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Topic: Girls just wanna have fun

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Steve Myers
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Girls just wanna have fun
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2007

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By Rosie Cosens
VIEW Staff Writer
NORTH BRANCH — “If you let me play...” Ads ran in the late 1980s with the theme that girls wanted, no — check that — needed to play sports. Those girls are all grown up now with Mia running shirtless off the soccer fields, Ms. Ali pummeling people in the ring and North Branch resident Jean Peplinski slithering into a pair of fishnets, roller skates, helmet and elbow pads for the area’s fledgling roller derby league.

Why roller derby? “Well, why not?” she quipped.

Peplinski, 35, a certified yoga instructor, dons derby duds three times a week for practices at Rollhaven roller skating arena in Grand Blanc. She says she’s the oldest of the skaters that make up the Zombies of the Flint River Floaters.

“I haven’t had a fishnet burn yet, but I’ve seen them, and that’s not pretty. Dressing up is part of the show,” she said. “But it’s rough and tumble, just like the old Raquel Welch movie.” In The Kansas City Bomber, Welch made roller derby an empowerment tool.

Peplinski says injuries are part of derby turf. When you get knocked down, you have three seconds to get up, or your team is penalized. It’s natural to want to stay down and “lick your wounds,” she says, but you must get back up.

“You can’t waste time. Your first response is like, Ouch! ’cause it hurts, but you gotta get moving.”

Derby girls have to move off the rink, too.

“We all have to commit to community service time,” she said. “It is not only about fun and excitement, but we are a service group. It is a requirement of joining the league.”

The Zombies are looking for a few good skaters. An open recruitment casting call for women 18 years old and over is set for Thursday, May 24, at Rollhaven. There has been a sudden resurgence of start-up teams like the Zombies since the 2006 television show, Rollergirls. In 2005, there were only 50 teams or leagues in the U.S. After August 2006 when Rollergirls aired, the number jumped to nearly 150.

Peplinski says she has found a comfort zone with the very physically demanding team sport, which can be a stress-relief outlet.

“We (girls) don’t do a lot of things physical together. We don’t have teammates. But this is a great way to empower each other. As roller girls, they don’t expect us to be dainty. Women, I think, try to be nice ... make everyone comfortable. The league is based on friendship, fun, and mutual support between the roller girls and the community.”

Zombie bake sales will grace the Flint Open Air Market beginning this Sunday, May 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. “Here’s your chance to meet a roller girl and support the team. Bring lots of money, and we promise not to eat your brains,” Peplinski says with a smile.
http://viewnewspapers.net/moxie/news/girls-just-wanna-have-fun.shtml

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Steve Myers
Post Thu May 17, 2007 1:56 pm 
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Ryan Eashoo
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Thats Awesome!!!

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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com
Post Thu May 17, 2007 5:45 pm 
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