Tulsa's Roughneck Roller Derby welcomes three teams to Black Gold Blowout
Inaugural round-robin event is set for April 3-4 in Broken Arrow
Roller derby fans are invited to experience two days of live-action during the inaugural Black Gold Blowout.
Tulsa's Roughneck Roller Derby league will pit its skaters against teams from surrounding states in a special round-robin style event April 3 and 4 for a chance to climb the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) international ranking and continue building interest in the sport.
"We wanted to host Black Gold Blowout this year to offer a unique opportunity for leagues similar to us in terms of location, size, and rankings to compete with one another," said league president Amanda "Hawk" Hawkins. "This also helps build our community of skaters, fans and officials to help grow everyone's home league."
By hosting this event at the league's home venue at the Ninowski Recreation Center in Broken Arrow, the league hopes to continue building on the friendly competition nurtured by the sport as well as drawing many skaters, officials, fans and volunteers to the area to support their teams and the sport of roller derby for the first time. In addition to the Roughneck Roller Derby teams - Roughnecks and Tulsa Elite - there will be teams from Oklahoma City; Salina, Kan.; Bossier City, La..; Columbia, Mo.; and Lubbock, Texas.
"Sometimes teams travel over 200 miles to play just one game, but with Black Gold Blowout, they will be able to play three in one weekend with the round-robin style tournament," said Hawkins. "No matter the outcome, these games will affect each team's WFTDA rank. We wanted to make sure we were providing an opportunity for each team to compete with teams close to the same skill and ranking."
Each of these sanctioned WFTDA teams, plus additional regulation teams, will travel to Tulsa to compete in eight games spanning two days. Currently, the Roughneck Roller Derby league's sanctioned team, Tulsa Elite, is ranked 274 out of more than 300 international teams.
This event is the culmination of hard work and dedication of skater run and operated organization. The league is built on volunteer hours and funds raised as a nonprofit. Roughneck Roller Derby has been part of the Tulsa community since 2012 and is invested in bettering the communities in which its skaters live through philanthropic endeavors and providing an effective athletic outlet for individuals of every shape and size, she explained.
"We invite everyone to come to this enthralling friendly event and watch this amazing sport with us, whether it's your first or 100th derby game," said Hawkins.
Roller derby fans and families are invited to cheer for their favorite skaters as the teams play at Rhema Ninowski Recreation Center, 1367 W. Kenosha St. in Broken Arrow with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. April 3 and 8:30 a.m. April 4 for the Black Gold Blowout.
The home opener is March 14 featuring a battle of the home teams: Cherry Bombs vs. Red Dirt Rollers. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. March 14. The game will begin at 5 p.m. For more information, visit roughneckrollerderby.com.
The Gayly. 2.27.2020 @ 11:55 a.m. CST.
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