Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 10, 2011
Houston Roller Derby announces new venue, 2012 season dates
HOUSTON – Houston Roller Derby is bringing its fast-paced flat track action to downtown in 2012, hosting games at Bayou Music Center (formerly Verizon Wireless Theater) March through September, with the season opener taking place on March 17.
Bayou Music Center, located at 520 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston's vibrant theater district, has a capacity of more than 2,000 and all the up-to-date features of a professional venue.
Bout ticket prices will remain at the same price level as the 2011 season, at $15 for general admission and $25 for VIP.
At the venue, fans will find beer options priced from $4 in addition to a full bar and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks. Food concessions at the venue are catered by Wolfgang Puck.
"The skaters in Houston Roller Derby are so excited to bring our sport's eclectic mix of athleticism and entertainment to a more central location this year," said Tiffany Hamilton aka Grrrl Friday, spokeswoman. "Our fans made us what we are; we know we'd be nothing with out them, so their happiness is paramount to us. We're delighted to invite them to a huge, professional venue that is easily accessible to all Houstonians and has lots of perks."
While fans will have the option to experience the many amenities of a professional venue, bouts will still provide the intimacy of floor "suicide" seating near the track with plentiful chair seating nearby.
"We still want to say hi to our fans and sign plenty of autographs," Hamilton said. "A bigger venue might give us a taste of what it's like to be a rock star but it definitely won't change our down-to-earth style."
The season dates for 2012 are: March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18 and September 15. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and games start at 7 p.m.
The season opener on March 17 will start off with a game between the Houston Roller Derby all-stars and an out-of-town team that is yet to be announced. The second game will pit 2011 season champion team the Psych Ward Sirens against second-ranked team the Bayou City Bosses. Fans won't want to miss this pivotal first game of the new season to see if the Sirens remain triumphant or if the three-time champion Bosses pull an upset. Third-ranked team The Brawlers will play the Sirens in April.
Patrons may park in the Theater District Parking Garage for $7 with entrances at Texas and Bagby streets as well as Texas and Smith streets. Valet parking is available for $10, with entrances on both Texas Avenue and Smith Street. Some metered street parking is also available in the area, with free parking after 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The venue is accessible by Houston city bus service and cab service.
HRD is also hosting a tournament May 11-12 at a different venue: Houston Indoor Sports, located at 221 Barren Springs Drive. The tournament will feature several out-of-town teams competing with Houston's all-star team.
As a relatively new sport following its resurgence in the late 1990s, roller derby has evolved from season to season, becoming more competitive and athletic as its skaters further hone their skills and develop new strategies.
Since organizing in 2005 Houston Roller Derby has grown into a league of more than 50 skaters. HRD is one of 105 member leagues that make up the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and is ranked fifth in the WFTDA South Central Region. Houston's all-star team was one of the top 12 teams in the nation to compete at the WFTDA national championships in November 2009. HRD’s 2012 season starts in March. For more information, visit www.houstonrollerderby.com.
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Event Listing:
Houston Roller Derby will host its season opener March 17 at new bouting venue Bayou Music Center (formerly Verizon Wireless Theater), 520 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston. HRD’s all-star team will play a team from out of town that is to-be-determined, followed by a game between the Psych Ward Sirens and the Bayou City Bosses. Doors open at 6 p.m. The first game starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for general admission or $25 for VIP. For more information, visit www.houstonrollerderby.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Tiffany Hamilton, a.k.a. Grrrl Friday
Head of Public Relations and Media
inkslingerTL@gmail.com
409-750-3032
Houston Roller Derby
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 4, 2011
Houston Roller Derby qualifies for Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Playoffs
HOUSTON, TEXAS – Houston Roller Derby's all-star travel team has earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Flat Track Derby Association South Central Region Playoffs. The top ten teams in the WFTDA South Central Region will head to Kansas City, Missouri, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 to compete for one of three spots in the 2011 WFTDA Championships. The WFTDA South Central Region includes 27 teams hailing from a region that spans the southern states, from Florida and Georgia west to New Mexico, and extends as far north as Nebraska.
Houston's all-star travel team is currently ranked fifth in the WFTDA South Central region, up from its seventh-place ranking at the beginning of the year. While there is no official national rankings system at this time, Houston is unofficially nationally ranked at 18th according to Flat Track Stats, and 22nd according to the Derby News Network. Houston was one of the top 12 teams in the nation to compete at the 2009 WFTDA Championships.
The South Central Region Playoffs, nicknamed “Show Me Der-B-Q” this year, are expected to attract thousands of roller derby players and fans to watch some of the best action the sport has to offer. Fans wishing to cheer on Houston's all-stars can find ticketing and other information at http://showmederbq.com.
To make it to the Playoffs, Houston first had to earn a top 10 ranking within the South Central Region. WFTDA members vote on rankings quarterly, based on the results of a team’s bouts against other WFTDA teams. Second quarter rankings are used to determine tournament eligibility. As the fifth-seeded team in the tournament, Houston will first play the fourth-seed, Atlanta Rollergirls, on Friday, Sept. 30, and will play at least three games over the course of the three-day, multi-level tournament.
The top three finishers at each of the four WFTDA playoff tournaments will advance to compete for the championship title. Consolation brackets for teams that don’t advance in the Playoffs will help determine future rankings within the South Central Region. For more information on the WFTDA “Big 5” tournaments, see http://wftda.com/The-Big-5.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Tiffany Hamilton, a.k.a. Grrrl Friday
Head of Public Relations and Media
inkslingerTL@gmail.com
409-750-3032
Houston Roller Derby
Kali Schumitz, WFTDA Public Relations – press@wftda.com
Juliana Gonzales, WFTDA Executive Director – 512-587-1859, juliana@wftda.com
ABOUT HOUSTON ROLLER DERBY: Since organizing in 2005, Houston Roller Derby has grown into a league of more than 50 skaters. HRD is one of 117 member leagues that make up the international Women's Flat Track Derby Association. HRD practices and bouts at Houston Indoor Sports, located at 221 Barren Springs Drive in Houston. HRD's travel team is currently ranked fifth in the WFTDA South Central Region, and was one of the top 12 teams in the association to compete at the 2009 WFTDA Championships. HRD's 2011 season runs through October. For more information, visit www.houstonrollerderby.com.
ABOUT WFTDA: The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is the international governing body for the sport of women’s flat track roller derby and a membership organization for leagues to collaborate and network. WFTDA sets standards for rules, seasons, and safety, and determines guidelines for the national and international athletic competitions of member leagues. There are currently 117 WFTDA member leagues and 72 leagues in the WFTDA Apprentice program. WFTDA is governed by a five-member, volunteer Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb. 9, 2011
Houston Roller Derby to Bout at New Location for 2011 Season
HOUSTON, TX –- Houston Roller Derby will have its 2011 games at brand-new venue Houston Indoor Sports.
Located at 221 Barren Springs Drive, Houston Indoor Sports is about 25 minutes away from the previous HRD game venue, and will house two regulation-size skating rinks with permanent sport court floors that are made for roller derby and roller hockey games. The venue will have bleacher, floor and VIP seating available. Beer and concessions will be available to purchase at HRD games.
"The league is very excited about the move to Houston Indoor Sports," said Tiffany Hamilton, spokeswoman. "The permanent sport court floor will provide a more professional experience for skaters and fans, since gameplay will no longer need to be halted in order to fix issues with the portable sport court floor we used in seasons past."
The parking conditions will also be a striking improvement over HRD's previous venues, with plentiful free lot and street parking available near Houston Indoor Sports.
Ticket prices will remain at the same rate as last season, with advance general admission at $12 and advance VIP at $25. The season opener will be at 7 p.m. April 16th, and will feature visiting team Red Stick from Baton Rouge, LA, as well as an intraleague bout between home teams the Sirens and the Bayou City Bosses. Tickets are now available at www.houstonrollerderby.com.
In recent years, roller derby has become a phenomenon in the extreme sports world, rekindling its popularity and finding a slot within the Texas culture. The resurrection of flat track roller derby began in the heart of Texas in Austin, and the sport spread like wildfire throughout the state, country, and world.
Houston Roller Derby organized in 2005 and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Houston's interleague team, HaRD Knocks, was one of the top 12 teams in the nation to compete at the WFTDA national championships in 2009 and is currently ranked seventh in the South Central region. HaRD Knocks will compete in several tournaments throughout the region this season.
Visit www.houstonrollerderby.com.
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Media Contact:
Tiffany Hamilton, a.k.a. Grrrl Friday
Head of Public Relations and Media
Houston Roller Derby
inkslingerTL@gmail.com
409-750-3032