Garden State Roller Derby Intraleague Championship: Northern Nightmares vs. Gateway Grim Reapers + NJRD Small Stars vs. NOVA Roller Derby Juniors double header

GARDEN STATE ROLLER DERBY’S GATEWAY GRIM REAPERS DEFEND 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AGAINST THE NORTHERN NIGHTMARES ON OCT. 3

GSR to Also Host Junior Roller Derby Bout Featuring NJRD’s Small Stars and NOVA Roller Derby Juniors

NORTH ARLINGTON, N.J. — Garden State Roller Derby (GSR) will host its 2026 Intraleague Championship Game on Saturday, October 3, as the defending champion Gateway Grim Reapers face off against the Northern Nightmares at the Inline Skating Club of America in North Arlington.

The evening will begin with a junior roller derby bout featuring New Jersey Roller Derby’s Small Stars against NOVA Roller Derby Juniors. 

The Nightmares recently defeated the reigning champion Grim Reapers in their latest matchup, and now need just one more victory to claim the 2026 intraleague championship.

Grim Reapers co-captain Queen Elizadeath II is confident her team is ready to reclaim the title: “We are coming back with a vengeance. I won’t be happy if we don’t win by at least 100 points.”

But Nightmares co-captain Kronk Dozer doesn’t think it will be so easy: “Northern Nightmares broke a years' long losing streak in April this year and we're planning to wipe the floor with Reaper booty.”

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the first whistle at 6.

Adult tickets are $20 at the door or $16.30 in advance if purchased online at GSR’s Ticketleap page. Children under 13 are half-price, under 3 are free. Fans can also shop GSR merchandise and enjoy a bake sale and raffles throughout the event.

The October 3 championship bout is the final opportunity this year to see the Northern Nightmares and Gateway Grim Reapers battle it out on the track. 

Garden State Roller Derby will close out its 2026 season on November 14, when the Brick City Bruisers take on Jersey Shore Roller Derby on GSR’s home turf at the Inline Skating Club of America in North Arlington. Tickets available at events.ticketleap.com/events/gsrderby. 

Interested in skating with us? Our next freshie intake is Monday, October 5 at Branch Brook Park Roller Skating Center in Newark, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sign up HERE. No experience necessary. Loaner gear available, but must BYO mouthguard. Visit gardenstaterollerderby.org for more info.

Event Details

WHAT: Garden State Roller Derby Intraleague Championship Bout:
Northern Nightmares vs. Gateway Grim Reapers + 
NJRD Small Stars vs. NOVA Roller Derby Juniors double header

WHERE: Inline Skating Club Of America
170 Schuyler Avenue
North Arlington, NJ 07031

WHEN: Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 6-10pm
Schedule
5:30pm: Doors open
6:00pm: Game 1 – NJRD Jrs vs. NOVA first whistle
8:00pm: Game 2 – Nightmares vs Reapers first whistle

TICKETS: Purchase tickets online HERE. 
Advance: $16.30
Door: $20
Kids 12 and under: Half price ($8.65 advance or $10 door)
Kids under 3: FREE

About Garden State Roller Derby (GSR)
Proudly celebrating 20 years since its founding in 2006, Garden State Roller Derby is New Jersey’s oldest operating flat-track roller derby league. GSR is a member of the North American Northeast Division of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league has two traveling teams, the all-star Ironbound Maidens and the B-team, the Brick City Bruisers. In addition, there are two home teams, the Northern Nightmares and the Gateway Grim Reapers, who bout against each other throughout the season.
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