The L.A. Derby Dolls introduced a new roller derby team called the Varsity Brawlers to another packed house at the Doll Factory on Saturday night. The new kids in town were welcomed opponents for the battered Fight Crew, who have suffered through a disappointing season plagued by losses and injuries. Fight Crew vented their pent up frustrations by running up the score early and soundly thrashing the Brawlers. The Varsity Brawlers debut was also the......

Gameday preview: Sheri Zampelli - Photo: Michael Zampelli/LAist Tonight, the L.A. Derby Dolls expand their all-female roller derby league with the debut of a new team called the Varsity Brawlers, who will pair up against formidable veterans in the Fight Crew. (Pump up video) Fight Crew, who have been hampered by injuries all season, are after redemption and will look to haze the freshmen and end their winless season on a sky-high note. Varsity......

Submitted and authored by Michael Zampelli The Los Angeles Derby Dolls hosted their own contribution to the Mayor's Day of Service with a banked-track skating demonstration for inner-city kids, seminars on self-improvement, a neighborhood clean-up, Thi Chi classes, Yoga, Self Defense instruction and even a hazardous materials disposal unit and oil recycling center. Mayor Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Laker Jordan Farmar along with other local celebrities arrived in the morning to address the crowd and......

The Mayor has been running these CommUNITY Days of Service since he got into office. Basically, a region is chosen and thousands of volunteers pour into that sector of the city to clean and beautify the neighborhoods. From tree plantings to picking up litter to free community workshops, there's lots going on. Tomorrow's area is in what the Mayor calls the "Heart of the City," aka Koreatown, Thai Town, Historic Filipinotown, MacArthur Park, Hollywood,......

After a full weekend of roller derby action, it was time for last night's championship game on Sunday between the LA Ri-ettes (LA Derby Dolls) and Team Awesome (an all-star team from all over the USA). The game came down to a chaotic ending with the enforcers deciding the outcome in a confusing mess. In the end, the LA Ri-ettes came away with the victory and the trophy. Michael Zampelli (aka rink_rat on Flickr) was......

This weekend marks the first ever inter-league meet-up of Derby Dolls here in LA, called Battle on the Bank and our own L.A. Derby Dolls are a big part of the fun and spectacle (last week we chatted with Micki Krimmel, aka Mickipedia, who is a "Baby Doll" on her way to joining the team). It's a banked track tournament featuring skaters from the L.A. Derby Dolls, Team Awesome, San Diego Derby Dolls, TXRD Lonestar......

This upcoming weekend is probably the biggest weekend the LA Derby Dolls have had so far. In a first tournament of its kind, the best skaters from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County are having it out on a banked track. Not only will there be tons of games throughout Saturday and Sunday, there will be bands, food, beer and general awesomeness. What the Derby Dolls do is very special and unique to Los......

A guest post from Stephen G. Ruiz, a freelance photographer. LA's own Angel City Derby Girls kicked off their WFTDA sanctioned season with a crushing defeat of the Bakersfield Rollergirls, at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo on a balmy Saturday night. While the tempature inside was cool, the action was red hot. Catch ACDG again, May 17th, when the Shore Shots take on the Block Steady Crew at the TSC or meet the......

Looks like Drew Barrymore is a Derby Dolls fan! Awriggggghhht, Drew... we are too! The actress was snapped by LAist Featured Photos Pool contributor rinkrat last night when the Fight Crew met the Tough Cookies--according to rinkrat, "Tough Cookies dominated the Fight Crew to remain undefeated." Nice! We were there for the season opener, when the same two teams met up...and the Tough Cookies toppled the Fight Crew. Are you in our Flickr pool?......

The Tough Cookies' Venus d'Maulr / All photos by Kelly C. Gallamore for LAist While much of LA stayed home watching movies Saturday night, the real action was in Historic Filipinotown, where a sold out crowd of 2,000+ ventured out into a meteorological maelstrom to watch the L.A. Derby Dolls season-opening bout. The Tough Cookies dominated each quarter to knock off the Fight Crew 35-28 in the new Doll Factory, a converted 30,000 sq.......

The Angel City Derby Girls prepare to get their art on Here at LAist, we know that everyone loves a Derby Girl. So we’re pretty sure that this Saturday night, when the lovely ladies of Angel City Derby Girls pair up with Meltdown Comics to hold an art auction, Eat Your Art Out, it promises to be a good party. It’s free to get in, local artists will be showcasing their work (check out......

It was almost a year ago that LAist was blown away by the US Sumo Open at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The day of amateur sumo wrestling action, yakisoba noodles and free sake made us understand why the sport is followed so religiously in Japan. With the lousy weather keeping us homebound this weekend, it seemed like a good time to start researching the 2008 event, as we’re anxious to see the return......

Hope Solo might be the best thing to happen to women's soccer since the 91ers (if you don't know who they are, read my DVD review from earlier today). She's grabbing intriguing headlines for the US women's soccer team -- a squad that otherwise embarrassed itself this month and would be wallowing in anonymity at the moment. In case you missed it, Solo, the starting goalkeeper, was benched just before the team's loss to Brazil......

After a summer hiatus, the in-your-face punk rock action of the Derby Dolls are back. Tonight is a different brand of the Derby and of the Doll, as they will be playing at the Industry Hills Expo Center for a night of two games (including a mini-bout), bands and Hell's Belles Custom Classic Car Show. While the temporary one-time location is screwy for some, the advantage is the 2500 people the space can hold,......

We've been covering the Derby Dolls since the Winter and now we bring you the Angel City Derby Girls (ACDG). You won't see a Derby vs. Angel match because they are in two different leagues, respectively as banked track and flat track. And like Derby, Angel City is made up of local teams such as the Berzerkers and the Shore Shots who played head to head last night. Rules are also different with Angel......

Photo by Tom Rippe Tough Cookies 28, Fight Crew 23 In one of the most aggressive fall-done games, both teams stayed neck and neck throughout the first half. Then in the 3rd Quarter, Fight Crew slipped (and fell) and let their score fall 5 points behind the Tough Cookies. In the 4th quarter with less than 4 minutes to go, Fight Crew started to close the gap at 2 points behind. Tough Cookies resisted......

Despite the fact that only about 8 of the 50 competitors at Saturday’s 2007 US Sumo Open will be women, LAist is simply giddy about the prospect of watching two girls charge each other like a couple of rhinos. We already feel blessed that our city is the home of some of the country’s best girl on girl roller derby action, so it’s hard not to get excited by the mawashi-clad ladies of sumo......

Want to see somebody who'll be hurting worse than you on Sunday morning? Get your designated driver (or wish on a leprechaun) to chauffeur you to the Anaheim Hockey Club on Saturday night to watch some hot roller derby action. The Angel City Derby Girls will be visiting local rival Orange County Roller Girls. It's St. Patrick's day, so of course there will be beer. The ticket site mentions key words like "Get Lucky"......

By the end of the first quarter on last Saturday night's game, it looked like it was over: the Tough Cookies already have won. In the first jam of nine, 5-points were scored off the bat; then another 2 in the second jam. Finally the Sirens caught on and started using their moves, but still not as tough as any cop should (think police sirens in their team name). The first quarter ended 5......

To my dearest City of Angels, On this Valentine's Day, my thoughts turn to love. I want to whisper sweet nothings in your broadcast booths. I want to serenade you with Randy Newman's, "I Love LA." You have blessed me with your balmy weather and sunny skies. Other cities may act like ice queens and dump (11 feet of snow on) their lovers, but you never fail me. You always get me excited. You give......

Before we get down and dirty with Saturday night's game, here is a little "audio postcard," if you will, that features some play by play action and Scientology bashing by the game announcers: You know you're missing something when celebrities start coming to an event that a few years ago used to be held illegally in warehouses in Chinatown. Last Saturday's game brought out John C. Reilly (pictured left) and Patricia Arquette (interestingly enough,......

It's never too early to plan for the weekend... LA Derby Dolls: Saturday at 6:30 p.m., Little Tokyo It's almost sold out, if not already by the time we press publish. This sport is about as local and special to LA as you can get. Two teams in the country play roller derby on a banked tracked and we have it here. Support your local punk rock kittens because it is a blast. Saturday's......

Here are the ground rules: five players from each team enter the track -- four blockers and one jammer. The whistle blows and the group of blockers start skating. The second whistle lets the jammers begin their jam. The jammers must skate through the group of blockers, go all the way around the track and catch up to the group again. Now, for every opposing blocker they pass, a point is gained. It's those......

This weekend, say hello, dolly! The Japanese American Museum wants families to check out the dolls in their collection and join them for a tea party from 10:30-11:00AM Saturday. Children are encouraged to bring a doll -- or action figure -- of their own for storytelling. Don't miss the "Hey Doll" show, a collaboration of 13 women artists that's been more than a year in the making. Each artist constructed a doll-like art object......