L.A. Derby Dolls Find A New Home, Prepare For New 2015 Season

Nearly one year after the end of a successful crowdfunding campaign to fund a move, the L.A. Derby Dolls, Southern California’s premier banked track roller derby league, have found a new home.

Facing the loss of the Doll Factory, their facility in Historic Filipinotown since 2007, to redevelopment, the Derby Dolls struggled to find a suitable new location to house their banked track and to host games (called bouts) entertaining fans travelling from all around Southern California and farther. Since 2003, the Derby Dolls have trained and bouted in locations around Los Angeles, including Hollywood, Chinatown, and Little Tokyo. Their latest move, made possible by crowdfunded donations from over 800 loyal fans, finds the league setting up the track on the Eastside in the El Sereno neighborhood, at 4900 Alhambra Avenue, near the 10 and 710 freeway just blocks away from the Cal State Los Angeles campus. The new 31,000 sq. ft. facility will allow the Derby Dolls to continue training programs for both junior and adult skaters and referees, producing world class roller derby entertainment, and hosting community service events like community job and health fairs and charity fundraisers for organizations like the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.

Along with the move comes a restructuring of the Derby Dolls organization. The Derby Dolls’ founder and principal officer of more than 11 years, Rebecca “Demolicious” Ninburg, announced her intention to retire from management of the league in December of last year. The league has since restructured under a cooperative corporate structure, which allows for the collective ownership and management of the Derby Dolls by the league’s members.

With a new facility and new organizational structure, the Derby Dolls will be bringing their unique brand of banked track roller derby back to Los Angeles on May 16th with a double-header featuring Derby Dolls home teams Fight Crew and Sirens (2014 season champions), with a juniors opening bout featuring Jr. Fight Crew and Jr. Sirens. For more information on the 2015 season opener and inaugural bout at the new Derby Dolls facility, go to www.derbydolls.com/la. Crowdfunding supporters will get an opportunity at a first look at the new facility during a private “dress rehearsal” before the next public bouts.