some great roller derby videos

A couple of great videos have recently been floating around the web. They are all worth a look.

First up we have Ninjas of Knowledge from KCK Public Library. This video features roller derby, ninjas, and libraries. I really don't think I have to say anything else. Except this one thing: how come I didn't know there was a kick-ass rollergirl with one arm? That frickin' rocks.
Via Pigeons Playing Roller Derby.

Next up: Roller Derby PSAs from the Minnesota Rollergirls. "Remember, it's okay to call a foul. Don't let anyone make you feel ashamed. They know what they did. " So awesome. Speaking of, I got called on a head-butt at yesterday's scrimmage. For some reason, that made me really happy.
Via Roller Derby Diva.

Lastly is Roller Derby Revival, a nice little video from ESPN (Yay!) about, duh, the roller derby revival.
It's nice to get a little mainstream recognition, and it's nice to see something professionally done, but I gotta say, I found it kinda lacking. And what's with the pillow fights? Who does that? I much prefer the CCTV documentary.

Roller Derby Party Bus

I saw this flyer on the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls website. What a fun idea! I think this would work especially well for BDD since our venue is not easily accessible to folks without cars. Throw a couple of non-skating derby dames on the bus with the fans, some free-flowing sponsor provided alcohol, fun music, maybe some roller derby trivia, give everyone some free merch, roll it up into an all-inclusive price that includes admission, and I think you'd have a hot ticket.

Bout Recap: Boston B-Party v Connecticut and Boston Massacre v Cincinnati Rollergirls

The final scores were Connecticut (85), Boston B-Party (44) and Boston Massacre (87), Cincinnati (42)

Bout recap by Mr. Hits can be found on the Boston Derby Dames website.
Photos can be found on my Flickr site.
More photos can be found here and here.
A kind of crappy video can be found here.

The Beehive opening postponed to May 24th

I just realized that my previous post about the BEEch did not actually mention when this event would be happening. Good thing, because it has been postponed and is now happening on May 24th. Be there or be square.

Roller Derby Blogs -- RinkTime

Rink Time has a nice listing of roller derby blogs. It not only includes Roller Derby Disorder (Yay!) but also a bunch that are new to me:

• http://www.derbynewsnetwork.com/
• http://leadjammer.com/
• http://interderby.wordpress.com/
• http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/pcult/
• http://rollerderbybuzz.blogspot.com/
• http://anezkasebek.wordpress.com/
• http://blog.myspace.com/all_bout_derby
• http://blog.viaderby.com/
• http://www.ocrollergirls.com/
• http://www.colonelpod.com/
• http://derbytude.com/
• http://www.txrd.com/blog/
• http://the-crash-zone.livejournal.com/
• http://www.catazonia.com/
• http://wordpress.com/tag/rock-n-roller-derby/
• http://bigeasyrollergirls.blogspot.com/
• http://hellonwheelsmovie.wordpress.com/
• http://bigderbygirls.blogspot.com/
• http://www.londonrollergirls.com/zero/
• http://black-n-bluegrass.com/
• http://hellcityhooligans.com/
• http://rollerguysweb.com/
• http://www.derbyluv.com/
• http://www.havederbywilltravel.com/
• http://sassysweetpea.wordpress.com/
• http://vrdl.wordpress.com/
• http://oilcityderbygirls.wordpress.com/
• http://bruisednews.com/
• http://rollerderbydisorder.blogspot.com/
• http://www.txrollergirls.com/

Boston Derby Dames Paper Doll

I made these quite awhile ago and always meant to write a post about them, but haven't gotten around to it until now. I always imagined these as magnets so you could put them on your refrigerator and dress your derby dame up in different outfits. One of these days I would like to add another sheet for Boston Massacre and Boston B-Party.

Roller Derby Quilt

Dreadnought, my fellow Derby Dame, is working on a roller derby quilt for her Issues in Contemporary Art course, which she is hoping will be a collaborative project between herself and other skaters and refs. She is working on a bunch of squares of her own, of course, but is also hoping that other folks will contribute their own versions to be included in the quilt. I had high aspirations but eventually decided to just give her one of my old T shirts (with my skater name on it) to make a square out of. Here are some of the squares (still in progress) that she has been working on:

Square number one is dedicated to rink rash and is made out of old torn fishnet stockings from actual rollergirls!

Next up we have a square dedicated to bandages, which is, of course, made out of bandages.

Quilt square number three is dedicated to booty blocking. Or possibly cute undies with words on them. Dread hasn't decided yet. I say, why not both?!

Then we have the cupcake square. What do cupcakes have to do with roller derby? I'm not sure, except our league always seems to have cupcakes at events and fundraisers. I offer as proof the following two photos -- a bunch of cupcakes from our Roller Boogie fundraiser (my cupcakes are the ones that look the yummiest!) and this awesome photo of Dreadnought enjoying a cupcake!

Think this is awesome? Want to be a part of the awesomeness? You can contribute a square of your own! It just needs to be 8" x 8". What says roller derby to you?

BDD helps The Beehive open The BEEch

The BEEch = "an 80 seat outdoor dining addition on the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza. It will focus on an “urban picnic theme” in which diners will be seated and handed a menu of freshly prepared casual gourmet items to choose from. Once customers have selected their items, the wait staff will return with these culinary treasures in packages and jars along with fresh bread tucked in picnic baskets to share." --A Passionate Foodie

The Beehive = "The Beehive at the BCA is a neighborhood cafe des artistes. Located in the underbelly of the Cyclorama building, the former boiler room has the look and feel of an artist's studio, complimented by works of art and musical entertainment (mostly jazz) of local artists. The "starving artist" bar offers a college rustic, artisinal fare from Europe, the Mediterranean, and America."--The Beehive website

helps = co-promotes / shows up in derby attire / signs autographs / makes more interesting

BDD = Boston Derby Dames

Pre-bout eating

During bouts the Shriners Auditorium offers a variety of food choices -- mostly of the hot dog/pretzel/soda variety. Before the bout, though, food is a little hard to come by unless you know where to go. Luckily your friendly neighborhood derby dames created this lovely Google map to let you know where all the food is. Check it out here.

Double Header: Massacre vs. Cincinnati + B-Party vs. Connecticut

Saturday is bout day here in roller derby land and it looks like a good one. First up will be the Boston B-Party vs. the Connecticut Rollergirls. As one might suspect, the B-Party is our B-team, which is not so much a team as all the girls that aren't on the all star Massacre. We haven't had many opportunities to practice as a team, and we've only played a couple of scrimmages, but they have been some of my favorite times since joining BDD. Also, we have a logo! I've been a little less than excited about this matchup because I can't skate in it (booo!), but I think it should be pretty exciting. It will also be the first time the B-Party has played for an audience, which I hope will be a big rowdy one!

Next will be Boston Massacre vs. Cincinnati Rollergirls. It's so hard to make predictions about upcoming bouts in roller derby. Teams play each other so infrequently (I don't think we have ever played Cincinnati) and team dynamics can change so quickly that knowing how a bout will turn out is more of a guessing game than a science. Nevertheless I shall venture to predict that although Cincinnati has generated some momentum in recent months and will no doubt give us a good run for our money, Boston's experience will prevail. Of course, I'm a little biased.

Saturday will also mark the first full-length double header with both bouts having two 30-minute periods. My friends in the audience found the last time (with one full length bout and one exhibition bout of two 20-minute periods) to be a bit long, so I don't know how it will go. If anyone has any opinions out there, I'd love to hear them.

The announcement:

DOUBLE HEADER
Boston B-Party vs. Connecticut Rollergirls
Boston Massace vs. Cincinnati Rollergirls

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Shriners Auditorium, Wilmington, MA
Doors at 5pm, bouts start at 6pm
Tickets are $14 in advance, $16 at the door

Music by DJ Boo Boo Danger and live sets by While Rome Burns

The all-star Boston Massacre (ranked 9th in the east by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association) host the Cincinnati Rollergirls (14th in the east) in the last Massacre bout of the regular season. The Massacre recently pummeled both Maine Roller Derby and the Bronx Gridlock, and are looking toward this fall's eastern and national tournaments, so they're sure to bring their A game.

Before the Massacre takes the track, the league's "junior varsity" Boston B-Party makes its hometown debut against the Connecticut Rollergirls. These scrappy newcomers fell to their CT sisters in the winter, but are coming off an exhilarating scrimmage win against Providence Roller Derby's JV Killer Bees.