About the Big O

The Big O is a flat track roller derby invitational tournament that features teams that play women's, men's and junior roller derby. The Emerald City Roller Girls of Eugene, Oregon host this yearly event. In 2013, the Lane County Concussion, the men's roller derby league from Eugene, will be co-hosting the event. The Big O is being held in the Lane Events Center and will boast 3 tracks of action starting at 4pm on Friday May 17th, with games going through Sunday, May 19th. Twelve WFTDA teams, eight MRDA teams, and four junior teams will be in attendance. Teams from Australia, England, Canada, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, California, Washington, and Oregon will be coming this year.

The original Big O was held in Springfield, Oregon at the Willamalane Center for Sports and Recreation in 2012. Because of the success of the initial event, the Emerald City Roller Girls were able to grow and move into a bigger facility and invite more teams to play. ECRG is eager to continue to grow this event and keep the whole world coming year after year.

A Sustainable Event!

The BIG O Sustainability Commitment

The Emerald City Roller Girls are committed to hosting an environmentally and socially responsible event. We are working closely with our partners to implement an inclusive tournament that reflects green-event best practices.

This year, The Big O is seeking certification by the Council For Responsible Sport. CRS Certification provides a comprehensive method for event directors to incorporate environmental and socially responsible initiatives into their events, while informing stakeholders about events that adhere to a rigorous set of standards. CRS is the internationally recognized certification program for sporting events. To date, 51 different events have achieved certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, serving over 720,000 athletes in the process.

The BIG O is the first roller derby event to participate in the program.

Key actions include:

• The Big O food and beverage vendor uses containers and serviceware that are eco-friendly and compostable to increase resource recovery.
• The Big O lodging partners are actively engaged in conservation and sustainability best practices.
• The Big O is powered by 100% renewable energy.
• All Recycle/Waste Stations located throughout the event will include food scraps/compost bins to dispose of all food scraps and food-related materials such as napkins, soiled cardboard, plates, bowls, utensils and beer/wine cups.
• All food scrap/compost bins will be sorted by Waste Free Oregon to guarantee that bins are free of contaminants prior to delivery to Rexius, a local composting facility.
• All food vendor grease will be captured and collected by SeQuential Biofuels and made into biodiesel, a low carbon diesel additive.
• Water filling stations with tasty Oregon water and will be available. Please avoid single-use water bottles and bring reusable containers.
• Attendees/volunteers are encouraged to use public transportation and/or carpool whenever possible.
• The Emerald City Roller Girls strive to strengthen our community with our inclusive activities and events that are locally supported and member-driven.

Please help us to make The Big O a truly sustainable event. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or suggestions.