There was style, attitude, athletic finesse and women on skates – but this wasn't Olympic figure skating. Far from it.

Add in a few more choice descriptors -- raw energy, intensity, unbridled power, and intimidating women on roller skates -- and you begin to get the picture.

We're talking about roller derby.

The Bradentucky Bombers kicked off their season Sunday evening at Astro Skate in Bradenton as their “A-Team,” the Bomb Squad, beat the Palm City Punishers from Fort Myers. From the moment the ladies skated onto the rink, they made three things very clear: They know how to hit, they know how to take a hit, and above all, they know how to have fun.

The Bombers were founded in 2006 by Valeri Rose - more commonly known as “Gigi RaMoan" when she has her skates on - and started out with about 15 women.

“The first year was a little rough,” RaMoan said. “We were all just learning how to play, how to skate faster, and what kind of equipment to use. Initially, we were just scraping by and trying to make ends meet. It was really sticky during that first year. Back then, none of us considered ourselves athletes. Now, there’s a huge difference. We train regularly and we are definitely athletes. We have extra volunteers now, too, and two traveling teams – The Bomb Squad and The Nuclear Bombshells. We’ve progressed so much.”

Roller derby is a fringe sport that has been garnering attention on both a local and national front for the past several years, although its history actually dates back as far at the 1930s, according to RaMoan. The sport started out as a roller skating race open to both men and women, in which skaters engaged in speed-skating heats around a circular rink. When two skaters accidentally collided during one of the early matches, the crowd went wild, as the story goes, and from that point forward, getting knocked down became a staple in the sport.

The modern version of roller derby, created in Texas in the year 2000, is a predominantly female sport, in which two teams comprised of jammers, blockers, and pivots go head to head on the rink. Each team has one jammer, whose role is to score points during each two-minute “jam” by legally passing members of the “pack,” which is comprised of the opposing team’s blockers and pivot.

Pivots and blockers attempt to assist their own team’s jammer through the pack, while doing everything in their power to prevent the other team’s jammer from passing through. As long as the hits are above mid-thigh and exclude the jammer’s head, forearms, and hands, they’re legal. The result is brutal pandemonium, and though it looks like a ton of fun, it's definitely not a sport for the weak of heart.

“Bruises, scratches, and scrapes are just part of the game. We all understand that,” RaMoan said.

RaMoan stressed that despite the game’s rough exterior, sportsmanship is a big part of roller derby culture.

“Sportsmanship is a huge part of the game. When someone gets hurt during a jam, we all take a knee. We consider ourselves to be role models for the community at large, and we take that very seriously. Not just on the track, but off of it as well.”

One of the ways in which the Bradentucky Bombers exemplify themselves as role models within the community is through their charitable efforts. Krista DiTucci – better known on the derby scene as “Cajun Sinsation” – explained that part of the proceeds from each home bout go to a local charity. Proceeds from Sunday’s bout, she said, are being donated to the Women’s Resource Center. The Bombers have also been involved in other charitable efforts like the Breast Cancer Run and the annual Jingle Bell 5K Walk/Run to benefit the Arthritis Foundation.

Like most derby girls, RaMoan leads a double life: When she isn’t going head-to-head against competitors at the skating rink, she teaches art at a Manatee County school. In fact, there are several teachers on the squad – as well as students, artists, and web designers. There’s also an attorney, a woman who works in accounting, and a midwife.

Although derby girls come from many walks of life, RaMoan believes that most of them are drawn to the sport for similar reasons: “There aren’t any other full contact sports for women,” she said. “We’re in it for the thrill that you get from pushing your own limits and fighting past your own boundaries.”

Furthermore, she said she believes a large part of the appeal of roller derby can be attributed to its grassroots nature.

“It’s a big empowerment deal,” she said, “because it’s 'for the skaters, by the skaters’ – it’s not some corporate guy who makes the rules. We do.”

Although the Bradentucky Bombers have marketed themselves to a “PG-13 audience” in the past, RaMoan said that due to the number of mothers on the squad, this year they’ve switched to a more family-oriented image – “at the discretion of the parent,” that is.

“The only thing that’s really ever questionable for some parents is our uniforms,” she said. “Some girls wear some pretty short skirts and bloomers, but when you think about it, our uniforms really aren’t much different from other professional sports. Cheerleaders wear the same thing. Volleyball players often wear even less.”

One thing that cheerleaders and volleyball players don’t do, of course, is knock each other down at every chance they get. Most of them don’t boast quite as many tattoos and piercings as the typical derby girl, either – but it’s that full-contact flair and fringe punk rock mentality that make roller derby so fun to play and watch.

Sunday's opener against the Punishers was a suspensful bout. The Bomb Squad held a solid lead in the first half of the game, but the Punishers struck back in the second half, and both sides showed their aggressive prowess. Key players from both teams were led to the sidelines by volunteer EMTs after being injured, and the penalty box was consistently occupied by various players for the duration of the match's latter half. In the closing moments of the final jam, Bradenton's Bomb Squad pulled off the winning score by a single point, 167-166. Following the match, the Bombers invited their fans and friendly rivals to join them for an after party at the nearby Distillery Tavern.

Interested in learning more about the Bradentucky Bombers or attending a match? Visit their website or head out and support the girls in one of their upcoming matches. The Nuclear Bombshells are heading to Ocala next Sunday to compete against the Ocala Cannibals in their season debut, but they’ll be back on home turf on March 13 to take on the Sarasota Roller Girls in a hometown rivalry you won’t want to miss. So be there or be square – but just keep in mind that “being square” is definitely not part of the roller derby mentality.