What event sports housewives in hot pants, students in fishnet stockings, skating nuns, and referees in radical socks? None other than roller derby—the blast-from-the-past sport that has recently made a come back and is heating up with regular bouts right here in Salt Lake City.

I don’t know about you, but my roller derby experience was limited to down and dirty, rough and tough bouts on TV with lots of elbowing. While those shows were certainly exciting to watch from a distance, nothing beats the athletic and strategic roller derby I watched Saturday, June 6 during Salt City Derby Girls’ double header at The Salt Palace. At any moment, the probability was high that a speedy skater could take the corner just a little too fast and come crashing right into me and all of my friends as we snuggled up to the sidelines.

Looking for the perfect friend’s night out or date night? Check out the Salt City Derby Girls website, where you’ll learn:

Utah’s first all-female flat-track roller derby league, the Salt City Derby Girls (SCDG), formed in August of 2005. The league currently has more than 60 participants, divided into four local teams: Bomber Babes, Death Dealers, Leave it to Cleavers and Sisters of No Mercy, and an All-Star team, the Salt City Shakers.

SCDG is a true grassroots organization. Members do their own recruiting, purchase their own equipment, and pay monthly dues to support the league. Members also support community charities and make appearances at many local events.

Images from Salt City Derby Girls website.