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City Champs: “Jack Town is Sexy”
By Jason Moritz.
Photos by Melanie Hilliard
Last night, the Jack Town Rollers may have lost twice (the B Squad first to Lansing and the A Squad later to Youngstown, Ohio), but the City of Jackson won at least that many times. Sure, there are plenty of things to do (the upcoming Jackson County Fair, for example) and see (the Cascades) in Jackson, but the Rollers are a welcomed and edgy addition to the town's menu of events. And, you can tell, these derby ladies are here to stay. And to entertain. The American 1 Credit Union Event Center was filled to overflowing (People were standing! People brought their own lawn chairs!! People were sitting in the “Suicide Seats” right next to the track!!!) to watch the women of the Rollers in their first home bout (not game, not match, it’s called a BOUT) of their 2010 flat track season. Grab a pop, a popcorn, a hot dog (all for $1), or grab all three ($3) and sit wherever you can to watch the semi-controlled mayhem that is roller derby. Souvenirs including T-shirts were also available at the door.
A DJ provided the soundtrack of hip-hop, metal, and punk. Derby is not a country sport, I’m afraid. He also liked to raise a skateboard with exuberance and get in a quick workout with his nunchucks too. Great stuff! The scoring was done Jackson-style on huge Post-Its with black marker. But the scores were truly secondary (at least to most of the crowd). The ladies of the derby? Oh, they cared! They cared a lot. Yelling, sweating, bumping, sweating, falling, sweating, laughing, sweating. There was a lot of sweat. And I’m sure I missed some blood. And, sadly, I missed the after-party at Duffy’s Food & Spirits down the street where I’m sure there was some drinking, dancing, and even more sweating. Cheers to you, Jack Town Rollers! And cheers to a successful season of roller derby in Jackson!
For more information and a listing of upcoming bouts, visit the Jack Town Rollers’ Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jack-Town-Rollers/256253027732
Jason and his wife Melanie moved to Jackson, Michigan, in the summer of 2007. They enjoy traveling, reading, gardening, and watching movies together.
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