Category Archives: Featured Skaters

Featured Dead Girl – May 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s featured Dead Girl for the month of May is Callie Ente!

Name: Callie Ente
Team: The Royal Pains
Number: F451

Position(s): Bump or Pivot
“I like the versatility of the Pivot, being able to do anything. But I also like hanging out behind the pack and doing my best to keep their jammer back.”

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“I discovered DGD through Slim KarSmashian. She attended the first recruitment night for the 2011 season and told me about it. I was intrigued, so I went to the second recruitment and was hooked.”

Origin of her derby name:
“I struggled quite a bit with a name… nothing sounded right, nothing felt right. Several were tossed around, and one of my close friends suggested Callie Ente. So I put it up for vote on Facebook, and it beat out Blaze Roller by just a few votes.”

Favorite derby moment:
“My favorite derby moment occurred after this April’s game. We lost (badly), but it didn’t ruin our spirit. We picked our heads up and congratulated the Lethals on a game well-played by both teams. We accepted our loss with dignity and pride. Win or lose, we are Royal Pains. This reminded me of why I love being a Pain, and why our fans love us. You may ask why I didn’t pick the Pains’ one win from last year for this moment… sure, we’d like to win, but it’s not what drives us to skate. That’s why the reaction our team had to that massive loss was so heartwarming for me.”

Favorite skater:
“You’re going to make me pick just one?? Well, that’s impossible. Stabby Doo was the first veteran to talk to me and took me under her wing from day one, which made me feel less nervous. I admire Slim KarSmashian‘s determination and dedication, and how she lets nothing keep her down. Dixie Danger is an all-around fantastic skater and has an amazing spirit and ability — especially when paired with a blue 80s style prom dress. Every skater inspires me in some fashion, whether it’s their speed, their skill, or their drive to skate.”

Derby philosophy:
“Derby is my therapy from the stresses of life. It’s active, it’s fun, and it’s good for the soul. And seriously, who wouldn’t want to surround themselves with strong, beautiful women in booty shorts & fishnets?”

Featured Roller Warrior – April 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s featured Roller Warrior for the month of April is Track Rat!

Name: Track Rat
Team: The Victory Vixens
Number: 69

Position(s): Jammer
“Although I like to pretend that I know what I’m doing as a blocker, and I can sometimes convince myself that I am taking care of business….until I get to the bench and people are laughing hysterically at me and my lack of blocker skills.”

How she discovered KCRW:
“I was given a pair of tickets for my birthday and fell in love instantly. I will never forget my first time watching Snot Rocket jam, my mouth hanging wide open, I turned to my friend and said, ‘I have to do this.’ Six months later, I was drafted to the Victory Vixens and the rest is history!!”

Origin of her derby name:
“My derby name is based on my nickname growing up. My initials are R.A.T., so my family has called me Rat for as long as I can remember. I went with the name Track Rat because I thought it described me pretty well — a race car that isn’t the prettiest thing in the world, rough around the edges, no bells and whistles, beat all to H.E. double-hockey-sticks and back, but it’s fast and gets the job done.”

Favorite derby moment:
“My favorite derby moment is actually a group of moments — it’s any time I am skating in front of our fans at Municipal. When something awesome happens and the entire crowd goes completely nuts — a big hit, or a jammer does some cool move — to be out on the track and hear the reaction of the fans, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. They may be cheering for something the team I’m playing did, it doesn’t matter, it still gives me goosebumps to know the fans are engaged and connected to us as skaters, it’s both humbling and empowering at the same time — which is why it’s so incredible!”

Favorite skater:
Kelley Young, hands down. She is one of the best jammers in the country/world, but would never let you know it if you didn’t already. So many players get an ego that outshines their skating abilities, but Kelley’s lack [of ego] is a reminder to me (and countless others) that your skating can speak volumes so your mouth doesn’t have to.”

Derby philosophy:
“There are so many quotes, mantras and other feel-good reminders about the Dos and Don’ts of roller derby that it’s hard to choose just one! I think the one that applies most to me (as my teammates will attest to) is about getting in your own head, beating yourself down after a bad jam, or letting a bad call from a ref screw up your game. This happens to me more often than I care to admit, and it’s something that I am constantly battling. I just try to tell myself that if I am too far in my own head, there’s not very much of me left to be out on the track, and that’s where my team needs me.”

Featured Dead Girl – April 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s featured Dead Girl for the month of April is Cuppa Crazy!

Name: Cuppa Crazy
Team: The Lovely Lethals
Number: 10-31
Position(s): Jammer, Blocker, Pivot

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“I was actually friends with a former ref of KCRW. When DGD was formed, he went to them and I started coming to games. Soon, a lot of my friends became involved and tried to get me to join, but I was having none of it. I thought they were crazy. I finally came to the last recruitment night and got on skates for the first time in years. I am very introverted, so I was bound and determined to try something social and interesting and stick with it. Derby fit the bill and now I can’t imagine not being involved!”

Origin of her derby name:
“Well, FiftyGallonDrumma Crazy would not fit on the jersey, so I made it more dainty.”

Favorite derby moment:
“I don’t remember when exactly it was, but the moment I was no longer afraid of coming to practice and being comfortable around this many people. This is an awesome group of women that I am proud to have come to know. They make it easy to love this sport and love them!”

Favorite skater:
“I couldn’t name just one, so I would have to say Pippi Strongblocking because she is awesome in all aspects of the game; Fire Wyer, she is a great skater with a good attitude; and for obvious reasons and some bias, Slim Karsmashian. She took me in and made me feel welcome right off the bat and now she is my derby wife!”

Derby philosophy:
“Keep at it and have fun.”

Featured Roller Warrior – March 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s featured Roller Warrior for the month of March is the incomparable Extremely Frank!

Name: Extremely Frank
Team: The Black Eye Susans

Number: 8
“Unlike a lot of players, there’s no ‘meaning’ to my number selection. All I knew was that I wanted a single digit because there’s not much real estate on my back, and an 8 is wonderfully symmetrical.”

Position(s): Jammer (2010), Jammer/Blocker (2011), Blocker (2012)

How she discovered KCRW:
“When I moved to KC six years ago, a friend from work started talking about going to a bout. It was pitched to me this way: iIt’s adult women in skirts, ripped fishnets, and old fashioned skates hitting each other. There’s one player named Dirty Britches who only has one arm, some crazy guy dresses up like a horned grim reaper, and the announcer wears the same nasty brown 70s suit to every game.’ How can you not go see that beautiful train wreck? The first bout I attended was at Winwood, then it wasn’t until a couple years later that I started going on a regular basis with friends. At that point, games were held both at Hale Arena and Municipal Auditorium. We would all talk about how fun it looked to play, but that we were too busy, too afraid to get hurt, and too old to try out. Then in early 2009, I started to feel like my life was very professional within my career, very proper in my involvement in the Junior League (charity organization), and very peaceful in my Bikram yoga practice. This left a part of me that really just wanted to beat up someone. Hello, derby.”

Origin of her derby name:
“Picking a derby name wasn’t easy — Honey Bunions, Yard Dart, and Bullina Chinashop were the top picks for awhile. Then I had a conversation with Eclipse at a fresh meat practice and she posed the question, “But do any of those names really connect with who you are?” So I started verbalizing how others describe me, and the fact that I have no filter, very little tact, and I’m far too lazy to sugar-coat anything led to the obvious conclusion that I’m ridiculously blunt. “Extremely Frank” was birthed from this conversation and not only accurately summed up one of my major characteristics, but also has a special place in my heart, as my father’s name is Frank. It’s so much easier than giving him a grandchild.”

Favorite derby moment:
“The best moments for me are games when we lose, but we all feel as though we’ve actually won — this really shows the solid character of a team. This was true for our All Star bout against Oly at Nationals this past fall; if the scoreboard had been missing, no one would have been able to tell that we actually lost. The celebration on the track was epic. This happened a few times in my first couple years with the Susans as well — it’s an amazing feeling. At the end of the day, any moment when I’m having fun is a favorite moment. Fun is always the best thing to have, and fun with friends is even better.”

Favorite skater:
“This changes all the time, because skaters are different every season. Currently, one of my favorite skaters to watch and play against within KCRW is Archie Lee — she’s consistently fierce, is happily championing a new Dorothy team, leaves nothing in her gas tank by the end of a bout, and always exits the track with a laugh. I’m also getting far too much pride in watching my derby wife, Hail Mary, turn up the heat this season — go get em’, wifey! Nationally, I could watch Suzy Hotrod all day long…yes, I jumped on that bandwagon during my rookie year and I’ll blissfully stay there as long as she has skates on her magical, extremely shapely feet.”

Derby philosophy:
“I’ll do/try anything that my team needs me to do. Chances are I won’t be the best at it, but chances are I won’t be the worst, either. I will work as hard as I can at derby as long as I’m having fun. It’s selfish, I know, but why commit your time and energy to something that doesn’t create joy in your life and also burn calories?”

Featured Dead Girl – March 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s featured Dead Girl for the month of March is none other than Stabby Doo!

Name: Stabby Doo
Team: The Deadly Sirens
Number: 46&2
Position(s): Blocker, jammer

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby: “I found DGD through a friend of a friend. … Before DGD, I wasn’t exactly athletic, but now, I love being physical and I’ve found a great new side of myself.”

Origin of her derby name: “I have two deep fascinations in life — dogs and serial killers!”

Favorite derby moment: “My favorite moment was at the end of my first game when I found out my husband would be my new coach. Before that game he was pretty blah about the whole derby thing. But after that, he was as hooked as the rest of us. Now, my whole family is involved in some way!”

Favorite skater: “My favorite skater is Ann Calvello. She was amazing. She was the original derby girl and she skated [across] something like seven decades!”

Derby philosophy: “If you’re not falling, you’re not learning.”

Featured Dead Girl – February 2012

KC Derby Digest‘s Featured Dead Girl for the month of February is Dir-T Diana!

Name: Dir-T Diana
Team: The Shotgun Sheilas
Number: 6
Position(s): Jammer, Pivot, Blocker

How she discovered Dead Girl Derby:
“One day, I pulled my skates out of the closet, dusted them off, and went skating with my niece and nephew. At that skating session, I was asked by a DGD recruiter to come to a practice. I went that Tuesday, and knew I was hooked. DGD only had eight or nine girls on the team then, it’s crazy to think of how much this league has grown [so quickly].”

Origin of her derby name:
“My middle name is Diane. My mind is always in the gutter. ‘Dirty Diana’ by Micheal Jackson is an awesome song. It just worked for me. This name was actually picked for me by one of my friends right when I started practicing with DGD, so I kept it, because it totally fits me.”

Favorite derby moment:
“For me, it’s always going to be the exhilaration you feel once the whistle blows to start a jam. At that point, everyone on the track is powerful, and you never know what will happen. That unpredictability is what keeps derby fresh and exciting for me.”

Favorite skater:
“I have a few favorites. Currently, it would be Rebel Yelle of the Shotgun Sheilas. Her determination to succeed in this sport is amazing, and her hard work is really starting to show. It’s been really cool to watch her evolve.”

Derby philosophy:
“Practice hard, try even harder, and above all else, have fun!”

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