May 2013
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April 2013
23 posts
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This is (not) a hiatus...
I like to thank all of you for celebrating the ROLLERBALLS 2 Year Anniversary!!
I want to get this off my chest. I’ve been trying to be “happy” here but my personal life has gotten the best of me and I need a break to clear some personal stuff.
So if you don’t see a post here on daily basis, stay calm. I’ll be working on LOLderbys when I’m on hiatus to keep...
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roller q derby a w/ Angela Death Part 3
DARSTROSITY: Derby wives? Got any?
ANGELA DEATH: I got married to a (now retired) Denver skater, Anklebitin’ Annie at the first Rollercon in 2005. Then I became Val Capone’s *only* Denver wife at Rollercon in 2009. In 2011, Charm City came to Denver and we had a big derby wedding where our two teams got married. My Charm City wife is the awesome O’Chit. At Rollercon 2012, I married my only male derby wife, Justice Feelgood Marshall of Derby News Network fame who’s been a good friend of mine for years. So yes, my derby family tree is a beautiful thing. Demanda Riot is my grandma!
D: What kind of motivation you give your team before they hit the track?
AD: Mile High Club does a lot of visualization and goal setting. We like to gather together before bouts, stretch and share our personal goals for the bout with the team. We always skate best when we’re calm and focused, so if we feel like we’re getting crazy of frantic, we try to bring it in and calm down so that we can play our game and not let the other team dictate the strategy.
D: Whats the best thing to do at a after party?
AD: The best thing to do at an afterparty is watch Crash and Disco and the rest of the Mile High Club shake their booties. It’s a thing of beauty. Denver takes winning the afterparty very seriously and we have the most fun doing it.
D: In one word...whats the best thing to do before going into roller derby?
AD: SKATE. Go to the rink. Get your butt to any sort of skating programs offered in your area. These days, there are so many options out there for skaters who are interested in playing roller derby. We have a number of rec leagues and non-WFTDA leagues in the area that some people skate with for a while before coming to our tryouts. Mile High Club offers a program called Pick Up Derby once a week for three hours on a Sunday night. We take all levels of skaters and it’s coed so some aspiring skaters have had their supportive boyfriends come with them to learn the fundamentals of roller derby. It took me 6 months between the time I heard about roller derby and the time I actually checked it out. When I got to my first practice I realized I had nothing to be intimidated about. So don’t delay like I did!
D: Any words of wisdom to the derby folk out there?
AD: Find balance between your real job, your derby job and practice. So many of us hold huge responsibilities in running our leagues on top of our skating requirements and real lives. If your goal is to become a high level skater, and you’re spending more time at meetings rather than skating, consider a job that allows for a better balance in your life. The skaters that make the most progress are the ones that go to practice regularly and find some time to cross train. A lot of these skaters end up on the training committee. It works for them since they are already at so many practices a week.
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roller q derby a w/ Angela Death Part 2
DARSTROSITY: In Denver, you get to play a team with Disco and Francey Pants. Whats so fun about being with them as a team?
ANGELA DEATH: I’ve been skating with Disco since the beginning, on my home team and the travel team and I can’t imagine derby without her. I always skate best when I have her out with me in the blocker line up because she knows exactly what I need as a jammer and when I need it. She’s part of the heart and soul of the team and has been a leader on the track and force on the dance floor for many years. There are only 4 founding members out of 20+ still skating after all these years so Disco, Boo Boo Radley and I bring that history to the team and embody the spirit of DRD. Francey joined just over a year ago and was a great addition to the team. Not only is she an amazing and talented athlete, she’s really fun and looks so damn good in blue and silver. She brings all of her quirky French charm (and good wine and cheese) to team get-togethers. I once saw her eat a baguette with Nutella for breakfast. We love to play Cards Against Humanity, and it’s even more fun when Francey reads the phrases in her adorable French accent.
D: You got to play WFTDA championships twice now (2009 and 2012).
Last year your team got third. What was the experience?
AD: In 2009 we placed 3rd at Western Regionals that we co-hosted in Denver with the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls. We went on to Champs and beat Kansas City, Windy City and Rocky Mountain, finally losing to Oly and placing 3rd. Half of you were probably at that tournament booing us because you thought derby should only be about skating fast, turning left and hitting hard.
2012 was quite the opposite. The world finally realized we can skate slow or fast, but more importantly that our strategy is based on the rule-set at the time and the evolution of the game. I think the derby world was happy to see us qualify for Champs after disappointing 1st game losses at Westerns in 2010 and 2011. Champs were unreal. The team was pretty shaken after losing Muffin due to a badly broken leg just weeks before the tournament. We rallied and went into Champs with a new purpose, beating Charm City and Windy City, losing to Gotham and then making a comeback against Texas to place 3rd.
D: Now your all star team does banked track. Whats the difference
between playing in flat and banked track?
AD: We played the LA Derby Dolls on the banked track this past December and there were only a fewl of us skating who had skated banked before. Disco and Francey had skated on the banked track with Team Bionic and I’d skated with Team Legit a few years back. There was definitely a learning curve and the team started to pick it up the second quarter but penalties got the best of us. Jams are only one minute. The lead jammer is literally the one in the lead, and you can’t call it off if you’re not on the track. So if you fall into the middle you have to get back on and call it before the other jammer passes you and takes over lead. You serve your penalty in the next jam rather than being pulled out. You can’t stop or skate backwards which is a pretty fundamental part of our flat track strategy so some of our blockers were pretty frustrated. Our jammers had a lot of back blocks and cuts. Regardless of the score, I think we were pretty tough opponents and most importantly had fun doing it and are more well-rounded skaters because of it.
D: When you played your first game, how many fans did you get?
AD: For my very first game with RMRG, I sold tickets to every person I knew and the bout was sold out with probably around 800 people. The very first Denver Roller Dolls bout 6 months later had 1500 fans.
D: You got to play one of the best games of 2012 (Texas vs Denver)
any great moments besides the Francey pants 44 point jam?
AD: I was the 2nd highest scorer in the Denver vs Texas bout. I’m a more physical jammer, and besides a bit of penalty trouble, I did pretty well against Texas. At one point, I was in the box and Olivia Shootin’ John was out racking up the points for Texas. I came out of the box like a bat out of hell and as I struggled through my initial pass, OJ was sent to the box. On my first scoring pass, my blockers forced Texas to bridge until the last blocker got the out of play penalty. There wasn’t much time left in the jam, but I hurtled towards the pack, jumped the apex, and landed just as the jam expired. It was a great moment for me when I realized I pulled it off and got 5 more points. That’s why it’s important to always go hard until the 4th whistle, even if you don’t think there’s any chance you’ll score any points!
Part 3 on Friday
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roller q derby a w/ Angela Death Part 1
DARSTROSITY: What's your derby name? –
ANGELA DEATH: Angela Death
D: How did you get that name?
AD: I had a long list of potential names going when I first started and once I thought of Angela Death I just knew it was the one!
D: How long you been skating, and skating for derby
AD: I figure skated for 10 years starting when I was 4. I played ice hockey for all of my teenage years until I became more interested in snowboarding. I started playing roller derby in June of 2005 so I’m almost to my 8 year derby-versary.
D: How did you got into roller derby?
AD: About a month after I moved to Denver, I saw a recruitment sign hanging up in a vegetarian restaurant. I pictured a bunch of Amazon women smashing each other on a banked track and thought it sounded pretty hardcore but that I’d probably get crushed. About 6 months down the road when I was a little more settled and acclimatized to Denver, I came across roller derby again, this time on the internet. I found out I’d just missed out on the “final recruitment night” for the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and emailed them pleading to give me a chance. Turns out you could pretty much join up at any time and within 3 months I was skating in my first bout, the 2nd Denver bout in the history of modern derby. Denver Roller Dolls incorporated as a business in December of 2005 and held our first bout on March 17th, 2006 at the Denver Coliseum for a crowd of 1500 people.
D: Playing with Denver, what did you learn the most from them?
AD: I’ve learned from all of the hard working, dedicated women and men who have contributed so much to the Denver Roller Dolls both on and off the track over the years. I’ve learned that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We can accomplish a lot more as a member of the organization and a team player than anyone can accomplish on their own. This is true on and off the track. I show up to practice and get my ass kicked over and over by the Mile High Club blockers not only because it makes me stronger, but because it helps strengthen the team. Even if I’m not in the mood to be at practice, I know that just by being there, I’m helping the team. Seeing as how we had to work our asses off to A. get accepted into WFTDA and B. climb from the very bottom, it’s very fulfilling to be one of the top competitive teams out there after our years of hard work.
PART 2 on Wednesday!
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TODAY IS THE DAY...
TONIGHT Naptown vs Detroit will start the OFFICIAL DERBY SEASON
Now we had a past of bad calls, controversy and rules that didn’t make sense and made the game SLOW!
NOW it all changes! April embarks a massive spread of bouts. Women and men fight for the love of the sport. Pay our dues to give the people what they want. HARD HITTING ROLLER DERBY ACTION!
For the fresh meat, never give...
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March 2013
9 posts
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Derby News Network Weekly Rollup - 3/27 →
Promoting this get ready on April 6th!!
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“ROLLERBALLS 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONTENT STARTS APRIL 6TH!!”
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February 2013
26 posts
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Wishlist thinking..#2minutejam
So in April will mark the 2nd anniversary of ROLLERBALLS and I (DARSTROSITY) is working on the content….slowly. I will give you new info on the next #2minutejam
I’m doing product review from skate wheels to movies to books(?) So you have a suggestion on what I should review for #2minutejam let me know.
No more predictions…really!! I got a new segment to fill in, with a little help.
...
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“on the next #2minutejam My 4-wheel Review of Skater 26 and more Hints on 2nd...”
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Roller Q Derby A w/Satan's Little Helper Part 3
PART THREE
DARSTROSITY: New season, new challenges. you any way nervous or excited to face some heavy competition?
SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER: I am extremely anxious and excited to face the heavy competition in WFTDA in 2013! I'm training hard and taking Derby more seriously now than I ever have.
D: Derby wives? Got any?
SLH: I do have a Derby wife in Toledo, OH. Punk Monkey. We recently were reunited in Long Beach and did some park skating together. She's an all around beautiful person. I have plans on marrying a special someone at this year's Roller Con. Right now the closest thing I have to a Derby wife is Craven Cadavers. My roommate, my skatemate, my best friend.
D: What kind of motivation you give your team before they hit the track?
SLH: Team confidence. Do everything together. We do a lot of visualization of specific situations of what we want to happen, not what we don't want to happen. A motivational speech describing how we are the best, we will play like gods, we will win! If we don't we will wake up tomorrow morning proud, knowing that we left every last bit of effort on the track, and will feel like winners knowing that we played OUR best game.
D: What is the best thing to do at an after party?
Dance! Hopefully there's a pole at the venue which makes for fun. Get away with as much as possible without getting arrested. I love talking to the opposing team. I cherish those sappy conversations of strategy and team appreciation. Some of the best memories I have are at the after party of championship games with my Coffin Draggers; group singing "Mother" by Danzig. It's kind of our thing.
D: Any words of wisdom to the derby folk out there?
SLH: Practice each time like it's your last. Find what skills need improvement and work for them. You should leave each practice knowing that you've gotten better. I've been doing that for six years and its a never-ending routine. Another reason why Derby is so great.
D: You were recently LOLderby'd...you still do push ups on the bank track?
SLH: Naw, I'm moving on. Working on some other tricks to bring to the track. (Stay tuned) my league recently gave me the nick name "cool tricks, cool tricks". :P
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Roller Q Derby A w/Satan's Little Helper Part 2
PART TWO
DARSTROSITY: You also play with a home team the coffin draggers. What makes fun playing a home team in derby?
SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER: The fans are great with home teams. They come dressed up for there favorite themed team. I think home teams give people a way to connect to Derby. It's something they can really follow. Getting to know the previous years stats and knowing the individual skaters by name. Also there's a fun competitiveness about home teams. We all always rep our team colors. Matching chucks, or team tattoos. It forms a deep sense of closeness in your team. With all of your competition in the same building. Mind games definitely come into play. But off of the track all of the home teams are close friends, and we're all a big family. It's pretty amazing.
D: You're more into banked track then playing flat track, where you get more experience from banked or flat?
SLH: I'm actually equally in love with both. I started out skating flat in 2007 with the Glass City Rollers, and started playing with the Arizona Derby Dames in 2010. Making the switch from flat to bank was a challenge for me. Completely opposite muscle memory. Learned flat track skills transferred over to the bank; endurance, fast recoveries, agility. And vice versa, I have formed a new sense of Derby skating baked track. They are two completely different games. The rules have changed a lot since I've played flat track. I thought I wouldn't like it anymore, but to my surprise I'm still in love with it. Coming from a Soccer/Basketball sports background I love the lateral movement, contact, smart positional blocking, going backwards and hoping that you don't get taken out by an opposing blocker... overall I'm all about team sports and there is plenty of room for smart teamwork in flat track. Plus you get to hop and bounce round a lot, which I like to do. But to answer your question any diverse recreational skating you can do will help. Right now I'm park skating every free chance I get. Great core, balance, and overall comfort on your skates. I want to feel confident doing anything in my skates, which will show come game time, as well as prevent unnecessary injuries.
D: Your team got to play battle at the bank last year. How was the experience and are you going to do it again in 2013?
SLH: Battle of the Bank was an amazing experience. Going from fourth to third was a huge achievement for our league. I love traveling with my team and playing hard core Derby for days! It's the best thing ever. Atrue team binding experience. I love the feeling I get at the end of a tournament. It's a total high. Unfortunately I won't be around for this year's BOTB. I'm transferring to Angel City Feb. 9th. After the Hot Shots play the Riets. I love baked track and my league but my heart is in flat track, and California.
D: Best game you ever played?
SLH: It's hard to say, it could have been taking third place at last year's BOTB. Or maybe one of the three consecutive championship wins for my home team (Coffin Draggers) or maybe the first game I had where I gained awareness of penalty management. Our any one of the games that are determined by a one point difference. I'm not sure if it's the events that take place during a game that make it an indescribable sublime feeling, or the blood, sweat and hard work your team puts in leading up to that game.
D: When you played your first game, how many fans did you get?
SLH: Well my first home game with Glass City was pretty cool. We had a great turn out, the city was really into it! Afterwards people would noticed us from outside of a pizza parlor banging on the window being all fan like. It felt pretty rockstarish. For some reason my fan basis usually consists of lots of kids and religious people. I like knowing that I can make them scream "Go Satan!" >:)
