Derby From Out of Denver

The Texas Rollergirls have got some guests this weekend: The Denver Roller Dolls are sending their Mile High Club to Texas for the weekend. But Austin's own all-stars the Texecutioners are planning on bringing the vertiginous ones crashing to earth.

It's a battle of leviathans: In the latest Women's Flat Track Derby Association rankings, Denver are classed as seventh in the nation, slipping from fifth at the beginning of the year. But Texas are climbing coming in third in the nation behind San Fran's powerful B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls and the indefatigable Gotham Girls out of New York. A win for either team now could mean vital momentum for when tournament season kicks off on Sept. 5 in Sacramento, California.

Texas versus Denver has always been one of the all-time great rivalries, with classic battles like the 2012 WFTDA championship third place bout. Fan can only hope that tonight's clash will match the all-out slobberknocker the last time the pair clashed in Austin: Back in 2011, Denver squeaked a win after a dominating first half lead was etched away by the Texies' jammer rotation.

It's also the first time this year that the home crowd will get to see the all-star Texecutioners and the league's second travel team, the Firing Squad. They get some track time of their own tonight as they face Denver's own b-team, Bruising Altitude.

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Sat., June 14, 5pm. Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez, 512/404-4000. $15 ($12, advance; $5, kids). www.texasrollergirls.org.