You tell us what's going on here.Photo by James McDaniel
Welcome back to the Battle on the Bank VI recaps. While the razor... Read more..
Photo by Ivanna Exposya
In Friday's games, the Arizona Derby Dames, San Diego Derby Dolls and LA Derby Dolls won a chance to advance... Read more..
Photo by Ivanna Exposya
The LA Derby Dolls Ri-Ettes took home the Battle on the Bank Championship trophy Sunday, the Arizona... Read more..
Rose City enters the rank, Team Bionic joins the de-listed, OCRG and TTRB swap places, and Rat City drops to #3 due to elapsed time and changes to the... Read more..
The sixth annual Battle on the Bank tournament is coming home to Los Angeles where it started in 2008.
The LA Derby Dolls,... Read more..
Photo by Jess Reynolds © jessreynolds.com
In last's week's preview, I said that if you went by the numbers of recent flat and... Read more..
Photo by jem PHOTO
We don't get many recaps from people who were actually playing in the game, and we think this is pretty cool... Read more..
Photo by Jess Reynolds
The Arizona Derby Dames were founded in 2005, but after playing in Battle on the Bank II in Austin in 2009,... Read more..
Photo by Rosy Machete
Learnin’ derby skills is hard, y’all. Taking new skills to the banked track is even harder.
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Battle ON THE BANK VI: Day 3...The Final Battles
- by Busta Armov
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| You tell us what's going on here. Photo by James McDaniel |
Welcome back to the Battle on the Bank VI recaps. While the razor thin Tilted Thunder victory over the OC Rollergirls started the event out with an upset according to the Banked Rank, the remainder of BotB VI has pretty much adhered to expectations.
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| Photo by Ivanna Exposya |
One of those expectations, was that the San Diego Derby Dolls would triumph over the Arizona Derby Dames after their 70 point win over AZDD in April. And they met that expectation in the 5th Game of BotB VI when the SDDD Wildfires won 80-71 over the AZDD Hot Shots. But that half hour game was close enough at the beginning of the last jam, that it could have gone either way.
Their defeat by San Diego sent Arizona to the elimination round, where they had to work their way back up by defeating the OC Rollergirls 86-71, and the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds 90-51.
After defeating AZDD on Day 2, SDDD went on to play the only other team that had thus far survived the winner's bracket, the LA Derby Dolls. Normally, what we're used to in tournaments is that this would be the championship game. But because this was a double elimination tournament, to go to the real championship with the winner's-bracket topping LADD, SDDD would have to do battle once again with their vanquished foe in a full length, one hour grudge match.
The reward for going toe to toe for a second time in what promised to be a close, physical and exhausting game, was a shot at the undisputed champions among banked track leagues, the LA Derby Dolls, a couple of hours later for the championship trophy.
BATTLE ON THE BANK VI: Day 2
- by Busta Armov
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| Photo by Ivanna Exposya |
In Friday's games, the Arizona Derby Dames, San Diego Derby Dolls and LA Derby Dolls won a chance to advance along the "winners" bracket. There were advantages to the winners bracket over the "elimination" or "consolation" bracket. While both could go to the championship game, the winners bracket would take fewer games to get there.
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WE NEED BLOGGERS. FROM ALL OF THE RDCL PLAYING BANKED TRACK LEAGUES.
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Tilted Thunder won its first game, and already lost its winner's bracket game to the LA Derby Dolls. So they were now in the elimination bracket, with the Sugartown Rollergirls and Penn Jersey Roller Derby. As teams in the winners bracket lost their games, they would next play in the elimination bracket, winners playing other winners in the elimination bracket, losers packing up their gear and joining the spectators.
This is how the bracket fills out up until now:
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BATTLE ON THE BANK VI: Day 1
- by Busta Armov
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| Photo by Ivanna Exposya |
The LA Derby Dolls Ri-Ettes took home the Battle on the Bank Championship trophy Sunday, the Arizona Derby Dames took second and the San Diego Derby Dolls took third. It was a weekend of the craziest tournament schedule you ever heard of in roller derby.
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WE NEED BLOGGERS. FROM ALL OF THE RDCL PLAYING BANKED TRACK LEAGUES.
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On one side of the bracket, the undefeated team would go to the championship game. On the other side of the bracket, the losers had to battle it out with each other, each advancement rewarded with a new game a team would have to win to move to that next level that would take them one step closer to the championship. No matter what team you lost to in the first round you had a chance to slog your way up from the bottom, against the competition you're closest to in skill. It's like consolation rounds that actually continue to be relevant. It was a true test of a team's physical conditioning and endurance.
There were not one, but two upsets at BotB VI. The biggest upset came from the Arizona Derby Dames, who defeated the San Diego Derby Dolls in a full length game, after losing to them in a half hour game and on San Diego's track earlier in the year. AZDD advanced to the championship game against the LA Derby Dolls, but LADD prevailed with a score of 262-63.
The following are recaps in the order that they happened, starting with Friday's games. Saturdays and Sunday's games will be posted shortly.
The adult bracket started with an upset in the OC Rollergirls vs Tilted Thunder Rail Birds game. When they last met in a full length game in March, OCRG won with a 184-121, a 63 point advantage.
The June Banked Rank Is UP!
- by Busta Armov
Rose City enters the rank, Team Bionic joins the de-listed, OCRG and TTRB swap places, and Rat City drops to #3 due to elapsed time and changes to the RDCL rules.
The Banked Rank is a joint project of Team Armov, Derby Deeds and Banked Track News, and is determined by a panel of knowledgeable and opinionated fans, skaters and insiders.
Battle On The Bank VI Returns To Los Angeles This Weekend
- by Busta Armov
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The sixth annual Battle on the Bank tournament is coming home to Los Angeles where it started in 2008.
The LA Derby Dolls, San Diego Derby Dolls, Arizona Derby Dames, OC Rollergirls, Tilted Thunder Rail Birds, Sugartown Rollergirls and Penn Jersey Roller Derby will be competing for the championship title and a trophy as big as a building.
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| Adult Bracket (click for printable version) | Junior Bracket (click for printable version) |
Battle on the Bank VI will also feature a junior roller derby tournament, for the first time this year. Junior banked track teams from the LA Derby Dolls, San Diego Derby Dolls, Arizona Derby Dames, OC Rollergirls, Tilted Thunder Rail Birds and Sugartown Rollergirls will compete for the first ever banked track junior roller derby championship trophy.
Read more: Battle On The Bank VI Returns To Los Angeles This Weekend
LADD Ri-Ettes overrule RCR Wheels of Justice 173-90
- by Busta Armov
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| Photo by Jess Reynolds © jessreynolds.com |
In last's week's preview, I said that if you went by the numbers of recent flat and banked games, Rose should have come out with a 150-185 point deficit against the LA Derby Dolls Ri-Ettes. But the Rose City Rollers Wheels of Justice did better than recent Ri-Ettes flat track challengers since the RDCL pack rules change this year.
The Ri-Ettes defeated Rose City 173-90, an 83 point spread, in a game where the Ri-Ettes held the lead unchallenged from the first jam. And like many “first time on the bank” games, it was the first quarter, when the shock and awe of playing on a different track under slightly different rules, pillories first timers on the bank. Especially a team like Rose City, which had no one on their team with any banked track experience.
Read more: LADD Ri-Ettes overrule RCR Wheels of Justice 173-90
Contract Administration for Roller Derby
- by Sniperella
Oh paperwork. How we hate it. We hate it so much we mechanically do it without really evaluating why or perhaps how to do it quicker, with less hassle. Many people have a form they use, they email it off and say “just sign it so we can play.” Questions from anyone about those documents are met with a “you just have to sign it.” This response ignores that contracts are meant to formalize agreements between people. One can decide to not negotiate on either side of that table and that kind of short tempered, lack of patience probably ends up with a lot of dead deals or unhappy deals over what could be pretty simple resolutions to make both sides happy—but I like negotiating so I tend to just keep on talking until people give up. The bulk of my ‘work’ revolves around paperwork of one sort or another, but the bulk of my ‘practice’ revolves around making that paperwork more efficient, relevant, accessible and still covers your butt. So I want to take a moment to talk about what you are doing with roller derby and why you are causing yourselves needless hassles.
SDDD Wildfires take down Steel City and Mad Rollin' Dolls in Season Opener
- by Tough Soles and Summer Crush
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| Photo by jem PHOTO |
We don't get many recaps from people who were actually playing in the game, and we think this is pretty cool - Busta Armov, editor
The Wildfires’ season opener was bitter sweet for the San Diego Derby Dolls. While both games ended in a win for our home team all-stars, it also marked the end of an era—our last game at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all the amazing fans, and the two spectacular teams that helped make this both a positive and memorable farewell.
Here are some highlights from both games, from San Diego Derby Doll’s darling couple, Tough Soles and Summer Crush:
This was the Wildfires first game of the season and our last bouts at the Del Mar fairgrounds. This weekend was exciting, knowing that we were playing two WFTDA ranked flat track teams. It was different going into a game not knowing how our opponents would adapt to the bank track. Both teams are very strong on the defense side and have top jammer skills.
Read more: SDDD Wildfires take down Steel City and Mad Rollin' Dolls in Season Opener
LADD Ri-Ettes cool AZDD Hot Shots, 193-123
- by Busta Armov
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| Photo by Jess Reynolds |
The Arizona Derby Dames were founded in 2005, but after playing in Battle on the Bank II in Austin in 2009, they took home a renewed purpose: to join with the L.A. and San Diego Derby Dolls in trying to spread banked track roller derby as a legitimate sport. Now they are part of the core RDCL leagues.
They brought in trainers from LADD and SDDD, asked a lot of questions, played games against Derby Dolls home teams and dedicated themselves to catching up.
In 2011, they defeated the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, who have been playing banked track games since 2003, in the opening halfhour round robin games. They made it to the third place game and came in 4th in the tourney after losing to San Diego 235-65. In 2012 at BotB V, they made the third place game, and this time beat former 2011 Battle on the Bank Champions, Team Legit. But they lost to the LADD Ri-Ettes 140-52 in the half hour semi finals. The LA level game was beyond their reach.
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| Photo by Jess Reynolds |
LADD's Ri-Ettes have had mixed results for the last few months. They were defeated three times in a row by Gotham Girls Roller Derby at the Roller Derby Xtreme series in Australia, defeated the Denver Roller Dolls 250-160 in December, and then won 247-91 against the Bay Area Derby Girls last month. The Ri-Ettes look as strong as ever, and the game would be an uphill battle for any challenger short of Gotham. But for this game, AZDD just wasn't quite ready for the challenge. With games against high level competitors for each of the last three months, the Ri-Ettes were in a full state of game readiness, and already had one game under the new RDCL rules under their belt, as well as three games that were played under the proto-RDCL-revision RD Xtreme rules in Australia.
The AZDD Hot Shots came to LA the clear underdogs, but they weren't lambs for the slaughter.
Stop thinking. Just stop.
- by Suzy Snakeyes
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| Photo by Rosy Machete |
Learnin’ derby skills is hard, y’all. Taking new skills to the banked track is even harder.
No matter where you are experience-wise, there is always something that’s going to be a challenge. This is a game that requires a significant amount of technical skill on roller skates, and that’s before rules and strategy are even remotely introduced. The process of learning and becoming proficient at certain skating and derby skills can be daunting, tiring and downright frustrating. How long did it take you to learn how to transition and skate backwards? Exactly. And then once you did, what happened when you first tried it on the banked track? What is it about trying to do something you know you can do, but then putting a slightly slanted surface under your feet that changes everything? You know you can do it, so why is it that now you can’t? What if what’s holding you back isn’t your body, but your brain? Could your mental approach to training be hindering your progress? And what can you do to shut off the Negative Nancy in your mind that has all sorts of opportune things to say when you’re just trying to get your practice on?
