Rat's Nest hosts roller derby playoff party - and you're invited

Team Rodent
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

By Patricia Guthrie

First, they skated into Shoreline to set-up a new “Rat’s Nest” training center. Now they’re off to an international championship. The Rat City Rollergirls are scheduled to compete Friday, Nov. 8 in the 2013 WFTDA Championship Tournament in Milwaukee. And fans can catch all the action on live WFTDA-tv at a Championship Viewing Party, starting at 4pm Friday. At the Rat’s Nest, of course!

The Rat’s Nest is located at 19022 Aurora Ave North, Shoreline, WA 98133.

Seattle’s team faces the Ohio Roller Girls first. The bracketed tournament consists of 12 teams with the championship bout scheduled Sunday.

"This game [against Ohio] will make us or break us," said Seattle's Rat City All-Star skater, Jukesapose. "It's going to take a lot of work to beat Ohio and if we succeed there, then we get to face the no. 1 team in the world - Gotham Girls from New York City."

This the first time since 2008 that Seattle has earned a trip to the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Division 1 International Championships. It has a chance to bring home what’s called the sport’s “greatest glory,” The Hydra Trophy.

The team’s new Shoreline Rat’s Nest home, located in a former warehouse, houses a flat track and a large front room decked out in decorations for the viewing party.

‘We would really love to get people out this weekend from the Shoreline community to support our All Stars,” said Scarlet Leather aka Jessica Ivey, chief marketing officer.

The community has shown “really overwhelming support” since the team moved its headquarters here this summer, said Lorna Boom, aka Alyssa Hoppe, chief operations office. The organization got its start almost ten years ago in South Seattle’s White Center, aka “Rat City” for a variety of unverifiable reasons.

As the team says: “No matter the origin, it’s a pretty badass name. We love it.”

Rat City Rollergirls raised almost $4,000 via crowdsourcing fundraising, Indiegogo, to help send 20 skaters to the championship. It also plans to host a garage sale this weekend.

Rat City Rollergirls was the first flat-track roller derby team formed in the Northwest and led the resurgence of the fast-paced, blocking, bruising and cruising sport. And it is a sport; no fake pre-planned stunt and excessive grunts in these bouts. Need to learn roller derby rules?

Check this quick lesson. The team consists of about 80 women who train together but compete in four separate home teams: Derby Liberation Front, Grave Danger, Sockit Wenches, and Throttle Rockets. The toughest, most-competitive skaters are chosen for tournament play, hence the Rat City All Stars. Longtime Seattle derby stars Carmen Getsome, Jalapeño Business and Luna Negra are among this year’s All Star team that’s known for defensive strategy, jammer agility and team-wide determination.

This season, the All Stars competed against some of the best teams in the world  -- London, New York and Montreal -- racking up four wins and four loses. The team won their ticket to this weekend’s championship after placing third last month in Division 1 playoffs, defeating Detroit Derby Girls.

The Rat’s Nest. It’s where the action’s at.

(The organization is still looking for volunteers and business sponsors to help spruce up The Rat’s Nest. Bleachers, painting, signs and small construction projects are on the to-do list. Contact them if you can help)