Roller Girl

Wondering if there is still a place where it is acceptable to wear your muffin-topping booty shorts? You would fit right in at the roller derby.

Sunday night, the Rhinestone Cowgirls took the Holy Rollers in a close match that kept the plaid skirts flying.

The Austin roller girls are a famous attraction, they even scored their own documentary series on A&E. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan; my boss went to a formal film event during SXSW and Tarantino was there, surrounded by a throng of the roller girls - tatooed, bra-less, and wearing their dressiest pairs of fishnet stockings.

I think pro-wrestling is lame; that the fighting in hockey is annoying; that boxing or UFC fighting is gross. However, watching girls shove each other with ass and hips proved highly entertaining.

This is the kind of trashiness I can get behind. For three hours I was at the edge of my seat, cheering for both sides while someone in the crowd shouted things like, "Punch her in the brain."

I don't know what constitutes a penalty. It's certainly not elbows flying or boob grabbing. There is a penalty box for serious offenses but minor fouls are settled by spinning a wheel. The fouler and foul-ee face off with penalties like arm wrestling or pillow fights. The smiles exchanged between teams was just part of the bizarre comradery of the derby; although winning is important, it's nice to watch a game where the players are having as much fun as the fans.