Holy skate key, Batman, it's "Rolla Ghoul"
Preschool director by day, rollergirl by night
Tutus and fishnets might not be the most appropriate clothing to wear when one is director of the Bunnell House Early Childhood Lab School. But when Paige Vonder Haar assumes her alter ego of "Rolla Ghoul" as one of the hard-hitting, fast-skating, Fairbanks Rollergirls, or FBXRG, she fits right in.
Huh? Preschool director by day, rollergirl by night?
"Rollergirls are often nice, educated women no one would suspect of being in roller derby," she explains.
"They are mothers, wives, graduate students, artists, teachers, hair stylists and yoga instructors."
Vonder Haar, who says she grew up with a skate key around her neck in the wilds of suburban Baltimore, got involved with the Fairbanks group after seeing a poster at her child's school advertising a derby bout, or game, where part of the revenue would benefit the school. She went to the bout with her family, had a great time, and her then 10-year-old son, Douglas, urged her to join.
"A month later my family went to an open house the Fairbanks Rollergirls hosted and asked if they had a geriatric league," she joked. "The answer was it didn't matter how old I was, I was welcome. That was a Saturday. I joined and was at practice on Monday."
Vonder Haar chose her alter ego (an important component of being a rollergirl) because her then 9-year-old daughter, Haley, had trouble pronouncing her Rs, and when she said "roller girl" it sounded a lot like Rolla Ghoul.
The FBXRG have been thrilling local fans for one year now. Rolla Ghoul hasn't competed in a bout yet, but she can be seen in the middle of the track as a nonskating official. She is also involved with the many community projects the FBXRG participates in.
"The organization is a community-service league," she says. "Every bout raises money for an organization, cause or family in need."
So, Rolla Ghoul, if a little girl from the Bunnell House said she wanted to join when she grew up, what would you advise?
"Learn to skate so that when they are old enough -- and their parents have insurance," she laughs, "they can join the junior league."
