At a recent Ignite Bay Area for women innovators (there’s another Ignite on Monday night), my longtime friend Micki Krimmel of Mickipedia fame gave a 5-minute presentation on the LA Derby Dolls.
Micki has been a member of the LA Derby Dolls for about two years now —
roller derby is a rough and tumble “full-contact sport mostly played by all-female teams,” she says.
LA Derby Dolls from JD Lasica on Vimeo.
I didn’t know much about the sport, so Micki explained it this way: “The object of the game is for the jammer to get past the path of blockers” and to get points by passing people on the opposing team. Under the rules, you can’t use your elbow, arms, hands or fists; you can’t grab anyone. You can block with your hips, butt or shoulders.
Roller derby, in short, is the fastest-growing sport in America. For the movie Whip It, the LA Derby Dolls worked with the filmmakers on training the cast members, and two of the Derby Dolls appear in the film.
“The athleticism keeps getting better every season,” says Micki, wearing a Mickispeedia jersey. “I love the girls, I love my league, they’ve become my family.”
In her other life, Micki is the founder and CEO of Neighborgoods.net, a community site about sharing, buying and selling at the neighborhood level. Check it out!
Micki describes it as “Craigslist mashed up with Facebook,” but it has a bit of Freecycle in the mix, too. You can borrow, rent, sell or give away items like ladders, lawn mowers, chain saws. Cool idea.
Note: This was one of the first interviews I’ve done with the Kodak zi8 handheld recorder, on loan to me from Kodak. It’s hi-def and infinitely easier to carry around than a large camcoder, though doesn’t perform well in low light and you’ll notice quite a bit of camera shake.
Check this photo album for more Derby Dolls action.
See the photo set of the LA vs. San Diego Derby Dolls bout on March 6.
Related
• NeighborGoods.net Is Sharing 2.0
