The Angel City Derby Girls have climbed back up the rankings to number 10 in the Western Region. Based on Saturday’s bout, it was no surprise. The crowd was wild, the music was blaring and the girls were jamming. Greased Lightening was, by most accounts, the most exciting bout in to date at sold-out Veterans Auditorium in Culver City, the club’s new home.
“It was a blast and I won the skateboard in the raffle,” said Carole Pearson, who was attending her first bout.
The teams were a mix of the club’s Sub-pool, Rockets and Hollywood Scarlets squads. They comprised the two teams in the match, the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies.
The T-birds started off strong, but the Pink Ladies were never far behind and fought hard to catch up. Ms. Dfiant of the Hollywood Scarlets, explained, “ACDG home games are a great time to see the new rising talent within the league. We are so excited for the girls who are bursting on to the scene like Vera Vex, TK Mo and Missy Muerte. They will be playing in the intra-league [outside ACDG] competitive teams in no time.”
Chica Go Lightning has separated herself as one of the crowd’s favorites. She is small in comparison to other derby girls, but skates as fast as greased lightning. The crowd was on their feet cheering her on as she made her way around the track. Spectator Melissa Roberts marveled at her skill. “I can’t believe how fast she goes. I love it,” she said.
The match was not without some trouble. Tyra Shanks of the T-Birds lost a skate when it suddenly burst into pieces on the track. “I was so upset,” she said. “I didn’t understand why my skates decided to fall apart. Boo.” The setback did not stop Shanks, however. She borrowed a pair of skates and spent halftime getting used to them. In the second half, Shanks helped guide the T-birds to a 149-126 victory.