Check out my recent publication about Charleston’s own roller derby team, the Lowcountry High Rollers in the Post and Courier’s Charleston Scene: Click here.
Here’s the text:
Football season may have started, but the hardest hits in Charleston sports this weekend won’t be on the gridiron; they’ll be indoors and on wheels as the Lowcountry High Rollers host their last roller derby event of the season.
The High Rollers first formed in 2008 when cofounders Wendy Boswell and Wendy Jernigan gathered a group of nine girls together to compete with other teams in the region. Since then, they’ve grown their roster to over 50 members—about 24 of them are new this season.
That turnout has been great for Organization President Wendy Boswell. “We can actually do a lot of stuff with all the girls we have, so we’re really lucky.”
Big turnout also means competition among team members, and Head Coach Duck Reynolds likes what he has seen this season from veteran and new players alike. “Our girls are fighting for positions, and they’re doing everything they can to keep on the roster and keep their skills up,” says Reynolds. “It’s pretty amazing considering how quick we’ve come and how short a time it’s been.”
The skater-owned-and-operated organization actually has enough players to split the High Rollers into two home teams. Boswell says it’s done so that more people get to participate. She says both teams will be playing in this weekend’s tournament. “In order to hopefully give everybody a chance to play one last game for the season, we decided we’d play both home teams against [Myrtle Beach].”
The High Rollers are getting the word out about their organization beyond the track. Last weekend they took to the streets in West Ashley for the “Rolling of the Bulls.” The High Rollers hosted that charity event Saturday to raise money for the Folly Beach Relief Fund and Surfers’ Healing. Boswell says they are still tallying the donations, but she says the reception was positive. “They hope that we make it an annual event.”
That’s possible, if the High Rollers can continue to increase community interest like they’ve increased their win record.
Last season the High Rollers ended with a 4-5 record, but a recent win against Augusta’s Soul City Sirens took the High Rollers to 5-4 heading into this weekend.
For those who have never seen a roller derby match, points are awarded to a team when their Jammer makes it around the track and passes the other team’s four blockers. Boswell says the action is fast and intense “[like] a race on wheels and rugby together.”
To make things more interesting, this weekend’s tournament is personal for the President. Boswell—whose derby name is Killie Dee Williams—was actually a member of the Palmetto State Rollergirls before she moved to Charleston. The Rollergirls, who have a friendly relationship with their Charleston counterparts, actually helped the High Rollers over the last two years as they worked to build a strong organization. But that connection is likely to make this weekend’s matches more competitive. But it’s all in good fun.
The Lowcountry High Rollers will host that final bout this Saturday at 5 p.m. in The Citadel’s McAlister Field House, at 171 Moultrie St. in downtown Charleston. Doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance, or $12 at the door. For more information, visit their website at www.lowcountryhighrollers.com
