April 2017 Skater of the Month

Tell us about your name.
As a kid, I thought Icebox from The Little Giants was really cool.

What position do you play?
I'm a blocker who jams here and there, but I try to be an all-around solid skater. As a blocker, I want the be that pain in the ass that you just can't push around. As a jammer, I want mad footwork skills where I'm slick and agile!

Who inspires you on the track?
My First Date trainer Buckingham Malice inspired me to get into "derby shape". My starter pack -- Meow, Slick, Ritz, Cleaver, Venus, Fudge, and Fury -- we started together and we keep each other going! And I love my Bandits, especially Captain PhDiabla.

What is your favorite derby memory?
In the last Bandits bout, I was the jamming for the last jam of the night. One of the Valkyrie blockers hit me out but got a forearm penalty, so I immediately jumped back on the track and pushed through the pack. Then there was some confusion -- I got called on a cut but the ref realized he made the wrong call and waved me back on the track, then my entire bench started yelling at me to re-enter legally! Talk about going out with a bang! #pewpew

ICEBOXX #2326

October 2016 Skater of the Month

AMERICANHURL DOLL
#83

Tell us about your name.
I chose my name because it was a play on those super expensive American Girl dolls that my daughter was obsessed with at the time I joined the league. She had three of them, collected all the accessories she could afford and even had a birthday party at the store (which was pretty awesome, actually). I usually go by Hurlie. :-)

What’s your favorite derby position?
I'm a jammer and  I find it equal parts exhausting and terrifying. The adrenaline rush I get when I'm doing good things out there definitely outweighs the fear. I'm pretty fast and agile on my feet so it's natural for me to try to get through the pack and get those points, but in the beginning I couldn't go 10 feet without getting a forearm penalty or back block. 

Who inspires you on the track?
I'm in awe of many derby rockstars like Scald Eagle, Suzy Hotrod, Demanda Riot, and Quadzilla because of their amazing skills, talent, and longevity in this sport but I am mostly inspired by my fellow OMG teammates. I learned everything about playing roller derby from them. I still look to them for guidance and advice, and every one gives tough love (like REALLY tough love). They keep me inspired and eager to keep learning, playing, and improving.

What is your favorite derby memory?
In less than three years of skating I still have way too many to name just one! Some of my fondest memories are playing in two Freshie bouts, attending Rollercon in Vegas (where I got derby married to my wives, Agony Christie and Reapa Slayworth), traveling to tournaments with the Wipe Outs and LikeOMGs with all the team-bonding mischief. Most recently, our league trip to Catalina and getting to be featured in a magazine with my teammates were the standouts for sure! 

July 2016 Skater of the Month

PhDIABLA #310

Tell us about your name.
I've loved skating since I was a kid, and my parents used to say that I looked like a "diabla" (devil) on wheels because I was pretty fearless, or perhaps reckless, on my skates. And the "PhD" part is motivation for finishing my dissertation -- who wants to change their derby name because they didn't graduate? Psshhh -- not this gal!

What’s your favorite derby position?
Blocking - hands (or forearms and elbows) down!

Who and what inspires you on the track?
In all things, I am driven by the desire to be better than I was yesterday! Nothing bums me out more than stagnation and complacency, so I am always looking for ways to improve my skills and to be a part of my team's improvement. Play hard, stay humble!

In life -- my parents. They've worked so hard to give me so many opportunities. I always work to be the best version of myself to make them proud. And my husband, who inspires me to keep trying different possibilities when something doesn't quite work out the way I'd hoped.

And in derby -- my teammates on the Like OMGs constantly motivate me by bringing 110% to the track. And I'm convinced Killo Kitty can accomplish anything she sets out to do; if she wants something that doesn't exist yet, she'll just go out and create it! My home team, the Balboa Bandits, inspire me to be better by believing and trusting in me as their captain, and they constantly remind me that derby is, above all things, fun! 

What is your favorite derby memory?
Traveling to New Orleans with the Like OMGs this past February. I got to share my favorite city with my teammates and we came home with two hard fought wins! Team bonding and great derby -- what more could I possibly ask for?

When you're not on the track, where can we find you? 
I'm a history buff, so you can find me in an archive, visiting historic sites, volunteering for the San Fernando Valley Historical Society, and occasionally at my desk and working on my dissertation. Otherwise, you can catch me reading or making some kind of ambitious travel plans.

Photo by Jon Cobb

Photo by Chuck Gay Photography