A sold-out crowd was treated to a National Anthem performed by D-Millz, of WCR half-time favorite R&B skate crew JBXperience, who proved his talents are not limited to his fancy footwork.

Half-time featured the heartland return of men’s roller derby, as the New York Shock Exchange took on the Midwest Men’s Roller Derby in a ten-minute mini-bout. WCR fans were treated to the novel sight of referee Travis D. Adjustus’ speedy jamming and agile dodges, and the blocking skills of head Events volunteer Flava Dave; local freelance refs Ref Raff (under his skater alias El Ka-Bong) and BB Wolfe got in on the action as well and were joined by men from across the Midwest and as far south as Lexington, KY. The more experienced NYSE took the match 8-1; we can hope that this is only the beginning for these brawny bruisers.

Double Crossers vs. The Fury

Luckily for them, the men did not appear to grapple with WFTDA’s 20-foot rule, or any majors on jammers for cutting the track: these two penalties comprise the top concerns for the Windy City Rollers this season (the other being the ongoing slippery-floor woes, which were again in evidence this evening). In the bellicose first bout of the night, the tide often turned on the referees’ whistles, and the spoils went to the team who most effectively avoided or neutralized the curse of the penalty box.

Whenever the Double Crossers and The Fury face off, it’s even money the game will end in a squeaker. Anyone who bailed at the half will be frustrated by the knowledge that once again, victory was a one-point punch-off, this time in favor of the Double Crossers, who pulled off one heck of a comeback to all but ice their place in this year’s Ivy King Cup contest.

The Fury’s jamming troika of Kola Loka, Yvette YourMaker and Eva Dead came ripping out of the gate with guns blazing. Adept at avoiding 20-foot penalties, the Fury make a formidable pack-within-a-pack and are experts at controlling speed; this finesse, along with the brutal blocking of twin towers Go-Go Hatchet and Sonya MouthShut, held the Double Crossers scoreless for the first eight jams of the first period. It didn’t help that track-cutting twice sent XX jammers to the box. When the XXers were able to take a breath and assess the damage, the score was 19-0.

But the XXers biggest asset may be their patience. While jam 7’s star-bearer Donna Party spent most of jam 8 in the penalty box, her blockers, in particular the peppy and agile Peg Legs, were exhibiting the penalty-killing that would ensure their team the win. Frustrated Fury jammer Eva Dead could not get purchase, and Party blasted off the bench, took lead jammer, and immediately called it. The next jam saw Fury star Yvette YourMaker held in check while the hell-bent Lucy Furr took lead and scored four, and it was then that the Double Crossers’ slow crawl to make up lost points began. 5 jams later, the Fury score would show no movement, while the XXers had 11 on the board.

Momentum evened out a bit before the half ended at 26-13. In the second period, the Fury continued their iron-clad defense at the front of the pack, and Kola Loka at times appeared to be skating in a splits to keep back any XX comers. But even as a Fury MVP jammer cemented the lead, hot pursuit by the Double Crossers’ jammer would force a call-off with no points scored.

With both teams amping up their defense and the XXers closing the gap in incremental pushes, the definitive blows were struck in two jams where the Fury’s jammer ended up in the box; in the first, XXer go-to gal Blossom Bruiso was able to secure a crucial 7 points; and in the second and penultimate jam of the game, sparkly co-captain Anne Arkie scored 4 to tie it up at 40-all. A blood-curdling final jam saw XX whippet Peg Legs chasing a pack of thoroughbreds in an attempt to earn a game-winning point before Yvette YourMaker could exit the penalty box and force a call-off. The crowd was on their feet as the clock expired with one Fury passed. One was all Peg Legs needed.<

Final score: Double Crossers 41, The Fury 40

Hell's Belles vs. Manic Attackers

The Hell’s Belles’ spot in this year’s championship is already assured. The only question now is whether they will maintain their undefeated record on the way. Tonight’s bout against the Manic Attackers did nothing to shake their fans’ faith in that eventuality

The 2007 and 2008 seasons have seen the Belles squad accumulate all the qualities of a formidable derby machine. In addition to the basic ingredients of lightning-fast jammers and blockers who not only hit stunningly hard and (usually) clean, the Belles understand zone as well as man-on-man blocking strategies; they know how and when to control pack speed in both directions; and they never let an opposing jammer leave the pack without putting up a chase that often absorbs her again, or forces a call-off.

The Manics, on the other hand, have plenty of what it takes, but attrition and injuries make it seemingly impossible to congeal into a coherent whole. Tonight, with two of their veteran blockers out; and despite the growing jam threats of Beth Amphetamine, Di Richmond, and Mo Vengeance; the spirited jamming of points-leader Malice With Chains; and Ying O’Fire, who increasingly resembles a wheeled Tasmanian devil; the Manics once again sustained a wide-margin defeat.

The big stories tonight were the rising grand-slam tally of Belles co-captain Varla Vendetta, who seems to have made a hobby of collecting them; and the wild abandon of the Manics’ Ying, who attempted to play as a one-woman team. Ying not only racked up points as a jammer, but threw herself into effective defensive mode when she could not clear the pack, made big hits and holes as a blocker in most of the Manics’ successful jams, and played de facto pivot as well, calling out strategy to her team in the heat of battle… when she wasn’t simply hurling herself heroically at her opponents. Her hunger for victory erupted in frustration near the end of the first period, when jamming unopposed she was blocked hard to the wall by Belle Diablo. A thrown punch got her an ejection for the period, but she was back in for in the second half, playing for all she was worth in a truly inspiring display of tenacity.

Despite much better production from their jammers (including grand slams by Di Richmond and Beth Amphetamine) and some well-choreographed pack blocking in the second period, the Manics simply couldn’t withstand the barrage of Belles grand slams, including a staggering nine by Varla Vendetta, whose speed takes her around the outside of the pack before most blockers can even think of hitting her.

Final score: Hell’s Belles 113, Manic Attackers 37

Current Standings

HB (4-0, 72.4wp), XX (3-1, 56.5wp), TF (1-3, 45.4wp), MA (0-4, 28.4wp)

Bout Statistics

Grand Slams: Varla Vendetta - HB (9)
Most Jam Points: Varla Vendetta - HB (67)
Most Blocks: Megan Formor - HB (5)
Most Whips: Belle Diablo - HB (5)
Most Minor Penalties: Donna Party - XX (18), Megan Formor - HB (18), Mona Lott - HB (18)
Most Major Penalties: Belle Diablo - HB (3), Megan Formor - HB (3), Ying O'Fire - MA (3)
Expulsions: Ying O'Fire - MA (Period 1)
Lead Jam %: TF (62.50%), HB (61.76%), MA (38.24%), XX (31.25%)