The Action was Fast and Furious !
Entering the Orbit Fun Center in Huber Heights, chants could be heard on the other side of the ticket booth wall. Walking into the arena, The Big Ragu and the Food Adventures Crew thought “what the hell have we gotten into?” The answer: The Gem City Rollergirls! Nothing is more “Dayton” than these hometown roller derby divas! Even though we had arrived early, the roller girls were already stretching out while their competitors, the Youngstown Little Steel, were skating laps warming up.
Sweaty concession stand hot dogs !
We made our way past the droves of fans and said hello to some of our rollergirl friends like “Racey Rocker,” “Outer Spacey,” “Manson’s Maiden” and “Cozza Frenzy.” We then walked past the crowd to the concession stand. After all, we are foodies in our forties. We grabbed a hot dog, some drinks, and a slice of pizza from the friendly Orbit Fun Center staff. we talked to some hardcore fans and then made our way to the seating area.
The Filling Station on Linden Ave: Gem City Roller Girl’s “Home” Bar
There were fans encircling the entire skating rink. Some held signs, some cheered on their favorites, others just took it all in. We even sat next to a bachelor party! Then, the lights dimmed and introductions began. We recognized names like “Supersonic,” Flirtini Tease”, “Punky Rooster” and “Demolition Curvy.” The action began shortly after introductions and we learned this game requires a lot of skill and talent. The match was full of speed and quick moves. The match also had it’s share of bumps and bruises. There were elbows, hip checks, blockers, jammers and the action was fast and furious. The Big Ragu and Food Adventure Crew had a blast as we watched the Gem City Roller Girls win their hard fought match! The event benefited “Luv-a-Bulls” which is a Pitbull-Bulldog-Mastiff rescue organization. What a great way to support a great charity!
After the match, the local superstars invited us to an after party, so of course we turned it into a full blown Food Adventure!!
Raspberry Walnut Salad at the Filling Station
The Gem City Roller Girls’ “home bar” is The Filling Station on Linden Ave. This eatery is known for it’s bar, food and game room. There were some great drink specials at The Filling Station, including $9 buckets of beer. On the awning outside, we noticed print that read “unforgettable wings.” We decided to try the Habenero BBQ wings, southwestern egg rolls and a raspberry walnut salad. The food was great, and the beers were cold! It was a perfect end to our action-packed evening. We had a blast pairing our Food Adventures with another Dayton Original, the Gem City Roller Girls. The Big Ragu is definitely a fan who highly recommends this experience !!
Want to experience Dayton’s own Gem City Roller Girls? The next match is at the Orbit Fun Center in Huber Heights on September 8th vs. Heart of Appalachia (Charleston, WV).
Click through the photos below to check out the rollergirls and some great photos from the Filling Station.
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