Photo by Tim Moxley

Before I temporarily retired due to pregnancy, I was the intimidator. I developed into the derby skater that became the one that my idols hated to skate against. The peanut gallery on the sidelines at scrimmage practice would routinely yell, “Someone get on Canna!” and I loved every minute of it. I was on the all star team since my rookie year, was Rookie of the Year in 2009, Demons MVP in 2009, and won the “Skater who most lives up to her name” award in 2010. I was 6 weeks pregnant as I skated with Atlanta during the 2011 regional tournament.

During my year off, a lot had happened.  Scrum. The bane of my existence. So anti-derby in my opinion. I was hoping rules would change so that by the time I’d return, I wouldn’t have to deal with scrum starts; but no. I actually considered permanently retiring just because of that.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

Then there were the 2012 rookies. They were smaller, fitter, faster, and fiercer than any rookie group I had ever seen.  Jean-Juke Picard.  I’m just glad she’s on my team. Afro Dykee. Sharing DNA with Queen Loseyateefa automatically makes her a force to reckon with, but a more compact version.

We’ve received some amazing transfers during my hiatus. Jammunition. Have you seen this woman? An amazing skater from Savannah, GA. She is fearlessly tenacious and agile. I’m glad she’s on my team, too. Wild Cherri. Wild “effing” Cherri. I’m supposed to comeback against her?  It’s amazing watching her skate and her footwork is phenomenal. Her agility and gracefulness will not be easy to defend against. Then the 3 best skaters from Athens, GA: Ozzie Kamakazi,  Rudy Huxtabrawl, and ChokeCherry.

All skaters know the feeling of torture when we take a week or so off from skating. That first practice afterward is brutal. Your endurance and stamina immediately suffers, your shins are on fire and your feet go numb. Now imagine what taking a year off is going to feel like. I skated up until I was 8 months along, hoping that would make my comeback a little easier. But alas, having a cesarean section set me way back. I hadn’t  realized the toll major surgery would have on my body. My feet grew, for one thing. So my skates no longer fit. I’m relying on my rookie skates to get me by for now.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

One thing I’m beginning to notice from all skaters, is the expectation that I would return at 100% the skater I used to be. Let’s be real: I wasn’t in the best shape before I was expecting. Having major surgery is still apparent even 3 months later. And I don’t even desire to maintain an above 90% attendance rate like I had for 2 reasons: our practice space moved from 15 minutes away from home to 35 minutes; and I have an amazing son whom needs me and I need him. I love roller derby but I love him more. I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations, and not disappoint my teammates or myself since those expectations are extremely high.

Naturally, a league grows on it’s own. Meaning, with every practice and every bout, every skater will naturally get better, grow their skills. As the league was growing and moving forward, I was moving backward in my skills. The longer I went without utilizing my skills, they became less and less sharp. This makes for a treacherous hill to climb.

As I’m plotting my return and gradually attending more and more practices with the league, rec league, and junior derby, every skater, official, parent, and significant other have been overwhelmingly supportive and happy to see me on skates again.  My family wants me to continue to do what makes me happy (derby). And I’m inspired by Wheelin’ Jennings’ and Hit ‘N Ronda’s post-baby returns.

Despite all that I’m up against, I stay motivated by the desire to skate at least until my son can form his own memories of his mom as an athlete. Or until baby number 2 is conceived.  Whichever comes first.

Unfortunately, five days later, Fight received the call from Dekalb AC, informing her that he had been put to sleep. She was heartbroken.

However, it was a clerical error or a miscommunication and, actually, his photo was posted to the Atlanta Underdog Initiative (A.UD.I) Facebook page with a request for help in pulling him. The moment Jillian Udelson with A.UD.I saw Smoke’s photo, she knew she had to get him out. Once out, Liz Henderson with A.UD.I said that everything just fell into place, like never before. Smoke was placed into a foster home immediately, funds were raised for his veterinary care, and he was just as sweet as can be.

A.UD.I posted his photo on their Facebook page. A number of ARGs saw it and notified Fight. At first she didn’t believe it, but when she saw the photo herself, it was unmistakable. Smoke was safe, and Fight was ecstatic.

Sarita Davis also saw Smoke’s photo reposted on a friend’s page. She was “immediately drawn to his happy face and playful demeanor.”

A few weeks later, Smoke was out playing in the yard and took a corner a little too fast and injured his knee. He needed surgery. Again, the funds were raised and Dr Matthew Miller provided his services at a reduced rate. Smoke was on the mend.

And Sarita could not stop thinking about him. She was a little reluctant since he was a pit bull and she associated pit bulls with aggressiveness and fighting. But, as she read and re-read the description about his lovable nature and stared at his adorable face she thought to herself, “He’s so cute, he can’t be all that bad.” So after doing some research on the breed, she reconsidered and submitted an adoption application.

The home visit went well; he was the perfect gentleman. It was clear to Sarita that someone had once taken to time to raise him. And it was clear to her that he was now home.

Smoke has seamlessly fit into Sarita’s life. He loves everyone he meets, and everyone that meets him loves him. Her niece Kaya really doesn’t like dogs, but she loves Smoke. Now she expects Sarita to bring him over to her house every time they visit.

Sarita says: The thing I like most about having Smoke in my life is the way he greets me, especially after a long day at work. When I open the door he sprints out of the crate, jumps all over me, and showers me with loving kisses. He is soooo happy to see me. I feel like he’s saying, “I didn’t think you were coming back.” Given his path to me, his reaction both warms and breaks my heart. I never want him to feel alone again.

A.UD.I was at the March bouts, and will most likely be back at future bouts. Check them out in the courtyard. A.UD.I is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and registered with the Georgia Secretary of State. They are an all-volunteer, foster-home based organization. They rescue dogs when their resources allow, but their primary focus is on promoting responsible dog ownership, providing breed information on pit bulls and mastiffs, finding alternative solutions to breed specific legislation and working with communities to alleviate the pet overpopulation problem. Though they focus on pit bulls and mastiffs, they will help any dog in need if they are able. A.UD.I believes every underdog should have his day!

The Rumble Bs skated onto the track this weekend straight off of a resounding win last week in Nashville, and it showed. From the first whistle, the Bs confidently played their game against the girls from Asheville. While the French Broads brought hard hits and some tenacious jammers, the Bs never wavered in their focus on a slow and steady defensive game. Bs star jammers Nora Gretz, Hate Ashbury, and Trouble MakeHer jammed their way to a 175 – 21 lead over the Broads at halftime. That lead held strong, and the Bs extended their undefeated season. Final score was 341 – 72.

MVP Blockers – Juggs Judy (Bs) and Tofu Hustle (Broads)

MVP Jammers – Nora Gretz (Bs) and Madness (Broads)

The Denim Demons and the Sake Tuyas met this weekend in a repeat of last year’s championship bout, and many predicted a close game. While the jamming was fast and the blocking hard on both sides, the Denim Demons dominated from the get-go. Lead by all-star blockers Ozzie Kamikaze, Wild Cherri, and Queen Looseyateefa, the Demon defense held back jammer after jammer on the Sake side. At the half, the Demons lead 104 – 44: a large spread, but still the Sakes were only a few power jams away from catching up. In the second half, strong jamming by Wheelin’ Jennings and Hollicidal broke up the Demon defense, but not enough to change the tide of the game. It was the Denim Demons all the way, with a final score of 246-70.

MVP Blockers – ICU Dead (Sakes) and Wild Cherri (Demons)

MVP Jammers – Wheelin Jennings (Sakes) and Hate Ashbury (Demons)

Photo by ShutHerUp Photography

I’ve been a flight attendant for 22 years and while I am paid to be a gracious hostess at work I was expected to be an aggressive blocker at derby.

A lot of derby players dislike the day job vs derby persona comparison but for me it is the incredible difference in the two groups of women I spend most of my time with.

Flight attendants have this thing we call jumpseat therapy in which by the time it takes to taxi, takeoff and wait for the seatbelt sign to go off you know the life story of the person sitting next to you. Are they married? In the midst of a divorce? Where do they live? If their kid is sick and who watches their dog when they fly.

By the end of a 3 day trip we have solved child care issues, marital/relationship problems and exchanged recipes. The most interesting thing is that I may or may not ever fly with these girls again.

Derby girls are a little different.

Derby girls are a little quieter. A little harder to get to know. After all, we are competing against each other in a full contact sport. Practice leaves little time for small talk. You find out about each other by the action on the track. We watch each other for strengths and weaknesses.

Someone who is your league mate and scrimmage partner tonight may be your opponent next week in a bout. Regardless, afterward we will all go out for beers and dance together at the after party.

Before Facebook come along I never knew a lot of my league mates’ real names. People would ask me if I knew so-and-so who plays, but if they didn’t know her skater name I was at a loss.

Photo Courtesy of Tim Moxley

In my fifth year of derby and my third with the Atlanta Rollergirls and I still didn’t know what a lot of the girls do for a living, where they live or their relationship status.

That is just fine with me because I know when I am on the track and they are on my team, they have my back and I have theirs. When we are opposing teams in a bout it is no holds barred. And afterwards we will go out and laugh and dance and have a beer.

And I may never know their story, not like the other group of women in my life. But I know what I need to know about them and it is all good.

I wouldn’t change a thing about either of the groups of women in my life. They both make me who I am and help me understand myself better. But just give me a minute to transition so I don’t hip check the guy who keeps putting his briefcase in the aisle and so that I hit my way out of the pack and don’t say “excuse me” as I try to get through. (and yes, I actually did this)

The thing is, when you really get into a sport, you realize quickly that you can only be your best athlete if you cross-train. So we find ourselves playing derby for fun and fitness… then exercising outside of derby so that you can get better at derby. We develop workouts to
get better at the thing that used to be our workout. Because roller derby is bigger than what we thought it would be. It’s not just something we do. It’s part of who we are.

For me, I started derby when I was already a gym rat. I actually worried that playing this fun sport might take me away from my regular intense workouts. I was the girl who skipped happy hour to lift weights. I was determined to fit into tiny sized pants by running away from my thunder thighs. What could be more important than the pursuit of hotness?! I’d seen the Nike ads and I wanted to look just. Like. That.

Derby changed my workouts. Not the intensity of the training– but the purpose. I stopped caring so much about how my body looked, and started to focus on what my body could DO. My team needs me to be strong, explosive, agile, and unstoppable. So that’s what I train to do. I train to move and I train to act. When I can make the stop, protect my point, or clear a hole for my jammer, I see the pay off. And you know what? That’s pretty hot.

Workout, bring me your worst. I will destroy you. Maybe you will destroy me. But we’re going down together, and we’re doing it for roller derby.

After that, I couldn’t really let go of the Atlanta Rollergirls. It felt weird to walk away at that point because I had caught a glimpse of the spirit and essence of what a true community was. This wasn’t just a “sport,” there was something deeper and more meaningful going on that I really wanted to be a part of. Now obviously I couldn’t try out because I contain that cursed Y chromosome… aside from that I’m really only good at random quick quips and making videos. So that pretty much left me with producing videos.

Now I could get into how I make the highlight videos, but honestly that’s really not all that interesting. They aren’t overly complex and honestly only video geeks would probably find that stuff insightful. In it’s most basic form, I just take the best shots and edit it together while I drink beer and listen to loud punk music. What I’d rather talk about is why they enamored me and pretty much sucked me into their amazing world.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

First off, let’s get this out of the way. Roller Derby is pretty badass. As someone who has had pretty much zero interest in any organized sports, I think it’s a pure thrill to watch. I truly despise the more alpha male dominated aspects that permeate professional sports and find it juvenile and completely ridiculous. So with women’s roller derby I don’t have to worry about any of that… it’s pure unbridled athleticism from some simply amazing women. And quite frankly, I don’t think women get enough credit in sports. Yes there are leagues for most sports that are for women, but they often times get glazed over or approached in utterly ridiculous ways that are actually embarrassing as a society (I’m looking at you Lingerie Football League). Women’s roller derby is pure adrenaline based battle…which is about as good as it gets for me.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

The real reason I latched onto this sport, and this is probably the hardest thing for me to describe… but it’s the entire community of roller derby. The Atlanta Rollergirls is permeated by the most devoted and dedicated people I’ve ever come across. Completely ignoring the actual sport, these women have put more emotional, mental, and physical energy into running the organization themselves than most people put into their jobs. From organizing travel schedules, hiring security staff, medical crew, training, practices, and even spending their Friday evenings laying down the track to play on the following day… this is an arena of pure unadulterated DIY spirit in action. Add in the team of medics, referees, NSOs, security, family, and super friends and you’ve got quite the eclectic mix of awesome people. Having only been with the team for 3 seasons, I am continually amazed more and more as I get a glimpse into the people behind the curtain.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

One of my idols, the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote extensively about the demise of the extended family. How important it is to be a part of something much bigger than yourself and bonded by blood. It is getting harder and harder to find that sort of bond these days. We live farther and farther away from our immediate family… work a job that most of us put up with but don’t honestly love in the truest sense of the word, and merely get by. But with the Atlanta Rollergirls we all have a family. I’ve seen some of these girls go through some really tough times and be lifted up by the community. And I myself have had amazingly tough life experiences shatter my mental and emotional state only to find that there’s hundreds of people there to cheer you up, give you a hug, or simply hear your story and then buy you a beer. Which is so emotionally and spiritually strengthening to have. I didn’t realize this aspect of my life was missing until I found the Atlanta Rollergirls. This is despite the fact that so much of the time I’m not even with them. I watch my footage and strive to give them justice on how awesome they are. But as I watch the clips of them skating, pummeling and just tearing through the rink, I can look at so many of them and just smile at some random moment we had off the track or at an after party or whatever. I am proud of what they are doing, but also that I am in some small way a part of that experience.

I’ve worked on a ton of projects through the years but there honestly has been nothing as rewarding as working for the Atlanta Rollergirls. These women work so hard on the track and off it that hearing that something I made helped them promote their bouts or just maybe made the skaters see just how awesome they are is ten times as rewarding as pretty much anything else I work on. They push themselves in the name of the league and the sport and being able to help promote that in whatever small way I can honestly fills me with more joy than anything else I’ve had my hand in. I’m filled with almost child-like glee in mentioning to people that I am the Atlanta Rollergirls Official Videographer. It fills me with unbridled pride to have been accepted into this world. And that’s awesome, because they roll like the Hells Angels…you mess with one of them you mess with them all.

Photo by Phil Peterson

And I realize that this post might not be quite as inclusive in terms of the casual fan but I think it’s important to know that outside of the lights and whistles of the bouts there lays a deep seeded soul to it all that everyone strives to empower and make better for everyone involved. It will change your life…it changed mine more than I ever realized. Hell, my stepson is started to referee with the junior league here in Atlanta and I couldn’t be prouder because if he sticks with it, he’ll not only be involved in a badass sport but also be part of a very rare and special thing that is hard to find these days…a family. And I think we could all use a bigger family these days.

Photo by Tim Moxley

Our longtime Atlanta derby fans may remember me from times past. It was a wilder time, a time of penalty wheels, tutus, and dance offs. I’ve been a part of the Atlanta Rollergirls since the very beginning in early 2005, and I’ve seen tons of changes – most notably, the development of roller derby from a show of spectacle into a game of speed, endurance, and agility. I retired in 2009, and joined the rec league when it was formed in 2012. After watching my derby heroes skate in the WFTDA Championships here in ATL this November, a fire was lit.

My decision to come back was fast, as are most of my life decisions. I asked Pearl Reckless, another retiree making her comeback, what the notification deadline was for un-retirement. I only had a week to decide, so I listened to my heart. It was saying, “Hey girl. Roller derby is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Get your sweet ass back on the track.” (Pretend Ryan Gosling’s saying that, and you’ll understand why I listened.)

I didn’t exactly stay in peak shape during my three year off-season, so it’s been a rough road getting back into playing form. Here’s a little taste of what it’s been like….

Expectation: Making it to 8 hours of practice a week and totally PWNing it.
Reality: Spent the entire month of January sick, mostly because rollergirls are gross, and I hadn’t been exposed to that many germs in a long time.

Expectation: Easily learning all the changes in the game from the past 3 years.
Reality: I still don’t know how scrum starts work.

Expectation: Taking hits like a champ.
Reality: Forgot how to fall and got a concussion from faceplanting on concrete.

“When I’m injured and can’t go to practice.” Borrowed from: thegifofderby.tumblr.com

Expectation: Feeling as invincible as I did when I started skating at age 25.
Reality: It’s no longer acceptable to NOT take Advil after practice. I’m old.

Expectation: Things getting easier after the first month or so of practice.
Reality: I got better at some stuff, but it never got any easier. I think it’s only getting harder.

Expectation: Cross training LIKE A BOSS to prevent injury.
Reality: Knee sprain that causes excruciating pain when I fall.

Expectation: Getting rostered for our first game.
Reality: Sidelined due to injury.

Expectation: Being on a team of awesome supportive women.
Reality: Blown away by the awesome supportive women on my team.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

Photo By Basil Gravanis

The walls of the Yaarab Shriner Center shook this Saturday as our Atlanta All-Stars, the Dirty South Derby Girls, recorded their first win of the season over Asheville’s Blue Ridge Rollergirls — and it was one resounding victory. Blue Ridge came out strong, leading DSDG in the first few jams, but DSDG didn’t stand losing for long, and mid-way through the first half were up by over a hundred points. Jammer penalties hurt Blue Ridge again and again, and DSDG jammers profited from them mightily. Though the score widened, Blue Ridge kept DSDG on their toes, and fans were treated to a very physical game of derby, with more than one opposing jammer landing in their laps. Rookie Jean-Juke Picard started her all-star career with power jam after power jam, and nary a trip to the penalty box. DSDG’s impeccable defense held strong to the end, and kept Blue Ridge to only 49 points. Final score was 479-49.

Photo By Basil Gravanis

Jammer MVPs were Jammunition for DSDG and Caslamity Jane for Blue Ridge. Ozzie Kamakazi brought home the DSDG blocker MVP and Boot Scootin’ Bully earned the honor for Blue Ridge.

When hometeams the Apocalystix and the Sake Tuyas lined up against each other this past weekend, it was anyone’s guess who would come out on top. The Stix ended last season in last place, and the Sakes took second in the 2012 Champ bout. Both teams welcomed back legendary veteran skaters, Demi Gore for the Stix (coming out of retirement), and Amelia Scareheart for the Sakes (upon her return from France).

Photo by Basil Gravanis

Photo by Basil Gravanis

With their mix of strong rookies, veteran skaters, and the recently unretired, many predicted a very close game, but from the beginning this bout belonged to the Stix. Jamming in pink and black, Nora Gretz, Demi Gore, and Belle of the Brawl juked their way around the Sake walls, and blocker penalty trouble for the Sakes gave the Stix an edge. Though the Sake wall included formidable blockers like Agent Maulder and ICU Dead, the ninjas just couldn’t keep the Stix jammers in the pack. The Stix defensive wall did its job too, and though the likes of Sake jammers Wheelin’ Jennings and Hollicidal racked up points, it was never quite enough to catch up.

Photo by Basil Gravanis

Final score was 222 Apocalypstix, 129 Sake Tuyas. Your MVPS were Demi Gore and Belle of the Brawl in pink, and Amelia Scareheart and Dee Lorean in red.