I've already written about the fantastic job Houston Roller Derby did hosting this year's WFTDA West Regional Tournament, particularly in the immediate wake of Hurricane Ike.  Above and beyond that, though, this was a really damned good weekend of derby.  Here's my takeaway:

Teams on the rise:

Houston Roller Derby.  Don't let the first two losses in this event fool you.  The host league performed better than they have in quite some time.  They came in as the 11th seed out of 12, yet they gave the very solid 6th seed Rocky Mountain Rollergirls a real run for their money, keeping the bout within reach until the final minutes.  They similarly kept it competitive with Pikes Peak, and dealt cross-state rival Dallas Derby Devils a final-day defeat which should, once and for all, move them above Dallas in the WFTDA rankings.  This is not the team that struggled at Roll for a Cure and the East Coast Derby Extravaganze this year -- they look to me like they've made the most of the lessons gained earlier this year.  This is a team to watch.

Pikes Peak Derby Dames.  Despite dropping their first bout against tournament Cinderella story Duke City, Pikes Peak demonstrated that their recent string of successes are no fluke.  They dropped a surging Houston, defeated Tucson Roller Derby once again to demonstrate that their earlier victory in Tucson was no fluke, and even gave Kansas City a brief scare going up 30-0 early in the weekend's final consolation bout.  KC came back to dominate that bout (in part benefiting from Snot Rocket's record-tying 25 point jam in her final appearance on the derby track), but last weekend's experiences should give Pikes Peak just what they need to keep growing.  In February, they'll host the Four Corners Feud featuring WFTDA leagues from across the mountain west -- watch for big things from PPDD at that event.

Duke City Derby.  Holy crap.  What can I say that hasn't already been said.  Help keep this cinderella story alive by donating to the Duke City Nationals Fund.

Bouts for the ages:

Duke City Derby vs. Kansas City Roller Warriors.  See above.

Texas Rollergirls vs. Rat City Rollergirls.  I've said again and again, to pretty much anyone who will listen, that this is the bout I've been waiting to see these two teams play.  It was highly competitive, it was fast and hard hitting, but it was happily lacking the in the contentious, foul-heavy play we've seen in previous meetings.  It was just superb top-level derby.  Slack Kerowhack pointed out that WFTDA's 2009 region realignment means these two teams won't meet again in a WFTDA regional tournament.  Happily, if both teams advance past the first round in nationals, we'll have a semifinal rematch to look forward to on November 15 in Portland.  Thank you, Texas and Rat City, for giving us an instant classic.  (Recap) (Archived boutcast)

Other randomness:

• My neck hurts, almost like whiplash.  Too many hours of the laptop pose (arms out, head down).  I'll be bringing the external keyboard to this year's remaining tournaments and looking for some kind of screen-elevation solution.
• I'm getting addicted to rental cars.  They are, more often than not, soooo inexpensive -- a weekend for less than the three or four cab fares we'd need otherwise -- and driving a basically new car is such a decadent pleasure.  I won't be giving up the Hurtmobile any time soon, but, mmm, rental cars.
• As much as I enjoyed my previous role as "Keeper of the Important Papers" (aka tournament clerk) for the past couple years' major WFTDA events, it is surely nice to have a beer or two while watching top-flight derby.
• We must be doing something right.  During and since this weekend, we have been so thoroughly showered with love, both in the form of kind words and also donations supporting our coverage of these modern roller derby events.  Thank you so much, everyone who's given us this positive reinforcement.  We do love what we're doing, but as you've all imagined, it is a goddam lot of work, and your expressions of appreciations really are the fuel that helps us continue.  We have a way to go yet, but your contributions are helping us to get these efforts on a more sturdy footing so we can keep it up in the future!

Off to pack for Madison.  See y'all online shortly.