Come see your undefeated Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls as they take on the Cornfed Derby Dames from Muncie, Ind. It will be LBD’s last home bout until September.
LBD is also making preparations for the annual New Skater Call-Out and Boot Camp. Come join LBD and learn to be a derby girl! There is a $35 participation fee for the Boot Camp. Skate at your own risk
The format is a little different this year:
- The 4-6 week intensive boot camp will begin Monday, Aug. 5
- The goal is to pass your skills test by the end of this time
- Don’t worry: if you don’t pass, you can still come skate and practice on our second track!
What you will need:
- Skates & wheels
- Safety gear (helmet, mouth guard, elbow pads, knee pads)
- These can be purchased in packages via derby websites or at stores like Vital Skates in Indy.
A roller derby team on a roll wins in different ways.
On May 11, the Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls withstood a late barrage, costly penalties and 101 points from one jammer to still defeat the Kokomo City of Fists Rollergirls, 177-133, in front of about 500 fans at the Brawl House in the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. Previous victories were of the more dominant variety but this win was closed out with guts and clutch performances when they were needed most.
Off to a team history-best 3-0 start, the Brawlin’ Dolls dominated the first half thanks to a barrage of five different jammers and tough, punishing blockers. However, the second half belonged to Kokomo — or more accurately the towering yet speedy jammer JessPasst Jurass, who was used numerous times in the second half on her way to a 101-point night.
Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls stopped the bleeding with clutch jams from Psycho Socializer, Pon Farr Pixie and Get Shorty late in the bout. LBD captain Sugar Magnolia showed leadership, toughness and speed during her epic 22 jams, which earned the Dolls 77 points.
The second half was penalty-plagued with jammers getting simultaneous penalties a handful of times. These infractions cost potential and valuable power jams for their teams.
The bout ended with a lineup miscue that saw blocker Mad-Eye Molly as the only LBD skater. With a couple Dolls in the penalty box as well, Molly was forced to skate solo while Jurass racked up 30 points. However, Molly slowed down and stuffed the jammer multiple times to ensure victory.
The final seconds thankfully ticked away as Molly was swarmed by her teammates.
In the first half, Sugar skated in four jams in a row. Combined with veteran Psycho Socializer, Sugar has risen to the top of the roster for clutch jamming. The newest jammer, Get Shorty, followed up a strong home-opening effort with a tremendous jam that ate up two minutes of time and got her 24 points.
Shorty was aided by bone-crunching hits from Dreaded Thunder, Pon Farr Pixie, Coquette Threat and others en route to her 30-point night.
Jurass, who played the Dolls strong in 2012, could have had an even bigger night were it not for strong defense from Thunder, Biscuits ‘n’ Crazy, Hepatitis T and Stitchez, whose experience and strength helped neutralize the Kokomo skater the best.
The Brawlin’ Dolls look to extend their winning streak to four when the black and pink take on the Cornfed Derby Dames from Muncie June 29 at the Brawl House.
The Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls will be back at it Saturday, May 11, at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. For the second home bout, they will be up against the Kokomo City of Fists Rollergirls. Lafayette and Kokomo competed last at the Brawl House in October of 2012 and though City of Fists played passionately, LBD won out 139-92.
The 2013 season changes were a success for the first home bout, due in large part to a record turnout. LBD was thrilled to have fans pack the new Brawl House and also show plenty of love to the new vendors. For this bout seating accommodations will be improved to better maximize capacity and admission will be capped. The doors will open at 6pm so please feel free to get there early if you haven’t yet purchased your pre-sale tickets or if you just want to pick out the best spot. Don’t forget that “Swine seating” formerly known as “suicide seating” will be available on the floor right in front of the track so you can see the skaters up close. You must be 18 or up to have such daring seating, however.
The after-party will be hosted by People’s Brewing Company, located at 2006 N. Ninth Street.
If you like two wheels as much as eight, jump on your bicycle and join Bicycle Lafayette for a casual ride to the fairgrounds. The ride will depart at 4:30 pm from the John T. Myers pedestrian bridge and arrive at the Brawl House at 6pm.
If you’ve never been to a roller derby bout, you may wonder what the sport is like. Is it staged, like wrestling? That rumor still goes around. In fact the skaters put a lot of time and effort into their craft. The team’s roster-ready skaters show great exuberance to be working to make the sport known locally alongside LBD’s veteran skaters. Please take a couple of minutes to get to know Get Shorty.
Question: How or why did you get involved in derby?
Answer: As soon as I found out that Lafayette had a roller derby team, I knew that it was something I was going to do. I tend to be attracted to aggressive sports and it looked like it would be a blast to play.
Q: What has surprised you about derby?
A: All of the other responsibilities that skaters have outside of skating that are required to run the league including committee work and promotional events. It really is like a second job but way better because you get to hang out with your teammates while you do the work.
Q: What is the most satisfying goal you have met so far?
A: Gaining a better understanding of the strategic part of the game – I’m still learning. I’m striving to be a smarter player.
Q: What are you known for or likely to be doing off the track?
A: Either eating, running, or goofing around.
Q: Are there any skaters you look up to?
A: Varla Vendetta from Windy City Rollers. She’s small like me, incredibly fit, has a great attitude, and can get really low. I have a picture of her taken at the World Cup that reminds me to get lower when I skate.
Q: Are there any LBD changes you are excited about for this season?
A: Yes, we are hoping to become a nonprofit organization by the end of the season. This will open up many possibilities for the league.
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Wednesday, May 1 – Meet the Brawlin’ Dolls at Arni’s Restaurant in Market Square
Skaters, refs & rookies will be at Arni’s (2200 Elmwood Ave.) from 6-8 p.m., handing out flyers, meeting folks, and generally talking derby. We’ll have merch there, for sure, and hopefully tickets for sale (updates on that to come). Come say “hi” as we get revved up for our second home bout on May 11. Facebook Event Link
Wednesday, May 8 – LBD Day at Java Roaster in Downtown Lafayette
The Brawlin’ Dolls receive 25% of the sale when you print off & present an LBD Flyer when you make your purchase. Java Roaster is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 – Bike Month’s Trike Race, Brawlin’ Doll Ride & Depot Day at the John T. Meyers Pedestrian Bridge & Riehle Plaza in Downtown Lafayette
Bicycle Lafayette, Friends of Downtown, the Brawlin’ Dolls and the City of Lafayette have teamed up to bring you an amazing day of bikes, trikes, derby and trains! Facebook Event Link
– From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. stop by the Depot for Train Day! Check out all sorts of awesome train fun at the Riehle Plaza Train Depot.
– Bicycle Lafayette has teamed up with the Friends of Downtown to host the fourth annual Trike Race on the John T. Meyers Pedestrian Bridge! Starting at 2 p.m., teams of four will compete in a relay race on adult trikes. If you haven’t seen this event in the past, it is an amazing, fun time for the whole family! We’re back to $40 a Team with proceeds going to support Friends of Downtown and Bicycle Lafayette (details on specific initiatives via BicycleLafayette.org or the Friends of Downtown Facebook page. Contact BicycleLafayette@gmail.com to sign up.
– Following the trike race, you have your choice of fun for the evening! Join Bicycle Lafayette on a ride to the Brawlin’ Dolls second home bout at their new location at the Tippecanoe Fair Grounds (route details to come). If riding isn’t your thing, swing on over to the first Mosey Down Main Street of the summer and enjoy one of downtown Lafayette’s most excellent, FREE events!
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The Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls christened its new Brawl House April 20 with a huge 182-92 victory over the Terrorz of Tiny Towns’ Diesel Dolls out of Columbus, Ind.
A packed crowd of over 700 filled the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. A long line that almost went to Teal Road was a welcome sight for the skaters as the support helped the Brawlin’ Dolls dominate a bout that looked to be a close contest at halftime but instead became a blowout.
The Dolls’ conditioning, vision and deft coaching from Heartless B. and Bang A. Rang decimated the Terrorz of Tiny Towns, who looked to run out of gas, in the second half. Only Terrorz jammer Semper Fiasco was a threat throughout. However, the lithe skater had her head down and was pummeled by one of Dreaded Thunder’s many vicious hits. That smash seemed to break the visitors’ backs as short jams picked up small point totals but it kept the Terrorz’s score sheet mostly blank in the closing minutes.
Bodies flew and penalties were racked up. But the Brawlin’ Dolls physical presence was too much for the Columbus ladies.
The Dolls’ deep bench of veterans and second-year skaters was also on display. Get Shorty, who is one of several entering her second season on the roster, made her debut jam with a cool 10-pointer. This came after more experienced jammers like Psycho Socializer, Sugar Magnolia, Bubblegun and Rampage feasted on Terrorz for big scores. Blocking by Biscuits n’ Crazy, Coquette Threat, Mad-Eye Molly, Stitchez and Ponn Farr Pixie helped create many seams for the fleet skaters to power through.
Tree Slugger skated for the final time as a Brawlin' Doll
Heartless B and Bang A. Rang seemed to be a step ahead of the Terrorz by juggling lines. Once the visitors got accustomed to smaller, faster jammers, the coaches threw more powerful jammers like Hepatitis T and Dreaded Thunder at them.
Thanks to strong jams by Tree Slugger, Dreaded Thunder and Sugar Magnolia, The Brawlin’ Dolls were pitching a shutout for the first several minutes of the bout. The black and pink were up 31-0 at one point. However, a pair of costly power jams put the Terrorz in a slight lead at 41-39.
But just minutes later, Psyco Socializer’s 15-point power jam brought the home team back in the lead, never to relinquish it thanks in part to Psycho’s 25-point second half power jam.
After a March road victory versus Southern Illinois, LBD has its first 2-0 start of the season in its five-season history.
The April 20 victory had its bittersweet side, though, as Tree Slugger announced that she has skated her last bout with the Brawlin’ Dolls. During her three seasons with the team, Slugger evolved into one of the top jammers on the squad.
The Dolls will try to keep their winning streak alive May 11 against old foe Kokomo City of Fists. LBD has defeated Kokomo in the past but will the success continue?
The April 20 Home Bout is an All Ages Event. Children 10 & under receive free admission. Military receive $5 tickets the night of the bout with a valid military ID.
The Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls 2013 home opener is set for Saturday, April 20 vs. Terrorz of Tiny Towns (Columbus, Ind.). It will be the debut of the new Brawl House, which is now located inside the Swine Barn at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 6 p.m. & the bout starts at 7 p.m. Psycho Socializer & Ponn Farr Pixie preview the bout in this interview video.
Along with Saturday being the inaugural bout at the new Brawl House, new merch, new vendors, and the new rules (no minors penalties – WHAT!?!) will be in the mix. Tailgating is allowed in the parking lots, but alcohol is not permitted in the Fairgrounds’ parking lots. We’ll have People’s Brewing Company beer inside the brawl house. Food options include the EMT Food Truck outside, and Arni’s and LongHouse Farms kettle corn inside the Brawl House.
The Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds is located at 1010 Teal Road in the heart of Lafayette. Look for the red gate across from the gas station. Parking remains free.
The Mound Builders will be rocking at halftime of the bout. The hard rock/metal/stoner rock quintet from Lafayette is expected to perform a couple of roller derby-inspired covers along with their original material.
The April 20 Home Bout is an All Ages Event. Children 10 & under receive free admission. Military receive $5 tickets the night of the bout with a valid military ID.
April 20 is the Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls first home bout at the new Brawl House located at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. The Dolls have a lot of changes to be excited about for the 2013 season. There are seat cushions and some new t-shirt styles ready to roll out. People’s Brewing Company will be offering five different beers at the bout including Mr. Brown, Moundbuilder IPA and their pale ale. Food from Arni’s and kettlecorn from Longhouse Farms will be for sale as well. The Emergency Munchie Truck will be there too, with some of their signature melts and bowls as well as some other items. Owner Amber Davis is excited to offer some special items like a “LBD lemonade” and a snack mix.
“The jammer no longer gets a head start because there is only one whistle to start the jam,” said LBD veteran Dreaded Thunder. “So it’ll be harder for the jammer to get through the pack at first.”
In addition, roller derby no longer has any minor penalties. This is a double-edged sword for the sport.
“I think the game-play will be a little bit different,” Thunder explained, “because players will be more hands-on with each other and won’t be getting called out for it. Under the old rule-set I had to be more concerned about touching players on the other team with my hands or forearms. I also think jammers will get sent to the box more often for cutting the track, which may result in scoring differentials if the other team gets a power jam.”
The team also has several roster-ready skaters, that is, skaters who newly have the skills and experience for skating in bouts but haven’t yet reached that seasoned “veteran” familiarity and status. Several newbies made their check-offs last season in time to skate in LBD’s last three bouts. We took a little time to talk to one of these up-and-coming skaters — Bubblegun.
Question: Where did the name come from?
Answer: Picking up a derby name was such a big deal for me because I think it has to be related to your personality. I knew I didn’t want a long and dark name because I’m just not like that. I had a long list of names and those I wanted most were ‘Jello shot,’ ‘Crème brûlée,’ and ‘Bubblegun.’ I decided to call myself ‘Bubblegun’ because it seemed bittersweet.
Q: You’ve been in the United States from Colombia since 2009. What is something you brought with you as a person that will never change no matter where you are?
A: Definitely my warmness and comfort with hugs and friendly affection!
Q: How did you get involved with derby?
A: I have always been fascinated with any sport that involves skates and in April 2010 I was walking around campus with my hubby, Rodrigo, and he saw an Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls poster and said, “Honey, you like skating stuff, why don’t we go see this?” I had no idea what roller derby was, but after I went to the first bout I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to skate at the beginning so I decided to become a volunteer that season. When LBD had a call-out for new skaters in December of that year, I decided to commit to it even though I was terrified and didn’t know how to skate!
Q: What is so fascinating about sports involving skates to you?
A: What I like the most is seeing the level of skills that people can get after practicing for a while. This is incredible because after some point it looks like they are not skating but naturally moving. I love that.
Q: What has surprised you about derby?
A: “How strong you can get if you have discipline!”
Q: What are you likely to be doing off the track?
A: Currently I work with kids, which I really enjoy. I have also taught Spanish at the International Center in West Lafayette and given cultural presentations at local schools. I love arts, crafts, and fashion and also do interior design!
Brawlin’ Dolls’ tickets are available at People’s Brewing Company, Von’s, Emergency Munchie Truck, Eagle Harley-Davidson, K. Dee’s Coffee, Plato’s Closet, through their website, or at the door.
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Thanks to all the friends, family, fans & team supporters that attended LBD’s April 6 screening of “Derby, Baby!” documentary at the Lafayette Brewing Company. The art & jewelry auction was a success and the Congress rocked the stage after the film screening was complete. Thanks to the Lafayette Brewing Company and Jelly Entertainment for helping to organize & host the event.
Before the Brawlin’ Dolls’ April 20 home-opening bout, it will be LBD Day at Java Roaster in Downtown Lafayette this Wednesday (April 10). The Brawlin’ Dolls receive 25 percent of the sale when you print off and present this FLYER at the time of your purchase.
Home-Opening Bout, April 20 vs Terrorz of Tiny Towns
The April 20 Home Bout is an All Ages Event. Children 10 & under receive free admission. Military receive $5 tickets the night of the bout with a valid military ID.
The Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls 2013 home opener is set for Saturday, April 20 vs. Terrorz of Tiny Towns (Columbus, Ind.). It will be the debut of the new Brawl House, which is now located inside the Swine Barn at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 6 p.m. & the bout starts at 7 p.m.
Along with it being the inaugural bout at the new Brawl House, new merch, new vendors, and the new rules (no minors penalties – WHAT!?!) will be in the mix. Tailgating is allowed in the parking lots, but alcohol is not permitted in the Fairgrounds’ parking lots. We’ll have People’s Brewing Company beer inside the brawl house. Food options include the EMT Food Truck outside, and Arni’s and LongHouse Farms kettle corn inside the Brawl House.
The Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds is located at 1010 Teal Road in the heart of Lafayette. Look for the red gate across from the gas station. Parking remains free.
The Mound Builders will be rocking at halftime of the bout. The hard rock/metal/stoner rock quintet from Lafayette is expected to perform a couple of roller derby-inspired covers along with their original material.
LBD is partnering with Jelly Entertainment to hold a full-length film screening of the roller derby documentary “Derby, Baby!” The Saturday night event at the Lafayette Brewing Company will also feature live music by The Congress, a silent auction and chances to win LBD merchandise and tickets!
It’s a 21+ over event at the LBC, with a $5 cover charge at the door. Proceeds support LBD.
The film “Derby, Baby!” highlights the strength and energy of the women of roller derby, and explores what drives these smart, educated and accomplished women.
Attendees can also purchase their tickets for LBD’s home-opening bout on Saturday, April 20 at the “Derby, Baby!” event at the LBC. Or buy your bout tickets online HERE.
Derby Baby, April 6 at LBC
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