Testing, testing!
I tried to change the name of this blog to reflect that it's more personal and not about Northern California now. By changing the name, I also changed to web address. When you type in the old address, it doesn't bring you to this blog anymore.
So, can anyone who was subscribed to the old blog still able to see this?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Even though I have a game with SCRD against Sacred in November, I feel like the derby season is over and I'm sad.
I keep reminding myself that there is a Sac/Sacred game on November 7th and Red Red Holiday is on December 13th. But what about all that space in between!? Booooooring.
I think every other week a local league should set up a Saturday or Friday night open scrimmage in the offseason. Two or three open scrimmages a month in November and December to keep everyone fresh and to socialize?!
I don't know about you guys, but in my experience, after the last game of the season, the leagues I've skated for often drop practice to once a week until January. I think this is the first year ever I did not want to take a break at the end of the year!
Ok, who's hosting first?
I keep reminding myself that there is a Sac/Sacred game on November 7th and Red Red Holiday is on December 13th. But what about all that space in between!? Booooooring.
I think every other week a local league should set up a Saturday or Friday night open scrimmage in the offseason. Two or three open scrimmages a month in November and December to keep everyone fresh and to socialize?!
I don't know about you guys, but in my experience, after the last game of the season, the leagues I've skated for often drop practice to once a week until January. I think this is the first year ever I did not want to take a break at the end of the year!
Ok, who's hosting first?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I am an insecure coach..
Did you know I am on the coaching committee for Sonoma? Well, I am! I was briefly on the coaching committee for BADG some years ago but I found I didn't really like to lead practices and often second guessed my instructions so I stepped down from the committee.
But I am giving coaching a second try with SCRD. It works in my favor because my committee work can be done in practice and via email and doesn't require me to drive up to Rohnert Park any more than I already have to. And I have a lot of veteran advice that the girls seem interested in hearing (for now!).
I am still totally plagued with doubts though when I lead practice. I am always a little cautious..."How did that feel? Did you like that drill? What do you want to work on now? Would it be ok if we scrimmaged a little bit, guys?" Not exactly the voice of authority.
I don't feel that I have the creative thought process to develop new drills or strategies and plays. I can recycle the things I already know and I can talk about things I've learned through experience. But it's difficult to think on the fly. I always feel like I'm letting people down if I don't have some new material that gives them a breakthrough moment.
On the other hand, sometimes I'm not so passive. And I haven't learned to walk the fine line of challenging versus mean. Sometimes I get frustrated when people aren't listening or not trying and I might yell "STOP FUCKING AROUND!" Which, in retrospect, doesn't make practice very fun. I'm so used to practices not really being fun and be really challenging. It's hard to come into a new group that doesn't operate with those same standards and try to adjust to a newer, more relaxed style.
I'm tottaly terrified that people are going to either think I'm too mean and too strict or think I'm not giving them enough and they're not learning.
GAAAAAH!
Being in charge is hard.
Luckily, the girls are all very nice and they are not shy about communicating when something is or is not working. I appreciate the feedback. I'm just crossing my fingers that everyone stays patient and open and I can figure out my role and what I can offer.
Any advice, guys?
But I am giving coaching a second try with SCRD. It works in my favor because my committee work can be done in practice and via email and doesn't require me to drive up to Rohnert Park any more than I already have to. And I have a lot of veteran advice that the girls seem interested in hearing (for now!).
I am still totally plagued with doubts though when I lead practice. I am always a little cautious..."How did that feel? Did you like that drill? What do you want to work on now? Would it be ok if we scrimmaged a little bit, guys?" Not exactly the voice of authority.
I don't feel that I have the creative thought process to develop new drills or strategies and plays. I can recycle the things I already know and I can talk about things I've learned through experience. But it's difficult to think on the fly. I always feel like I'm letting people down if I don't have some new material that gives them a breakthrough moment.
On the other hand, sometimes I'm not so passive. And I haven't learned to walk the fine line of challenging versus mean. Sometimes I get frustrated when people aren't listening or not trying and I might yell "STOP FUCKING AROUND!" Which, in retrospect, doesn't make practice very fun. I'm so used to practices not really being fun and be really challenging. It's hard to come into a new group that doesn't operate with those same standards and try to adjust to a newer, more relaxed style.
I'm tottaly terrified that people are going to either think I'm too mean and too strict or think I'm not giving them enough and they're not learning.
GAAAAAH!
Being in charge is hard.
Luckily, the girls are all very nice and they are not shy about communicating when something is or is not working. I appreciate the feedback. I'm just crossing my fingers that everyone stays patient and open and I can figure out my role and what I can offer.
Any advice, guys?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Website? What website?!
You want to know a derby pet peeve of mine? Bad or inactive websites!
For my bout previews and recaps, I link to every league I mention. I pull pictures or logos from their websites. I try to look for past scores.
When you have a freaking MYSPACE instead of a website? That is unacceptable! What are you, 13?! You're a freaking business. Be accessible. Have a website.
And what the fuck is up with leagues not putting their scores from their bouts on their website?!? You don't think people might want to know the outcome of your games?
It doesn't do much to encourage the validty of the sport when your game results are an afterthought to your Metal-Themed Team Glamour Shots.
Every league website should have a "Scoreboard" section where they have the official score and date of every bout they have ever played!
I know we have Derby News Network. I know we have Derbymatic. But when your podunk league doesn't submit scores to either of those websites they can't update the scores.
Stop sucking, people. Get a designated web master to update your website monthly, if not weekly. If no one on your league is capable of that, hire somebody to do it. Hell, hire a kid in high school. Kids want the experience, have a lot of the knowledge, and you can probably pay them cheaply. If you can't afford to pay someone, ask someone to do it for free and then put ads for them on the website and in the programs for your bout.
For my bout previews and recaps, I link to every league I mention. I pull pictures or logos from their websites. I try to look for past scores.
When you have a freaking MYSPACE instead of a website? That is unacceptable! What are you, 13?! You're a freaking business. Be accessible. Have a website.
And what the fuck is up with leagues not putting their scores from their bouts on their website?!? You don't think people might want to know the outcome of your games?
It doesn't do much to encourage the validty of the sport when your game results are an afterthought to your Metal-Themed Team Glamour Shots.
Every league website should have a "Scoreboard" section where they have the official score and date of every bout they have ever played!
I know we have Derby News Network. I know we have Derbymatic. But when your podunk league doesn't submit scores to either of those websites they can't update the scores.
Stop sucking, people. Get a designated web master to update your website monthly, if not weekly. If no one on your league is capable of that, hire somebody to do it. Hell, hire a kid in high school. Kids want the experience, have a lot of the knowledge, and you can probably pay them cheaply. If you can't afford to pay someone, ask someone to do it for free and then put ads for them on the website and in the programs for your bout.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Announcing/Retiring/Sk808
Announcing:
I announced my first bout over the weekend! Battle Born Derby Demons vs. Sonoma County Roller Derby. It was a lot of fun. And I would totally do it again! Any leagues out there need an announcer for a bout? You let me know!
I talked a little too much, said some things that weren't actually true, and sometimes messed up some pronounciation. But it was my first time and I know I'll be better next time! Now I know what to expect!
I was happy I was able to pull out some quick, on the fly jokes every know and then. I was worried I wouldn't know what to say but things just came pouring out.
I almost feel like practicing announcing now! Maybe I'll go home and watch some bout footage I have and announce over it.
Retirement from BADG:
So after skating on two leagues for the season, I decided one had to do. I didn't feel particularly burned out. I just couldn't really deal with paying dues for both leagues and having to cross bridges and drive 30+ miles for every practice. And I was starting to really feel some not happy feelings towards BADG. I just didn't feel like I fit in with that system anymore AT ALL. I didn't feel connected and I didn't feel inspired.
I decided to file for retirement from the league. I'd been skating with them for over 4 years. Our policy had always been that anyone could retire if they maintained 50 % attendance for two years.
But my application was denied! Because I am going to continue skating for another league. I never said I wanted to retire from roller derby. I said I wanted to retire from the BADG league! So, being the little scrapper that I am, I am trying to appeal. I checked the handbook, it doesn't say anything about what you choose to do in your skating career after you leave BADG. And in the bylaws, the wording of a policy can't be changed unless the whole league votes on it (a process that will take probably a few weeks). Therefore, I should be granted retiree status, right? RIGHT!
What I choose to do with another league after leaving BADG shouldn't really be an issue, in my opinion. They are two completely organizations..
Anyways, it's little stuff like that which makes my reason to leave BADG all the more clear. I've been with the league for almost five years. I skated on the travel team for every season except for the last. I've always been overactive in my committee work. I have never had less than the minimum required attendance. I have busted my ass for YEARS. And then to be told I can't be allowed to retire from their league? It just seems spiteful. So I'm leaving because I'm not happy there. Does that mean that everything I've worked for should just be dismissed? This should be a drama-free parting. Sheesh.
On a lighter note...
Sk808:
A open non-team tournament in HAWAII? Ugh, I so want to be there. The tourny itself is only $35 and I have some relatives in Honolulu that I may be able to stay with. I could just never afford the plane ticket. I need to seriously brainstorm some personal derby fundraising activities.
What to do, What to do?
I announced my first bout over the weekend! Battle Born Derby Demons vs. Sonoma County Roller Derby. It was a lot of fun. And I would totally do it again! Any leagues out there need an announcer for a bout? You let me know!
I talked a little too much, said some things that weren't actually true, and sometimes messed up some pronounciation. But it was my first time and I know I'll be better next time! Now I know what to expect!
I was happy I was able to pull out some quick, on the fly jokes every know and then. I was worried I wouldn't know what to say but things just came pouring out.
I almost feel like practicing announcing now! Maybe I'll go home and watch some bout footage I have and announce over it.
Retirement from BADG:
So after skating on two leagues for the season, I decided one had to do. I didn't feel particularly burned out. I just couldn't really deal with paying dues for both leagues and having to cross bridges and drive 30+ miles for every practice. And I was starting to really feel some not happy feelings towards BADG. I just didn't feel like I fit in with that system anymore AT ALL. I didn't feel connected and I didn't feel inspired.
I decided to file for retirement from the league. I'd been skating with them for over 4 years. Our policy had always been that anyone could retire if they maintained 50 % attendance for two years.
But my application was denied! Because I am going to continue skating for another league. I never said I wanted to retire from roller derby. I said I wanted to retire from the BADG league! So, being the little scrapper that I am, I am trying to appeal. I checked the handbook, it doesn't say anything about what you choose to do in your skating career after you leave BADG. And in the bylaws, the wording of a policy can't be changed unless the whole league votes on it (a process that will take probably a few weeks). Therefore, I should be granted retiree status, right? RIGHT!
What I choose to do with another league after leaving BADG shouldn't really be an issue, in my opinion. They are two completely organizations..
Anyways, it's little stuff like that which makes my reason to leave BADG all the more clear. I've been with the league for almost five years. I skated on the travel team for every season except for the last. I've always been overactive in my committee work. I have never had less than the minimum required attendance. I have busted my ass for YEARS. And then to be told I can't be allowed to retire from their league? It just seems spiteful. So I'm leaving because I'm not happy there. Does that mean that everything I've worked for should just be dismissed? This should be a drama-free parting. Sheesh.
On a lighter note...
Sk808:
A open non-team tournament in HAWAII? Ugh, I so want to be there. The tourny itself is only $35 and I have some relatives in Honolulu that I may be able to stay with. I could just never afford the plane ticket. I need to seriously brainstorm some personal derby fundraising activities.
What to do, What to do?
New Blog, New Start
Hello readers! I moved all my bout recaps and previews a long time ago to my other site at: http://www.examiner.com/x-16869-San-Francisco-Roller-Derby-Examiner
But I miss being able to type freely about my own personal roller derby experiences. So this blog is now just going to be about me and what I'm doing and my opinions.
I encourage you to unsubscribe or un"follow" if that doesn't interest you.
Stay tuned!
But I miss being able to type freely about my own personal roller derby experiences. So this blog is now just going to be about me and what I'm doing and my opinions.
I encourage you to unsubscribe or un"follow" if that doesn't interest you.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
In case you haven't already noticed, I have moved my blog to a new site. You can now find my articles on Nor Cal Derby at the Examiner.
Make sure you subscribe to email on my site! That way you'll get an email every time I post a new article!
Make sure you subscribe to email on my site! That way you'll get an email every time I post a new article!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
This Weekend in Nor Cal Roller Derby
Humboldt Redwood Rollers 98 vs ACDG's Rocket Queens 89
Now I believe that the Rocket Queens are the B team for the Angel City Derby Girls. ACDG is a staple of West Coast roller derby. They are a WFTDA team that has been around for several years. They recently took second place at the all-California flat-track tournament, the Big One. Humboldt is in the midst of their second season. The Redwood Rollers suffered a loss from the B.A.D. Girls Oakland Outlaws last month but regained their confidence with a back and fourth close game with this So Cal team.
Central Coast Roller Derby 90 vs B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls Plan B Team 88
Sadly, this was the last game for B.A.D.'s Plan B. After a loss against Central Coast this weekend and an appearance last month at The Big One, the leagues B team has been disbanded. There seems to not be enough time or resources within the league to keep it going right now.
I wasn't in attendance for the game and I'd rather not repeat the comments I heard about the overall experience for fear of heresy. But a look at the score should tell you how close this game was and how it probably could have gone either way. Sometimes, when a game is a matter of mere points, it's easy to place the blame somewhere. It's easy to look back at that one jam that you thought you were cheated out of points or you thought you shouldn't have gotten that major penalty.
However, you can't go back and have a do-over. You just have to buck up and remind yourself that next time you'll get them. Next time.
Sac vs Sonoma Re-Cap
Sac City Rollers vs. Sonoma County Roller Derby (the Wine Country Homewreckers)
June 20th, 2009 at Cal Skate in Rohnert Park, CA
Halftime Score: 66 - 27 Sonoma
Final Score 120 - 56 Sonoma
As I mentioned in my preview for this game, both teams were desperate for a victory over their friends/rivals. What started out as a close game with lots of tension and passion, soon turned into a glorious revenge victory for Sonoma County. As the younger league of the two, Sonoma was anxious to climb out from underneath the Sac City Rollers shadow. With their hard-fought and definitve win over the team who took fourth place last month at the all-California tournament, The Big One, Sonoma County has made their presence known.
Sonoma County really flexed their jamming prowess on Saturday night. Out of their thirteen players, seven different girls donned the star helmet cover throughout the night. Of those seven jammers, each of them also played within the pack as a blocker multiple times.
The high scoring jammer for SCRD was All On Ya. She scored an impressive 31 points in just eight jams. Hot on her heels was The Teacher who took down 21 points in ten jams and U Wish Trish who scored 22 points in four jams. Trish was able to average 5.5 points per jam which was the highest average for any skater on either team that night.
Also scoring for SCRD were High Roller with 17 points in six jams, Killer Vee with 11 points in seven jams, Scait Riot with 7 points in three jams, and Big Nick with five points in one jam.
Sac employed a shorter jammer roster for the evening with only three scoring jammers out of five. Lil Punk and Purdy Grrrl held it down on the jammer line for most of the night. Lil Punk scored 21 points in 15 jams while Purdy Grrrl scored 17 points in 12 jams. La Lucha managed to nab 18 points of her own in just eight jams. Suburban Slayer and Rock Hell Belch jammed a few times but were kept off the scoreboard.
Both teams were skating down players due to illness, injury, or personal reasons. Sonoma rostered 13 players while Sac had just 12. With fewer skaters, every girl on both teams had to step up and play maybe a little more than they were used to. The heavy-lifters for the visiting Sac team were Spankenstein with 24 blocking shifts and Scandaliz with 21 blocking shifts. Sweet Cheeks and Suburband Slayer each had 15 shifts while H N Icy had 14.
For Sonoma County, our iron woman for the night was Roxy-8-Arrr. With twenty blocking shifts throughout the night, this lady NEVER went to the penalty box. Holy Crap. Pain Galaura and Honey Deluxe had 19 shifts. Scait Riot had 17 turns as a blocker and Rosie Road Rash had 16.
The big penalty offenders for the night were a few familiar faces for the North Bay. Pain Galaura from Sonoma racked up three trips to the box while Honey D Luxe was assessed four total minutes in the penalty box but I believe she was ejected from the game for a gross misconduct trip on Purdy Grrrl in the last jam before she could serve out her time.
For Sac, Spankenstein was sent to the penalty box five times and Purdy Grrrl, Suburban Slayer, and Scandaliz all sat for three minutes.
Penalty wise, the teams were about even. They were both given 12 majors. Sonoma had 50 accumulated minors while Sac had 43. Although Sonoma had more minor penalties, Sac spent more time in the penalty box as Sonoma's minors were spread out more amongst the players who may never have racked up enough minors to serve a full minute penalty.
All in all, it was a great bout to compete in. I can only hope that it was also a fun game to watch. Although I heard rumors that the venue was sold out, the crowd was eerily quiet as their home team dealt out a beatdown. Several times while I was jamming, I had to wave to the crowd to encourage them to cheer. This ain't a chess match, people. We like it when you yell. It makes us skate faster. It makes us skate better.
Sonoma County was lucky enough to have the bout announced by the wonderful and witty Suzy Snakeyes from the famous L.A. Derby Dolls. As hard as she tried, she wasn't able to get the place on their feet and really rocking. What are we going to do, North Bay? I know you've got a reputation for being a mellow hippy area and all but Gosh Dang! Show your girls some love! We've got anoter home game on July 11th against Central Coast Roller Derby. I am daring you to bring your pompoms, bring your megaphone, and bring the noise. Show us what you got and we'll show you what we can do!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sac City Rollers vs. Sonoma County Roller Derby
Leagues: Sonoma County Roller Derby vs. Sac City Rollers
Date/Time: Saturday June 20th, 2009 - Doors @ 7:30p, , Bout at 8:30 pm
Location: Cal Skate - 6100 Commerce Blvd. Rohnert Park, CA
These two teams are as close as can be. Physically and spiritually. Last year at RollerCon, the two leagues "married" each other in a derby ceremony. Sac is essentially a big sister league to younger Sonoma County team. Last August, these two leagues faced off on each other in a double-header. A team vs A team. B team vs B team. The end results was one win and one loss for each time. The Sonoma B team, The North Bay Bruisers won their match 64 - 52. The Sac A team won their game against the Wine Country Homewreckers 79 to 70.
So as you can see, these are two evenly matched leagues.
This Saturday the re-match will be fierce. While the girls like each other very much, NO ONE wants to be on the losing side of this one. It's a pride thing, I guess.
Personally, this will mark my public debut as a skater for Sonoma County. I can honestly say I'm more nervous about this game than I normally am when it comes to my B.A.D. home team games. I have actually, in all these years, never played Sac in a full length game. I also have never played a game as a member of Sonoma County. I have no idea what to expect. That's a big part of why I'm doing the dual league duty. I do like this feeling of the unknown.
For Sonoma County, they are coming off a rough 114 - 69 loss to Chicago's "The Outfit" back in May. This season, they have also suffered a surprising loss to Emerald City (113 to 79) but notched a win against Santa Cruz (167 to 56).
Sac was victorious this year over Central Coast Roller Derby (111 to 97). They lost to Silicon Valley Roller Girls in April (97 - 84). At the annual tournament The Big One in May, Sac took 4th place.
Sac City Rollers Roster: Fastlane Fanny / H N ICY / La Lucha / Lil' Punk / Mazal Tough Cocktail / Pro Pain / Purdy Grrrl / Rock Hell Belch / Scandaliz / Spankenstein / Stinger / Suburban Slayer / Sweet Cheeks
Sonoma County Roster: All On Ya / Big Nick / Bushido / D.Enforcer / High Roller / Honey Deluxe / Killer Vee / Lady Sparks / Pain Galaura / Rosie Road Rash / Roxy-8-ARRR / Scait Riot / The Teacher / U Wish Trish
Sunday, June 14, 2009
This weekend in Nor Cal Roller Derby
We had a busy weekend in Northern California! There were four different local leagues bouting at three different locations.
June 13th, 2009:
Santa Cruz Roller Girls 100 vs. Silicon Valley Roller Girls 131
I've heard Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was in attendance. Rad. I don't know any game details but I heard Silicon Valley was holding it down all night and had up to a 50 point lead or more at some points in the game. Dang! SVRG on the come-up!
Pikes Peak Derby Dame 167 vs. Sacred City Derby Girls 70
I don't know any details on this game. Please share some stories, Sacred!
Oakland Outlaws (B.A.D.G.) 108 vs. San Francisco ShEvil Dead (B.A.D.G.) 44
In the last few minutes of the first half, ShEvil jammer Knock Knock went on 15 - 0 run to bring the score to within 14 points (Oaklandlead). In the second period, Oakland regrouped and just blasted through holding ShEvil to just ten points for the half. No fights, no injuries, no major stoppages. First game under 4.0 was a success in my opinion. Everything seemed to just run smoother and faster. Now if only we could figure out why our crowd keeps getting smaller and smaller...
June 13th, 2009:
Santa Cruz Roller Girls 100 vs. Silicon Valley Roller Girls 131
I've heard Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was in attendance. Rad. I don't know any game details but I heard Silicon Valley was holding it down all night and had up to a 50 point lead or more at some points in the game. Dang! SVRG on the come-up!
Pikes Peak Derby Dame 167 vs. Sacred City Derby Girls 70
I don't know any details on this game. Please share some stories, Sacred!
Oakland Outlaws (B.A.D.G.) 108 vs. San Francisco ShEvil Dead (B.A.D.G.) 44
In the last few minutes of the first half, ShEvil jammer Knock Knock went on 15 - 0 run to bring the score to within 14 points (Oaklandlead). In the second period, Oakland regrouped and just blasted through holding ShEvil to just ten points for the half. No fights, no injuries, no major stoppages. First game under 4.0 was a success in my opinion. Everything seemed to just run smoother and faster. Now if only we could figure out why our crowd keeps getting smaller and smaller...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Splitting time between two leagues
In case you haven't heard, I am now skating with Sonoma County Roller Derby. It's not been a secret but I haven't been telling everyone I know either. Since I'm rostered for an upcoming bout with them against Sac, I figured I should take the time to discuss my dual-league decision.
Yes, I said dual-league. I am still a skater with the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls. I am still playing on the Oakland Outlaws and I have no plans to change that.
However, I am not longer playing for the B.A.D. All-Star team. In the beginning of the season I left the team for personal reasons. I had thought that maybe I would try-out at mid-season and finish up the year back on the travel team. After being on the All-Star team for three consecutive years, I felt I needed a little time off from the intensity of national competition and travel and training. Once I took a few months off from the travel team, I realized I didn't actually want to rejoin the team later on in the season. Sure, I missed playing teams from different cities. I missed being able to compete against someone besides people in my own league. But, again, for personal reasons I decided not to go back. Something just didn't feel right. I didn't have the same kind of motivation. I didn't feel any connection or chemistry.
Oddly enough, I was plenty motivated and interested in my regular home team the Oakland Outlaws. We've played two home games (against ShEvil Dead and the Wrecking Belles) and two away games (Port City and Humboldt) and are currently sitting pretty with three out of four wins for the season. Even with the one loss to the Richmond Wrecking Belles, I wasn't devastated. I was happy during the game and proud of the hard work we put in. I felt lighter without the extra pressure of the All-Star team.
Still, I enjoy playing. I like to be involved. I've been a longtime supporter of the Sonoma league. My sister skated with them and my boyfriend John often refs for their games. I often participated and organized scrimmages against Sonoma and B.A.D. teams. I like the atmosphere of their league and I always have fun around them.
At some point, a few of the girls joked that maybe I should skate for their travel team now. I laughed at first. But then I thought about it. What is there to hold me back from playing on two leagues? B.A.D. passed a bylaw last year that allowed a skater to play on another league as long as the skater wasn't on two WFTDA all-star teams.
So I decided to go for it!
Sure, the distance and the extra committment is tough. But so far, it's totally doable. Although it takes me an hour to get to Rohnert Park for Sonoma practice, on weekday nights it would take me about 45 minutes in traffic to get to my regular practice. For both practices I have to cross a bridge ($4 for the Bay Bridge, $6 for the Golden Gate Bridge). It is a little pricier in the gas mileage to get to Rohnert Park versus Oakland. But as I have family in that area, I'm trying to coincide family dinners and visits to take the sting out a little. I'm also always trying to subtly encourage my Bay Area leaguemates to carpool with me to Sonoma so we can share the costs. What I really need is a derby girl in Marin who wants to carpool up!
It may also seem like it's too much practice to handle. But I do a rotating system. One week I go to one Sonoma practice and two BAD practices. The next week I'll go to two Sonoma and one BAD practice. Maybe the third week, I'll just do one of each. That way I'm still clocking five - six practices for Sonoma and six for BAD. Also, each league allows their skaters to accumulate two or three extra credit practices per month so really my claimable totals are over 50 % for each league. Not so bad, right?
I'm still doing committee work and flyering for both leagues. So far, I'm able to get by. I just need to be able to monitor my level of committment and make the best out of the time and energy I can offer to both sides.
It helps that I'm feeling really good about everything right now. Things with the Outlaws are running smoothly as usual. And I've felt completely welcomed into the Sonoma fold. I have a lot of fun at their practices. It's funny cause I thought that all roller derby teams would be the same. But the practice dynamic is completely different! I can't say that I prefer one teams way over the other. It's nice to have the variety. I've spent the last four years essentially doing the same thing with the same people week in and week out. They always say that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. By throwing a new pattern and a new style into my derby routine, I think I'm improving in my skills and mindset.
I am finding it difficult to match my attitude toward the specific group attitude. Sonoma tends to be more laidback and unusual while Oakland tends to be more tightly scheduled and regimented. I've been struggling to switch to a more mellow, fun-loving mood in Rohnert Park. I need to remind myself to let go a little and have some fun. Back in Oakland, I sometimes find myself wanting to do Sonoma warm-ups and drills when I'm supposed to be digging hard and fast and non-stop whistles. Then I have to remind myself to get serious and stop smiling at everyone. Ideally, I'd love to blend the two but I'm also enjoying having the best of both worlds at the moment.
I'm looking forward to the next few months as I continue to play within the BAD league this summer and I'm also looking forward to playing Sac, Central Coast, and others as a Wine Country Homewrecker. There is a possibility that Sonoma may end up playing a BAD team later on this summer. If it's Oakland, I will not skate for either team. Maybe I could announce instead. If it's the All-Star team, I also would not play as I consider that a conflict of interest. However, if it's Richmond or San Francisco...I'm not quite sure what I'll do. I think I'd like to play them as a Sonoma player. Would that be considered disloyal? I already play against them all the time as an Outlaw. Isn't it the same thing but a different uniform? Hmmmmm. I'll have to chew on that for awhile.
I'm not sure what to expect from my decision to play both sides of the Bay. I'm sure some people will think it's cool, some people will think it's lame, and most people won't care at all. I'm hoping everyone falls into that last category. It's just roller derby! We're all here for the same thing: To play, to party, to have fun, and to make friends! If you can afford the time and the driving and the work to be in two organizations, I say there's nothing wrong with that! Bring on the derby!
Yes, I said dual-league. I am still a skater with the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls. I am still playing on the Oakland Outlaws and I have no plans to change that.
However, I am not longer playing for the B.A.D. All-Star team. In the beginning of the season I left the team for personal reasons. I had thought that maybe I would try-out at mid-season and finish up the year back on the travel team. After being on the All-Star team for three consecutive years, I felt I needed a little time off from the intensity of national competition and travel and training. Once I took a few months off from the travel team, I realized I didn't actually want to rejoin the team later on in the season. Sure, I missed playing teams from different cities. I missed being able to compete against someone besides people in my own league. But, again, for personal reasons I decided not to go back. Something just didn't feel right. I didn't have the same kind of motivation. I didn't feel any connection or chemistry.
Oddly enough, I was plenty motivated and interested in my regular home team the Oakland Outlaws. We've played two home games (against ShEvil Dead and the Wrecking Belles) and two away games (Port City and Humboldt) and are currently sitting pretty with three out of four wins for the season. Even with the one loss to the Richmond Wrecking Belles, I wasn't devastated. I was happy during the game and proud of the hard work we put in. I felt lighter without the extra pressure of the All-Star team.
Still, I enjoy playing. I like to be involved. I've been a longtime supporter of the Sonoma league. My sister skated with them and my boyfriend John often refs for their games. I often participated and organized scrimmages against Sonoma and B.A.D. teams. I like the atmosphere of their league and I always have fun around them.
At some point, a few of the girls joked that maybe I should skate for their travel team now. I laughed at first. But then I thought about it. What is there to hold me back from playing on two leagues? B.A.D. passed a bylaw last year that allowed a skater to play on another league as long as the skater wasn't on two WFTDA all-star teams.
So I decided to go for it!
Sure, the distance and the extra committment is tough. But so far, it's totally doable. Although it takes me an hour to get to Rohnert Park for Sonoma practice, on weekday nights it would take me about 45 minutes in traffic to get to my regular practice. For both practices I have to cross a bridge ($4 for the Bay Bridge, $6 for the Golden Gate Bridge). It is a little pricier in the gas mileage to get to Rohnert Park versus Oakland. But as I have family in that area, I'm trying to coincide family dinners and visits to take the sting out a little. I'm also always trying to subtly encourage my Bay Area leaguemates to carpool with me to Sonoma so we can share the costs. What I really need is a derby girl in Marin who wants to carpool up!
It may also seem like it's too much practice to handle. But I do a rotating system. One week I go to one Sonoma practice and two BAD practices. The next week I'll go to two Sonoma and one BAD practice. Maybe the third week, I'll just do one of each. That way I'm still clocking five - six practices for Sonoma and six for BAD. Also, each league allows their skaters to accumulate two or three extra credit practices per month so really my claimable totals are over 50 % for each league. Not so bad, right?
I'm still doing committee work and flyering for both leagues. So far, I'm able to get by. I just need to be able to monitor my level of committment and make the best out of the time and energy I can offer to both sides.
It helps that I'm feeling really good about everything right now. Things with the Outlaws are running smoothly as usual. And I've felt completely welcomed into the Sonoma fold. I have a lot of fun at their practices. It's funny cause I thought that all roller derby teams would be the same. But the practice dynamic is completely different! I can't say that I prefer one teams way over the other. It's nice to have the variety. I've spent the last four years essentially doing the same thing with the same people week in and week out. They always say that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. By throwing a new pattern and a new style into my derby routine, I think I'm improving in my skills and mindset.
I am finding it difficult to match my attitude toward the specific group attitude. Sonoma tends to be more laidback and unusual while Oakland tends to be more tightly scheduled and regimented. I've been struggling to switch to a more mellow, fun-loving mood in Rohnert Park. I need to remind myself to let go a little and have some fun. Back in Oakland, I sometimes find myself wanting to do Sonoma warm-ups and drills when I'm supposed to be digging hard and fast and non-stop whistles. Then I have to remind myself to get serious and stop smiling at everyone. Ideally, I'd love to blend the two but I'm also enjoying having the best of both worlds at the moment.
I'm looking forward to the next few months as I continue to play within the BAD league this summer and I'm also looking forward to playing Sac, Central Coast, and others as a Wine Country Homewrecker. There is a possibility that Sonoma may end up playing a BAD team later on this summer. If it's Oakland, I will not skate for either team. Maybe I could announce instead. If it's the All-Star team, I also would not play as I consider that a conflict of interest. However, if it's Richmond or San Francisco...I'm not quite sure what I'll do. I think I'd like to play them as a Sonoma player. Would that be considered disloyal? I already play against them all the time as an Outlaw. Isn't it the same thing but a different uniform? Hmmmmm. I'll have to chew on that for awhile.
I'm not sure what to expect from my decision to play both sides of the Bay. I'm sure some people will think it's cool, some people will think it's lame, and most people won't care at all. I'm hoping everyone falls into that last category. It's just roller derby! We're all here for the same thing: To play, to party, to have fun, and to make friends! If you can afford the time and the driving and the work to be in two organizations, I say there's nothing wrong with that! Bring on the derby!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
SVRG vs. Santa Cruz - June 13th
Event: Knock Her Socks Off
Leagues: Santa Cruz Derby Girls vs. Silicon Valley Roller Girls
Teams: SCDG Boardwalk Bombshells vs. SVRG Dot.Kamikazes
Date/Time: Saturday June 13th, 2009 - Doors at 6 pm, Bout at 7 pm
Location: San Jose Skate - 397 Blossomhill Road San Jose, CA
If my online sources are correct, these two teams have only met once before for an official game. I'm sure they've spent a lot of time informally scrimmaging each other as they are close in location but this Saturday's game will be an intense rematch from ther March 2008 bout in Santa Cruz.
After a dramatic and controversial night, the Santa Cruz team was able to pull out a victory with a 66 to 56 win. I recall hearing that last time these girls met up, there was a honest to God fight during the game. Something you don't see often anymore. There were also some reports about vandalism, questionable reffings, tempers flaring, etc etc. But the girls made up and seem to get along swimmingly now.
As it's been over a year since that bout, both teams have changed considerably. Heck, Santa Cruz even went through a whole business change with a new name, logo, and structure!
Santa Cruz has honed their jammer line-up this season and tightened up on their aggressive, re-engaging defense. Look for Candie Hooligan to put the points up on the board with help from her teammates. So many girls on Santa Cruz step up to jam and block that I couldn't tell you who else on the team will be jamming. I'm sure you'll see appearances by Sheila, Raven Von Kaos, and Pippi Hard Socking. Hell Louise and Lulu Lockjaw will probably be taking names and kicking asses in the pack as blockers. Maybe a little Lulu jamming action too?
Silicon Valley is also sporting a solid jammer line although their rotation is a little more definite. Smashleigh, Smach Dahlia, and Terribelle Demise will do most of the heavy lifting as jammers. I'm guessing Rot Wheels and Pia Mess will be holding it down as jammer killers while Lizapalooza and Mistits will take their aggression out on the Santa Cruz pack.
All in all, it will be a hard-hitting bout. The packs are going to be going after each other. I'm sure there will be some beautiful jammer moves but I also predict a little penalty trouble for both teams.
I won't choose a favorite and I won't predict an outcome. I love both of these teams and count friends on both sides. My only complaint is that I'll be unable to watch the fun unfold as I'll be playing in San Francisco that night. Someone better text me the dang scores..
Now...if only we could combine the two bouts afterparties? That would be epic. Hell, maybe I'll even come down and party in San Jose afterwards instead!
Silicon Valley Roster: Booty Vicious / Donna Diggler / Fesity Irish / Juice K'Tore / Lizapalooza / Mistits / Pia Mess / Rot Wheels / Skooter Over / Smack Dahlia / Smashleigh / Steffen Razor / Terribelle Demise / Undie Taker
Santa Cruz Roster: Brawley Parton / Candie Hooligan / Cleopatra Catastrophe / Eden Yourheartout / Foxee Firestorm / Hell Louise / Kicken Red Vixen / Lulu Lockjaw /
Pippi Hard Socking / Raven Von Kaos / Rowdy Roughrider / Roxy Scarmichael / Shamrock N. Roller / Sheila Princess of Power
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Summer Sizzler and a piece on burn-out
Event: Summer Sizzler
League: B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls
Teams: Oakland Outlaws vs. ShEvil Dead
Date/Time: June 13th, 2009 - Doors at 6:30 pm, Bout at 8:00 pm
Location: Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA
I'm beginning to feel like I keep repeating myself over and over again. I was sure I had written a blog post about the last time ShEvil and Oakland played each other back in February but that was before I started this website. When your league only has three teams and you have to play each team two to three times a season, EVERY season....it all starts to run together.
While this is the second and probably last time that the Outlaws and ShEvil will meet this season, they have played each other umpteeth times before. In their earlier match-up this year, Oakland won 123 - 52. In 2008, Oakland also took the wins and both bouts against the SF team (96 to 70 in July 2008 and 103 - 66 in April 2008).
These original two teams have been sparring against each other since B.A.D's very first bout in October 2005. In the inaugrual opener, the ShEvil Dead won. Throughout 2006 and 2007, the teams traded victories and losses. While the scores from those seasons are no longer accessible online, I remember that both teams seemed to win and lose to each other an equal amount.
While the teams were once evenly matched, a lot can change in four seasons. With the 2008 addition of our third team, the Richmond Wrecking Belles, the skaters from the original two teams were re-distributed. Since then, it seems like ShEvil has not been able to recover their formerly solid reputation. One roadblock is the high turn-over rate on the team. In the last month alone, the San Francisco team had lost three veteran skaters (Motley Cruz, Messy Jessy, and Bliss Bomb'her) to early retirement. Both the Outlaws and the Wrecking Belles have also recently lost more skaters to retirement or fatigue in the last few weeks as well.
We all know roller derby takes a serious toll on our personal and professional lives. With practice three to four times a week, league meetings, committee meetings, committee work, bouts, fundraisers, and travel, the brave women who play have a lot on their plate. There comes a time, usually in the middle of the season, where people to start to drop out. We often refer to it as burn-out. Despite the desire to play, the reality of your private life snaps back into view and many people find that they just can't keep up anymore with the demands of their hobby.
In January, the B.A.D. girls had three teams with 21 - 22 people on the roster. We also had a pool of ten or so skaters who were not yet placed on a team since all three were full. Just six months later, we have under sixty people. Not even enough to have all three teams hit their maximum allowance for players on a team.
Unlike professional sports, we can't pick up a free agent from another league or call up someone from the minors. Whoever is on your team is what you've got to work with. In instances like this, where a large amount of girls are suddenly gone, there doesn't seem to be enough time to bring the newer, greener girls up to speed to adequately replace the older talent. And all the remaining skaters are much more pressed for time as they have to takeover the roles that their former teammates left behind.
So what do you do? We have try-outs every year and always take on more than we have room for. But year after year we end up short for players again. How do you avoid losing a quarter of your league every season? Is committee work optional? I don't see how it could be! Everyone needs to put in their share to make sure these DIY organizations succeed. Perhaps what is needed is for someone to be employed by the league in order for a lot of the work to be taken off the skaters shoulders. But in this economic climate, who can really afford to do that?
I'd love to sit and ponder some more about the best ways to beat the burn-out, but honestly, my brain is feeling a little fried today from all the derby message boards and my last two back to back practices. Besides, I need to do my chores that get routinely ignored on practice nights.I know you know what I mean! :)
Oakland Outlaws Roster: Bad Ass Mofoe / Bonnie Doom / Flash Morgan / Frank N Hurter / Jane Hammer / Jennacologist / Killer Vee / La Chica Mala / Lemmy Chokeya / Polly Puredread / Roughhouse Rhonda / Sharon Needles / Sinnocent / Taxi Scab
SF ShEvil Dead Roster: Belle "Right" Hooks / Boo YaYa / Kimfectious / Knock Knock / Luv U Longtime / Mexican Jumping Mean / Minnie Peril / Sassy Slayher / Skatzophrenic / Sugar Pusher / the Dakota Kid / Windigo Jones / Zipp Gunn
Monday, June 1, 2009
Nor Cal News
A few things happened (or didn't happen) this weekend.
In the beautiful Lake Tahoe area, the newly formed Santa Cruz travel team the Beachflat Betties played the Tahoe Derby Dames on Saturday night. The unofficial final score was 151 to 72 Santa Cruz!
Also in Nevada, The Richmond Wrecking Belles of the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls ventured up to Reno to play the Battle Born Derby Demons. Unfortunately, BBDD has an outdoor venue and the forecast called for rain all weekend. The game was canceled because roller derby really shouldn't be played in a puddle. Ruins the bearrings.
The Sac City Rollers attended the American Cancer Soicety's "Relay for Life" event in Sacramento while the Silicon Valley Rollergirls participated in "Walk Now for Autism."
In the beautiful Lake Tahoe area, the newly formed Santa Cruz travel team the Beachflat Betties played the Tahoe Derby Dames on Saturday night. The unofficial final score was 151 to 72 Santa Cruz!
Also in Nevada, The Richmond Wrecking Belles of the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls ventured up to Reno to play the Battle Born Derby Demons. Unfortunately, BBDD has an outdoor venue and the forecast called for rain all weekend. The game was canceled because roller derby really shouldn't be played in a puddle. Ruins the bearrings.
The Sac City Rollers attended the American Cancer Soicety's "Relay for Life" event in Sacramento while the Silicon Valley Rollergirls participated in "Walk Now for Autism."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Bay Area Derby Girls to host Frock Swap AND challenge style scrimmage on Friday June 5th, 8PM - 11PM at DRY ICE in Oakland, CA. Registration will start at 8, and scrimmaging will start at 9PM.
Bring Black/White shirt to skate in - if you have one w/ your number on the back, that's even better!
Bring your clean, tired duds to swap - **anything shiny gold will be snatched up promptly i'm sure!** - any leftover items will be brought to charity, by a BAD member.
$5 flat entry, even if you're not skating - if you ARE planning to skate -bring insurance information, full protection (helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and MOUTHGUARD) water bottle (Snack bar will be open for purchases as well)
Remember, no drinking, no drugs, no douche bags!
Bring Black/White shirt to skate in - if you have one w/ your number on the back, that's even better!
Bring your clean, tired duds to swap - **anything shiny gold will be snatched up promptly i'm sure!** - any leftover items will be brought to charity, by a BAD member.
$5 flat entry, even if you're not skating - if you ARE planning to skate -bring insurance information, full protection (helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and MOUTHGUARD) water bottle (Snack bar will be open for purchases as well)
Remember, no drinking, no drugs, no douche bags!
Please register here!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
May 23rd - Oakland Outlaws vs. Redwood Rollers
Holy. Mackerel. I had a good time last night!
Two weeks ago, I came across a semi-panicked email from Humboldt Roller Derby. They had a double-header planned in 14 days and the visiting team scheduled to play their A team just canceled! I casually mentioned it to my Oakland Outlaw teammates that night and shockingly, they all jumped on board immediately. I can't stress how impressed I am that we rallied fourteen girls to drive five+ hours up to Eureka on a holiday weekend with less than two weeks notice. Those girls are champs!
And I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are *so* glad we made that trip up. The Humboldt league was hospitable and welcoming! All the women and men in the organization were very friendly (even the coach despite any misunderstandings. ha!). The sell-out crowd was loud and enthusiastic. The announcer was on point and outrageous. The whole thing was pleasantly surprising.
Did you know that Humboldt gave each of us a redwood tree to take home and plant? Did you? Did you know we each got four drink tickets for the after party? Did you? Did you know they made cupcakes? Did you know they gave us all framed bout posters? Did you know they gave us chili dogs after the game? DID YOU?! It was awesome.
So, on to the game. Oakland had no idea what to expect. We had never seen the Humboldt girls play before. We had a mixed roster of veteran players and rookies. A few of the girls had never been in a real, live bout before. We were confident that as a unit, we'd all excel together.
First jam in and things are not looking so good. Sissy Jr. flies out of the pack for the Redwood Rollers and puts up four points and calls it before Jane Hammer can get out and score. Uh-oh.
The Outlaws had a little bit of trouble adjusting to the floor. It was similar to the polished concrete floor that we skated on in Stockton. But it was much better than that one! While we weren't slipping all over the place, it was very hard to get speed and feel comfortable crossing over in the turns. When you have to adjust the normal speed of your game, it takes a while to get the timing and strategy back down. Coupled with that was the surprising ferocity of the Humboldt girls hits. While I was jamming, I wasn't grippy enough on the floor to be able to cut away when I saw a hit coming at me. There was no escaping, you just had to take it and struggle to stay upright. As a result, I am very sore and bruised up today.
But Oakland got it together and started picking up the points. At halftime the score was 55 to 27 Oakland. The second period was even more hard-hitting than the first. The penalties started racking up on both sides. Several jams went without a jammer. More than half of the jams in the second went on with one or more blockers in the box for each team. Tensions started to run a bit high. In the end, Oakland took the win with a 115 to 65 score. Everyone seemed happy that the game was over and thrilled that we all had fun with no drama! It's refreshing to finish a game with everyone smiling.
On an embarassing note, I'd like to use this space to apologize for a mini-tantrum I threw. In the last jam I was called out on an elbowing major that I didn't think I deserved (still don't think I deserve it actually). I was incensed! I threw my mouthguard on the ground (like 20 feet!), literally stomped my feet, and cursed more than once. Luckily it was too loud in the venue for anyone to hear me. That is lame behavior. I am known for being loud and volatile and "passionate." I had been working on keeping my emotions in check and had been doing very well. I hadn't had a tantrum since Western Regionals last year! I went 8 months! EIGHT MONTHS! *sigh*
Anyways, thank you to the Humboldt league for being such generous and nice hosts! I'd love to come up again sometime and I highly recommend any other teams in the area take Humboldt on! It was a great experience.
Two weeks ago, I came across a semi-panicked email from Humboldt Roller Derby. They had a double-header planned in 14 days and the visiting team scheduled to play their A team just canceled! I casually mentioned it to my Oakland Outlaw teammates that night and shockingly, they all jumped on board immediately. I can't stress how impressed I am that we rallied fourteen girls to drive five+ hours up to Eureka on a holiday weekend with less than two weeks notice. Those girls are champs!
And I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are *so* glad we made that trip up. The Humboldt league was hospitable and welcoming! All the women and men in the organization were very friendly (even the coach despite any misunderstandings. ha!). The sell-out crowd was loud and enthusiastic. The announcer was on point and outrageous. The whole thing was pleasantly surprising.
Did you know that Humboldt gave each of us a redwood tree to take home and plant? Did you? Did you know we each got four drink tickets for the after party? Did you? Did you know they made cupcakes? Did you know they gave us all framed bout posters? Did you know they gave us chili dogs after the game? DID YOU?! It was awesome.
So, on to the game. Oakland had no idea what to expect. We had never seen the Humboldt girls play before. We had a mixed roster of veteran players and rookies. A few of the girls had never been in a real, live bout before. We were confident that as a unit, we'd all excel together.
First jam in and things are not looking so good. Sissy Jr. flies out of the pack for the Redwood Rollers and puts up four points and calls it before Jane Hammer can get out and score. Uh-oh.
The Outlaws had a little bit of trouble adjusting to the floor. It was similar to the polished concrete floor that we skated on in Stockton. But it was much better than that one! While we weren't slipping all over the place, it was very hard to get speed and feel comfortable crossing over in the turns. When you have to adjust the normal speed of your game, it takes a while to get the timing and strategy back down. Coupled with that was the surprising ferocity of the Humboldt girls hits. While I was jamming, I wasn't grippy enough on the floor to be able to cut away when I saw a hit coming at me. There was no escaping, you just had to take it and struggle to stay upright. As a result, I am very sore and bruised up today.
But Oakland got it together and started picking up the points. At halftime the score was 55 to 27 Oakland. The second period was even more hard-hitting than the first. The penalties started racking up on both sides. Several jams went without a jammer. More than half of the jams in the second went on with one or more blockers in the box for each team. Tensions started to run a bit high. In the end, Oakland took the win with a 115 to 65 score. Everyone seemed happy that the game was over and thrilled that we all had fun with no drama! It's refreshing to finish a game with everyone smiling.
On an embarassing note, I'd like to use this space to apologize for a mini-tantrum I threw. In the last jam I was called out on an elbowing major that I didn't think I deserved (still don't think I deserve it actually). I was incensed! I threw my mouthguard on the ground (like 20 feet!), literally stomped my feet, and cursed more than once. Luckily it was too loud in the venue for anyone to hear me. That is lame behavior. I am known for being loud and volatile and "passionate." I had been working on keeping my emotions in check and had been doing very well. I hadn't had a tantrum since Western Regionals last year! I went 8 months! EIGHT MONTHS! *sigh*
Anyways, thank you to the Humboldt league for being such generous and nice hosts! I'd love to come up again sometime and I highly recommend any other teams in the area take Humboldt on! It was a great experience.
I know, I know. I've been lagging. This blog stuff is hard to keep up with. In the last few weeks, I took in a few games. There were a couple games I wasn't able to attend. Since most of the games involved teams that I'm not on, I don't have any access to their stats or official rosters. The games I did attend, I wasn't able to take notes. So I think I'll just address each bout with a few opinions and a scattered fact here or there.
May 9th - B.A.D. All-Stars vs. Rat City All-Stars:
This was a heavily anticipated re-match. Both of these WFTDA teams are ranked within the top ten of the nation. They've played each other several times. Because of their rankings and their history, DNN allowed Kitt Turbo, Mandi Festo, and myself to do a live text broadcast with live streaming video courtsey of Moose Ondaluce. Careful with that link, you may need a Kitt Turbo translator.
For the bout, I was mainly focusing on the Rat City pack as Mandi watched BADs pack and Kitt Turbo watched the jammers. I couldn't tell you how the game went overall. I couldn't tell you what I thought of the reffing. I can't speculate on the jamming. I didn't see any of it. It's incredibly hard to take in everything you're seeing and figure out what you want to broadcast and then actually type it in. Not to mention, I am a hunt and peck typer. And I had to publish and respond to viewer comments as well. It was tough business but I'd love to give it another shot sometime.
A few things stood out in my memory. Taxi Scab, an important blocker for Bay Area, suffered an injury during warm-ups and had to sit out the whole game. Liza Machete, BAD's resident tough girl, was ejected from both periods for too many majors. Camen Getsome was ejected for Rat City in the second period for also having too many majors. BAD played primarily in the front of the pack while Seattle clearly preferred working in the back. Apparently, both teams had complaints about the reffing. Not surprisingly, both teams were very pentalty heavy.
The final score was 182 to 117 Rat City.
May 16th - Sonoma County Homewreckers vs. The Syndicate (of the Chicago Outfit)
It's not often that you see a non-WFTDA team travel a couple of thousand miles away to play another team. But I'm sure glad that Sonoma made the trip out to Chicago! I was lucky enough to be able to accompany the team out on their trip. I loved being able to support the team in person but I was also very happy to see my former leaguemate Terra NuOne as well as recent Sacramento transplants Daddy's Girl, Gaygan, and Photon Pixie. All four of those girls skate for the Syndicate. Is there a Northern California exodus to Chicago roller derby? Am I next? Hmm...
Right off the bat, Chicago started laying the boom. They hit hard, they hit fast, and they hit often. Sonoma definitely had their work cut out for them after the first four jams resulted in three jammer majors for their struggling team. In the derby world, the first five to six jams are often referred to as "The Ten Minutes of Terror." It's when you go into a game not knowing what to expect and then getting *rocked* by the other team. But it's only ten minutes because by that point most teams are able to reassess the situation and get a grip. Sonoma was behind for the whole game but they were able to start putting up some points and tightening up their defense. At one point in the second period, the score was separated by only 15 points. However, Chicago started pulling away in the latter half of the second period.
The final score was 114 to 69 Chicago. In the end, I personally felt that Sonoma had the more individually talented team but that Chicago had the teamwork and the strategy down more. As for who won the afterparty? Actually, I kind of think I won it for once! I shut the bar down which is a rare occasion for me. I also somehow convinced a bunch of girls to show their boobs which is an even more rare occasion! And I didn't pee my pants or throw-up or cry! And technically, since I wasn't skating, my "afterparty" included the six pack I drank during the bout. So yeah... I win!
May 16th - 17th - The Big One Tournament
I wasn't there since I was off partying in Chicago. I am not the least bit surprised to hear that the San Diego Derby Dolls ran away with the win. They went undefeated all weekend. Angel City took second place as the L.A. Derby Dolls took third and the Sac City Rollers skated away with fourth place. Defeated in the first round were: Bay Area, Central Coast, Sacred City, and OC.
For a more detailed account of the teams and the tournament, you can read my preview of The Big One here.
May 16th - Santa Cruz Harbor Hellcats vs. Brentwood Brawlin' Betties
Santa Cruz won 171 to 98. That's all I got!
May 9th - B.A.D. All-Stars vs. Rat City All-Stars:
This was a heavily anticipated re-match. Both of these WFTDA teams are ranked within the top ten of the nation. They've played each other several times. Because of their rankings and their history, DNN allowed Kitt Turbo, Mandi Festo, and myself to do a live text broadcast with live streaming video courtsey of Moose Ondaluce. Careful with that link, you may need a Kitt Turbo translator.
For the bout, I was mainly focusing on the Rat City pack as Mandi watched BADs pack and Kitt Turbo watched the jammers. I couldn't tell you how the game went overall. I couldn't tell you what I thought of the reffing. I can't speculate on the jamming. I didn't see any of it. It's incredibly hard to take in everything you're seeing and figure out what you want to broadcast and then actually type it in. Not to mention, I am a hunt and peck typer. And I had to publish and respond to viewer comments as well. It was tough business but I'd love to give it another shot sometime.
A few things stood out in my memory. Taxi Scab, an important blocker for Bay Area, suffered an injury during warm-ups and had to sit out the whole game. Liza Machete, BAD's resident tough girl, was ejected from both periods for too many majors. Camen Getsome was ejected for Rat City in the second period for also having too many majors. BAD played primarily in the front of the pack while Seattle clearly preferred working in the back. Apparently, both teams had complaints about the reffing. Not surprisingly, both teams were very pentalty heavy.
The final score was 182 to 117 Rat City.
May 16th - Sonoma County Homewreckers vs. The Syndicate (of the Chicago Outfit)
It's not often that you see a non-WFTDA team travel a couple of thousand miles away to play another team. But I'm sure glad that Sonoma made the trip out to Chicago! I was lucky enough to be able to accompany the team out on their trip. I loved being able to support the team in person but I was also very happy to see my former leaguemate Terra NuOne as well as recent Sacramento transplants Daddy's Girl, Gaygan, and Photon Pixie. All four of those girls skate for the Syndicate. Is there a Northern California exodus to Chicago roller derby? Am I next? Hmm...
Right off the bat, Chicago started laying the boom. They hit hard, they hit fast, and they hit often. Sonoma definitely had their work cut out for them after the first four jams resulted in three jammer majors for their struggling team. In the derby world, the first five to six jams are often referred to as "The Ten Minutes of Terror." It's when you go into a game not knowing what to expect and then getting *rocked* by the other team. But it's only ten minutes because by that point most teams are able to reassess the situation and get a grip. Sonoma was behind for the whole game but they were able to start putting up some points and tightening up their defense. At one point in the second period, the score was separated by only 15 points. However, Chicago started pulling away in the latter half of the second period.
The final score was 114 to 69 Chicago. In the end, I personally felt that Sonoma had the more individually talented team but that Chicago had the teamwork and the strategy down more. As for who won the afterparty? Actually, I kind of think I won it for once! I shut the bar down which is a rare occasion for me. I also somehow convinced a bunch of girls to show their boobs which is an even more rare occasion! And I didn't pee my pants or throw-up or cry! And technically, since I wasn't skating, my "afterparty" included the six pack I drank during the bout. So yeah... I win!
May 16th - 17th - The Big One Tournament
I wasn't there since I was off partying in Chicago. I am not the least bit surprised to hear that the San Diego Derby Dolls ran away with the win. They went undefeated all weekend. Angel City took second place as the L.A. Derby Dolls took third and the Sac City Rollers skated away with fourth place. Defeated in the first round were: Bay Area, Central Coast, Sacred City, and OC.
For a more detailed account of the teams and the tournament, you can read my preview of The Big One here.
May 16th - Santa Cruz Harbor Hellcats vs. Brentwood Brawlin' Betties
Santa Cruz won 171 to 98. That's all I got!
Roller Derby....it's everywhere.
This weekend my home team The Oakland Outlaws made a last-minute trip up to Eureka, Ca to play the Redwood Rollers (of Humboldt Roller Derby).
Since the Memorial Day drive from my house to Eureka took about six hours, I had a lot of time to sit in the backseat and ponder roller derby (thanks for driving, John Diss!). As we passed through the upper part of Sonoma County, I saw exits leading off to Lake County. My family owns a vacation home in Clearlake and I actually spent a few years in junior high living there. I jokingly asked John if he thought there would ever be a Clearlake Roller Derby league. We were sceptical.
A little while later, we made it up to Willits which is in Mendocino County. We decided to make a pit stop and get some food and stretch our legs. While browsing around a health food store, John and I overheard two of the cashiers talking..
"And even the referees have funny names! Like Jerk Diggler, like Dirk Diggler from Boogie Nights!" (not an exact quote)
Diss and I just looked at each other knowingly. There's only one sport they could be talking about. Being the nosy little eavesdropper that I am, I asked if she was talking about roller derby.
And that's how I met Half Pint, a skater with the new Mendocino County-based league the Mendo Mayhem! We talked a little bit and she informed me that they were having a promotion bar night in a few weeks. At a bar in Lakeport. So it lookes like roller derby is coming to Lake County afterall!
So now we have leagues in: Humboldt, Redding, Mendocino, Sonoma, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Tahoe, Stockton, Fresno, Merced, Santa Cruz, Antioch, Chico, Modesto, and Sonora!
Did I forget anyone in Northern California?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Events Other Than The Big One...
In other Nor Cal derby news...
In Stockton, the Port City Roller Girls will be hosting the Battle Born Derby Demons from Reno on Saturday May 16th, 2009.
Also on May 16th in Santa Cruz, the brand spanking new Antioch-based team the Brentwood Brawlin Betty's will be bouting for the first time against the Santa Cruz Derby Girls new B team, the Harbor Hellcats.
Sonoma County Roller Derby will be heading all the way out to Chicago this weekend to battle the Chicago Outfit's travel team the Syndicate on Saturday night.
On Sunday May 17th, the Silicon Valley Roller Girls will be hosting a free outdoor exhibit in Roosevelt Park in San Jose.
In Stockton, the Port City Roller Girls will be hosting the Battle Born Derby Demons from Reno on Saturday May 16th, 2009.
Also on May 16th in Santa Cruz, the brand spanking new Antioch-based team the Brentwood Brawlin Betty's will be bouting for the first time against the Santa Cruz Derby Girls new B team, the Harbor Hellcats.
Sonoma County Roller Derby will be heading all the way out to Chicago this weekend to battle the Chicago Outfit's travel team the Syndicate on Saturday night.
On Sunday May 17th, the Silicon Valley Roller Girls will be hosting a free outdoor exhibit in Roosevelt Park in San Jose.
The Big One - May 16th - 17th, 2009
This week the Angel Ciy Derby Girls will be hosting the second annual "The Big One" in El Segundo, CA. It's essentially an all-California flat track roller derby tournament that will determine a "Champion" of California. Last year, the tournament was hosted in Davis, CA by the Sac City Rollers and the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls. The B.A.D. All-Stars took home the trophy, while Sacred City took second and ACDG took third.
Competing this year are some new and old faces for the tournament. Coming back for a second shot at the trophy are: Angel City Derby Girls, Central Coast Roller Derby, Orange County Roller Girls, Sac City Rollers, and Sacred City Derby Girls.
This years newly invited teams are the San Diego Derby Dolls and the famous banked-track league the L.A. Derby Dolls. The B.ay A.rea D.erby girls will also be attendance this year but the reigning champions will be sending their B travel team, Plan B.
The eight teams competing were pre-ranked by every participating league prior to the tournament. Their seeding determines who they will play on Saturday during the qualifying rounds. Their rankings are as follows:
1. SCDG Sacrificers
2. ACDG Hollywood Scarlets
3. B.A.D.G. Plan B
4. OCRG Orange Crushers
5. SDDD Wildfires
6. CCRD All-Stars
7. LADD Ri-ettes
8. SCR All-Stars
The tournament begins on Saturday with the eight teams placed into two groups. Group One includes Sacred City, L.A., Bay Area , and San Diego. Group Two is Angel City, OC, Central Coast, and Sac City. Each team will play the other three teams in their group in 30 minute mini-bouts. The top two seeds from each group will advance to the semi-finals on Sunday. Oddly, it seems that there will be two semi-final full length bouts on the second day, but then only a championship bout to follow. How will they determine 3rd and 4th place if the two non-winning semi-final teams don't play each other?
So on to my opinion. Group One looks.... rough. Those are four very established leagues. Sacred City was last year's second place winner and is coming into the tournament ranked as #1. Though Plan B has only played one game (a win against Santa Cruz last year), they are certainly very strong. Stronger than last year, I would say. L.A. and San Diego are well known for being banked track skaters but the Wildfires crushed AZRD earlier this year and fought a tough battle against a top 10 WFTDA team, Duke City last month with a 77 - 71 Duke score. The Ri-ettes have had recent wins against KCDC (a Kansas City and Duke City hybrid team) and Oil City.
Prior to checking the schedule I would put the top four teams to go into the semi-finals to be (in nor particular order): Sacred, BAD, ACDG, and San Diego, with L.A. being a very close number 5. Sadly, the top four won't even be close as only two of those teams can make it out of their first group. The seeding seems a little lopsided, that's all I'm saying...
Group Two will play out the way it should according to the rankings though. ACDG will dominate, Central Coast will probably take second. Sac and OC I think are pretty evenly matched but I think Sac might actually get the upper hand in a bout against OC.
Unfortunately, I will not be attending the tournament this year :( But I'm sure you guys will all tell me how awesome and crazy and fun it was. Good luck to all the teams, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
B.A.D. All Stars vs Rat City!
Event: B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls All-Stars vs. Rat City Roller Girl All-Stars
Date and Time: May 9th, 2009 - Doors at 6:30 pm, Bout at 8 pm
Location: Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco CA
On Saturday night the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls are hosting their first inter league bout in San Francisco! They will be taking on the notoriously fast and hard-hitting Seattle team, the Rat City Roller Girls.
The last time these two teams met was in June 2008. Rat City started off the night with a commanding lead. At one point in the first half, B.A.D. was down by 45 points. But they rallied back and the game ended in a much closer 93 - 88 win for Rat City. In their previous match-up, Rat City beat the Bay Area team 112 - 25 at the 2007 WFTDA Western Regional Tournament. The two teams also played against each other in a 2006 mini-bout at Bumberbout. Not surprisingly, Rat City also won that one with a score of 68 - 13.
I'm sure that B.A.D. would absolutely *love* to notch their first victory over the Seattle crew. Though they have fallen to Rat City three times before, B.A.D. is currently ranked #1 in the WFTDA Western region while Rat City is ranked #5. This bout can go one of two ways: B.A.D. can get their first win against the legendary Rat City and assert their position at the top of the west, OR, Rat City can win and launch their 2009 comeback campaign to regain their status as the most feared team on the West Coast.
The teams look a little different since the last time they squared off. Though neither team is fielding any rookie skaters, their rosters are noticeably different. B.A.D.G. is skating with only eight girls from their 2008 team. Rat City is skating with just six players from last years bout against Bay Area.
The notorious trio of blonde sisters (Blonde N Bichin', D-Bomb, and Femme Fatale) have moved on to either retirement or the Oly Rollers. But the team has filled out their roster with the worthy additions.
On the B.A.D. side, they lost last years skaters Pia Mess, Mandi Festo, Killer Vee, and Racey Lane. Luckily they were able to add veteran skaters Friskie Meow, Diva Negativa, Polly Puredread, Jane Hammer, Astronaughty and Nina Beretta.
No matter what the outcome is in this game, the people of the San Francisco Bay Area are the ultimate winners. This will be the first time that the casual and/or die-hard local fans will get a real look at top-tier nationally competitive roller derby. I, of course, am rooting for a good night for the B.AD. Girls...but a close, exciting, unpredictable game wouldn't be so bad either :)
B.A.D.G. Roster: Astronaughty / Brawllen Angel / Burly Bot / Demanda Riot / Diva Negativa / Friskie Meow / Jane Hammer / Liza Machete / Lusty Malice / Nine Beretta / Polly Puredread / Sassy Slayher / Taxi Scab / Velveteen Savage
R.C.R.G. Roster: Anya Heels / Astroglide / Carmen Getsome / Darth Skater / Deadly Aim / Georgia O'Grief / Hideous Braxley / Juliet Bravo / Katarina Whip / Rebel Belle / Summer Assault / Swede Hurt / Valtron 3000 / Wile E. Peyote
Sunday, May 3, 2009
May Day Massacre Re-Cap
Event: May Day Massacre - May 2nd, 2009
SF ShEvil Dead vs. SVRG Dot. Kamimazes
Halftime Score: 49 - 40 SVRG
Final Score: 127 - 65 SVRG
The re-match between these two familiar teams was sure to be interesting. There were some big pile-ups, some questionable non-calls, some jammer theatrics (just call the damn jam already! Enough with the dramatic slow arm waving...Pia Mess!), and a miniature fight!
In the sixth jam of the second half, ShEvil Dead captain Kimfectious tackled SVRG jammer Terribelle Demise after she had collected her tenth point in a runaway jam. Kimfectious literally put both of her arms around Terribelle's waist and pulled her to the ground. Justifiably angry, Terribelle Demise jumped up and gave Kimfectious a little shove. This resulted in game expulsions for both players as physical contact like that is strictly prohibited.
So..I got really mad when that happened. I was pissed about the tackle take-down because it was just so stupid and pointless. She had already collected the points, she was already out of the pack. It was just a bad display of sportsmanship. On the other hand, if someone had done that to me, they would have gotten more than a one-handed shove. And I understand how that may seem hypocritical. But I personally feel that sometimes retaliatory play is alright. Just because I didn't start the shenanigans, doesn't mean I have to lay there and take it.
Moving on...
Coco Motion was the high scoring jammer for ShEvil. She had 36 points in ten jams. Rookie jammers Belle Right Hooks had 15 points in six jams and Knock Knock took 14 points in ten jams. Five other SF skaters wore the star for the reamining nine jams of the game but they were kept off the score board.
For Silicon Valley, Terribelle Demise and Smashleigh both captured 33 points during the game. Terribelle Demise skated in only five jams before her early second period expulsion while Smashleigh skated in nine jams. Smack Dahlia had 26 points in ten jams and Pia Mess had 22 points in seven jams. Booty Vicious scored eight points in her sole appearance on the jammer line and Mistits collected a five point grand slam after a jammerless jam forced the blocker to don the star for one shift.
The final score was very similar to the score the last time these two teams met up (126 to 55 ShEvil), but the winners were switched. Congratulations to the Dot.Kamikazes for their marked improvement.
-----
Sacred City Disciples vs. SVRG Killabytes
Halftime Score: 78 - 18 Sacred
Final Score: 148 - 44 Sacred
The second bout of the night started off with a little scare as Sacred player Wrench Wench went down in the third jam. I'm not aware of what her official injury is, but from my seat, it was definitely an ankle injury. I could almost guarantee it was broken from what I saw. I hope she is doing well and recovers quickly from whatever injury she received.
The Disciples offense was on fire from the get go. Her Meechness set the tone for the game when she stormed out with a nine - zero score for the first jam. The Killabyte's jammers struggled against Sacred's hard-hitting and relentless blockers. With the exception of Her Meechness, the Sacred jammers usually always called it off after the first scoring pass. So although the SVRG jammers were able to fight their way out of the pack, often the jam would be over before they made it back for a scoring pass.
Sacred jammers Her Meechness and Rosie Rampage were like runaway trains in the second game. Meech scored 56 points in 11 jams and Rosie Rampage took 52 points in 12 jams. Rosie Rampage actually gained lead jammer status 11 times out of those 12 jams. That's...hold on, let me get my calculator... 92 %! Rosie and her coach seemed to have worked out an interesting strategy. Whenver Rosie gathered lead jammer status but the opposing jammer also came out of the pack around the same time, Rosie would call the jam and then skate right back to the jam line and go again. She wanted to score on her own terms, it seems.
Sacred had only two other jammers for the entire game. Jenergizer Bunny scored 21 points in five jams and Pink Devil scored 19 points in 11 jams.
While the Disciples only used four jammers, Silicon Valley jammed seven different women! Double Easy was the highest scoring out of the bunch with 17 points in ten jams. Zootown Throwdown gathered nine in ten jams and Booty Vicious had seven points in six jams. Lizapalooza took four points in two jams, Spankin Firecracker had four points in three jams, and Cyntax had three points in jams. Scooter Over, who jammed in both games for the night, was held off the score board in her two jams against Sacred.
Sacred's B team The Disciples extend their winning status to another game this season. Congratulations to them as well!
SF ShEvil Dead vs. SVRG Dot. Kamimazes
Halftime Score: 49 - 40 SVRG
Final Score: 127 - 65 SVRG
The re-match between these two familiar teams was sure to be interesting. There were some big pile-ups, some questionable non-calls, some jammer theatrics (just call the damn jam already! Enough with the dramatic slow arm waving...Pia Mess!), and a miniature fight!
In the sixth jam of the second half, ShEvil Dead captain Kimfectious tackled SVRG jammer Terribelle Demise after she had collected her tenth point in a runaway jam. Kimfectious literally put both of her arms around Terribelle's waist and pulled her to the ground. Justifiably angry, Terribelle Demise jumped up and gave Kimfectious a little shove. This resulted in game expulsions for both players as physical contact like that is strictly prohibited.
So..I got really mad when that happened. I was pissed about the tackle take-down because it was just so stupid and pointless. She had already collected the points, she was already out of the pack. It was just a bad display of sportsmanship. On the other hand, if someone had done that to me, they would have gotten more than a one-handed shove. And I understand how that may seem hypocritical. But I personally feel that sometimes retaliatory play is alright. Just because I didn't start the shenanigans, doesn't mean I have to lay there and take it.
Moving on...
Coco Motion was the high scoring jammer for ShEvil. She had 36 points in ten jams. Rookie jammers Belle Right Hooks had 15 points in six jams and Knock Knock took 14 points in ten jams. Five other SF skaters wore the star for the reamining nine jams of the game but they were kept off the score board.
For Silicon Valley, Terribelle Demise and Smashleigh both captured 33 points during the game. Terribelle Demise skated in only five jams before her early second period expulsion while Smashleigh skated in nine jams. Smack Dahlia had 26 points in ten jams and Pia Mess had 22 points in seven jams. Booty Vicious scored eight points in her sole appearance on the jammer line and Mistits collected a five point grand slam after a jammerless jam forced the blocker to don the star for one shift.
The final score was very similar to the score the last time these two teams met up (126 to 55 ShEvil), but the winners were switched. Congratulations to the Dot.Kamikazes for their marked improvement.
-----
Sacred City Disciples vs. SVRG Killabytes
Halftime Score: 78 - 18 Sacred
Final Score: 148 - 44 Sacred
The second bout of the night started off with a little scare as Sacred player Wrench Wench went down in the third jam. I'm not aware of what her official injury is, but from my seat, it was definitely an ankle injury. I could almost guarantee it was broken from what I saw. I hope she is doing well and recovers quickly from whatever injury she received.
The Disciples offense was on fire from the get go. Her Meechness set the tone for the game when she stormed out with a nine - zero score for the first jam. The Killabyte's jammers struggled against Sacred's hard-hitting and relentless blockers. With the exception of Her Meechness, the Sacred jammers usually always called it off after the first scoring pass. So although the SVRG jammers were able to fight their way out of the pack, often the jam would be over before they made it back for a scoring pass.
Sacred jammers Her Meechness and Rosie Rampage were like runaway trains in the second game. Meech scored 56 points in 11 jams and Rosie Rampage took 52 points in 12 jams. Rosie Rampage actually gained lead jammer status 11 times out of those 12 jams. That's...hold on, let me get my calculator... 92 %! Rosie and her coach seemed to have worked out an interesting strategy. Whenver Rosie gathered lead jammer status but the opposing jammer also came out of the pack around the same time, Rosie would call the jam and then skate right back to the jam line and go again. She wanted to score on her own terms, it seems.
Sacred had only two other jammers for the entire game. Jenergizer Bunny scored 21 points in five jams and Pink Devil scored 19 points in 11 jams.
While the Disciples only used four jammers, Silicon Valley jammed seven different women! Double Easy was the highest scoring out of the bunch with 17 points in ten jams. Zootown Throwdown gathered nine in ten jams and Booty Vicious had seven points in six jams. Lizapalooza took four points in two jams, Spankin Firecracker had four points in three jams, and Cyntax had three points in jams. Scooter Over, who jammed in both games for the night, was held off the score board in her two jams against Sacred.
Sacred's B team The Disciples extend their winning status to another game this season. Congratulations to them as well!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
SVRG Double Header
Event: May Day Massacre
Date and Time: May 2nd, 2009, Doors at 6 pm, Bout at 7 pm
Location: San Jose Skate, 397 Blossom Hill Road 95123
Teams: SVRG Killabytes vs Sacred City Disciples & SVRG Dot.Kamikazes vs. SF ShEvil Dead
A double-header! Now there's something you don't see often in Northern California. Knowing how hard and demanding putting on one bout together is, I can't imagine how much work it takes to have two games in one night. But luckily, as a fan, I just get to sit back and watch twice the roller derby!
Dot. Kamikazes vs ShEvil Dead
Saturday night will be a rematch between the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls's home team the San Francisco ShEvil dead and Silicon Valley's A team, the Dot.Kamikazes. They played each other back in October and SF came out with a decisive win with a score of 126 to 55 score.
The SF line-up is noticably different this time around. They will be without jammers Exquisite Corpse and Miss Moxxxie who retired last year. They are also missing blockers Sassy Slayher and Terra NuOne, who transferred to the Chicago Outfit.
However, the SF teams rolls deep with several veteran players and a healthy crop of 2009 rookies who have been steadily increasing their skill and knowledge of the game.
While former SF player Pia Mess will be playing...she'll be playing for Silicon Valley! Pia left B.A.D. last year and has concentrated her efforts in coaching and playing for SVRG who is closer to her home. SVRG is fielding a roster much like the one from October. Almost all the players listed have been skating with the San Jose team for a bit and have a lot of experience.
S.F. ShEvil Dead Roster: Belle RIGHT Hooks / Bliss Bombher / the Dakota Kid /CocoMotion / Kimfectious / Knock Knock / Luv. U Longtime / Messy Jessy / Mexican Jumpin Mean /Minnie Peril /Motley Cruz / Skatzophrenic / Sugar Pusher / Windigo Jones
SVRG Dot.Kamikazes Roster: Rot Wheels / Smack Dahlia / Lipstik Bandita / Mistits / Smashleigh / Terribelle Demise / Skooter Over / Lizaplaooza / Undie Taker / Feisty Irish / Donna Diggler / Pia Mess / Juicy K. Tore / Steffen Razor
Killabytes vs. Disciples
It's often hard to compare two teams who have never played each other before. Sometimes you can look at their individual playing histories and see if they played the same team at some point and judge how close the game may be by how close their scores were against the same team. As far as I can tell, the Killabytes have only played one game as their team is newly formed. So that's out! Back in May 2008, the Disciples played SVRG's A travel team, the Dot.Kamikazes. SVRG breezed through that game with a 123 to 57 win. But it's been a long year and these two teams have changed a lot.
In 2009, the Killabytes won in Fresno against the Valley Fever Roller Derby 150 to 94.
The Disciples have won their last two games. They played the Battle Born Derby Demons in April and won 121 to 52. In October 2008, the Disciples squeaked out a victory against Port City's travel team with a 63 to 44 win.
Sacred City Disciples Roster: Moto Bella / Va Va Voom / C-Notch /Wrench Wench / Whirlda Hurt / Judy Jettison / ChaCha Picante / Pink Devil / Jenegizer Bunny / La Lochahontas / Atilla the Honey / Frida Bandida / Rosie Rampage 1200 / Her Meechness 1209
Killabytes vs. Disciples
It's often hard to compare two teams who have never played each other before. Sometimes you can look at their individual playing histories and see if they played the same team at some point and judge how close the game may be by how close their scores were against the same team. As far as I can tell, the Killabytes have only played one game as their team is newly formed. So that's out! Back in May 2008, the Disciples played SVRG's A travel team, the Dot.Kamikazes. SVRG breezed through that game with a 123 to 57 win. But it's been a long year and these two teams have changed a lot.
In 2009, the Killabytes won in Fresno against the Valley Fever Roller Derby 150 to 94.
The Disciples have won their last two games. They played the Battle Born Derby Demons in April and won 121 to 52. In October 2008, the Disciples squeaked out a victory against Port City's travel team with a 63 to 44 win.
Sacred City Disciples Roster: Moto Bella / Va Va Voom / C-Notch /Wrench Wench / Whirlda Hurt / Judy Jettison / ChaCha Picante / Pink Devil / Jenegizer Bunny / La Lochahontas / Atilla the Honey / Frida Bandida / Rosie Rampage 1200 / Her Meechness 1209
SVRG Killabytes Roster: Aim de kill / Steph N Razor / Lizapalooza / Scooter Over/ Postal Cervix / Zootown Throwdown /Dirty 30/ Spankin Firecracker / Cyntax / Double Knuckles/ Double Easy/ Bootyvicious / Mauly Anna / Cole Cocked
Thursday, April 23, 2009
This week in Northern California...
...
There are only two bouts to speak of this weekend. Humboldt Roller Derby will be traveling to Chico to play the Nor Cal Roller Girls. Redding Roller Girls will be hosting the Tahoe Derby Dames.
Silicon Valley Roller Girls will be hosting a fundraiser at Jack's in San Jose: http://www.svrollergirls.com/flyers/20090425_jacks.jpg
Sacred City Derby Girls will be doing...something..at Festival de la Familia in Sacramento: http://www.festivaldelafamilia.org/
Sac City Rollers will be joining the Rubicon Brewing Company for "Women in Brewing": http://www.rubiconbrewing.com
Is your league up to something this weekend? Let us know!
There are only two bouts to speak of this weekend. Humboldt Roller Derby will be traveling to Chico to play the Nor Cal Roller Girls. Redding Roller Girls will be hosting the Tahoe Derby Dames.
Silicon Valley Roller Girls will be hosting a fundraiser at Jack's in San Jose: http://www.svrollergirls.com/flyers/20090425_jacks.jpg
Sacred City Derby Girls will be doing...something..at Festival de la Familia in Sacramento: http://www.festivaldelafamilia.org/
Sac City Rollers will be joining the Rubicon Brewing Company for "Women in Brewing": http://www.rubiconbrewing.com
Is your league up to something this weekend? Let us know!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sonoma vs Santa Cruz Re-Cap
Leagues: Sonoma County Roller Derby vs. Santa Cruz Roller Girls
Teams: Wine Country Homewreckers vs. SC All Star Travel Team
Date: April 18th, 2009 @ Cal Skate in Rohnert Park, CA
Halftime Score: 103 to 29 Sonoma
Final Score: 167 to 56 Sonoma
I've been tooting the Sonoma County horn for a little while now, but I am ready to publicly say that I think 2009 is the season that Sonoma County will shake-up the rest of California. Unfortunately it looks like the Homewreckers only have games scheduled against Sac City and B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls for the rest of the season. But if they perform well, they will definitely make their mark on the West Coast roller derby scene.
In the beginning of the game, it looked like Sonoma may have some penalty trouble for the night as they skated down one or two players for the entire first four jams. However, the team quickly righted themselves and after that, the penalties for both packs were pretty even.
Even though they were skating in a diminished pack in the beginning, the Sonoma jammers set the speedy, slick tone for the night as they picked up a 34 to 4 point lead in just the first ten minutes of the game. Sonoma's jammers are well know for being fast, agile, and impossible to knock down. I know it throws teams for a loop when they play in the Rohnert Park rink against them. The floor there is very fast and many blockers aren't used to the tempo that Sonoma sets. I know that Santa Cruz got themselves in a little bit of trouble with at least four jammer trips to the box in the first half. But it seems that they adapted to the floor later on as only one jammer went to the box in the second period.
On the Sonoma side, there was a friendly rivalry brewing between jammers The Teacher and Phantom Payne. Phantom Payne barely won the inside competition as she came out with 51 points in nine jams. The Teacher kept right up with 50 points in 10 jams. Phantom Payne captured six lead jammer calls with Teacher taking seven. As you can see, these two powerhouse jammers are neck and neck with each other and their team definitely benefits!
All On Ya jammed seven times and picked up 14 points. She picked up an impressive five lead jammer calls. For most of the second period All On Ya worked in the pack as a voracious blocker and at the end of the night, she was rewarded with an MVP trophy for her team.
A pleasant surprise for the night came in dedicated blocker Scait Riot when she donned the jammer cap three times and ended up with an incredible 26 points. In the second to last jam in the second period, she scored 20 points which definitely pumped up the crowd.
Also scoring for Sonoma was High Roller with a consistent 22 points in three jams and U Wish Trish with four points in one jam. D. Enforcer and Lady Sparks took a turn but were kept off the scoreboard.
The scoring superstar for Santa Cruz was jammer Candie Hooligan. Candie participated in 14 jams and took in 32 points and five lead jammer calls. With more than half of her teams points, Candie Hooligan received an MVP award for Santa Cruz.
While Sonoma concentrated mostly on three super-star jammers, Santa Cruz spread out the jamming duties a little more. Kicken Red Vixen had 10 points in three jams, Sheila Princess of Power had seven points in eight jams, Shamrock N Roller had four points in two jams, and Lulu Lockjaw took three points in seven jams. Pippi Hardsocking also jammed three times but was shut down in the scoring department.
One thing about this game that made me so happy was how clean and controlled everyone was. The reffing was near flawless (mark that down, you won't hear me say it again). The jams were quick and clean. There were only two jams in the entire night where no lead jammer was called. There were no dirty plays, no temper tantrums, no drama. Everyone just did their job and kept their cool.
Not only that but there were no weak links! I tried to take notes on all the big hits or the containing of a jammer and my notebook quickly filled up with names. I marked down big hits for D.Enforcer, Big Nick, Pain Galaura, Rowdy Roughrider, Raven Von Kaos, and Pippi Hardsocking. I had jammer take downs noted for Lulu Lockjaw, Brawley Parton, Eden Yourheartout, and Honey D. Luxe. I noted jammer containment and re-engagement by Scait Riot, Roxy 8 Arr, Hell Louise, Rosie Road Rash, and Foxee Firestorm. Everyone was involved and everyone played a role.
All in all, this was a very classy game. I have major respect for Santa Cruz. I know it's easy to get demoralized when things start to go haywire. But it really feels like they came out after halftime with a renewed mentality and purpose. They were able to cut down the points Sonoma scored almost in half in the second part of the game. Every team suffers a big loss at some point or another. It truly becomes a learning experience and it reflects the mental strength of your team if you can calmly take stock of what happened and then shake it off at the after party (and there was plenty of shaking at the Karaoke bar after party!).
Upcoming games for the team teams are:
Sonoma vs The Outfit in Chicago on May 16th
Santa Cruz vs ? on May 16th in Santa Cruz
Sonoma County Roster: All On Ya / Big Nick / D.Enforcer / High Roller/ Honey D. Luxe / Lady Sparks / Pain Galuara / Phantom Payne / Rosie Road Rash / Roxy 8-ARRR / Scait Riot / Seam Ripper / The Teacher / U Wish Trish
Santa Cruz Roster: Brawley Parton / Candie Hooligan / Cleopatra Catastrophe / Eden Youheartout / Foxee Firestorm / Hell Louise / Kicken Red Vixen / Lulu Lockjaw / Pippi Hardsocking / Raven Von Kaos / Rowdy Roughrider / Roxy Scarmichael / Shamrock n Roller / Sheila Princess of Power
Teams: Wine Country Homewreckers vs. SC All Star Travel Team
Date: April 18th, 2009 @ Cal Skate in Rohnert Park, CA
Halftime Score: 103 to 29 Sonoma
Final Score: 167 to 56 Sonoma
I've been tooting the Sonoma County horn for a little while now, but I am ready to publicly say that I think 2009 is the season that Sonoma County will shake-up the rest of California. Unfortunately it looks like the Homewreckers only have games scheduled against Sac City and B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls for the rest of the season. But if they perform well, they will definitely make their mark on the West Coast roller derby scene.
In the beginning of the game, it looked like Sonoma may have some penalty trouble for the night as they skated down one or two players for the entire first four jams. However, the team quickly righted themselves and after that, the penalties for both packs were pretty even.
Even though they were skating in a diminished pack in the beginning, the Sonoma jammers set the speedy, slick tone for the night as they picked up a 34 to 4 point lead in just the first ten minutes of the game. Sonoma's jammers are well know for being fast, agile, and impossible to knock down. I know it throws teams for a loop when they play in the Rohnert Park rink against them. The floor there is very fast and many blockers aren't used to the tempo that Sonoma sets. I know that Santa Cruz got themselves in a little bit of trouble with at least four jammer trips to the box in the first half. But it seems that they adapted to the floor later on as only one jammer went to the box in the second period.
On the Sonoma side, there was a friendly rivalry brewing between jammers The Teacher and Phantom Payne. Phantom Payne barely won the inside competition as she came out with 51 points in nine jams. The Teacher kept right up with 50 points in 10 jams. Phantom Payne captured six lead jammer calls with Teacher taking seven. As you can see, these two powerhouse jammers are neck and neck with each other and their team definitely benefits!
All On Ya jammed seven times and picked up 14 points. She picked up an impressive five lead jammer calls. For most of the second period All On Ya worked in the pack as a voracious blocker and at the end of the night, she was rewarded with an MVP trophy for her team.
A pleasant surprise for the night came in dedicated blocker Scait Riot when she donned the jammer cap three times and ended up with an incredible 26 points. In the second to last jam in the second period, she scored 20 points which definitely pumped up the crowd.
Also scoring for Sonoma was High Roller with a consistent 22 points in three jams and U Wish Trish with four points in one jam. D. Enforcer and Lady Sparks took a turn but were kept off the scoreboard.
The scoring superstar for Santa Cruz was jammer Candie Hooligan. Candie participated in 14 jams and took in 32 points and five lead jammer calls. With more than half of her teams points, Candie Hooligan received an MVP award for Santa Cruz.
While Sonoma concentrated mostly on three super-star jammers, Santa Cruz spread out the jamming duties a little more. Kicken Red Vixen had 10 points in three jams, Sheila Princess of Power had seven points in eight jams, Shamrock N Roller had four points in two jams, and Lulu Lockjaw took three points in seven jams. Pippi Hardsocking also jammed three times but was shut down in the scoring department.
One thing about this game that made me so happy was how clean and controlled everyone was. The reffing was near flawless (mark that down, you won't hear me say it again). The jams were quick and clean. There were only two jams in the entire night where no lead jammer was called. There were no dirty plays, no temper tantrums, no drama. Everyone just did their job and kept their cool.
Not only that but there were no weak links! I tried to take notes on all the big hits or the containing of a jammer and my notebook quickly filled up with names. I marked down big hits for D.Enforcer, Big Nick, Pain Galaura, Rowdy Roughrider, Raven Von Kaos, and Pippi Hardsocking. I had jammer take downs noted for Lulu Lockjaw, Brawley Parton, Eden Yourheartout, and Honey D. Luxe. I noted jammer containment and re-engagement by Scait Riot, Roxy 8 Arr, Hell Louise, Rosie Road Rash, and Foxee Firestorm. Everyone was involved and everyone played a role.
All in all, this was a very classy game. I have major respect for Santa Cruz. I know it's easy to get demoralized when things start to go haywire. But it really feels like they came out after halftime with a renewed mentality and purpose. They were able to cut down the points Sonoma scored almost in half in the second part of the game. Every team suffers a big loss at some point or another. It truly becomes a learning experience and it reflects the mental strength of your team if you can calmly take stock of what happened and then shake it off at the after party (and there was plenty of shaking at the Karaoke bar after party!).
Upcoming games for the team teams are:
Sonoma vs The Outfit in Chicago on May 16th
Santa Cruz vs ? on May 16th in Santa Cruz
Sonoma County Roster: All On Ya / Big Nick / D.Enforcer / High Roller/ Honey D. Luxe / Lady Sparks / Pain Galuara / Phantom Payne / Rosie Road Rash / Roxy 8-ARRR / Scait Riot / Seam Ripper / The Teacher / U Wish Trish
Santa Cruz Roster: Brawley Parton / Candie Hooligan / Cleopatra Catastrophe / Eden Youheartout / Foxee Firestorm / Hell Louise / Kicken Red Vixen / Lulu Lockjaw / Pippi Hardsocking / Raven Von Kaos / Rowdy Roughrider / Roxy Scarmichael / Shamrock n Roller / Sheila Princess of Power
Nor Cal Weekend Scores
Scores for the weekend of April 18th - April 19th 2009
Port City Roller Girls 82 vs. Derby Revolution of Bakersfield 38
Sonoma County Roller Derby 167 vs Santa Cruz Roller Girls 56
Sacred City Sacrificers 148 vs Slaughter County Roller Vixens 82
Sacred City Disciples 121 vs Battle Born Derby Demons 52
B.A.D.G. All-Stars 138 vs A.C.D.G. Scarlets 82
Port City Roller Girls 82 vs. Derby Revolution of Bakersfield 38
Sonoma County Roller Derby 167 vs Santa Cruz Roller Girls 56
Sacred City Sacrificers 148 vs Slaughter County Roller Vixens 82
Sacred City Disciples 121 vs Battle Born Derby Demons 52
B.A.D.G. All-Stars 138 vs A.C.D.G. Scarlets 82
Friday, April 17, 2009
Are you guys trying to kill me?
How many bouts are happening this weekend?
I had every intention to write a pre-view of everything happening on saturday but I just realized it's Friday afternoon and it's probably pointless. So let's just do a little summary.
1. Port City vs Derby Revolution of Bakersfield
BeBe Brewski is back in Stockton and playing for her old team. The new Bakersfield league with the not-so-new players is missing Ima Blowbya but is rejoined by Bonecrusher who took some time off last season. Port City had lost to the original BRG in 2007.
2. Sac City Rollers vs. Central Coast Roller Derby
Should be a good match-up in Sacramento! I think Central Coast will pull out the win though.
3. Sacred City Sacrificers vs Slaughter County Roller Vixens
I don't know much about Slaughter County (Washington) but I loooooooove Sacred! Slaughter County narrowly beat Emerald City a few weeks ago. Emerald City, as we know, narrowly beat Sonoma last month. Though Sonoma and Sacred have never had an official game, their recent scrimmage was a very tight score. I'm calling the game for Sacred but I know it won't be easy.
4. Sacred City Disciples vs Battle Born Derby Demons
Part Two of the Sacred City double header! Don't know anything about the Reno team and can't find any scores on their website! Which reminds me...put bout scores on your websites or myspaces people! Let the public know how you did even if they couldn't make it out that night!
5. Sonoma County Roller Derby vs. Santa Cruz Derby Girls
I'm going to be at this game and attempt to take notes! I'm not allowed to pick a side (which is probably a good thing!) but this should be a GREAT game and I'm super excited for it.
I should have all the scores for you guys by Sunday! Have fun at whatever bout you end up watching!
How many bouts are happening this weekend?
I had every intention to write a pre-view of everything happening on saturday but I just realized it's Friday afternoon and it's probably pointless. So let's just do a little summary.
1. Port City vs Derby Revolution of Bakersfield
BeBe Brewski is back in Stockton and playing for her old team. The new Bakersfield league with the not-so-new players is missing Ima Blowbya but is rejoined by Bonecrusher who took some time off last season. Port City had lost to the original BRG in 2007.
2. Sac City Rollers vs. Central Coast Roller Derby
Should be a good match-up in Sacramento! I think Central Coast will pull out the win though.
3. Sacred City Sacrificers vs Slaughter County Roller Vixens
I don't know much about Slaughter County (Washington) but I loooooooove Sacred! Slaughter County narrowly beat Emerald City a few weeks ago. Emerald City, as we know, narrowly beat Sonoma last month. Though Sonoma and Sacred have never had an official game, their recent scrimmage was a very tight score. I'm calling the game for Sacred but I know it won't be easy.
4. Sacred City Disciples vs Battle Born Derby Demons
Part Two of the Sacred City double header! Don't know anything about the Reno team and can't find any scores on their website! Which reminds me...put bout scores on your websites or myspaces people! Let the public know how you did even if they couldn't make it out that night!
5. Sonoma County Roller Derby vs. Santa Cruz Derby Girls
I'm going to be at this game and attempt to take notes! I'm not allowed to pick a side (which is probably a good thing!) but this should be a GREAT game and I'm super excited for it.
I should have all the scores for you guys by Sunday! Have fun at whatever bout you end up watching!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
BADG vs. ACDG
Leagues: B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls vs. Angel City Derby Girls
Teams: B.A.D. All-Stars vs Hollywood Scarlets
Date & Time: April 18th, 2009 6:30 pm
Location: Toyota Sports Center - El Segundo, CA
Who doesn't love a good old fashioned Nor Cal/So Cal rivalry? No matter what the sport, these two regions love to battle each other. At any sporting event in the Bay Area, the crowd loves to taunt "Beat L.A. , Beat L.A. !" whenever a Los Angeles team is in town. Flat track roller derby is no exception!
The B.A.D. Girls All-Star team has met with ACDG's travel team twice before. Their first bout was in October 2007 where the long-established Nor Cal league absolutely dominated the Los Angeles crew in a 126 to 8 (yes, EIGHT) victory.
Their second meeting was in April 2008 for the first annual "Big One" tournament in Davis, Ca. The two teams played a 20 minute mini-bout in the first round. BADG again took the win with a 53 - 12 score and eventually win on to win the tournament and ACDG took home third place.
The B.A.D. Girls travel team has been laying low since their fifth/sixth place finish at the 2008 WFTDA National Tournament in November. Before that, they notched wins against Sacred City, Duke City, Rose City, Tucson, Minnesota and Houston in the past year. This will be their first bout of the season.
In March alone ACDG's all-star team skated away with two clear-cut victories against the OC Roller Girls (161 to 69) and Arizona Roller Derby (137 to 62). They are currently ranked sixth in the WFTDA's Western Region.
The teams look a little different now than their previous meetings so it's hard to tell if this game will be another BADG blow-out or if the So Cal team has caught up to their older derby sisters. The only skaters from the Bay Area who have previously played ACDG both times are Sassy Slayher, Taxi Scab, Liza Machete, and Lusty Malice. Polly Puredread, Velveteen Savage, and Burly Bot have played one game against the Scarlets.
Suprisingly missing from the BADG roster is blocking maniac Demanda Riot. The team is also missing several of their core veteran members from last years team who have either retired (Miss Moxxxie, Mandi Festo, and Kitt Turbo), moved on (Pia Mess and Diane Rott), or are currently on a break (Killer Vee and Racey Lane).
BADG is happy to welcome back blocker/jammer hybrid Polly Puredread who was on maternity leave for much of the 2008 season. Filling out the rosters for the all-stars are long-time league members Diva Negativa, Nina Beretta, and Golden Skate Warrior. Though they may be new to the travel team, they are far from rookie skaters.
It appears that ACDG also has a lot of new faces on their team as well as this author recognizes just a handful of names from previous games. Some of these new faces are actually transfers from other leagues like Cherrylicious (Charm City) and Nutcase (Prison City). But the veteran team members who stand out are Estro Jen, Diesel, Hard Cora, Ms. D'Fiant, Holly Caust, and VaVaVa Gina. Notable missing from the roster is jammer Fighty and players Dia Blow and Dutchess Von Damn.
The people in El Segundo on Saturday night are definitely in for a show. A WFTDA sanctioned game among two teams in the same region is always a reason for the skaters to perform their best. Also skating that night is the ACDG team the Rocket Queens vs Inland Empire.
BADG Roster: Astronaughty / Brawllen Angel / Burly Bot / Diva Negativa / Friskie Meow / Golden Skate Warrior / Jane Hammer / Liza Machete / Lusty Malice / Nina Beretta / Polly Puredread / Sassy Slayher / Taxi Scab / Velveteen Savage
ACDG Roster: Alotta Trouble / Cherrylicious / Diesel / Estro Jen / Felony Friendly / Go-Go Gidget / Hard Cora / Holly Caust / Ms. D'Fiant / Nutcase / Selacidal / Shiv / VaVaVa Gina
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