The Derby

Here's what I know about Roller Derby: Hard-looking women in ripped fishnet stockings. and short shorts, roller skate around a rink and knock each other down. Oh, and there was a movie last year called, "Whip it" with Drew Barrymore. Wiki says, "Roller derby is an American-invented contact sport based on formation roller skating around an oval track, with points scored as certain players lap members of an opposing team. " So I was close enough.

What they don't tell you is this:
The people that play it are men and women. Men play against men and women against women. They wear uniforms, not costume.
The people that watch it are all ages, shapes, & sizes.
People actually get hurt.*

When I noted on my Facebook page that I was interested in going to see this, I had a slew of comments back of people interested in joining me. So my merry band of 6 and I trekked into San Francisco, to the deepest, darkest part of the Haight-Ashbury to have dinner at Cha Cha Cha (a Haight Street institution) before experiencing the Brooklyn Red-Devils vs the San Francisco Bay City Bombers (via Goldstar of course).

We arrived at Kezar at 6 (8 p.m. start) and there was a huge will-call line. Apparently the event sold out (or nearly sold out). We got our tickets and walked to the restaurant. Fortunately, John had arrived at Cha Cha Cha early as there was a 1 hour wait. By the time we arrived, we waited only 15 minutes. Dinner was as good tonight as I remembered it from 20 years ago.

The event itself was fun/funny. The crowd was ecstatic, much like a WWF crowd would be ecstatic. There are 8 10 minute rounds and when we hit the 1/2 time, I think the group was done, though none of us said anything. During 1/2 time, a cheer squad entertained the crowd. In the end, the World-Champion Bay City Bombers beat the Brooklyn Red Devils by 1 point in the last few seconds of the match.

The crowd went wild.

Fun: 4 (quite)

Easy to implement: 1 (Easy-fo-cheesy(

Worthy of repetition: 3 (it's a once a year thing at best)

Try This: 5 (OH YEAH)

Cost: 1 (Goldstar makes it cheap)

* One of the Red Devils broke her ankly on her fall over the rail.