World's Highest-Ranking Roller Derby Teams to Compete at "Big O" Tournament May 2-4 in Eugene
Eugene, OR (PRWEB) April 09, 2014 -- An economic impact of $750,000 is expected from a three-day roller derby tournament that is attracting some of the world's highest-ranking roller derby teams to the Pacific Northwest, the Big O roller derby tournament, organized by the Emerald City Roller Girls of Eugene, May 2-4 at the Lane Events Center. Thirty-two women's, men's and junior roller derby teams from as far away as Japan and Scotland will compete at this 3rd-annual event. Daily and weekend tickets are available for $20-$50 at Brown Paper Tickets. On Saturday night, $15 tickets are available for a high-stakes bout between two of the top-10 ranked roller derby teams in the world, the Texas Rollergirls, and the local favorites, the Rose City Rollers.
Modern-day roller derby has grown and developed dramatically since its' 2003 revival into a genuine athletic competition with well-defined rules, divisions, tournaments, and two governing bodies: the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and the Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA). "Athleticism, skill, and strategy are what wins on the track and the Big O has it at every level," said Big O Tournament Director Rex Havoc.
Teams at the Big O will play others in the same ranking bracket with the hopes of increasing their rankings on an international level. The variety of teams ranges from the very local (Emerald City, Lane County Concussion, Emerald City Junior Gems), to the regional (Portland's Rose City Rollers, Eureka's Redwood Saplings, and Boise's Capital City Skullcrushers), national (Texas Rollergirls, Philly Roller Girls, Kansas City Roller Warriors), and international (Scotland's Auld Reekie Roller Girls and Japan's Kokeshi Roller Dolls). Please see the Big O registered teams page for a full listing of all teams competing at the Big O.
Three of the women's teams are ranked in the top 10 in the world by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association: Texas Rollergirls (2), Oly Rollers (7), and Rose City (5), and three men's teams are in the top-ranked spots by the Men's Roller Derby Association: Puget Sound Outcasts (5), Portland Men's Roller Derby (6), and the Deep Valley Belligerants (10).
Havoc expects even higher attendance than last year because of the rapid growth of the sport, and the popularity of the tournament compared to similar tournaments around the country. More than 2,000 skaters, fans, and volunteers are expected to attend. Based on this estimate, Travel Lane County's Sue Harshbarger estimates an economic impact of at least $750,000 to filter into the local community.
The event will offer good food and local beer as well as local and regional merchandise vendors. There are also still opportunities for sponsors, vendors, and volunteers. Visit http://www.thebigotournament.com or contact Rex Havoc at bigodirectors(at)gmail(dot)com for more information.
About Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com): Brown Paper Tickets is a socially conscious global leader in online ticketing and event registration services, helping people in 68 countries to plan, promote and sell out events. As a social innovator, the company donates 5 percent to charities with every ticket sold, supports a team of full-time community advocates, called “Doers,” and still charges a ticketing fee that is lower than competitors. How do we do it? The dirty little secret in the ticketing industry is that it doesn’t cost that much to ticket events. The company's history with the sport of roller derby has made it the number one choice in ticketing for roller derby teams around the world. To learn more about the world’s only Not-Just-For-Profit ticketing company, visit http://community.brownpapertickets.com/press/.
Barb Morgen, Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com, +1 206 898-8411, [email protected]
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