Category Archives: Interviews

Featured Dead Girl – May 2014


Our Featured Dead Girl for May 2014 is Crafty McNasty of Gang Green!

Name: Crafty McNasty
Team: Gang Green
Number: 22
Position(s): Blocker
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 1


How did you discover Dead Girl Derby?
“This is all Anya Neezenbeg‘s fault! And there are not enough words to thank her for that.”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“My mom is an artist and I have been blessed enough to follow in her footsteps. I make anything and everything! Without fail, every time I come bounding out of my art studio to show off my latest creation, my husband always responds, “Well, look at you, Crafty McNasty!”. Add to the equation that I do in fact have a ‘McNasty’ side… the name maths.”

Who inspires you on the track?
“For their willingness to teach, motivate, support and their general bad-assery, Crash AnnihilateHer, Ensane Gwen, Zombina, Fire Wyer, Red Ripper, Sam-I-Automatic, and ChocaZilla have all won a piece of my heart. I treasure all of the time and knowledge these ladies have shared.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“What hasn’t changed?! I have learned to appreciate the accomplishment of learning a new skill, that my mind and body are WAY stronger than I thought they were, my new comrades and how fun it is to knock them over… life will never be the same.”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Crafty McNasty?
“I call roller derby my ‘stretching lessons.’ It puts me further out of my comfort zone than I’ve ever been, giving me a courage and strength like nothing else ever has. Not even whiskey.”

Featured Blacksnake Rollergirl – May 2014


Our featured Blacksnake Rollergirl for May 2014 is Poisonberry of the Venomous Vixens!

Name: Poisonberry
Team: The Venomous Vixens
Number: U2
Seasons with the Blacksnake Rollergirls: 1


How did you discover the Blacksnake Rollergirls?
“A few seasons ago, I contacted Notorious L.I.Z. and she game me practice information. I chickened out, though, because I didn’t know if I could ‘survive’ with my small size! Around January 2014, I happened to hear L.I.Z. on the radio announcing open enrollment and they were looking for girls. I had also ran into G.I. Dang, a fellow Maysville student back in the day, and she encouraged me to try it. My interest was also fueled by my competitive nature and participation in several sports since I was young. I thought, why not try roller derby, you only live once!”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“My friends and family had several ideas from BlackNBlue Berry to BonyMony. I posted on Facebook asking for ideas, and my cousin, Vance, came up with Poisonberry.”

Who inspires you on the track?
“Between watching the Blacksnake Rollergirls and Dead Girl Derby, each has their own style and I try to learn from everyone. My teammates and coaches on the Venomous Vixens inspire me to keep working hard and have fun while I am doing it.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“Definitely, I have met some wonderful people. From the skaters, fans, and people on the sidelines, everyone is helpful, encouraging, and fun to be around. Physically, surely I will end up a tougher gal. Right now I mop the floor up, but I just try to get right back up and keep rollin’.”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Poisonberry?
“How long do they consider a new roller derby girl fresh meat? Either way, I still consider myself a newbie and I am still learning skate techniques and the strategies of the game. My coach says it can take a whole season to really get it. Fans may have to be patient and catch future bouts, the best of Poisonberry is yet to come!”

Featured Blacksnake Rollergirl — April 2014


Our featured Blacksnake Rollergirl for April 2014 is Notorious L.I.Z. of the Jesse Janes!

Name: Notorious L.I.Z.
Team: The Jesse Janes
Number: 3X
Seasons with the Blacksnake Rollergirls: 3
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 2


How did you discover the Blacksnake Rollergirls?
“Well I guess you could say the Blacksnake Roller Girls found me! I had been playing with Dead Girl Derby and was finishing my second season when I realized that I just could not afford the commute to Kansas City anymore. I didn’t want to give up roller derby, so I asked DGD to help me start roller derby in St Joseph. I wanted to bring something I loved so much to other women, but mostly I wanted the opportunity to continue playing! So with a lot of help from DGD, I started Blacksnake Roller Girls. I guess you could say BRG is my love child.”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“The lovely Ms. Kara Whiplash came up with it. She said that every time she say my name in the league group forum, Notorious L.I.Z. popped in her head, and it stuck. It helped that I couldn’t think of anything more creative on my own! I almost was Molotov Manley, or Flippin’ Pipkin. I do still get name envy every now and then, when I hear a name that’s really creative and fun!”

Who inspires you on the track?
“You really gonna ask me that when I skate with so many inspiring women?! Sheesh, put a girl on the spot, whydoncha! I honestly have to say, and I’ve told her many times, that I wanna be like Jamalamadingdong when I grow up.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“It has helped me earn a new respect for myself, and remind me that I’m not a sum of my titles (mom, wife, boss, etc). I realized that it is true that one person really can make a big difference in a lot of peoples’ lives. It has also given me the opportunity to be just Liz for a few hours a week, just be me, and not have to be cook, maid, wife, lover, mom, nurse, detective, shoe locator, taxi, disciplinarian, snuggle giver, milk dispenser, baby soother, juice pourer, mediator, and reminder. It’s an amazing feeling to shed those things for a couple hours, put on my skates, and glide.”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Notorious L.I.Z.?
“Since I get to put myself out there for people to watch, I get to be outgoing and have fun doing it! No one wants to watch a roller derby girl who isn’t enjoying it, or at least fighting to win! You wouldn’t think by watching me, but I’m quite the homebody. Having to buckle up 3+ kids in a minivan (that right there takes more time than driving to the store) means it easier to stay home. I’ve has certainly mellowed out a lot. My mom used to call me a party-in-a-box. So the showmanship part of roller derby, hands down, gives me that outlet to be the extrovert that I really am.”

Featured Dead Girl – March 2014


Our featured Dead Girl for March 2014 is Candle Whacks of the Black Plague!

Name: Candle Whacks
Team: The Black Plague
Number: 307
Position(s): Blocker, Pivot
Seasons with Dead Girl Derby: 1


How did you discover Dead Girl Derby?
“Well, that’s a really long story. The short version is that two friends of mine were NSOs during the last season, and in the middle of the year, one of them had to move away. I was offered the open NSO spot by the one who stayed, who knew I liked roller derby, and I went. That night, several skaters, none of whom I had ever met, came to me with flyers for recruitment night. The rest is history.”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“It actually wasn’t my first choice! Several years ago, when I first started watching derby, I decided “Brazilian Whacks” was the name I’d want to use if I ever got involved, though it was admittedly a pipe dream at that point. Then, after I finally passed my MSTs after the initial draft, I found out that for a long story of reasons, I couldn’t use it. I’d grown attached to the “Whacks” part because a few people had already started referring to me using it, so I just made a different-but-similar pun so I could keep the “Whacks” part. It worked out anyway, because now I have an excuse to incorporate fire and melted stuff into my ensemble if I want to.”

Who inspires you on the track?
“Man, it’s hard to pick just a few people. No matter what, I’m gonna feel like I left someone out! The first person I’d have to note is definitely Striking Dervish — she was the head instructor during last year’s Fresh Meat Boot Camp, and I think that because of that, most of us newly-rostered skaters look up to her. She did a great job, and she’s a phenomenal skater with an awesome attitude. Others would include Abbey Rogue, my wonderful derby mistress, and Do’Er Dye, Mel Breakdown, and Mojo Gogo, all of whom often go out of their way to show me how to do something better. I also definitely have to mention Red Ripper, who constantly blows my mind with how awesome she is, on and off skates. Back when I watched the KCRW games, she was by far my favorite skater, and to now be skating with her years later (or, well, several laps /behind/ her, because she’s really fast) at practices — it boggles the mind. Finally, I want to give special mention to all my fellow Wolfies — you know who you are! I couldn’t have asked to fail my MSTs with a better group of people. You’re all amazing.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“The first thing that comes to mind is that, more than anything else, it’s eliminated a huge chunk of my free time! Beyond that, there’s a lot of ways I’ve been affected, mostly in relation to my health. Before I got involved with derby, I had literally never exercised before in my entire life. In high school, I passed the required PE class by .03 percentage points. Because of that lifetime of inactivity, the sudden jump into this amount of physical activity has been a huge challenge, and it’s forced me to take steps to take more care of my health and my body, which I am very much not used to doing. I now have to have regular appointments with a pulmonologist, for example, because I have pretty severe exercise-induced asthma. I’m sure you guys will notice me constantly puffing on an inhaler between jams, looking like I’m about to faint and regretting all of my life choices.”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Candle Whacks?
“In my own life, I tend to keep to myself and I rarely try new things, so getting into roller derby as more than a spectator has been a huge shift. I like to think of roller derby as a great equalizer. More than anything else I’ve done in my life, roller derby feels like a huge family, and it’s been really cool to see how awesome everyone is to each other here — if you suck at a drill and fall over a lot, I’ve found that it’s not uncommon for a vet to come over and relate to you that they once sucked just as bad as you’re sucking right now, and then they’ll do their best to help you improve. No one is afraid to admit that we all had to start somewhere, and knowing that even the really awesome skaters aren’t going to make fun of you for being a beginner — at least not to your face! — is definitely helpful in keeping me from being too embarrassed to try something new. Roller derby allows me to be okay with making an ass of myself in public, and that comfort makes me, I’d think, a better person.”

Featured Blacksnake Rollergirl – March 2014


Our featured Blacksnake Rollergirl for March 2014 is Hott-Ness Monster of the Danger Dolls!

Name: Hott-Ness Monster
Team: The Danger Dolls
Number: 04
Seasons with the Blacksnake Rollergirls: 3


How did you discover the Blacksnake Rollergirls?
“I discovered BRG in late 2011, Harlee Hooters asked if I wanted to skate and knock girls around. How could I say no to that?? All I had to do was learn how to skate!!”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“I was having trouble coming up with a skater name. It was a couple girls from the league that started naming off some stuff and as soon as I heard Hott-Ness Monster I knew that was the name for me!”

Who inspires you on the track?
“I got into this sport knowing nothing about skating except how to fall a lot! There are two skaters that have inspired me from the very start of my derby career. Fire Wyer, who had come up to help get all of the BRG skaters skills tested to play in our first bout. I remember thinking I wish I looked that comfortable in my skates! The other that made a huge impression on me was later in 2012 when DGD’s Pippi Strongblocking came up to help run a practice and offer pointers when we skated at Bode Ice Arena. She was trying to teach ‘Boom Boom Pow,’ and again, I was blown away by her talent on her skates. Both of these ladies along with many more have really inspired me in more ways than one.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“Roller derby has done so much for me. To start with, I found an athleticism I never knew I had. This sport has given me more confidence in myself than I have ever experienced with anything else. I found qualities I wasn’t aware I had, leadership being one of them. Without derby, I would never have had the opportunity to form so many wonderful friendships!”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Hott-Ness Monster?
“I truly love the game from start to finish, there really isn’t one thing that I can nail down that sticks out above the rest. I love the fans, my team, blocking, hitting, scoring, the camaraderie between teams when playing… I LOVE it all!!”

Featured Blacksnake Rollergirl – February 2014


Our featured Blacksnake Rollergirl for February 2014 is Des’amator of the Rushin’ Rollettes!

Name: Des'amator
Team: The Rushin' Rollettes
Number: 9 Volt
Seasons with the Blacksnake Rollergirls: 3


How did you discover the Blacksnake Rollergirls?
“I went to one of the first few bouts the first season and knew it was something I just had to try. So I emailed BRG that night and went to the next practice. I’ve been addicted ever since!”

Explain the origin of your derby name.
“I asked for name suggestions on Facebook, and Des’amator was chosen for me by my friends.”

Who inspires you on the track?
“I am inspired by every derby girl, each one has something amazing and unique that I envy. All of these inspirations constantly help me to become a better player.”

How has roller derby changed your life?
“Derby has definitely changed my life. My confidence has increased, allowing me to accomplish more on the track and off the track. I’ve learned to push myself in everything I do. Since derby is a very mental game, this has allowed me to develop into a much stronger person. And having a big derby family is great too, we all look out for each other and have each others’ backs!”

What is it about roller derby that brings out the best in Des’amator?
“Everything about derby brings out the best in me. Competition, Teamwork, the mental challenge, the physical challenge and motivation all help me be the best person I can be. I’ve learned I can accomplish amazing things when working as a team, and sometimes that means sacrificing myself when necessary. Pushing myself mentally and physically keeps me on my toes and to always expect the unexpected. I’m glad derby found me and molded me into the person I have become. ”