White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN photo from 2013 Rat City bout at Southgate)

You may remember back when the Rat City Rollergirla were based in White Center. This Saturday, they’re returning (as Rat City Roller Derby)! Here’s the announcement:

Rat City Roller Derby is going back to where it all began for a special single-header, mash-up bout at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. On Feb. 8, the Big Grief Maples will play the Western HemBlocks in a nod to not only RCRD’s roots, but also its home in the Evergreen State.

Details
Time: 6:45 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020
Location: Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave. SW

For the founders of RCRD, the throwback game is an important acknowledgement of the league’s history and how far it has come.

“Rat City Roller Derby has come a long way since its days at Southgate,” said Carmin Thomas, also known as Clobberin’ Mame, who was one of the founding members of RCRD and still skates with the Sockit Wenches today. “And we’re thrilled to be returning to where it all began for this very special game.”

During the game, RCRD will give back to the community that supported it in its early days by collecting donations for the White Center Food Bank. Audience members are invited to bring unopened, unexpired, non-perishable goods to the game to help RCRD support the food bank’s mission to keep White Center fed. In addition, local band Burn Burn Burn will play a live halftime show.The after party will be held at Zippy’s Giant Burgers, 9614 14th Ave. SW, immediately after the game.

Just out of the WCN inbox – the lineup for this year’s Rat City Recon, a music-and-more festival planned for September 17th at Southgate Roller Rink:

If you wanna rock, you gotta roll down to White Center for the 4th Edition of RAT CITY RECON! All the Recon action will be happening at Southgate Roller Rink. Eleven bands on three stages.

Rat City Recon and Monumental Undertaking present

RAT CITY RECON 2016

Saturday, September 17, 2016 – 6 pm-2am

Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW

$10 at the door, or advance will call tickets available (here)

21+, valid I.D. required

THE BANDS:

Pink Parts
ex-Licks
Githyanki
Tough Times
Slow Elk
The Grindylow
Rat City Ruckus
Glose
Wild Powwers
Stallion
Heiress

Beer & cider available in beer garden outside and indoors at the bar; event is 21+, VALID I.D. REQUIRED!

Food vendors – Sweet Lou’s Wings, more TBA

If you want to roller skate: $4 skate rental fee or bring your own; everyone skates at their own risk

Public transportation/ride share: Metro buses 60, 120, and 128; Car2Go home area ends one block north of Southgate Roller Rink at SW Roxbury Street, so you can park and walk easily to the venue

Recon 2016 is sponsored by: Full Tilt Ice Cream, Mac’s Triangle Pub, Match+Gasoline LLC, Noble Barton, Proletariat Pizza, Rat City Bikes, Rat City Records, Southgate Roller Rink, Zippy’s Giant Burgers

Tomorrow (December 12th) you’ll want to be at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, when Southside Revolution Junior Coed Roller Derby hosts a “Star Wars“-themed bout just days before Episode 7 premieres. Doors open at 5:30 pm; tickets at the door will be $10 adult, $5 ages 6-12, kids 5 and under free. From the announcement:

Bout one is Southside Revolution’s Cadets battling it out with the Kitsap Derby Brats Rawkettes. The second bout will find the Southside Revolution’s Rebels facing off with the Kitsap Derby Brat’s Bomb Squad.

The game of roller derby is played on quad roller skates with “jammers” scoring points by passing the opposing team’s “blockers.”

Come in costume for a chance to win two opening day tickets to the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Southgate is at 9646 17th SW.

The Rainier Roller Girls are bouting at Southgate Roller Rink on Saturday, vs. Faster Pussycats. And it’s not just a chance to see roller derby – the announcement also says:
“There will be an amazing bake sale with treats from Stuffed Cakes, Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, and Mighty-O Donuts. There will be a Storm Trooper photo booth and many Star Wars characters from Garrison Titan and Alpha Base! A super-fun old school punk rock night of roller derby you won’t want to miss! And 10% of proceeds go to Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington!” See the Facebook invite here.

School’s still out and boredom could be rising. Southgate Roller Rink has been offering special afternoon skating sessions to try to combat that – and there’s another one today, 1-4:30 pm ($6.50 charge). The rink will be closed on New Year’s Eve and Day, so you’re running out of time to say you skated there in 2014; there’s one more afternoon session planned, on Friday, January 2nd.

Southside Revolution Junior Derby was at West Seattle Summer Fest this weekend in hopes of recruiting skaters – and tonight’s your next chance to find out about what’s in store! 7 pm, interested skaters 8-17 (boys as well as girls – they’ll launch a coed team too if enough boys are interested), at White Center’s own Southgate Roller Rink. Southgate will be the practice site for the new league, which also plans an August summer camp. Questions? E-mail info@southsiderevolution.com – and/or check out this Facebook group.

Pamela McCarty shares the news that Southside Revolution Junior Derby is launching soon, and interested skaters 8-17 are welcome to come to an Info Night at White Center’s own Southgate Roller Rink next Monday (June 30th), 7 pm. Southside Revolution definitely plans a girls’ team, and will also have a coed team if enough boys are interested.

Southgate will be the practice site for the new league. If you just can’t make it Monday night but have an interested skater in the family, there will be another Info Night on July 14th and an August summer camp.

Questions? E-mail info@southsiderevolution.com – and you’re invited to check out this Facebook group.

White Center’s Southgate Roller Rink e-mailed to let us know they are hosting two Halloween events today/tonight – starting with FREE skating this afternoon:

FREE HALLOWEEN FAMILY SKATE: Southgate and Full Tilt Ice Cream present a FREE Halloween Family Skate from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm at the rink. Costume contest, candy giveaways, a guest DJ, more.

ZOMBIE HOMECOMING: 18+ event hosted tonight by Southgate and the Rainier Roller Girls! 9 pm-midnight, $12 @ the door. Costume contest, raffle, 21+ bar, more.

Other White Center Halloween events we’re missing? Post ’em in the comments!

Just out of the inbox:

May 25 roller derby rematch: Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City’s Pink Pistols

Join your favorite roller derby revolutionaries for an evening of rink riots and pistol whips as Rat City’s Derby Liberation Front (DLF) battles its neighbors to the north, the Pink Pistols of Jet City Rollergirls on Saturday, May 25th. The last time this rivalry met on the track in 2012 it came down to an epic final jam with DLF chalking up a win and the Pistols pleading for more. Well, they got what they asked for – another chance to see if the revolution can hold its ground when the Pistols come to town. First whistle is at 6:20 – don’t miss a second of this bitter rematch!

Who? Rat City Rollergirls, Derby Liberation Front vs. Jet City Rollergirls, Pink Pistols
What? Roller derby
When? Satruday, May 25th @ 6 PM
Where? Southgate Roller Rink in White Center: 9646 17th AVe SW
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/364685

This Sunday, you can rollerskate at Southgate Rink for a special reason: West Seattle resident Kathy Himes has organized a skating benefit to help her friend Pauline Hunt, a former professional mountain biker who now is living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. They’re raising money for a Habitat for Humanity renovation for the home where Pauline and her family, including her two young daughters, live, so that it will be wheelchair-accessible. It’s an international effort – Pauline is in Canada and is getting help from friends around the world, including Kathy. So come skate 5-7 pm on Sunday, April 28, for $12, which covers skate rental and a suggested donation. Kathy says there’ll be raffles too, thanks to donations from generous businesses including White Center’s own Zippy’s Giant Burgers, Full Tilt Ice Cream, and Meander’s Kitchen. (See the event flyer here.)

It’s been on the calendar for weeks, and tonight’s the night! From the Rat City Rollergirls:

This Saturday Rat City Rollergirls are rolling back into White Center with a double-header bout at Southgate Roller Rink, the original venue where Seattle’s now infamous roller derby league began back in 2004!

See the blood, sweat and tears fly from your rink side seat as all four of Rat City’s home teams battle it out in this epic Bout 3 of Season 9! No stadium seating, no jumbotron, no halftime acts – just pure, hard-hitting roller derby at its finest.

Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the action starts at 6 PM. The first match-up will feature Derby Liberation Front (DLF), in their first ranked bout of the season, as they take on the ladies in black, the Throttle Rockets. DLF is coming off of a huge win in January against the visiting Faster Pussycats from Terminal City, while the Throttle Rockets are still looking to chalk up a win after a pair of agonizing close losses.

The second bout is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats, as the Sockit Wenches take to the floor against last year’s champions, Grave Danger. The Sockit Wenches have strung together a pair of wins this season in KeyArena, taking down the Throttle Rockets in an extremely tight finish in January, and then putting up an impressive point total against the Terminal City Bad Reputations in February. Meanwhile, the 2012 Champions Grave Danger also took down the Throttle Rockets in February, and are looking pull off their own winning streak. Only one of these teams will roll out with the win. Don’t miss the chance to see it happen!

Who: Rat City Rollergirls

What: Bout 3 of Season 9

When: Saturday, February, 23 at 5:30 pm

Where: Southgate Roller Rink, White Center

(Seattle Derby Brats in action; photo by Frank Blau)
Big event coming up this weekend at Southgate Roller Rink! Manya shares the news on behalf of the Seattle Derby Brats:

On January 26th, at 5 pm, the Portland Rosebuds and the Seattle Derby Brats Galaxy Girls will bout at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. They are two of the best junior roller-derby teams in the country, and they are also ranked #1 and #3 in the world.

The Seattle Derby Brats were started by a Rat City Rollergirl at Pathfinder School in West Seattle. The ‘brats’ now number 103 girls, ages 8 to 18, drawn from all areas of the Northwest.

The Galaxy Girls evolved as the competitive travel team that bouts other teams in the state and country. If you would like to read more on this sport, there’s a video at seattlederbybrats.com, the second part shows some of the girls in an actual bout.

If you enjoy great action and athleticism, come join us at Southgate Skate Center on Saturday night!

Southgate is at 9646 17th SW.

Thanks to Chris for the original tip – and it’s confirmed on the Southgate Roller Rink Facebook page: The rink is featured in tonight’s edition of “Top Chef” on Bravo. The Rat City Rollergirls are featured too. The show’s official webpage says it’s on at 10 pm.

Big party at the rink! From Southgate co-owner Erin Venables:

Pride Skate Seattle is celebrating their one-year anniversary, October 3rd, 9-11 pm, $7 @ the door! Come roller skate, visit the Washington United for Marriage Referendum 74 booth, and don’t forget to attend the after party and Baby Ketten Karaoke at Company Bar just one block away from the roller rink. We hope to see everyone there.

Party on wheels! No doubt some are still recovering today from last night’s second annual Rat City Roller Prom at Southgate Roller Rink – a prom for grownups. WCN contributing photojournalist Nick Adams caught some of the scenes – including what you might call a class picture:

(Click for larger image)
There were quiet moments …

(Jerad and Mar talk during the Roller Prom)
… and showy moments:

Plus, awesome outfits. New meaning to the term “skating gloves”:

(T’wanda, Marilyn, and Francois)
And what would a prom be without a spotlight dance? Or … skate.

There was of course a prom queen – and Amy got flowers:

Taking off the skates at night’s end is such sweet sorrow …

This was not only a rocking-and-rolling good time, it was also a benefit for the White Center Food Bank.

Tomorrow night, two and a half hours, two DJs at White Center’s Southgate Roller Rink, 8:30-11 pm. DJ FeenX tells us that for her and DJ McLovin‘, “It’s our first of what we hope will be many DJ events. The theme of the night is ‘Come Roll With Us!’ and there will be games and prizes, as well as VERY cool screen fx that we are scratching on site with the music.”

One year, plus a couple weeks, after its grand reopening, the skating rink that for a while was NOT a skating rink celebrated its first birthday/anniversary tonight. Southgate Roller Rink was renovated, and is owned by, the Rhoads family – we photographed Josh and Clayton tonight.

Hey, look who DJ’d tonight! Christopher Mychael:

Some of the rink’s art is nostalgia-evoking too:

An afterparty was planned tonight at Company.

They’re celebrating tonight during Adult Skate Night, starting at 8:30 pm, with “original 1970’s Southgate Roller Rink DJ Christopher Mychael … playing the tunes!” More details on the Facebook event page.

Today’s old skates, tomorrow’s art. Well – May’s art. Tonight, Amanda from the White Center Art Walk presided in the basement of Southgate Roller Rink as artists came by to pick up skates to turn into the “dynamic roller-skate sculptures” that WCAW is seeking. The artists’ marching – um, rolling – orders are:

– Max out your design at 4′ wide x 2′ tall
– Utilize up to (5) pairs or (10) skates
– Make it wall mountable
– Like the Native Americans with the Buffalo hunt, include as much of the roller skate as possible (ie; the boot, truck and wheels). A surplus of clay wheels are also available for use.
– Sculptures must be completed by May 9th

They’ll be spotlighted during the May 19th White Center Art Walk.

Five artists picked up their materials while we were there this evening.

Artists who haven’t already signed up for this – you have just a few days to go! White Center is on a roll and your creation can be part of it, if you get in on this:

White Center Art Walk is continuing the call to artists for dynamic roller skate sculptures. Let your imagination ROLL WILD! Our first round this past summer was very successful, and there is some amazing art hung up at the rink. There’s plenty of room on the walls, and hundreds of skates just waiting for you and your ideas to be a permanent part of the Southgate Roller Rink in White Center.

Sculpture Criteria and Instructions:

– Max out your design at 4′ wide x 2′ tall
– Utilize up to (5) pairs or (10) skates
– Make it wall mountable
– Like the Native Americans with the Buffalo hunt, include as much of the roller skate as possible (ie; the boot, truck and wheels). A surplus of clay wheels are also available for use.
– Sculptures must be completed by May 9th
– Participation fee is $20 which covers skates, hanging and promotion of the May 3rd Saturday Art Walk.

The roller rink will play host to a fundraiser on May 16th benefiting WCAW to commission and install public art for White Center. This will also be an early unveiling of the art work before the Art Walk on May 19th.

Please email whitecenterartwalk@gmail.com by March 1st if you would like to participate. Skate pick up will begin on Tuesday, March 6th.

Thanks!
White Center Art Walk