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Ladies of MA roller derby team ‘raid’ Columbia County

GHENT — Other than miles of riverfront, what does Columbia County have that Berkshire County, Mass., lacks? A roller skating rink.

That’s why the Pittsfield Panty Raid is making its home at the Skate Factory in Ghent.

The PPR is not a sorority invasion strategy of some female-hungry college males, but the name of a roller derby team being formed by a group of young women from New York and Massachusetts.

Becky Jemlich, aka Miss Slamerica, and Stacey Shufelt, aka Badass Lass, were at the Skate Factory recently making arrangements with owner Mary Ann Gazzola for the team’s practice sessions.

So far, the Pittsfield Panty Raid has eight players.

“We need to recruit more girls,” Jemlich said, explaining that a team can have up to 20 members. They will be practicing from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Skate Factory. Any woman 18 or older is welcome to come and practice with the team or just watch, Jemlich said.

“If they can roller skate, we can teach them anything they need to know,” she said. But they have to use skates, not roller blades.

Once the team is up and running, bouts will generally be held Saturday nights. Five women from each team are up on skates at any one time: Four are blockers, and the fifth tries to skate around them.

“You learn how to fall and get back up,” Jemlich said. Helmets, elbow pads, wrist guards and knee pads are all parts of the necessary equipment.

“We teach you how to fall,” Shufelt said. “You can’t be afraid of it.”

While Jemlich has been skating since she was 3, Shufelt just took it up a few months ago, when she got interested in roller derby.

To contact the team, e-mail berkshirecountyrollerderby@yahoo.com. Their Myspace Web page is www.myspace.com/pittsfieldpantyraid.

The Skate Factory, on Route 9H north of county Route 20 in Ghent, is open for general skating from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays and 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. For information about birthday parties and other events, call 518-822-8453.

To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.

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