Photo by Stalkerazzi F/8.Yea, Lords and Ladies of the merrie village of Los Angeles! Let the Bard DF tell you a tale! Tis a tale of brave wheeled damsels who wage battle at yon Doll Factory. Hardy of spirit and fleet of skate, these ladies circumnavigate ye olde banked track, laughing the face of Dame Fortune (and her irascible cousin, Lady Brokenleg, who DF found to be a real bitch) in search of glory, fame, and sweet, sweet victory. Read on, and you shall hear the story of a bout so scintillating that ‘twould cause even the stoutest knight to defecate in his suit of armor, and the veil of the daintiest maiden to burst into flames and reduce her to a naught but a heap of ash.

(full story here)

Photo by Stalkerazzi F/8.LOS ANGELES, CA - The LA Derby Dolls Tough Cookies led the San Diego Derby Dolls Swarm from the first whistle and through most of the game to take the first co-league Derby Dolls Championship, 107-91.

Video of this game can be viewed on the Derby Dolls justin.tv channel.

Less than a month ago, the SDDD Swarm and LADD Tough Cookies met, both with 3-0 records. While the Cookies came within 6 points with two minutes left in the game, the Swarm prevailed with a final score of 94-79, leaving them undefeated with a 4-0 record and the Cookies with 3-1.  There were six ejections in that game, two of them members of the Swarm.

(full article here)

Unofficial game stats: 

Tough Cookies: Stefcon 1 was the top jammer with 47 points in 12 jams with a 3.91 points per jam average and a +40 differential; Laguna Beyatch had 28 points in 11 jams, 2.54 PPJ and a +2 differential; Sniperella pulled 16 points, 5.30 PPJ and a +8 differential, and Gori Spelling had 12 points in 7 jams, 1.71 PPJ and a -11 differential.

The Swarm: Sarkastika led with 34 points in 12 jams, 2.83 ppj, and a +16 differential; Kiki Diazz earned 29 points in 10 jams with 2.90 PPJ and a +14 differential; Trish The Dish scored 21 points in 5 jams while getting a 4.20 PPJ and a +16 differential.



The Los Angeles Derby Dolls' Tough Cookies became two-time champions on Saturday night when they challenged the previously-undefeated Swarm at the packed Doll Factory. Final score: Cookies 107 - Swarm 91.

Photo by Mike Zampelli.(Full article and photo gallery here)

While the Swarm and Tough Cookies battle for the championship this Saturday, you can help your favorite team win a fierce off-track competition.  Bring a can of food (or 20!) and place them in your team's collection bank.  Vote as many times as you like, and the winning team will be announced. More importantly, you'll be helping the Dolls feed the hungry this holiday season, which is a victory for everyone. Donations will benefit MEND Food Bank.

At a recent sold-out roller bout, almost 2,000 Angelenos rallied with beer and high spirits to support their favorite Derby Dolls teams. A long-haired, newbie attendee stood in awe of a skater zipping by.

It wasn't just the skater's athletic prowess that was enviable . . . it was her sporty fishnets and hot-pants "boutfit."

"I want to try it, just to see what I would look like in the outfit," new fan Cassandra McGrath, a 24-year-old teacher, said wistfully.

Photo by Stalkerazzi F/8.

(read full story)

(photo gallery)

Photo by Stalkerazzi/F8.

DF is thankful for tonite’s LADD bout ‘tween the Tough Cookies and the Swarm. If there’s a more mouth-watering matchup, DF hasn’t yet seen it. Both teams are tied for first in the league, both teams are undefeated in 2009, both teams are mortal locks to re-compete in December’s Championship Bout. Tonight’s titular tussle is thus titantic but also tantalizing, as it affords los aficionados de la derby a sneak preview of the carnage that will surely be forthcoming in the title match. The bout’s outcome (boutcome?) may not be strictly relevant to the championship, but it affords strategic possiblities galore, with the need for momentum, and the desire to take psychological advantage, and the possibilities for strategic gameswomanship, and what have you. It’s on, beyatches. Fully.

(read full article here)

Tickets On Sale For Hotly Anticipated Rematch Between Tough Cookies and Swarm On Saturday, Dec. 5; Last Chance To See Roller Derby In 2009

LOS ANGELES – The L.A. Derby Dolls (www.derbydolls.com/la), Southern California’s premiere all-female, banked track roller derby league, will close the 2009 season with a crash on Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Doll Factory (1910 Temple Street, Los Angeles CA 90026).  This championship bout between 2008 titleholders, the Tough Cookies, and the undefeated Swarm, will be a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish.

Fans received a thrilling sneak preview on Nov. 14 when these two dominant teams faced off for the first time. Both went into the game undefeated, but the Swarm emerged victorious. The Cookies came back from a halftime 20-point deficit, narrowing the score to 84-79 in the fourth quarter. Hindered by numerous skater ejections, however, the Cookies fell apart in the final two minutes of the game, losing 79 to 94.

The Swarm – the L.A. Derby Dolls’ fifth and newest team – is now ranked number one for the season, but as demonstrated in this last match, the championship title is truly up for grabs. Undoubtedly, the veteran Cookies want to save face following their only loss of the season, and repeat their 2008 championship victory. The Swarm, meanwhile, is anxious to see their first championship banner hang inside the Doll Factory. Whatever the outcome, this rematch promises to be the not-to-be-missed battle of the season.

Live karaoke ensemble, The Lemones, will return to the Doll Factory for a set of 80s karaoke. Derby fans will have the opportunity to belt out their favorite 80s hits before a panel of discerning L.A. Derby Dolls’ judges. The Helvins will perform at halftime. Derby Dolls' events offer a full range of entertainment off the track, with the Vendor Village featuring art, jewelry and clothes, food from Garage Pizza and Hot Dog on a Stick; wine from Paso Creek; beer from Tecate and Alex’s Bar.

The L.A. Derby Dolls are one of only five leagues in the U.S. playing roller derby on a banked track. Like most modern female roller derby leagues, the Derby Dolls are volunteer-run and give back to the community that has embraced them. Honored as a Treasure of Los Angeles by the Central City Association, the Derby Dolls also operate a Junior Derby League for girls ages 8-17.

Tickets are now available to purchase at http://www.derbydolls.com/la. General admission tickets are $20; VIP tickets are $40.00. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and close at half time. The Doll Factory is located at 1910 Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 (between Alvarado and Union). General parking is available for $8 at Silver Lake Medical Center, 1711 West Temple (near the intersection of Temple and Union), one block east of the Doll Factory. This is a 21 and over event, featuring beer and wine. Please have your ID, leave your cameras/recording devices at home, and note that all concessions and most vendors accept cash only.

Photo by Stalkerazzi.

Sarkastika vs. Krissy Krash. Photo by Stalkerazzi F/8.In the long-awaited face-off, these two dominant teams did battle for the first time on Nov. 14th. Both went into the game undefeated, but the Swarm emerged victorious. Despite coming back from a 20-point halftime deficit, narrowing the score to 84-79 in the fourth quarter, the Cookies fell apart in the final two minutes of the game, hindered by numerous skater ejections and powerful jamming from the Swarm. Both teams played without their injured captains, Isabelle Ringer (Swarm) and Iron Maiven (Tough Cookies).

The Swarm's Sarkastika scored the most points of the night with 35. Stefcon 1 and Gori Spelling led the Cookies with 23 points apiece.

Ready for a rematch? Buy your tickets for the 2009 season championship bout today!

Aggro Vader on the jam line. Photo by Charlie Chu.Check out the L.A. Derby Dolls on Univision's 6 p.m. Los Angeles newscast, Noticias Univision 34 a las Seis tonight. Set your Tivos! The segment will feature Guatemalan-born Tough Cookie, Aggro Vader (aka Alex Jebsen), and Fight Crew's Chargin' Tina (aka Romina Capilla), who hails from Argentina.

Aloha team Haole Woods! A crew of Dolls is playing an exhibition match against Hawaii Pacific Roller Derby this Saturday, Nov. 7th in Honolulu as part of Girl Fest Hawaii.

No. 2 on Bitch Magazine's Five Reasons to Attend Girl Fest is "Moving Your Butt":

"Girl Fest provides a variety of workshops for all ages and price ranges, from conflict resolution to zine making. But the most fun workshops are definitely surfing lessons, breakdancing taught by B-Girl Yoda Laneski, and Escrima and Jiu Jitsu self-defense. If you're just in the mood for sport spectating, you can also catch Hawaii's Roller Derby team take on the LA Derby Dolls!"

Read the full article here.

Missed the episode? Not to worry! You can watch the Derby Dolls take on Ali Wentworth and her Dare Devils here.

The L.A. Derby Dolls want to thank Oprah and Ali's Dare Devils for an unforgettable experience. In a few short hours, these remarkable women came a long way. The Dolls were honored to shove each brave Dare Devil outside her box!

That's right: The Oprah Winfrey Show paid a visit to the Doll Factory a few weeks back. The segment will feature retired Tough Cookie and current LADD trainer Axles of Evil (aka Alex Cohen) as she guides five women, each "stepping outside their box," through the world of roller derby. The women learn Derby 101 and get a chance to scrimmage with several Derby Dolls.

The segment airs tomorrow, 11/4, at 3 p.m. on KABC here in L.A. Set your TIVOs or check your local listings. Watch the preview here.

Shooting roller derby isn't easy. The game is played at incredible speeds under tricky lighting. When an inexperienced photographer tries to shoot the Dolls, the results are often the same: dark, blurry and/or grainy images. Fortunately, the L.A. Derby Dolls have come to depend on a handful of very talented photographers over the years who know how to shoot our sport well. Not only have they excelled at nailing the action shots everyone loves, but also at capturing the experience of attending L.A. Derby Dolls' events. The Dolls extend a big thanks to some of the photographers who have shown us love over the years: Roger Snider, Boss Hogg, Rink Rat, Marc Campos aka Stalkerazzi and Charlie Chu aka Shutterthug.

There's also a lot of editing involved. The photos that wind up on the Derby Dolls' Flickr Photostream are only a fraction of what gets shot at every game. Here's an illuminating photo montage from Stalkerazzi called "1,048 Frames":