San Diego Roller Derby vs. Derby Revolution of Bakersfield - 11/14/09

San Diego Roller Derby’s Starlettes beat the Derby Revolution of Bakersfield’s Privates in n Bakersfield on Saturday November 14, 2009, with a final score of 93-58. This concluded the Starlette’s first season with an undefeated record of 4-0.

The bout took place at Saunders Park, an outdoor facility in Bakersfield, which at 6 Pm was a bit colder than Skateworld’s usual milieu; but this did not cool the energy of the Starlettes. With a roster of 12 players, and a Snuggie(worn by Dorothy Dangerous), the skaters felt prepared for the ensuing bout. But, although prepared, anxiety was still high for players like Foxy Vicious who had returned to play against her former team. “Yes, I almost puked before the game.” Our 4 new skaters Achilles Fools, Mrs. T, Icepax, and Sweet Pain, held their own on the track playing a strong defense as well as offense.

The star of the first period was by far the lovely Holley Car Brader who established herself as lead jammer in all 4 of her jams. She scored 22 of the 43 points which put San Diego ahead by 11 at half-time. She is a fast and solid skater who could not be knocked down by the Privates.

San Diego’s defense was strong with Lady Diesel like a brick wall on the track, and the obstructive force of Dorothy Dangerous. “Rumble Pie was like Noah and his ark, taking out Privates two-by-two” Dorothy Dangerous said after the bout.

As always much credit goes to B. Stang for training us well… Only 5 trips to the box, as opposed to the Privates 11, allowed us to play with a strong solid defense throughout the game. Our jammers used this to their advantage, continuously beating their jammers off the line and flying though the Starlette strong pack, we were able to pull away from the Privates during the second half.

While the Privates came out every jam with hard and solid hits, the Starlettes remained focused and tried to work on the strategies that we have been working on at practice. During one jam, late in the game, Dorothy Dangerous, who skated out with guns blazing, hit the opposing jammer out of bounds right after the whistle and made that jammer ineligible for lead jammer status.

With our inaugural home season right around the corner, we are very proud of our skaters and coaches. What a great way to end the season.

San Diego Roller Derby vs. Ventura County Derby Darlins - 09/12/09

What a game! After a long battle of endurance and brawn, San Diego Roller Derby Starlettes won their bout against Ventura County Derby Darlin’s Battalion of Skates on Saturday, September 12th at the Ventura County Fair Grounds. The final score was SDRD 100, VCDD 97.

This win was no gift; it was earned by the sweat, blood and persistence of the Derby Starlettes. The Startlettes arrived early to get used to the floor, a slippery surface which would lead to many falls for both teams. The slick floor, a loud Ventura crowd, and the hypercritical referees contributed to the unfavorable conditions which made this game such a struggle for the Starlettes.

Coach B Stang and Captain Lady Diesel decided long before the bout to switch some things up…. With some changes to the pivot and jammer position, the game began a little questionably. The first half began with a 4 jammer rotation of Lady Diesel, Juno EscareMe, Holley Car Brader and Wonder Whoop’em. The challenge for these jammers was not passing the pack, but staying on their feet. The meekest hit would send them careening to the sidelines. However, Lady Diesel passed solidly through the pack as jammer, a position she rarely plays in a bout. Wonder Whoop’em was fast and furious for her first few jams, despite the slippery floor. Holley and Juno also jammed a solid game maintaining the score closely behind the Derby Darlins.

Juno Escareme and Dorothy Dangerous also took a leadership role as pivot and along with other blockers St. Val Massacre, Red Hot Penni, Velvet Klaw and Mosquito Bandito, helped to keep the Ventura score in check. Rumble Pie was amazing at her first bout after having knee surgery last month. Mrs Brigg’em Down and Supersize’N played liked veterans, though it was the first bout for both skaters.

Despite San Diego’s hard work, Ventura took the lead and held it for the majority of the first half. However, the Starlettes fought their way back in the second half and maintained a 10-20 point lead throughout the second half until the very last jam.

But clearly the excitement of the game was enhanced by the sheer number of players in the penalty box. Even Supersize’N, the nicest player to ever wear skates was thrown into the penalty box. The prize, however, goes to Lady Diesel with her textbook clean hits that sent Derby Darlins to their knees. Lady Diesel was continuously called for major penalties, which made the Ventura crowd cheer while the Starlettes scratched their heads in wonder. After 5 major penalties in the second half, she was ejected from the game. The hostile crowd cheered as she sat with some San Diego Roller Derby fans for the remainder of the game. “I am a veteran player and I should have been able to adjust my game to how the referees were calling. I should have not allowed myself to get ejected”, said the humble Lady Diesel after the game.

The climax of the game came during the last jam. With Lady Diesel out of the game and 3 players in the penalty box, it was just Wonder Whoop’em and Dorothy Dangerous against Ventura’s 4 blockers and jammer. Dorothy did an amazing job keeping them back. She was a one woman wall! Wonder Whoop’em did her best, but it was nearly impossible to pass the hard hitting Darlins. She played defensively trying to keep the Ventura jammer from scoring. However, it did not look good for the Starlettes. Then the final score was tallied and after a miraculous 22 points in the last jam for Ventura, Starlettes still won the game!

Thanks to Ventura County Derby Darlins for hosting the bout!

Come to the Ruby Room This Sunday!

Join us as we help the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia celebrate their 2nd Anniversary with a party & show at the Ruby Room in Hillcrest! There will be crafty vendors, DJ Johnny Tran & DJ Roxx to spin some tunes, a dog fashion show (and a people one too), $3 martinis & Trumer Pilsner, happy hour food specials at the Ruby Kitchen from 5-8 pm (you have to come to the event and get the "password" from the Mafia gals) free giveaways...and more! Come dressed in your "mafia best" and you might win a prize in our mafia costume contest! So much fun for one day!

Sunday, August 30th, 2 - 8 p.m.
The Ruby Room
1271 University Ave. - 92103
(Must be 21+)

Want more info? Visit: SanDiegoNorthParkCraftMafia.com

San Diego Roller Derby vs. Disaster City Roller Girls - 7/25/09

We did it again! Although it was a close game that left San Diego behind at half-time, the Starlettes pulled through to win Saturday’s bout, in San Bernardino>, with a final score of 166-144.

This was no easy feat for the Starlettes. With our league only being a year old, growth is evident when you look at our record; however, it has been a long road to bring that brought us to the Stardust Skate Rink. It was only our second game and it was only the first time we had filled the game roster with our own players- with the exception of one and it was the first game for Velvet Klaw. Even so, we played short with only 11 out of a potential 14 players. With 5 players in each jam, many of the Starlettes played back-to-back jams.

For those who remember the Starlettes' first game, we were indebted to Disaster City who brought 4 players to join our team roster to pull out the win. Now we were playing against the very same roller derby girls who had helped in our first win against Derby Revolution of Bakersfield B team. But there was no time for sentimentality. Friendships off the track quickly gave way to hit or be hit on the track.

The anxiety level was high as evident from rookie mistakes and by the end of the first half, we were down by 15 points. The veterans of Disaster City were a tough battle, Na Assty Nanny and Virus were unstoppable as they continuously blocked the Starlettes’ jammers and Abby Noxious beat us off the line over and over again. But somehow jammers Juno EscareMe, Wonder Whoop’em and Rosy Lee Risktaker managed to fight their way through the pack, and despite the score, we still had hope!

The second half was the Starlettes’ time to shine. With the help of line-up changes and some inspiration from their coaches and direction from veterans like the infamous Lady Diesel (captain) and Scully (a former Starlette who now plays for the Sun State Roller Girls in Brisbane, Australia), San Diego came back in the second half. We improved our defense by building walls and controlling the pack. Heavy hitters like Rumble Pie, St.Val Massacre, Holley Car Brader, and Lady Diesel were key to the success of our jammers. Our jammers, Rosy, Juno, Holley and Wonder, kicked in into second gear and started lapping Disaster City with the help of their pack: Red Hot Penni, Foxy Vicious, and Velvet Klaw. Our endurance was evident as Disaster City began to tire and the game clock continued toward the 60 minute mark.

Battling time, the ref crew and the tough ladies of Disaster City, the last jam was over and the Starlettes had won! We began our victory lap exhausted and ecstatic. But wait! The whistle blew. The referees yelled at us to get back. We did not yet win the bout. There was a bad call made by the refs and we were sent back to the starting line for the last jam, again! But even this could not sour the spirit of the Starlettes. We defeated Disaster City with a final score of 166-144.

San Diego Roller Derby’s Starlettes are a new derby force which will continue to dazzle our fans.What we lack in experience we make up for with passion and perseverance. Please see our schedule for future events. Come out and support your favorite derby team! We would like to thank Disaster City for hosting a great game and we look forward to playing you ladies again next season!

The Starlettes win their first official bout!

This past Sunday, the San Diego Roller Derby Starlettes hit the road to take on the Derby Revolution of Bakersfield's B team. DRB proved to be a formidable opponent, but the Starlettes persevered and won the bout. The final score: Starlettes 87, DRB 75. A shout goes out to all the lovely ladies of both teams who played their hearts out. We would like to thank DRB once again for being such a wonderful host, and a special thanks to the Disaster City skaters who assisted the Starlettes on their path to victory. All in all, we could not have asked for a more positive experience. We are looking forward to returning to Bakersfield to play DRB once again on November 14th!

Are You Going To Vegas This Weekend? Come See Us At The Extreme Thing!

That's right! San Diego Roller Derby was invited to participate in the 2009 edition of the Las Vegas Extreme Thing! What's the Extreme Thing? It's an outdoor action sports and music festival that takes place every year in Las Vegas at the Desert Breeze Skate Park! This year's event is exciting for us because it will feature the debut of roller derby as part of the action sports line up. We are so proud to be included in this event and to help promote the sport that we love. SDRD will be one of eight leagues chosen to play in this debut tournament. This year's leagues include; San Diego Roller Derby (CA), Arizona Roller Derby League, Derby Revolution of Bakersfield (CA), OC Roller Girls (CA), Syndicate Roller Girls (Riverside, CA), Ventura County Derby Darlins (CA), Battle Born Derby Demons (Reno, NV), and the Oly Rollers (Olympia, WA). This is going to be a full day of bouts beginning at 11 am on Sat. the 28th. Of course, we'll be staying close to the track in between games, but there's a lot of other sports to keep you entertained. There's the Vegas Am Jam, the Pro BMX Dirt Challenge, Pro Wrestling, Retaks Expression Tour "Battle of the Shops" Half Pipe Skateboard Competition, Pro Skaters Omar Hassan and Jeremy Rodgers will be signing autographs too! Want music? There's a ton of bands performing that day as well! The XPOZ Local Band Stage will showcase local bands chosen by over 20,000 votes. They include; This Romantic Tragedy, Dreamscar, Summit Grove, The Seventh Plague, Eyes Like Diamonds, Love It Or Leave It, and Damnear Divine. Over on the main stage you will see; Taking Dawn, Blessthefall, Suicide Silence, The Higher, Big B w/ Scott Russo, Framing Hanley, The Vandals, Silverstein, and Bad Religion! The event begins at 11 am and runs throughout the day until 10 pm. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door. There will be lots of food/drink vendors inside the venue. Sorry, you can't bring in outside refreshments and this is an alcohol free, all ages event. Visit: extremething.com for all the latest info and a complete list of timetables and maps of the venue. Don't miss it! This will be great!

The 2009 Extreme Thing Action Sports/Music Festival
@ Desert Breeze Skate Park
Saturday, March 28th 11 am - 10 pm
First bout begins at noon
(Spring Mountain & Durango)
8275 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89147
www.extremething.com

St. Patrick's Day Parade! Saturday,March 14th!

Were you planning to check out the parade this weekend? What parade? The 29th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade of course! Brought to you by the Irish Congress of California, this yearly parade features an Irish festival at the parade's end to keep the party going all day! The SDRD will be skating in this year's event and we want to see you there! The parade starts at 11 am and begins at 6th & Juniper at Balboa Park. The route goes up 5th Ave. to Upas St. and then returns down 6th Ave. ending at Laurel St. where you find the festival! The festival hosts a Kid's Zone, Celtic Village, two beer gardens, and two entertainment stages featuring performances by; The Xceptions, Tony Cummins, "The Blokes" Irish Band, Brian Baynes, The Shamrockers, plus Irish dancing & more! Visit stpatsparade.org for more info, timetables, and maps! There's a free tram that will take you to the parade and festival so you don't have to fight the traffic! They've thought of everything!

Mardi Gras in San Diego!

Are you wondering what's going on around San Diego on Fat Tuesday? Here's where you may see some SDRD members!

Hillcrest Mardi Gras is happening at 5th & University! Celebrate Fat Tuesday in the heart of Hillcrest, with Candye Kane, the Bugs, Tootie and the Lips Girls, Il Circo, Uptown Rhythm Makers, DJ Taj and the go-go boys of Channel 1. Proceedes benefit Youth Scholarships & the Hillcrest Community Inmprovements. Must be 21 to attend. Tickets are $15 & $50. 6 pm - 11 pm.

Need to put the finishing touches on your Mardi Gras outfit? The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia is hosting a craft night at Filter Coffee House in North Park (4096 30th St.). There's no charge to participate! Bring your craft project and meet other crafty types! 7 pm- 9 pm

How about some skating? That's what we love! Tuesday is Adult Skate night at Skateworld! You must be 16 and over to get in. $8 at the door + skate rental. 7:30 pm- 10:30 pm.

Come to our Anti-Valentine's Skate!

We'll be hosting an Anti-Valentine's Skate on Tuesday, February 10th during Adult Skate Night at Skateworld in Linda Vista! So, get outta the house, put on some skates, and have some fun! Visit our merch booth where you can pick up an SDRD t-shirt, sticker, or a yummy baked treat. It's a great chance to meet the members of the SDRD and support roller derby in San Diego!