written by Mark Zimmaro (@mzimmaro) photo by Joellen Leather-Urban

For 20 jams and 25 minutes, the Philly Roller Girls were on top of the roller derby world.

Facing the best team in the galaxy in New York’s Gotham Girls Roller Derby, Philly’s Liberty Belles were a step better than their rivals for most of the first half.

Not intimidated by Gotham’s big name jammers Bonnie Thunders and Suzy Hotrod, the Belles scrapped and clawed, and at some points, dominated the No. 1 team in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

written by Mark Zimmaro (@mzimmaro) photo by Diana Prints

The Philly Roller Girls and Gotham Girls Roller Derby have a lot in common. Besides operating a mere 90 miles apart, both leagues are original Women's Flat Track Derby Association members and both have been extremely successful leagues since their inception. The two organizations have claimed the top two positions of WFTDA's Eastern Region rankings since rankings were first applied in 2008. And on Saturday, they will once again share the same track.

written by Mark Zimmaro (@mzimmaro), photos by Joellen Leather-Urban

It had been nearly a year since the University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 1923 Arena had hosted a Philly Roller Girls bout. The reunion didn’t skip a beat.

An enthusiastic crowd, a larger crop of boisterous “Phear Leaders”, and the usual fan-friendly setup had the arena rocking on Saturday, for the first double header of the home season.