming her head off for me. After Lacy delivered a really good hit to Squirt knocking her down and out of bounds, the next time they were both on the jammer line Squirt leans over to Lacy and tells her how that hit was awesome. Also, Lacy doing the robot on the jammer line. And last but definitely not least, watching Julie Jawbreaker play her last bout with BERG.













LaBelle ReBelle: I had so much fun in this game - playing against the Wenches was a blast. My personal favorite moment was knocking down Julie Jawbreaker, and escaping Lacy. Finally - I have no fear of you ladies! (Or at least less than I had before - no fear may be a bit bold of a statement.) Even though we didn't win, I really enjoyed playing with my team - we never gave up, we had fun, and we played hard. I love being a Villain. Jamming against Animal was fun, since we never get to jam against each other! Least favorite moment - seeing Jet all bandaged up. But she's a rockstar!














Lacy Underalls: Only being sent to the box once!



















Luvinblood: Wearing my "I love (power) Snatch & Balls (out betty)" t-shirt handcrafted by our lovely Ibeatya Amber, and of course being with all the most wonderful ladies in New Orleans, the Big Easy Rollergirls! Second was seeing how happy my dear friend & derby wife MILF was about winning. She was proud and deserved to be! Great job Wenches! Last was having "Beat up Julie Jawbreaker" as one of my official bout duties at halftime. Now if I could just figure out who assigned that to me....???



















Marquee de Squad: The Villains trying their hands against the Wenches dynamic. It sincerely was the hardest game I've played this season. Respect! And the SV's never took it lying down. It's was beautiful and intense. I can't wait to see the championship game- we have some really great teams. The Antoinettes and Wenches each have a tight dynamic. And I can't wait to step up to the Punches again. Getting my bout with Julie Jawbreaker was excellent- the experience makes you a better skater. Wow. Season 3 is going to kick ass.







MILF Duds: Getting a black eye made me feel so totally gangsta'...such a diversion from my real life in the slow lane. The whole bout rocked. I felt like our team played together beautifully. I never went to the BOX!!! I loved playing 2 to Julie Jawbreaker as pivot. She just knows what the hell to do next and how to get you there. All of the Wenches gave each other great assists, communicated, blocked well, stayed low and our jammers f*&@#%&g rock. What a great night for Fleur, she'll be feared from here on. Wit, as usual makes jamming look so graceful and effortless, and we all know better. Crusty took some mean hits that either ricocheted off of her or she took one knee and popped back up like she didn't even feel it. And the Villians never gave up, even in the very last jam with 1 minute left, Asian's out there bustin' my ass--but I gave it back to her before the last whistle. Good thing we love each other off the track.













Pontchartrain BeAtch: OMG, being miked for ESPN was so fun! And funny! I kept watching what I was saying at first, but then I got really into it while I was playing, yelling “Squirt to your outside, inside, outside." Too bad I misunderstood that I didn't get to keep it for the whole first period. I had high hopes of telling Rick, the camera man, "Rick, did you see that play? Beautiful!" And second, at the end, the smiles on my teammate’s faces of being so proud of how we all just played.













Scabigail: Skating with my TEAM!!! Villains FTW! W00T!!!!!!




















Squirtalicious: My favorite moment was when Lacy knocked the ever living s%#t out of me. I have not had a hit that perfect that knocked me out so hard I could barely skate. I needed the rest of the jam to catch my breath! That's what makes this game fun...legal, powerful hits!!
















The House Madam: My fav moment was just being able to skate out there with my team. Having an entirely new experience and enjoying every moment of it.

















The Mighty Sasscrotch: Walkie m*@#$%f*@#%$ talkie's... Ibeatya, Em, right? right? right? Ok they were extremely functional. Lots of little occurrences were smoothed over as a result of the walkie talkies, but man were they fun. We sang to each other all night - the most glorious songs like, Dreamweaver, Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You, or Afternoon Delight. I went to the bathroom to re- stock everything. There was a whole line of women waiting. Everything was quiet. I was literally fighting with the soap dispenser and from what I remember it was SERIOUSLY kicking my ass. Two persons were waiting to soap up just staring at me and here was Ibeatya on my hip…came on from dead silence singing “do da le biddaly eww eww eww...monkies…chickens....” It was funny... Also, when we passed out those little time schedule bout assignments to the ladies we added ludicrous things in the empty spaces in between like "scrub down Trixie" or "file league taxes" or "take head count of everyone in building" or "pick a fist fight with Julie Jawbreaker". Oh, good times…










SmasHer: Dressing up as a Wench and Villain to show support, but then Mr. Wit Vicious yelled at me for being too Villain so I went on the hunt to “Wench it Up.” Crusty had pink duck tape (how does she find this). I taped some around my boots, marveling at how Crusty is the Accessory Queen... CHEAP as an announcer, I wish we could put a mike in her hand every bout, but we need her on the rink. When she was listing Jaws’ award and Jaws took a fall right in front of her, CHEAP quipped, “Hey, Jaws we were just talking about you…” Ibeatya’s snazzy boot/skates. She’s hot AND creative… Doing the bump and grind with Chess at the afterparty. NOT a favorite moment, but Jet is so tough! She was so stoic; it looked like she just broke a shoelace instead of breaking her collarbone. Jet’s my new favorite bad-ass!











Vargas Grrl: My first bout ever on the inside! It was the coolest experience being able to see the game mechanics and audience participation from the inside of the rink - a perspective I've never gotten before! Finally settling on a skate name was great, too.

BERG Awarded a Proclamation!

The New Orleans City Council is awarding a proclamation to the Big Easy Rollergirls this Thursday, April 17th between 9:30 and 10:00AM. The City of New Orleans honors many local and national organization, events and individuals for outstanding humanitarian efforts by presenting them with an official proclamation from the Mayor of New Orleans.
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Please come out and support! Be involved!

City Council chambers are on first floor of 1300 Perdido Street.

Stinky Lafitte: Featured Skater of the Week

Read about Stinky Lafitte from the The Cresent Wenches as our Featured Skater of the week on
Flat Track Fever

The funeral of Ashley Morris

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral Services at SCHOEN FUNERAL HOME, 3827 CANAL ST., on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 1:00 pm. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. Traditional Saints fan attire or Big Easy Rollergirls attire will be considered an appropriate substitute for traditional funeral clothing.



Soviet and Ashely

For other tributes to Ashley visit:
People Get Ready
Humid City
Ray in New Orleans
Maitris Vatulblog
You can also view the legacy of Ashley's postings on his website
Ashley Morris

Remembering Ashley Morris

Ashley Morris

The title Derby Widow is a special honor only bestowed on the most unselfish and supportive individual. It refers to a husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/partner who “loses” their loved one to roller derby. They are the ones who watch the children while their wives get up at 7AM to roller skate, are generous with the massages and hot baths, brag about their derby girl’s bumps, bruises and scrapes, and dress up in special “boutfits” the day of our bouts and scream and cheer with their other fellow derby widows. It’s a title that represents love because it is only love and regard that can whole-heartedly support time that might go toward them, going toward 70 rowdy women on rollerskates. What most people don’t know is that when a derby girl signs up for roller derby so does their partner. Being a part of roller derby is being a part of something bigger than yourself. And being involved with someone in it, is in a sense, giving them to the world. The Roller Derby World.



It seems, historically, that with time, people settle. New opportunities are for the young. The chance to make a difference graduates along with the college degree. People become limited by their own lives. It’s easier to sit back and let the trivial monotonies of life take charge... And then there are people like Ashley Morris and Hana Morris, aka “Soviet Block.”





Soviet Block

Soviet grew up in Czechoslovakia, which was a part of the Soviet Block (controlled by the Soviet Union, but not a part of it). She was brought to New Orleans by way of her husband of nine years, Ashley Morris. They moved back to New Orleans in December after Katrina (the first ones on their block) and had their third child, ten days later. Soviet, a polyglot, self-proclaimed “eco-freak” and kick-ass cookie decorator, soon became curious about roller derby. Never being on skates before, Soviet quickly became hooked and fell in love with everything about roller derby. “I always hated sports,” Soviet said, “because people got mad at me for being clumsy. BERGers keep telling me that I will get there one day and they keep cheering me on. It is like having 70 best friends!”



MILF Duds remembers the time when Soviet became frustrated after a week of particularly grueling practices and went home discouraged and in tears. It was then her husband surprised her with a custom pair of Reidell speed skates, red leather uppers with yellow stripes. They were breathtaking! According to MILF, “In my mind, that was the killinest act of love for a derby wife.” Derby girls crowded around Soviet for weeks and enviously “oohed” and “ahhed” over her gorgeous skates. That weekend, her spirit rejuvenated, Soviet skated four more laps necessary to pass the required assessment.



Unfortunately, with the heaviest heart, the term derby widow took on a tragic new meaning last week. Soviet’s husband, Dr. Ashley Morris, PhD passed away on April 2, 2008. He was a husband, father, teacher, scientist, musician, and above all, an active voice in New Orleans. While Ashley is remembered all over the city for his fiery spirit, passion, activism and dedication to our city, we at The Big Easy Rollergirls memorialize him for his love and dedication to his wife. Their incredibly hectic lives were already filled with sacrifices to each other, their friends and their community. Ashley, with his generous heart, was able to give yet another sacrifice – allowing his sensitive, creative, and witty wife to become a bad-ass rollergirl. The Big Easy Rollergirls are all better individuals for knowing Soviet Block and having her become a part of our organization. We deeply appreciate Ashley for his benevolent nature and passionate recognition of all that is convivial and all that is worth rejoicing. Thank you, Ashley Morris.






As various local groups prepare a benefit, there are major obstacles looming for the family, including five-figure expenses for the funeral.



Soviet and two of her children

Please give what you can. Even a few dollars here and there can add up. There are needs that CANNOT WAIT on the fund raising events.



At present, anyone who wants to donate some money to help Soviet and her children should go to Remember Ashley Morris

There's a Paypal button at the bottom of the page that will take you to the Paypal website and the appropriate email address to send the funds to. It will take you, at the absolute longest, 5 minutes to do this, and every little bit helps.

If you wish to mail a donation make the check out to Hana Morris and send it to:

Big Easy Rollergirls
P.O. Box 19751
New Orleans, LA 70179



If you wish to become involved in the benefit events, donate art for auction, or assist in some other way please contact
SmasHer at smasher727@gmail.com,
MILF Duds at edwards22@cox.net
Loki at humidcity@gmail.com

Vandal O'Riley: Featured Skater of the Week

Read about Vandal O'Riley from the The StoryVillains as our Featured Skater of the week on
Flat Track Fever

Freret Street Festival

This Saturday, April 5th, from 11AM to 7PM on Freret Street and Napoleon Ave, The Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. will celebrate the eleventh anniversary of the Freret Street Festival, HomeOwnership Fair, Freret Market and Kids’ Fest. This free, fun, family event will both entertain and educate festival-goers and future homebuyers.

The day will begin at 11AM with the “ABCs to HomeOwnership”. Participating Lenders and Credit Counseling Professionals will tell you how you can buy a home.



The Freret Market will host over 130 Arts, Crafts, Flea Market and Food Vendors. They will have music on three stages, and a children’s tent! Performers include Kermit Ruffins, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Soul Rebels, Anais St. John and many others!
Free!
Call 504-894-8580 for more information.


You can also stop by the Big Easy Rollergirls' table and buy tickets to our April 19th bout, as well as BERG merchandise!

Vandal O'Riley in FOR BETTER

Straight from the pages of W Magazine, Vandal O’Riley is co-starring in the new play, FOR BETTER at the Southern Rep


Photo by Bruce Weber

Written by Eric Coble and directed by Gary Rucker, FOR BETTER tells the story of Karen and Max on their way to the altar. At least, if their jobs will ever let them be in the same city at the same time.



A romantic comedy for the digital age, FOR BETTER is a hilarious new farce that pokes fun at our overdependence on the gadgets in our lives. Part of the National New Play Network’s Continued Life of New Play Program, they will co-premiere FOR BETTER with Curious Theater in Denver and New Theater in Miami.

"Funnier than anything on Broadway" – The New York Post

"Coble's work is a tour de force with physical and verbal comedy to spare" - The New Yorker

FOR BETTER runs through April 27th with Thursday, Friday & Saturday shows at 8PM and Sunday shows at 3PM.

The Stinkin Link Project - On the Salt

“The Stinkin Link Project - On the Salt” Photography from the documentary, “Salt Dreams.”

Hosted by Galerie Dalray and runs April 1st thru 3rd
713 Royal St, NOLA 70116



Stop in on Wednesday, April 2 at Galerie Dalray between 6 pm and 8pm for refreshments, to see the "Stinkin Linkin" and to meet the photographer, Amy Jett (our multitalented ref, Carrie Fister).



Carrie Fister

Afterwards, head to the "Salt Dreams" World Premiere April 2, 8PM at One Eyed Jacks (615 Toulouse St, NOLA). Second showing at midnight.


Photo by Amy Jett (c)

"Salt Dreams" produced by JT Nebitt and Dreams on Film, and directed by David White, this film documents how on September 7 2007, a small band of New Orleanians embarked on a 2000 mile trek in an attempt to set a land speed record at the historic Bonneville Salt Flats. The car, a 1998 Lincoln Mark 8 that was completely destroyed by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina, is transformed into a race car by an abstract group of friends. They become “The New Orleans Race Team” competing on an international level, not just as individuals, but as representatives of the last Bohemia in America. This is their story of loss and redemption in the midst of violence and tragedy, and of a community struggling to redefine its identity.


Photo by Amy Jett (c)
There will also be music from soundtrack featuring My Graveyard Jaw, Domenic, Noisician Coalition et all.