Running of the Bulls New Orleans Matador
by Kathleen K Parker
Title
Running of the Bulls New Orleans Matador
Artist
Kathleen K Parker
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Held every year in mid-July to coincide with the San Fermin en Nueva Orleans Festival and the bull run in Pamplona, Spain, this fun event is not as dramatic as its Spanish counterpart, but it's not as dangerous, either. The "bulls" are none other than the young ladies from the New Orleans-based all-female flat-track derby team, the Big Easy Rollergirls, plus participants from other roller derby leagues across the country. They won't "gore" you with the horns on their helmets (they're only plastic) but they could whack you from behind with their foam-core wiffle ball bats if you're too slow!
These "RollerBulls" generously give the runners a head start but then, as they catch up with the slowest of the pack, they are allowed to whack them. Some participants even consider it an honor to be "gored" by these "bulls." They allow themselves to get whacked several times and no one has ever been hospitalized. It's all in good fun, taking the famous New Orleans saying "Let the good times roll" to its literal extreme. And, in typical New Orleans fashion, it begins with a party and ends with a party!
New to the festival this year is a 1-Mile Dash and Fun Run that precedes the Encierro on the morning of Saturday, July 13. (http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/festivals/multiculturalfestivals/runningofthebulls.html)
Uploaded
July 13th, 2013
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