Holy Bacamole #9: May's Skater of the Month

Holy Bacamole, known by her fellow Granite State Roller Derby teammates as Baca, was one of the original members of GSRD and now skates for both the Demolition Dames and the GSRD All Stars. Find out about Baca's singular penalty in last month's bout and her goals for this upcoming season in this month's featured skater profile.

How did you discover derby?
I wanted to be a bad ass tattooed chick on roller skates as soon as I heard that derby was out there in the world again. I found out through Alison Murphy that there was derby in NH(she was going to watch her sister play)and I joined about a week later even though the last time I had been on roller skates was when I was probably six.

How long have you been a member of GSRD?
Since day one in 2010.

What teams do you play on for GSRD?
The Demolition Dames and the Granite State All-Stars.

Have you been involved in other sports before derby?
Very little. I played softball as a kid and field hockey in high school. I was never really athletic or competitive until roller derby brought that out in me.

Have you had any recent achievements?
April 25, 2014 was the first game the Demolition Dames have ever won! And I only received ONE penalty when we played against the Mean Mountain Boys the week before that!

Photo by Paul Erhardt

Have you received any sort of recognition for derby?
I have been lucky enough to have been chosen as MVP Blocker on a few occasions. It is a great feeling to know that people were out there on the track cursing your name.  I was also elected as the Demolition Dames captain last year for the team's inaugural season!

What is your favorite position?
I love them all. I will pivot, block, or jam. I enjoy the different challenges and discipline required for each role. I think getting a taste for everything can help to improve everyone's game. Playing each position on the track can give you a new perspective of what is really happening or there.

Do you have any advice to share for those interested in trying derby?
Just try it! Don't worry about all the things that you think MIGHT hold you back and just give it a chance. You will surprise yourself when you see how strong you really are.
 

Do you have a signature move or is there anything special you do out on the track?
I'm a boss. No really, I know it's hard to believe but I'm bossy out there. Communication is such a huge part of derby. It's taken me a long time to get there but I will talk during most of the jam and my teammates, who are amazing listeners, will react to my many updates about where the other jammer is and where I want our wall to be. Good communication and good listening makes for some killer impenetrable defensive lines.

What do you do when you aren’t playing derby?
There's time to NOT do derby?!

Photo by Kathleen Dempsey

Is there anything in the 2014 season that you are super excited for?
I cannot wait to see where the Granite State All-Stars show up on WFTDA rankings! This will be our debut and a huge milestone for our team and league.

Would you like to say anything to the GSRD fans?
Thank you for your support over all of these years. I hope to see lots of everyone this year. You make this all so much fun to be a part of!

Bumps, Bruises, and Besties: Why You Should Join Roller Derby

So by now you’ve totally seen Whip-It, you’ve perused through Youtube’s archives of bout footage, and now you’re asking yourself, Do I have what it takes to play roller derby? And the truth is that if you want to skate, you can. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how in shape you are, how well you know derby, or how well you can skate: if you want to do it, you can. 

Current rookie skater, Meagan Currier thought that she wasn’t going to be cut out for it, “I have always wanted to join roller derby but I was under the assumption I was too small. I thought in order to be a roller girl you had to be muscular and tall.” But after a few practices she admitted, “I was way wrong.”   

It’s completely natural to be nervous before trying something new, Maddie Cole, also a rookie for GSRD had her worries as well, “I arrived really early to the first practice at White Park. I had been anxiously thinking about this moment ALL DAY,” Maddie remembers. “I sat in my car panicking as people started pulling into the parking lot. I ended up calling my friend for a pep talk and she assured me that I had ‘nothing to lose.’ Still slightly terrified I took the leap of faith and got out of the car.” 

Since that day both Meagan and Maddie have learned that their jitters were for naught, “I’m excited every week to go to practice,” says Meagan. “I have met some of the most amazing women. GSRD has a way of making you feel comfortable and accepted.” 

Jane Emery, another rookie skater has had a similar experience

since joining GSRD, “I can't imagine not doing roller derby, it's not so much a team sport as it is a family.” This supportive family environment is one of the most amazing payoffs of derby, and is one of the biggest things that make playing roller derby an enjoyable experience.

Maddie and Meagan trying out their new skates

“I feel a strong bond with my fellow rookie skaters,” Maddie explains, “We started from the ground up practicing together once a week, every week, for the past six months. We’ve fallen on each other and picked each other back up again. They’re there for you when you’re having a rough day—derby related or not. There’s a very unique and inexplicable bond formed when you sweat with people. These women are now my best friends!”

In addition to the amazing new friendships that will be made in derby, most girls gain a positive new body image. “I also have this whole new appreciation for my body,” professes Maddie, “Prior to roller derby I LOATHED my butt and thighs. I considered them to be large—uselessly so. I had struggled immensely with body image growing up, battling an eating disorder throughout adolescence…but roller derby is ALL about the butt, thighs, and core. We love butts in roller derby. I [am] prideful of my ‘thunder thighs’—they have purpose.”

Joining roller derby is also a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily life, and that change is always a positive one. “Every week I am amazed at what my body is capable of,” confesses Meagan, “I have been fresh meat for six months and have gained an incredible amount of confidence. I started this sport not knowing anything about it and in six months I have come so far.” Fellow rookie skater, Jane Emery also noticed a positive change in her body, “I actually feel stronger and a lot more graceful.”

Meagan skating at an outdoor practice

If you’re still nervous about coming to roller derby, you should just come try it anyways. The first three practices are commitment free—there are no practice dues to pay and loaner gear is provided. “Just do it,” Jane advises. “Like jumping into cold water in the summer heat, what starts as new and shocking quickly becomes comfortable and wonderful.” 

“Just breathe,” Meagan advises anyone who still has cold feet, “I promise it’s not as hard to learn as you think. The trainers are incredible. The skaters are incredible. You are incredible. The fun you are about to have is out of this world. The friendships you are about to make will be some of the best you have ever had.” 

So what are you waiting for? Email GSRD’s head rookie trainer, Spank Alley Sally, who we lovingly refer to as “Spanks” at join@granitestaterollerderby.com to reserve your spot at our upcoming open recruitment night on Wednesday April 30, 2014 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Everett Arena in Concord, NH. 

Maddie and Jane showing off their "derby love"

Tazslamian Devil #100mph: April's Skater of the Month

Tazslamian Devil, known by her fellow Granite State Roller Derby teammates as Taz, was one of the original founders of our league and has been a member since 2010, and this year she is co-captain of the GSRD All Stars with teammate Em Bomber. Find out how this veteran skater got started in the derby world, what the Taz-A-Dactyl is, and who her derby heroes are in this month's featured skater profile.   

How did you discover roller derby?

I was at a 4th of July BBQ (in DC) and met a member of the DC Rollergirls. She gave me a DC Rollergirls bumper sticker, which turned out to be my golden ticket into roller derby. Over a year later I found that bumper sticker under a pile of papers and decided right then to contact them about joining.  I went to the DC Armory and found an army of skaters. They loaned me skates and gear, and I skated around on the side and watched the teamed skaters scrimmage. After that I just kept going back!

Were you involved in other sports before derby?

I grew up doing gymnastics, but then when I got really tall, that became unfeasible. I played soccer and basketball, but wasn’t very good at “ball” sports. I also did downhill and cross-country skiing (I still love to ski but I hate the cold), and track and field. After I graduated from high-school I did not continue playing any team sports, just ran the occasional 5k. Now that I'm in derby, I feel like this is sport that in which I’m supposed to be involved. I like taking the lessons and strategies I learned from other sports and applying them to roller derby—especially teamwork.
 

Have you had any recent achievements?

Yes! I was selected by teammates as co-captain of the All-Stars with one of my best friends, Em Bomber. So far it has been an amazing experience. Also, GSRD's acceptanceas full WFTDA members in December 2013. Being a WFTDA team was a league goal from the beginning, and we are excited to work to make a name for ourselves in the WFTDA community.

Photo by Mark Eley Photography

What is your favorite position?

Blocker. I know that people often see me on the jam line, but I prefer blocking because I love the teamwork! Jamming can be a lonely position. It is also a tough position to play, both mentally and physically. You are the only person on the track that can score points for your team (no pressure!), and no matter how many times you get knocked down, you have to keep getting up and going right back for more! When I bout I like to play a mix of blocking and jamming.
  

Do you have any advice to share for those interested in trying derby?

Whatever your hesitation is, not going for it is holding you back from having the most fun of your life! Not only is skating great exercise that will transform your body, but the people who gravitate to roller derby are amazing. I never had a lot of female friends growing up. Now, I am surrounded by them. They are amazing, compassionate, caring, supportive, competitive, funny, motivated... I could go on and on.
  

Do you have any derby heroes?

Bonnie D. Stroir was probably the first derby super star I ever got to meet. In 2008, I had been skating for 7 months and went to a blocking clinic taught by Bonnie D. Stroir and Bully Julie. The things I have learned from Bonnie D. Stroir always resonated with me. Years later, I was able to learn from her about the challenges of being a league founder, and the mental game component of roller derby. I appreciate her openness, confidence and humility. Also, pretty much anyone on Team USA is my hero. I watch them, learn from them, and hope to one day wear the stars and stripes myself!

Do you have a signature move or is there anything special you do out on the track?

My teammates tease me for my Taz-a-dactyl moves on the track.  I have long limbs and when they go flying, I apparently look like a prehistoric reptile! I've also been compared to the Kool-Aid man because of the way I bust through walls. "OH YEAH!"
 

What hobbies or other awesome things do you do when you aren’t playing derby?
I have my own dog walking business! I love dogs and when the weather is good, I will take them out on skates! It's great running for them, and great training for me! I am also a student working toward my MBA!

Is there anything in the 2014 season that you are especially excited for?

I am excited to watch our team grow and progress this year. We have a core group of women that have been skating together for a few years now. I feel like we are about to unlock some magic on the track! But you'll have to come to our bouts to see it for yourself!

Would you like to say anything to the GSRD fans?

THANK YOU! I love that you love to watch roller derby. If no one came to see our bouts, or support us through volunteer work or sponsorship, roller derby in the area would simply fade away. Our skaters strive to be outstanding role models and community members to honor our fans and make them proud to support roller derby.

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger: (what happens when you don't make it) by Whip-It Witch

"Ozzie, wait up!" Taz was yelling to me. I turn to stop and let her catch up.

"You were amazing tonight! That was a really hard practice... I did puke, after all," she says, smiling to me. I smiled back, and I thanked her.

"I really pushed myself tonight," I reply. It was true. I did, and for a really good reason.

It was my first practice after finding out I didn't make the travel team. I joined roller derby in August, and had just barely passed assessments for rotten meat a mere 4 days before tryouts started. So, what did I do after I found out I didn't make it? I hit the ground running.

Getting the email with my results from tryouts was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read. It wasn't so much as not making the team, but fear of the unknown. What would practice be like from now on? Do I get to still do all the drills? Do I get to scrimmage? Will my teammates and friends shun me for not making it?

None of this happened. My first practice after tryouts was at our new practice space in Franklin. (I took two practices off to shed my not-making-the-team attitude I knew I was copping so I wouldn't be total douchebag to my teammates.) It was still endurance month, and Shatterly was running practice, so I knew it was going to be hard. There were only 8 of us there that night for whatever reason. It was me and the big kids. I skated the hardest I've ever skated in my life that night. I'm still included in every drill, and my teammates are really proud of me for how far I've come. This feeling is the most amazing feeling in the world. I've never had this sense of companionship before. It's more than just playing the sport. It's also about having 20 people who will always have your back. It's about being yourself and knowing your friends love you. It's about getting to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

Giving up or quitting was never an option for me. I've never been a quitter. I've taken the easy way out a few times in my life, but this was no one of those situations. I was NOT going to give up, or let this get the best of me. In fact, just the opposite occurred. I found myself pushing harder. Giving more. Asking what I needed to do differently. Being more aggressive. Staying on my feet. Watching bouts online. Reading and memorizing rules. Keeping my head in the game.

It's quite possible that not making the team was the best thing to happen to me in my derby career thus far. I'm not sure I would've worked this hard to be a better skater and team player had I made the team to begin with. A few weeks ago at practice, a few teammates were telling me how far I've come in such a short period of time, and how their level of respect for me grew immensely and they thought I was that much "awesomer" for not giving up and giving it my all. It's so important to always communicate to each other because words of encouragement like that can truly give someone the extra oomph they need to succeed. My heart was so full that day and I felt so proud of myself. 

As Jon Bon Jovi said, "Success is falling nine times and getting up ten." I believe in this more than anything right now. We have tryouts again soon, and in two months, be ready to see me on the track, because I will do everything I can to make sure I'm at the top of my game.

I believe in redefining my impossible. We have two choices: give up or fight like hell. 

I came to win.