I've been following the Dames as one of their unofficial "groupies" for a few years now.
I first witnessed a bout back in 2006, at the invitation of a friend while they were still at Castle Sports at instantly got hooked. Now I'm friends with a handful of skaters. This from the person that would leave the room when the ex and my daughter used to watch it on TV (I think there was some documentary style show on Spike or something shortly before that).
Derby is somewhere between a fast passed full contact sport and WWE wrestling. Some of the fights are for "fun" and some are very real. When I leave ... I wanna go get in a fight!!
This year they start bouting on a banked track, like old school derby, which means it will be faster and more fun.
The skaters names and constumes are a little riske but it is entertainment for the whole family. I have, on many occaisons, witnessed a Nun or two in attendance.