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Register Today! WFTDA Referee Clinics Reminder

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:37:00 -0700

Photo by Jim Rhoades

Remember...penalties matter.

The WFTDA ref clinics are aimed at improving the consistency of officials’ calls and practices throughout the association’s member leagues.

Register right now at wftda.com/officiating/clinics

Sessions for skating officials will cover key concepts of the WFTDA rules and how to translate those concepts into accurate penalty calls:

How to correctly assess the impact of a block
Initiation vs. established position: Making the correct call – or no call – based on which skater is holding an established position and which skater initiated the motion
Calling out-of-pack penalties, destroying the pack and failure to reform a pack: Games and drills to improve pack management skills
Reffing the “slow game”: This lesson will help those inexperienced with the “slow game” to be able effectively officiate this advanced style of play, using their existing set of skills. Other sessions will cover skills, tips and best practices for skating and non-skating officials’ positions:
Skating skills: A review of beginner and advanced level skating skills and how they apply to each on-skates position
Working the angles: Learn advanced techniques for maximizing the amount of visible action
Official-to-official communication
Scorekeeping
Outside whiteboard
Jam timing
Penalty wrangling, penalty tracking and inside whiteboard
Penalty box management

Where/When are they?

North Central: hosted by the Minnesota RollerGirls — August 7-8
South Central: hosted by Memphis Roller Derby — August 14-15
East: hosted by the Long Island Roller Rebels — August 21-22
West: hosted by the Rat City Rollergirls — August 21-22

To register go to wftda.com/officiating/clinics

WFTDA partners with Dr. Hauschka Skin Care

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:08:00 -0700

The WFTDA is partnering with Dr.Hauschka Skin Care to promote natural health and healing. The holistic skin care brand will serve as the official first aid “Knockdown Sponsor” for WFTDA, keeping Dr.Hauschka relief trackside to aid players in a speedy, healthy healing process during competitions.

"Our brand offers highly effective skin care that can completely transform the skin as well as incredible homeopathic remedies that are able to heal all kinds of bumps, bruises and other contact-sport related ailments experienced in competitive roller derby,” said Mirran Raphaely, CEO of Dr.Hauschka Skin Care. “We’re thrilled to assist these amazing, accomplished athletes in healing injuries quickly and naturally, supporting their performance on and off the flat track."

As the official Knockdown Sponsor, Dr.Hauschka has provided each WFTDA member league with a selection of products for their first aid kits. WFTDA competitors, officials and fans will also be able to learn more about Dr.Hauschka products during the 2010 WFTDA Playoffs and Championships this fall.

“Flat track derby is filled with intense competitors and although we consider our bruises to be badges of honor, quick recovery is important to stay at the top of your game,” said Kim Stegeman, aka Rocket Mean, WFTDA Sponsorship Chair. “Like the ladies of the WFTDA, Dr.Hauschka products are made from beautiful, strong ingredients that are capable of defeating highly punishing foes.”

WFTDA to host referee training clinics

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:14:00 -0700

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is hosting its first-ever training clinics for affiliated referees. All referees affiliated with a WFTDA member or apprentice league are eligible to attend, as well as unaffiliated refs who hold WFTDA certification.

Photo by Jules Doyle

All WFTDA member leagues should ensure that their officiating staff is represented at one of the clinics.

“We will be discussing and learning the what and how of top-level flat track roller derby officiating,” Tootie Tinwhistle, WFTDA Ref Committee Chair, said of the clinics. “Without this knowledge, you will be left behind as an official, and your league will be trying to keep up with all of the other leagues in the know.”

Sessions at the two-day clinics are geared toward officials with at least a moderate level of experience. Clinics will be held in each WFTDA game play region throughout the summer:

North Central: Minnesota RollerGirls — August 7-8
South Central: Memphis Roller Derby — August 14-15
East: Long Island Roller Rebels — August 21-22
West: Rat City Rollergirls — August 21-22

Space is limited. Register here: wftda.com/officiating/clinics

WFTDA Apprentice Program welcomes 16 new leagues

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:57:00 -0700

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s Apprentice Membership Program accepted 16 new leagues in July 2010.

Congratulations to:

Babe City Rollers - Bemidji, MN
Cape Fear Roller Girls - Wilmington, NC
Cherry City Derby Girls - Salem, OR
Choice City Rebels - Fort Collins, CO
CoMo Derby Dames - Columbia, MO
Gold Coast Derby Grrls - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hub City Derby Dames - Hattiesburg, MS
Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls - Lafayette, IN
Lilac City Rollergirls - Spokane, WA
Little City Roller Girls - Johnson City, TN
NRV Roller Girls - Christiansburg, VA
Oklahoma City Roller Derby - Oklahoma City, OK
Red Stick Roller Derby - Baton Rouge, LA
Rocktown Rollers - Harrisonburg, VA
Toronto Roller Derby - Toronto, ON
Twin City Derby Girls- Champaign, IL

There are now 52 women’s flat track roller derby leagues enjoying the benefits of WFTDA Apprenticeship. Designed to act as a “WFTDA 101” tutorial, the Apprentice Program matches new leagues with an established WFTDA mentor, who guides her apprentice through the processes and requirements necessary to becoming a full member. The mentor will also offer advice and encouragement about league-specific issues – everything from league formation to how to become ranked and qualify for WFTDA sponsored tournaments. Upon completion of the program, apprentice leagues have the knowledge needed to apply for full WFTDA membership. The first 11 leagues to complete the Apprentice Program became full WFTDA members in June.

ECE 2010 packs weekend with derby action

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:15:00 -0700

The weekend of June 25-27, 2010 was packed with WFTDA-sanctioned action thanks to the 2010 East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Feasterville, PA. The event featured 21 bouts between 21 WFTDA member leagues from throughout the United States and Canada.

ECE 2010 offered an abundance of nail-bitingly close games that packed the house and had fans on the edge of their seats, including the headline match-ups between hosts the Philly Roller Girls and the Windy City Rollers June 26, and the Boston Derby Dames versus Portland, Oregon’s Rose City Rollers June 27.

Results of WFTDA-sanctioned games at ECE 2010:

Friday, June 25

Gotham Girls Roller Derby (New York, NY) 191 – Windy City Rollers (Chicago, IL) 50

Saturday, June 26

Nashville Rollergirls (Nashville, TN) 117 – DC Rollergirls (Washington, D.C.) 86
Naptown Roller Girls (Indianapolis, IN) 100 – Maine Roller Derby (Portland, ME) 96
Suburbia Roller Derby (Yonkers, NY) 170 – Harrisburg Area Roller Derby (Harrisburg, PA) 66
Dutchland Rollers (Lancaster, PA) 132 – Hammer City Roller Girls (Hamilton, ON) 79
Montreal Roller Derby (Montreal, QC) 288 – Dominion Derby Girls (Virginia Beach, VA) 27
Minnesota RollerGirls (St. Paul, MN) 98 – Tampa Bay Derby Darlins (Tampa, FL) 96
North Star Roller Girls (Minneapolis, MN) 105 – Nashville Rollergirls 69
B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (San Francisco, CA) 234 – Providence Roller Derby (Providence, RI) 65
Gotham Girls Roller Derby 166 – Boston Derby Dames (Boston, MA) 82
Rose City Rollers (Portland, OR) 189 – Carolina Rollergirls (Raleigh, NC) 31
Philly Roller Girls (Philadelphia, PA) 110 – Windy City Rollers 89

Sunday, June 27

Dutchland Rollers 260 – Harrisburg Area Roller Derby 78
DC Rollergirls 122 – Naptown Roller Girls 106
Suburbia Roller Derby 184 – Hammer City Roller Girls 95
Montreal Roller Derby 197 – Tampa Bay Derby Darlins 57
Maine Roller Derby 233 – Dominion Derby Girls 50
Philly Roller Girls 203 – B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls 98
Minnesota RollerGirls 131 – Providence Roller Derby 127
North Star Roller Girls 99 – Carolina Rolergirls 70
Rose City Rollers 87 – Boston Derby Dames 61

The WFTDA congratulates and thanks the Philly Roller Girls for making the ECE a cherished annual tradition for flat-track roller derby!

Reminder: East Coast Derby Extravaganza begins Friday, June 25, 2010

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:22:00 -0700

The Philly Roller Girls are once again hosting the tournament that's made them notorious, the summer slam of roller derby, the East Coast Derby Extravaganza! ECE is a large-scale women's flat track roller derby event featuring an entire weekend full of competition by teams from across the US and Canada filled with as much fun and sun a derby gal can handle.

85+ flat track women's roller derby leagues will face off in some fierce competition June 25-27, 2010 at the Sportsplex in Feasterville, PA.

The East Coast Derby Extravaganza is one of multiple flat-track roller derby tournaments to be officially recognized by the WFTDA in 2010. Two rinks will feature full-length, sanctioned bouts between all-star teams of WFTDA member leagues, while an additional rink will host half-hour challenge bouts between travel teams not participating in WFTDA action, as well as home teams and Extravaganza-special teams composed of players from across the derby world. That's three rinks of simultaneous derby action!

Results from sanctioned games are used to determine regional rankings among WFTDA member leagues. The top teams in each region from these rankings as of July will earn a spot in the first round of WFTDA playoffs. Tickets to the 2010 East Coast Derby Extravaganza are available in single-bout, single-day or full-weekend passes. You can find them here on Ticket Leap.

All registered skaters and staff are free to attend after they have checked in (the registration table is open 5pm - 8pm). Tickets are available online and at the door for unregistered attendees. The first bout begins at 6pm on Friday with the Philly Independence Dolls taking on the Gotham Girls Wall Street Traitors in a regulation bout. Then at 7:30pm the Gotham Girls take on the Windy City Rollers in a WFTDA sanctioned bout.

Participant member leagues in WFTDA-Sanctioned ECE2010 action are:

Bay Area Derby Girls
Boston Derby Dames
Carolina Roller Girls
D.C. Rollergirls
Dominion Derby Girls
Dutchland Derby Rollers
Gotham Girls Roller Derby
Hammer City Roller Girls
Harrisburg Area Roller Derby
Maine Roller Derby
Minnesota Roller Girls
Montreal Roller Derby
Naptown Roller Girls
Nashville Roller Girls
North Star Roller Girls
Philly Roller Girls
Providence Roller Derby
Rose City Rollers
Suburbia Roller Derby
Tampa Bay Derby Darlins
Windy City Rollers

Schedule

Friday Jun 25th
6:00pm: Gotham Wall Street Traitors vs. Philly Independence Dolls
7:30pm: Gotham vs. Windy City

Saturday Jun 26th
10:30am: DC vs. Nashville
11:00am: Maine vs. Naptown
12:30pm: Suburbia vs. Harrisburg
1:00pm: Hammer City vs. Dutchland
2:30pm: Montreal vs. Dominion
3:00pm: Minnesota vs. Tampa Bay
4:30pm: Nashville vs. North Star
5:00pm: Bay Area vs. Providence
6:30pm: Boston vs. Gotham
7:00pm: Carolina vs. Rose City
8:30pm: Windy City vs. Philly

Sunday Jun 27th
10:30am: Dutchland vs. Harrisburg
11:00am: Naptown vs. DC
12:30pm: Hammer City vs. Suburbia
1:00pm: Tampa Bay vs. Montreal
2:30pm: Dominion vs. Maine
3:00pm: Bay Area vs. Philly
4:30pm: Providence vs. Minnesota
5:00pm: North Star vs. Carolina
6:30pm: Boston vs. Rose City

WFTDA adds 11 new members

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:48:00 -0700

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association grew a little bigger today. For the first time since mid-2009 we are adding new members.

Congratulations and welcome to our first “class” of graduating Apprentice leagues:

Demolition City Roller Derby of Evansville, IN
Garden State Rollergirls of Wallington, NJ
ICT Roller Girls of Wichita, KS
London Rollergirls of London, UK
New Hampshire Roller Derby of Nashua, NH
Paper Valley Roller Girls of Appleton, WI
Rockford Rage Women’s Roller Derby of Rockford, IL
Rollergirls of Southern Indiana, of Evansville, IN
Silicon Valley Rollergirls of San Jose, CA
The Chicago Outfit of Chicago, IL
Wasatch Roller Derby of Salt Lake City, UT

In addition, due to growing interest from women’s flat track roller derby leagues outside the United States, the WFTDA is forming two new regions: Canada and Europe. Until the Europe and Canada Regions are further developed, teams in those regions will continue to compete in the closest U.S. region for rankings and tournament eligibility. Montreal Roller Derby, of Montreal, Quebec, and new member London Rollergirls, of London, United Kingdom, compete in the East Region. Hammer City Roller Girls, of Hamilton, Ontario, competes in the North Central Region.

For the official press release, please visit http://wftda.com/press/WFTDA-welcomes-eleven-new-members-adds-new-regions

WFTDA Releases Rules Update

Thu, 27 May 2010 22:05:00 -0700

The Women's Flat Track Derby Association released a revised rule set May 26, 2010. This is the fifth full revision of the WFTDA rules since the organization developed the first shared rules for the sport of women's flat track roller derby in 2005. Revisions are aimed at maintaining safe, fair gameplay between teams as the sport and its competitive strategies continue to evolve.

To view the new rules version and a presentation highlighting the updates, go to wftda.com/rules.

First quarter 2010 WFTDA rankings released

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:23:00 -0700

The first official WFTDA rankings of 2010 are in, and the start of the year has shown quite a bit of movement among the four game play regions. The first quarter rankings reflect games played through March 30, 2010.

WFTDA Current Rankings

Looking to the West, you will see no movement on top as the #1 spot is held steady by the 2009 WFTDA Champions, the Oly Rollers. The Rose City Rollers get a bump to #4 while Rat City Rollergirls drop #5. Duke City Derby will slide up to the #6 spot, pushing the B.ay A.rea Derby Girls to spot #7. As more teams become active, it brings a little bit more of a shift as the Angel City Derby Girls move to #10 and Tucson moves to #8. Pikes Peak Derby Dames move to #11 followed by Jet City Rollergirls at #12, pushing Arizona Roller Derby down to spot #13. Lava City Roller Girls move into #14 and Slaughter County Roller Vixens at #15 moving the Salt Lake City Derby Girls two spots to #16.

The North Central Region shows less of a shift as the top four teams remain steady with The Windy City Roller Girls at #1, Brewcity Bruisers move to the #5 spot as the North Star Roller Girls move down one to #6. The next slight drop is at spot #10 with the Burning River Roller Girls as Grand Raggidy Rollergirls take spot #9. Omaha Rollergirls takes a jump to spot #12 from #15, shifting the lower region of the North, and Ohio Roller Girls moves down to #14.

There is finally some movement at the top as we approach the South Central Region. While the Texas Rollergirls are firmly placed at #1 and the Kansas City Roller Warriors in #2, the Atlanta Rollergirls have made their way into the #3 hot spot. The Dallas Derby Devils remain at #4 and Nashville Rollergirls creeps up to the #5 spot as Houston Roller Derby moves down to #6. There is definitely some movement in the middle of the South as Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby moves up to #10 and West Texas Roller Dollz move down two spots to #13. Assassination City Roller Derby takes a two-seat drop from #16 to #18 and Alamo City Rollergirls bring up the rear at #19.

Finally, the East has some interesting movement, but the top four teams remain consistent, led by Gotham Girls Roller Derby. Steel City Derby Demons are on the rise, moving to #5 from #7, bumping Carolina Roller Girls and Providence Roller Derby down to #6 and #7, respectively. Dutchland Derby Girls take a giant leap from spot #12 to spot #8 as does Montreal Roller Derby, now #9. DC Rollergirls are down a peg at spot #10. Maine Roller Derby drops to spot #11 from #8 and the CT Rollergirls move down a spot to #12.

WFTDA Apprentice Program Welcomes 13 New Leagues

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:34:00 -0700

WFTDA is excited to announce the April 2010 members of our Apprentice Program.

Congratulations to:

Tri-City Roller Girls Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Humboldt Roller Derby Eureka, CA
Fairbanks Rollergirls Fairbanks, AK
Junction City Roller Dolls Ogden, UT
Treasure Valley Rollergirls Boise, ID
Charlotte Roller Girls Charlotte, NC
Springfield Rollergirls Springfield, MO
Chattanooga Rollergirls Chattanooga, TN
Black-n-Bluegrass Rollergirls Florence, KY
Glass City Rollers Toledo, OH
Mason Dixon Roller Vixens Hagerstown, MD
Castle Rock n Rollers Castle Rock, CO
Rage City Rollergirls Anchorage, AK

These leagues join 35 other Apprentice leagues who are working toward full WFTDA membership while enjoying many of the benefits and resources the organization has to offer. Learn more about WFTDA membership at our How to Join WFTDA page.

WFTDA announces 2010 demographic survey results

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:54:00 -0700

Who is WFTDA roller derby? We knew our skaters are fierce competitors …. but now we also know that more than 60% are between the ages of 25 and 34, and 91% have some post-secondary education.

The results are in from the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s first comprehensive demographic survey of modern roller derby fans and athletes. More than 3,200 current skaters and 4,800 fans participated to build a rich profile of the sport’s new fan base.

“Our 2010 demographic survey indicates that roller derby fans and skaters are highly loyal to their new favorite sport and come from all walks of life,” said Juliana Gonzales, WFTDA Executive Director. “This survey also reveals alternate interests within our sporting community, allowing us to target promotional partners. The results of this survey prepare the WFTDA and its individual member leagues to develop marketing and sponsorship opportunities for our emerging extreme team sport.”

The survey found that, among flat track derby fans who responded:

71% are between ages 25 and 44
91% have some post-secondary education
Even distribution of household incomes, with most falling between $35,000 and $75,000 per year

View additional results on WFTDA's Sponsorship Opportunities page.

Atlanta wins the 2010 Clover Cup

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:10:00 -0800

The Atlanta Rollergirls came out on top of the 2010 Clover Cup, a two-day tournament featuring five teams from WFTDA’s South Central Region.

The Dallas Derby Devils hosted the March 6 & 7, 2010 event in Fort Worth, TX. Participating teams were the Derby Devils’ Hell Razors; Atlanta’s Dirty South Derby Girls; the Tantrums, of Tampa Bay Derby Darlins; the Mad Maxines, from the No Coast Derby Girls in Lincoln, NE; and the HaRD Knocks, of Houston Roller Derby.

Full results:

Game 1 - Dallas Hell Razors 124, Tampa Bay Tantrums 71
Game 2 - Atlanta Dirty South Derby Girls 225, No Coast Mad Maxines 58
Game 3 - Dallas Hell Razors 141, Houston HaRD Knocks 54
Game 4 - Tampa Bay Tantrums 99, No Coast Mad Maxines 87
Game 5 - Atlanta Dirty South Derby Girls, 134, Dallas Hell Razors 70
Game 6 - Tampa Bay Tantrums, 150, Houston HaRD Knocks 143
Game 7 - Dallas Hell Razors 137, Tampa Bay Tantrums 79
Championship Game - Atlanta Dirty South Derby Girls 115, Dallas Hell Razors, 98

For a more comprehensive writeup on all of the derby action, please visit Derby News Network's Weekend in Review of the Clover Cup.

Wild West Showdown Results

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:06:00 -0800

Nineteen WFTDA member leagues faced off the weekend of Feb. 26 to 28 when the Slaughter Country Roller Vixens hosted the Wild West Showdown in Bremerton, WA. In one of the closest bouts of the weekend, the Rose City Rollers, ranked fifth by WFTDA in the West Division, took on 2009 WFTDA Champions the Oly Rollers on Friday. Oly narrowly came out with the win in the fierce matchup, winning 157-149.

The weekend packed in plenty of action, with a total of 21 bouts over three days. Veteran derby teams and newer leagues alike joined in the tournament. The event mainly drew teams from WFTDA's West Region, however the Philly Roller Girls of Philadelphia, Pa. flew west to represent the East Region.

Friday results:

Oly Rollers (#1 West) 157, Rose City Rollers (#5 West) 149
Rat City Rollergirls (#4 West) 270, Tucson Roller Derby (#9 West) 55
Slaughter County Roller Vixens (#13 West) 224, Central Coast Roller Derby (not ranked) 159

Saturday results:

Duke City Derby (#7 West) 126, Sacred City Derby Girls (#11 West) 55
Rose City Rollers (#5 West) 154, B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (#6 West) 27
Tucson Roller Derby (#9 West) 226, Slaughter County Roller Vixens (#13 West) 88
Oly Rollers (#1 West) 147, Philly Roller Girls (#2 East) 81
Pikes Peak Derby Dames (#10 West) 156, Lava City Roller Dolls (not ranked) 119
B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (#6 West) 254, Pacific Roller Derby (not ranked) 31
Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (#3 West) 305, Bellingham Roller Betties (not ranked) 31
Duke City Derby (#7 West) 149, Jet City Rollergirls (not ranked) 135
Arizona Roller Derby (#12 West) 253, Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls (#15 West) 81
Central Coast Roller Derby (not ranked) 174, Emerald City Roller Girls (not ranked) 109

Sunday results:

Jet City Rollergirls (not ranked) 329, Pacific Roller Derby (not ranked) 80
Rose City Rollers (#5 west) 118, Philly Roller Girls (#2 East) 116
Emerald City Roller Girls (not ranked) 141, Bellingham Roller Betties (not ranked) 133
Sacred City Derby Girls (#11 West) 141, Pikes Peak Derby Dames (#10 West) 121
Rocky Mountain Rollergirls (#3 West) 195, B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (#6 West) 17
Rat City Roller Girls (#4 West) 128, Philly Roller Girls (#2 East) 123
Pacific Roller Derby (not ranked) 134, Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls (#15 West) 116
Arizona Roller Derby (#12 West) 138, Lava City Roller Dolls (not ranked) 137

For full bout recaps with the gritty play-by-play details, please visit the Derby News Network.

Updated Officiating Standard Practices

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:02:00 -0800

The WFTDA Referee Committee has released an updated set of Standardized Officiating Practices, in the works since July 2009.

Combining the experiences of Referees from over 5 dozen member leagues, this document provides systems for the issues faced by any officiating crew, and helps to establish a standard that both Officials and Skaters can expect wherever they go.

Where to find the updated WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices

WFTDA is making this copyrighted information available for public use, in the hope that it will improve the quality of officiating and ultimately the sport, as women's flat-track derby expands internationally.

Texecutioners take Governor's Cup title

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:59:00 -0800

Four teams battled it out for best-in-Texas bragging rights at Feb. 20-21's Governor’s Cup tournament in Austin. Assassination City’s Special Ops, the Dallas Derby Devils’ All-Stars, Houston’s HarRD Knocks, and Austin’s Texecutioners brought the pain in this two-day double-elimination confrontation.

The Texecutioners set a blistering pace for the tournament on Saturday with their 330-8 victory against Assassination City and they never looked back. The indefatigable Dallas Derby Devils looked promising with an early win over Houston’s HarRD Knocks (178-64), but they fell short in the final game of the day against Texas in a 35-166 defeat.

Sunday’s showdown started off with a déjà vu demolition match as the Devils once again defeated Houston 163-91—earning them a spot in the finals against Texas. But the Texies proved to be on a formidable tear as they triumphed over Dallas with a final score of 156-24 to win the tournament.

This is the fourth straight Governor’s Cup victory for Texas.

“Governor’s Cup was an incredible way to launch the 2010 Texas Rollergirls season. As always, we’re proud to bring home the gold for our hometown of Austin. Now that we have our first-game jitters out, all the Texecutioners are ready to bring that same level of competition to our games on February 28,” said veteran Texecutioner skater Bloody Mary, aka WFTDA Executive Director Juliana Gonzales.

The Governor's Cup was the first WFTDA-recognized tournament of the season. A number of tournaments scheduled throughout the country this year have received WFTDA recognition to date; others special events may receive that status in the coming months.

Slaughter County hosts Wild West Showdown

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0800

The Slaughter County Roller Vixens are hosting 2010’s Wild West Showdown and the flat track shoot out is quickly approaching.

Nineteen Women’s Flat Track Derby Association member leagues will face off with skates a-blazin’ Feb. 26 to 28. These bouts will take place at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion, 1200 NW Fairgrounds in Bremerton, WA.

The Wild West Showdown is one of multiple flat-track roller derby tournaments to be officially recognized by the WFTDA in 2010. Each participating league is slated to play two WFTDA-sanctioned matches at the event. There will also be a track featuring just-for-fun “challenge” bouts and other derby activities.

Results from sanctioned games are used to determine regional rankings among WFTDA leagues. The top teams in each region as of July will earn a spot in the first round of WFTDA playoffs. Tickets to the Wild West Showdown are $55 for an all-weekend pass, $15 for Friday only, $25 for Saturday or Sunday only, and children 6 and younger are free with an adult.

Doors open at 5 p.m. (PST) Friday and bouts start at 6 p.m., doors open at 10 a.m. Saturday and bouts start at 11 a.m. and doors open at 9 a.m. on Sunday and bouts start at 10 a.m.

Participating leagues are: Slaughter County Roller Vixens, Central Coast Roller Derby, Rat City Rollergirls, Tucson Roller Derby, Oly Rollers, Rose City Rollers, Emerald City Roller Girls, Arizona Roller Derby, Sin City Rollergirls, Duke City Derby, Jet City Rollergirls, Pacific Roller Derby, Bay Area Derby Girls, Sacred City Derby Girls, Lava City Roller Dolls, Philly Rollergirls, Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, Pikes Peak Derby Dames and Bellingham Roller Betties.

Click here to purchase tickets
Wild West Showdown Preview courtesy of Derby News Network
Derby News Network Live Coverage: Wild West Showdown
Wild West Showdown recaps courtesy of Derby News Network.

Schedule

Friday
6pm: Slaughter County vs. Central Coast
7pm: #9 Rat City vs. Tucson
8pm: #1 Oly vs. #8 Rose City

Saturday
11am: Central Coast vs. Emerald City
12pm: Arizona vs. Sin City
1pm: #16 Duke City vs. Jet City
2pm: #15 Bay Area vs Pacific
3pm: #5 Rocky Mountain vs Bellingham
4pm: Pikes Peak vs. Lava City
5pm: #1 Oly vs. #6 Philly
6pm: Slaughter County vs. Tucson
7pm: #8 Rose City vs #15 Bay Area
8pm: #16 Duke City vs. Sacred City

Sunday
10am: Lava City v Arizona
11am: Pacific vs Sin City
12pm: #6 Philly vs #9 Rat City
1pm: #5 Rocky Mountain vs #15 Bay Area
2pm: Sacred vs Pikes Peak
3pm: Emerald vs Bellingham
4pm: #6 Philly vs #8 Rose City
5pm: Jet City vs. Pacific

East Coast Derby Extravaganza 2010 Teams Announced

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:43:00 -0800

The East Coast Derby Extravaganza (ECDX or ECE) is a large-scale women's flat track roller derby event featuring a weekend full of competition by teams from across the US and Canada. The event is hosted by the Philly Roller Girls and will take place June 25-27, 2010 at the Sportsplex in Feasterville, PA. Participants will include Women's Flat Track Derby Association member leagues as well as regional rookie leagues eligible to apply for membership into the national organization.

Participants in WFTDA-Sanctioned ECE 2010 Bouts:

For more information at this time, please visit the Philly Roller Girls ECE page.
Derby News Network's coverage of the East Coast Derby Extravaganza Team Lottery

Texas teams to compete in fourth annual Governor’s Cup

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:18:00 -0800

Fresh on the heels of their second-place finish at the 2009 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Championship Tournament, the Texas Rollergirls’ Texecutioners are playing hosts to the 2010 Governor’s Cup, Feb. 20-21 in Austin, TX. This two-day double-elimination showdown pits the Texecutioners against three experienced teams: the Dallas Derby Devils, Assassination City, and Houston’s HaRD Knocks.

Established in 2006, the Governor’s Cup has become the Lone Star State’s who’s-who of roller derby as local leagues fight for the title of Best In Texas. Teams from Dallas, Houston, Lubbock, and San Antonio have all made a fierce showing at past Governor’s Cup events, but they have yet to conquer Austin’s Texas Rollergirls, whose undefeated three-year reign has made them the team to beat. The Governor’s Cup is the first of nine WFTDA-recognized tournaments scheduled in 2009. Sanctioned play during these tournaments, along with individual sanctioned games, helps determine WFTDA member league rankings. As this year’s hosts, the Texecutioners say they are determined to snag the coveted Bronze Armadillo prize a fourth time.

"The team is treating Governor’s Cup as the kickoff to our 2010 road to victory. The Texecutioners intend to set our course for the rest of the year by taking home the trophy,” says co-captain, The Angie Christ.

Tickers and seating for the Governor’s Cup, to be held at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex (www.myec.net), are extremely limited. Tickets are $20 for one day, $35 for both days, and are on sale at txrollergirls.com.

Take the WFTDA Survey!

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:09:00 -0800

WFTDA launches comprehensive online survey for skaters and fans!

Skaters and fans of women's roller derby are invited to participate in an online data collection project. Share your opinions on issues related to the sport, and help set the direction for the modern flat track roller derby movement as it grows internationally.

Click here to learn more and take the survey!

Fourth quarter 2009 WFTDA rankings released

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:50:00 -0800

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) released its final regional rankings for 2009 on January 25th.

The rankings reflect the results of WFTDA-sanctioned games played from Oct. 1, 2009 to Dec. 1, 2009, including the WFTDA Championship Tournament in November.

View Q4 WFTDA rankings here

The fourth quarter rankings generally show little movement in standings as many leagues take a break from bouting following the WFTDA playoff season and during the holidays.

The North Central Region saw most movement this quarter as Detroit Derby Girls rebounded to the #2 spot, putting the Mad Rollin’ Dolls back in the #3 spot. Minnesota RollerGirls took a jump to #7, after sitting at #9 in the rankings for the third quarter of 2009. The Arch Rival Rollergirls of St. Louis dropped to #8 with Cleveland’s Burning River Rollergirls following that trend by coming in at #9.

The Naptown Roller Girls of Indianapolis move up to the #11 spot, shifting the Ohio Roller Girls down to #12, while Sioux Falls Roller Dollz moved up to #13 putting the Fort Wayne Derby Girls in the #14 spot.

In the West Region, Denver regained the #2 spot from their cross-town rivals, Rocky Mountain Roller Girls, after defeating Rocky Mountain to take third place at the WFTDA Championship.

The top of the rankings stayed constant in the South Central Region, but there were some shifts among lower-ranked leagues. West Texas dropped a slot to #11 as Northwest Arkansas Rollergirls moved up to #10. The Tallahassee Rollergirls are freshly ranked at #14, causing Assassination City to drop two places to the #16 spot and the Big Easy Rollergirls to fall in at #17.

Finally, in the East Region, 2008 National Champions Gotham Girls Roller Derby reclaimed the #1 spot from the Philly Roller Girls who dropped back to the #2 spot in the region.