2012 MRDA Championships Preview: #5 Puget Sound
#5 Puget Sound earned their second trip to the MRDA Championships due in large part to two victories against #6 Portland Men’s Roller Derby. The first was a 232-93 walloping at the Big O in February. Puget Sound followed that up with a 261-90 stomping at their annual Throwdown in the Sound tournament, where they also beat up on the Lane County Concussion, 368-47. Those are Puget Sound’s three victories in a minimal season. Their only loss came in July to #1 Your Mom in Des Moines. Skating short-handed, Puget Sound had a rough time of it and succumbed to a 257-143 defeat.
“My favorite moment of 2012 was playing at the Big O in Eugene (Oregon),” Puget Sound jammer extraordinaire Speed Dealer said. “The venue was great, and it was nice to see some newer MRDA teams play.” The Big O was very special for Speed Dealer because he set a Guinness World Record for the longest jump on roller skates.
Puget Sound blocker Radillac’s favorite moment was a trip to France where he got to share his love for roller derby. “I definitely enjoyed going to France and getting to play derby there. I practiced with the Toulouse Quad Guards. Those guys are on their way to being a top team. I also skated around Paris which was awesome.”
In addition to Puget Sound’s usual training regimen, to prepare for Championships, Radillac hits up the skate parks, an increasingly popular way for derby skaters to cross train. Puget Sound also scrimmages against WFTDA’s Western Region Champion Oly Rollers every week.
Last year, Puget Sound lost a heartbreaker to the Shock Exchange in the MRDA Finals to take second. Yet, with the competition ramped up this year, Puget Sound will have a tough go at it if they hope to make it to the Finals again. Both skaters I interviewed are excited for a chance to take on Magic City, their first round opponent. “I am interested in skating against Magic City. They are one of the teams we have not played against yet,” Radillac said. Magic City and Puget Sound were set to face off for the first time at RollerCon this year, but the bout fell through at the last minute.
What can we expect from a bout between the only two MRDA teams to predominantly feature skaters using their real names? Well, aside from a nearly total lack of puns, hard hitting is on the docket. “We have been working on the slow game just like everyone else, but I like to play the faster game. So, expect to see some fast big hit derby,” Radillac said.
Speed Dealer concurred: “Fans can expect to see a hard hitting and fast paced game with Puget.” This, coupled with Magic City’s tendency to race around and lay skaters out, should produce the first round’s best bout.
Tickets are still available for the MRDA Championships “Gateway to the Best.” Visit Brown Paper Tickets for more information. And, keep your browser refreshed at MRDA for more team profiles and interviews.