Long Beach Roller Derby Season Opener a Smashing Success
Posted on 10 April 2010 by Shout Melissa
Terminal Island Tootsies
If you were one of the lucky ones to score a ticket to the sold out Long Beach Roller Derby Season Opener at the Dome last night, then you likely share our opinion that LBRD may just be one of the coolest things to happen to Long Beach in a long time. Over 1500 people crowded around the oval track to cheer on their favorite Derby Girls in the first bout of the season between the Terminal Island Tootsies and the 4th Street Retro Rollers. The night which included live bands, raffle prizes, vendor booths, an after party and even a visit from the local fire marshal to clear the crowded isles, was nothing short of a “smashing” success.
The women of Long Beach Roller Derby (who are local mom’s, local business owners and professionals to name a few) have practiced for over seven months in parking lots and warehouses around Long Beach in preparation for their debut season. With names like “Ida Capitate”, “Cruella DePain” and “Blanche Deathereaux”, the fact that these women show no fear is obvious and necessary to brave the pushing, shoving and pile-ups that are all part of the Roller Derby excitement. At one point toward the end of the match, the reality of the dangerous nature of Roller Derby set in when medics were called into the ring after Anita Bonghit went down. The crowd ,which chanted Bong Hit while the team nervously stood by, erupted into cheers when she stood up and made her way back to the sidelines.
In the end the Terminal Island Tootsies prevailed to win the match 159 to124 over the 4th Street Retro Rollers…although I think it’s safe to say that the entire Long Beach Roller Derby League including the volunteer staff, referees and fans were all winners last night. This was a fantastic event and one that we hope we can look forward to attending on a regular basis for many years to come.
Check out some of our pictures from last night’s match below or visit our Flickr page for even more photos!
Betty Pun Crocker Ready To Rumble
4th Street Retro Rollers Getting Up From Fall
Ida Capitate Leading the Pack
Dancing for the Crowd
More Wreckage
Skate
i was there!!! it was phenomenal! I love your article I can hear how excited are you about the derby as we in long beach are.
oh! and also the cheerleaders cracked me up! they were so enthusiastic and funny! everything! … well except for the freaking long wait to get a beer and the cost of it!!! but that’s not the derby’s fault that’s the dome .
i was there too. good times. can’t wait for the next match.
Killer Derby! I drove in to Long Beach CA from Lake Havasu, AZ and it was worth the drive. Cruella De Pain aka 101 was my favorite. Lol My awesome niece. Go TITS
I almost turned around and went back home after I had the worst directions but something kept telling me i wouldve regret that big time in which I would have! I fianlly made it before the 2nd half of the game, and to see i didnt miss a thing, there was a sold out crowd, a great dj, music performances, and girls throwing around fire at the end,.. it was more than just a game but a full on huge event! all the girls looked great! it was alot of fun to watch, even though I still dont have a full understanding of its rules. I plan to go to more games in the future. This was a great opener for the league, and im very proud of my sister Dawna Bass aka Vice Versa who was awesome out there and received MVP at the end of the game.