News

by Andi Struction, photos by Bob Ayers

Western Canada’s only Women’s Flat Track Derby Association charter team, Vancouver’s Terminal City All-Stars, currently sit at #23 in the WFTDA’s West Region rankings, but if their current 9-2 record for the 2012 season has anything to say about it, that number will improve significantly in the next quarter. To even further their chances of moving up the ranks, they are travelling to California this coming weekend to take on three other powerful teams in their home region.

All-Stars' pivot Miss E. Masculator simultaneously makes way for her jammer while blocking the Santa Cruz jammer at Wild West Showdown in March.

First up on Friday is a bout against Sacramento’s Sacred City Derby Girls, who are currently ranked #7 in the West Region. This bout is unfortunately not WFTDA-sanctioned, but it will be great warm-up for the All-Stars’ weekend and a good chance for the Vancouver team to prove that they are contenders in the very competitive West.

Saturday night holds a bout against the #15 Santa Cruz Derby Girls, and this will certainly prove to be an exciting match up. The last time these two teams met at the Wild West Showdown tournament back in March, it was a defensive fight to the finish, with Santa Cruz beating Terminal City only by a marginal 97-84. Luckily for Vancouver fans, this bout will be streamed online at 1pm PST here: http://www.justin.tv/anxiousmofo

The All-Stars are hoping that a full weekend of travelling and playing won’t have gotten to them on Sunday, as they take on the Silicon Valley Roller Girls in San Jose. SVRG currently sits at #16 in the west, but their impressive showing at the Big O Tournament in February and busy early-season schedule may make them Terminal City’s toughest competition on this trip.

Jammer Sundown takes advantage of a breakaway at Wild West Showdown.

All-Star Sophie “Amazombie” Robinson says that they have been staying the course on their established training plan to prepare for this trip: “We remain focused on teamwork and pack control, but we have been putting emphasis on offensive plays.”

Besides the speed and finesse that All-Stars fans are familiar with, Head Coach Ian “Mack the Mouth” MacKenzie, has some extra strategy in mind: "We have top secret plans for the Americans, it may or may not involve a salmon, maple syrup and Canadian beer."