In what's being billed as the first-ever roller derby tournament in the area, Kincardine isn't just getting a taste of the rough and tumble track sport at this weekend's Hoe Down Throw Down, its getting a full course meal.
The eight-team tournament will feature a day of shortened 20-minute games starting at 8 a.m., before a full-length final to close out the night, beginning around 7:30 p.m.
Erin Van Moorsel, a member of Grey Bruce Roller Derby, says it was a great opportunity to play in front of a new audience.
"The Kincardine Agricultural Society contacted us and two other roller derby leagues (Hogtown Roller Derby in Toronto and Tri City Derby in Kitchener) and we decided to co-host this thing," she said. "They are covering the costs of the venue and we are basically their entertainment."
Van Moorsel, who skates with the nickname V8, says most of their team is from Owen Sound, Sauble Beach and Shallow Lake, so having the chance to showcase the sport in Kincardine was welcome. But for a team that's barely competed over the last three years, they will jump at any opportunity to play.
"We just started again so we've been skating, we've been practicing," she said. "This will be the second for Grey Bruce, we had a game last May against Niagara. But this is kind of our just get going (tournament)... Everybody is just dying to skate right now, it's going to be pretty intense."
Grey Bruce Roller Derby used to have several competitions a year, but the COVID-19 pandemic really pushed the sport to the brink.
"We almost folded. It just about killed roller derby in a lot of places. Thank goodness our gang is pretty resilient and really do love the sport, along with all these other teams that are coming to see us," said Van Moorsel.
Along with the hosts, there will be teams from Peterborough, Alliston, North Bay, South Simcoe and Guelph. There will also be games, activities and vendors to supplement the action on the track.
For those who have never seen roller derby, Van Moorsel says it's definitely worth checking out.
"They can expect a lot of energy, high-impact games, it's fast, it's exciting, it's fun to watch," she said. "There will be people there to explain how the game works, there's always an announcer that calls the game to explain the different parts while we're playing. It's all full contact, there's no holds barred. We do have refs but yeah, it's full-on."
The day-long derby goes June 3 at the Davidson Centre. You can purchase tickets at the door or online.