They’re athletic. They’re tough. They’ve got tattoos, and they’re brimming with attitude.

So, who’s got the guts to tell one of the members of the Palm City Punishers they ain’t ladies?

About two dozen women make up the Fort Myers-based roller derby outfit, which includes a lineup of players with names like Flyin Da’Brie, Kannibal Kate, Velvet Revolter and The Alexorcist. The team plays under rules governed by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association in a sport — long considered lost for several generations — that has been steadily gaining popularity across the country.

“I think it all started with the Austin (Texas) Roller Girls about four years ago,” said Brie Coffman (a.k.a. Flyin Da’Brie). “The word spread pretty fast and it’s been growing ever since.”

Last Sunday night, more than 500 fans packed Generations Skating Center in Fort Myers to see the Palm City Punishers take on the Broward County Derby Girls. From one side of the rink to the other, spectators stood and cheered, sat on bleachers and the floor, some just inches away from the yellow caution tape which marked the boundaries of the track.

If you think that there is such a thing as a “typical” fan of roller derby, think again. The crowd was filled with all sorts of folks — families and singles, teens and tweens, seniors and newborns — from all walks of life, a majority of which are as vociferous about their favorite players as fans from sports far more recognizable.

“I love coming out to support these girls,” said James “Tarzan” Russell of Sanibel. “It’s a great sport and these are great athletes.”

Like other great athletes, competitors in roller derby rely more on their bodies than their arsenal of elbow pads, knee pads, bike helmets and high-laced roller skates.

However, unlike other great athletes, their “standards” of uniform are a little less restrictive. Each member of the Punishers wore their team colors– jet black and day-glo green — from head to toe. Some wore tank tops and skintight shorts while others wore miniskirts and fishnet stockings.

“I think it’s great that women athletes can have a full-contact sport where we can create an alter ego, dress sexy and still be very competitive in a real sport,” Coffman added.

Sunday’s bout got under way with Palm City jumping out to a 4-0 lead. That advantage stretched to 21-3 midway through the period, as Broward County seemed more intent on throwing hips and elbows than putting up points on the scoreboard. By the first intermission, the Punishers had built a dominating 54-14 lead.

“You never get comfortable with your lead because this game can turn around at any time,” said Caroline Semerjian (a.k.a. Klymaxxx), one of the newest members of the Fort Myers squad who owns Effective Marketing and Creative Concepts on Sanibel. “You can’t let up no matter what the score is.”

Palm City jammers Fire & Ice and Kannibal Kate each posted impressive 9-0 runs for the home team as Fort Myers built a 98-30 advantage at the end of the second period, threatening to top the 100-point plateau for the first time in franchise history.

The Punishers did just that, at the 12:04 mark of the third period, as the crowd stood up and applauded the unprecedented event.

At the final horn, Palm City earned a 129-61 win over Broward County. During the team’s victory lap, Punisher players high-fived fans who surrounded the track and offered their congratulations for a great evening.

“We worked real hard as a team tonight,” said Semerjian. “It’s not just one player who has to play well, it’s all of us.”

Kannibal Kate agreed.

“We’re coming together right now as a team,” she added. “When we pull together and play the way we know how, nobody can beat us.”