Y'ALL COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR!

The Y'Allstars Southern Skate Showdown made its debut in Thibodaux ("tih-buh-doh"), Louisiana, February 24-26, 2023! Coordinated by Team Louisiana Roller Derby and Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors, with additional support from other Louisiana leagues including Big Easy Roller Derby, Red Stick Roller Derby, Northshore Roller Derby, and beyond, this inaugural roller derby tournament set the stage for three action-packed days of high-level roller derby between some of the best teams in the world.

It was such a joy to see y'all the weekend after Mardi Gras and we cannot WAIT to do it all again in the future (after some well earned sleep, of course).

A black and white group image of Team Louisiana at the conclusion of the game. Skaters are wearing and holding beads and smiling wide. Photo taken by Emme Munch.
A group photo of Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors skaters, refs and coaches after a warehouse scrimmage. Skaters are wearing derby gear and tie dyed shirts.

Y'Allstars was made possible (and we hope will continue to be made possible) with support from...

A determined Team Louisiana jammer in a navy blue jersey skates around the track on her way back to the pack, hoping to score points. Photo taken by Jim Vernier.

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT

Y'Allstars is a pro-bowl style tournament, showcasing top-tier roller derby athletes and teams from all over. Competing teams are made up of highly-talented skaters from different cities and leagues, ultimately forming "superteams" that represent a dedicated region or cause.

The inaugural Y'Allstars tournament featured a total of 15 teams competing within three divisions: Adult Women's, Adult Open, and Juniors (aka kids' roller derby). Local teams Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors and Team Louisiana were thrilled to compete at the event, representing the Pelican State!

In addition, Y'Allstars featured the "Mardi Brawl," a purple vs gold mash-up game that provided a fun yet challenging experience for both local and visiting skaters. Skaters made homemade costumes for their teams (how very NOLA of y'all) and the game ended with a Second Line around the track.

Y'Allstars marks the first event of its kind here in Louisiana, one that we hope will return year after year! For more details about venue, schedule, teams and more, visit our Tournament Info page.

2023 COMPETING TEAMS

WOMEN'S  DIVISION

Team Louisiana
Team Black Diaspora
Team Florida
Team Indigenous Rising
Jewish Roller Derby
Team Michigan
Team Tennessee
Team Texas

OPEN  DIVISION

Beast Side Roller Derby
Chicago Roller Derby
Team Florida
Ruff Ryders

MARDI BRAWL

Krewe de Bruise
King Babycakes

JUNIOR  DIVISION

Red Stick Roller Derby Juniors
South Texas Scallywags
Rome Junior Roller Derby Allstars

ROLLER DERBY x MARDI GRAS

Y'Allstars 2023 was held the weekend directly after Mardi Gras!

In 2023, Mardi Gras was held on Tuesday, February 21. Louisiana goes into full Carnival mode starting about a week and a half before Mardi Gras, with plenty of parades and revelry.

The folks who put on Y'Allstars 2023 feel like this approach is not sustainable and are looking at dates not during the height of Carnival season for 2024 and/or 2025. One weekend we're considering is the weekend AFTER the weekend after Mardi Gras (so, Feb 23-25). However, we really cannot have productive discussions without more information about WFTDA's plans for 2023-24 Regional/National competitive timelines. 

A tractor pulls a vibrant Mardi Gras float down a street lined with parade-goers on both sides. The trees along the street are draped with purple, green and gold paper that is fluttering in the wind above the crowd.

THANK YOU TO OUR VENDORS & SPONSORS!

So many regional businesses were involved in making this new community event possible. We were also overjoyed to connect with many roller derby businesses who gave us a boost for this inaugural event. If you are interested in being involved of the future of Y'Allstars, we would love to talk with you about what a potential team or event sponsorship (or other arrangement) could look like!

Please reach out via email and we will be in touch. We greatly appreciate your support!

WE LOVE OUR STAFF & VOLUNTEERS!

Our staff and volunteers are the best people in the world, y'all. Can't get enough of 'em.

If you are interested in learning more about how we managed recruitment of officials and staff, including the forms we used to collect their information efficiently, please email yallstarstournament@gmail.com.

GET IN TOUCH

Questions? Fill out the contact form below and we'll follow up with you directly!