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About Paradise Roller Girls

 

Paradise Roller Girls is a Women's Flat Track Roller Derby (WFTDA) league based out of Hilo, Hawai'i. The league began at the end of February 2010 with a small group of thrill-seeking women looking for a little fun in a quiet town.

 

 

Paradise Roller Girls is a Women's Flat-Track Roller Derby amateur sports league based in Hilo. What started with just a dozen women in early 2010 has blossomed into an island-wide league of more than 50 members from diverse backgrounds. We are your mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters and friends. Our league is focused on promoting healthy and athletic lifestyles while giving back through community service, outreach, and charity.

 

 

Paradise Roller Girls is open to members of all ages, skill and fitness levels. While PRG skaters must be female, we welcome both men and women to fulfill roles as non-skating officials and skating referees. All that we ask for is a positive attitude, dedication and desire to compete. Like most flat-track leagues, Paradise Roller Girls is an amateur sports league, meaning that the athletes are not paid - we do it for the love of the sport.

Funding

Paradise Roller Girls raises money through event ticket sales, sponsorship from local businesses, membership fees, donations and fundraising events — such as silent auctions and carwashes.  Our funding is used to pay venue fees, insurance, marketing and advertising, pay for uniforms and training camps, supplies, and for travel to send the team to neighbor islands or the mainland to compete. PRG is pursuing non-profit status.  To find out how you can support PRG, check out our sponsorship packages.

Who Is
PRG?
PRG Teams

Paradise Roller Girls supports an all-star team called the Hawaiian Honey Badgers, formed from the best players picked by the home team captains and Coaching Committee based on their skating ability, teamwork, attitude and attendance. The Honey Badgers play against rival leagues at home as well as travel to away bouts on neighbor islands and the mainland.

PRG Wants 
YOU
Joining PRG

Skaters who are interested in joining Paradise Roller Girls or becoming an independent referee can contact paradiserollergirls@gmail.com. New skaters are encouraged to attend Free Skate Fridays at Wainaku Gym to try out gear and learn basic roller skating, and to attend our league practices as a Non-Skating Official to begin learning the rules of the game. 

PRG's Core Values

  • Women's Empowerment

  • Teamwork

  • Safety

  • Sportsmanship

  • Fitness/Health

  • Community Service, Outreach, Youth Involvement

Community Service

PRG dedicates each bout to a community charity, donating a portion of ticket sales and fundraising to the selected cause. PRG has donated time and funds to:

 

  • Hale Ohana Women's Domestic Violence Shelter

  • Hilo Skatepark Coalition/Hilo Skate Plaza

  • Lokahi Giving Project

  • a private donation to the family of "Roarin Lauren" Selden – our brave young Big Island Babe battling aggressive bone cancer

  • Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary

  • Adopt-a-Highway

  • Hawaii Wildlife Fund

  • Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation

  • Neighborhood Place of Puna

  • Hawaii March of Dimes

Safety, Fitness
& Health

PRG holds regular, rigorous, on-skate practices for strength, endurance, strategy and scrimmage. We begin each practice session with a warm-up and light strength training. We dedicate the rest of league practice time to teamwork drills and scrimmaging. We aim to build a skater's confidence by honing skating skills, developing track awareness, and learning strategic plays. Our league coaches collaborate to ensure that practices stay consistent, safe, and challenging. League practices also offer opportunities for referees and non-skating officials to practice their essential parts of the derby game, and a chance for them to interact with skaters on the track. Skaters are also encouraged to participate in off-skates cross training, yoga or pilates classes. 

 

Skaters must attend a minimum of 16 hours per month of league practices, the All-Star team, the Honey Badgers, are expected to attend 20 hours per month. On top of their practice hours, league members also dedicate hours to work on various committees required to run the league, fundraise and hold events.

Community Outreach

As a league, Paradise Roller Girls works to support and participate in community events such as parades, charity walks, sports games and informational events, especially events concerning women's issues.

 

Every Friday night, PRG home teams take turns hosting "Free Skate Fridays" at the Wainaku Gym 6-8pm where anyone -  young and old - can come to free-style skate in a covered, safe environment. On average, 50 people attend each Friday.

Teamwork & Sportsmanship

Paradise Roller Girls is also a social outlet for many of its members. As a team-based sport, roller derby brings a diverse group together and builds bonds of friendship and support. Many members describe it as discovering a huge extended family.

 

Roller derby is a sport that is all about the team. Communication and coordination on the track is key for successful play. A unique camaraderie exists amongst roller derby players, even on opposing teams. No matter how fierce the competition is on the track, the teams will come together socially afterwards.

 

All members of Paradise Roller Girls are expected to hold themselves to standards of behavior while representing the league and their teams. Roller derby is a unique blend of campy flair, incredible athleticism and fierce competition. We encourage skaters to create their skate alter-ego but to also remember we are a family-friendly organization and to be aware they are role models to their fans and to young girls starting out in junior roller derby.

Youth Involvement

In 2011, Paradise Roller Girls founded the Big Island Babes Junior Derby league for girls ages 7-17. PRG continues to support BIB through sharing of resources and coaching personnel.

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