The Grand Raggidy Roller Girls are a flat-track roller derby league based in Grand Rapids, MI.
History
The skater owned and operated amateur league was started in April 2005 by two Grand Rapids women, Shutter Speed and The Vindicator.
By the summer of 2005, enough skaters had been recruited to form two "home" teams - the Blue Collar Broads (who had a union/factory worker theme) and the Roustabout Rollers (crazy carnival escapees). The teams held their inaugural bout On April 1st, 2006, at the Deltaplex Arena & Conference Center in front of over 2,000 spectators, and later that year the league added a third home team - the Everyday Rebelles.
In early 2008, the league dissolved its three home teams and created two new teams: the GRRG All Stars and the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls (home team). The Grand Raggidy home team played its first game on March 29 against the Kalamazoo Kamikazees. Since then, various Grand Raggidy teams have represented their hometown in over a hundred games, traveling as far as Las Vegas.
Present Day
The GRRG is an LLC with paid dues and a functioning Board of Directors that meets monthly. The league participates in community events on a frequent basis. As the sport of roller derby has grown around the world, so have the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls. The league includes anywhere from 25-40 active skaters split between three teams:
- The Grand Raggidy All Stars: WFTDA ranked competition level team
- The Attack!: Proud mid-level team
- The Rapid Assault: Mostly newer skaters
The Grand Raggidy All Stars compete for WFTDA rankings in the North Central Region of the United States. All teams compete at their corresponding levels with other teams from around the state and region under the Grand Raggidy name.
Since 2008, home bouts are held at Rivertown Sports, in Grandville. GRRG public bouts mix athleticism and full-contact physicality with showmanship and a punk rock attitude. Bouts are a family friendly affair, but with an undercurrent of left-of-center camp.
For more information, bout schedule and tickets, see the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls web site.
External Links
Grand Raggidy Roller Girls Logo
