FRESNO -- Taking to a sort of alter ego, the roller derby teammates Lola La Chola, Suzy Sweet Knuckles, Toni 2 Tone, Betty Rocker and Jenni Grrrl lace up their skates, set mouthpieces and protective gear and become the domineering group known as the Smog City Roller Grrls.
But don't let the girly, hot pink elbow and knee pads fool you. On the oval track, La Chola -- whose real name is Joey Fernández, a student at California State University, Fresno -- and several teammates can create an almost impenetrable wall against attacking opponents, who are just looking to send them crashing.
The Smog City Roller Grrls, yes 'grrls,' is Fresno's very own roller derby team, who have built up a following of at least a thousand fans each time they take to their home track at Valdez Hall at the Fresno Convention Center. Fernández joined at its inception two years ago.
It's about dominance over opponents, passing and point accumulation.
For a single bout, or game, a squad of five take to the track: three blockers, one pivot, who's also a blocker and a jammer, the pointer earner.
It's pretty simple. A bout consists of three 20-minute periods. Blockers do their best to block the attempts of the opposing team's jammer to pass. If a jammer passes, they earn points. The pivot (person) can also block, but is considered the last form of defense if an opposing jammer penetrates the blockers.
So what's hard about it? Well, sometimes the competition is rough, and the falls intense and intimidating. However, it is entertaining.
Kept to regulated blocks, the Smog City Roller Grrls have had their share of bruising from falls, but have also initiated plenty of hurt sending skaters crashing into the spectators.
"Back in the '70s, even in the '30s, it was very staged; everything was just not real. But it's an actual sport now with rules and guidelines. It's not staged, it's not fake," said Fernández, the team's public relations person.
In the '70s, actress Raquel Welch lifted the notoriety of the television sport in the movie 'Kansas City Bomber,' portraying K.C. Carr, a competitor on tour with one of the teams.
Taking to a doppelganger type of character, the 'Grrls' hit the track, some with plenty of makeup, not unlike the '70s rock band KISS, some sporting fish-net stockings. But they keep it all in good taste, being sure to be good sports about the competition.
At Valdez Hall, youngsters often run across the track carrying signs of their heroes.
The kids' hero may be the jammers, because -- aside from being the only skater who can earn the points for the team -- it's their ability to maneuver rapidly in and out of traffic, avoiding blocks and knock downs, while making amazing passes that is so impressive.
Smog City's "Betty Rocker," whose real name is Korren Corgiat, sometimes earns five points, a grand slam, like she did in a 100-70 victory last Saturday over visiting Santa Cruz Homewreckers. She managed to pass blockers and even the jammer on the track.
"We just kept knocking them down, because it takes away their line of defense ... skating is a grueling sport, hard on the body, we're constantly working because there's no break in the action," said Fernández.
The atmosphere is electrifying.
The boundaries are marked with duct tape; and the spectators are just a few feet away from the action. A live band performs before or during breaks. Pre-recorded music is also played on loudspeakers, while an announcer plays up the calls, explaining penalties and calling the score. Lucky spectators win door prizes and Smog City donates 10 percent of the proceeds to local charities.
To learn more about the Smog City Roller Grrls or to go to a bout, call their hotline at (559) 222-SCRG (7274) or visit them at MySpace; the keyword is Fresnoderbygirls.
The next home bout is June 28 at Valdez Hall.