Roller skates, miniskirts and fishnets. All were in abundance at the Art for Humanity EpiCenter in South Boston on Wednesday as the roller derby chicks of New England gathered en mass to welcome Drew Barrymore.

Drew was in town to promote her new flick -- and directorial debut -- 'Whip it!' doe out Oct. 2. Starring Juno's Ellen Page as Bliss, the movie follows a former pageant girl in small-town Texas as she discovers herself within the fast-paced, rock-em-sock-em world of competitive women's roller derby.

Sounds cool, but roller derby teams don't really exist like that, right? Ha. Don't let any of the Boston Derby Dames hear you say that. These Barbie-doll beauties are tough as nails, strong as hockey players and have a chip of girl power on their shoulders the size of small boulders.

"We work very hard to be seen as a legitimate sport," says Derby Dames travel team captain Claire D. Way. "We're serious competitive athletes."

What about all of the elbows, punches and tackles? Not the way of roller derby, says ...er, Way. "Flat-track roller derby is a game of skill and finesse. Those kinds of moves are just for the movies."

But it was with squeals and wheels of delight that the roller girls greeted star Drew Barrymore, who strut into Southie wearing patent-leather, stiletto ankle booties, plaid thigh-highs, a black pleaded mini reminiscent of school girls gone wild, plus an urban cowgirl shirt with ruffles. Topping the look was her maraschino lips and a bustled trench coat that created a buzz of "must-haves" from the assembled audience.

"It's so great to be back here in Boston!" Barrymore said over hoots and hollers. "They said I could do the premiere in LA and Hollywood, but I was like, no way! Boston!" She filmed baseball movie "Fever Pitch!" during the Red Sox's historic first World Series win since 1914. "This film was important to me to show this side of roller derby -- the softer side, sorta."

She signed autographs on posters, booty shorts and helmets, and even smacked a delicate kiss on the cheek of yours truly (I'm still recovering ...). But, where the flighty persona she preceded her, I found her to be absolutely professional and courteous in that baby doll sweet way Barrymore always seems to carry with her.

She's been in front of the camera since the age of 5 (1980 movie "Altered States"), and in Hollywood her whole life. Her breakout role in "E.T" catapulted her into super-stardom and, after inching back from teen-aged years filled with drugs and alcohol, she's back in the lime-light and once again everyone's darling -- a title she readily deserves, if I have anything to say about it.

Drew Barrymore treated each and every person in that hall like they were the only people in the room, keeping eye contact with you, smiling and complimenting everyone's outfit. "Oh, wow, your hair is great! Very derby-ish!" crooned Barrymore at my multi-colored locks.

But, in the end, the roller girls had center stage at the event, gliding across the concrete floor of the gallery like metal butterflies -- covered in so many tattoos and piercings they'd make a biker blush before asking for their numbers.

"We're all about empowering girls to be the best they can be," Claire D. Way said with fondness toward her team. "We're a real sisterhood."

A sisterhood into which Drew Barrymore has now been inducted as a lifetime member.