May 2015 Skater of the Month

CLEO-PASSYA
#30BC
 

Photo by David Costa Photography

Tell us about your name
The funny thing about derby names is you're told to pick a name when you're going through Fresh Meat and you don't really know how important your name is. When I started derby, I wanted to be a jammer and I wanted my name to represent a strong historical female figure. So why not the most famous female ruler and seductress in history, Cleopatra? As I started to play derby, I realized I'm a stronger blocker and sometimes I think I should have gone with "Cleo-blocksya". But it's never too late! You all may see me more and more on the jam line with that star panty on. 

What’s your favorite derby position?
Seriously, I just love to play! I'm stronger at blocking, but love jamming, too.  I'll play what ever position gets thrown at me. 

What inspires you on the track?
I have always roller skated, as a teen at Skateland, as an adult around Balboa Park for exercise. I know this is cliche, but I took my kids to see Whip it and I was like "I want to do that!" Unfortunately, it wasn't until years later that my friend Alicia took me to my First Date with SFV Roller Derby. 

What is your favorite derby memory?
Nothing beats traveling to Australia with the Like OMGs. NOTHING.

Any pre-bout rituals?
I find if I watch a little derby before a game, it gets my head in the game -- I start thinking about all the tools I have and how and when to use them. 

April 2015 Skater of the Month

When people first hear that my last name is Bonebrake, they usually ask me one of three things: “Is that for real?!”, “You should be a doctor!” or  “You should play roller derby!”.

A little over three years ago, I joined a group of friends to watch a banked track bout and I signed up to be fresh meat at the very next available opportunity.  I only trained with that league for a few months before I finished my MFA in Lighting Design and moved back to Los Angeles.  Upon my return, I contacted a friend of mine from high school who I knew was active in roller derby.  And that’s how Atomic led me to join SFV.

When it came to picking out a derby name, I knew I had to incorporate Bonebrake into it somehow.  I decided to play up the German angle and add some regality to it, hence Countess von Bonebrake.  My number, L789, is actually a theatre/lighting nerd joke.  L789 is the swatch book reference number for a lighting filter called Blood Red.

One of my favorite aspects of roller derby are the people I get to play with.  I’ve been on the Reseda Wreckers for a couple of years now and they are some of my favorite and inspiring players.  I am new to The Wipe Outs, but I am very excited about being part of that group of amazing ladies, and I know that we will be doing some amazing things this year.  I NSO whenever I can because our RefNeck crew is a great group of encouraging and supportive people.

I love roller derby because it is delightful to hip-check your friends, then laugh with them after.

COUNTESS
VON BONEBRAKE
#L789

Photo by Chuck Gay Photography

April 2015 Junior Skater of the Month

RAINBOW SMASH
#117

How long have you been skating?
I started skating in July 2013 when I joined SFV. I had never skated before.
 
How did you start playing roller derby?
I saw a bout demo during a comic book convention. The teams were Marvel vs. DC. It was amazing and I wanted to learn more. I was like, “Wow!” We found out that there was a junior team in the valley. I couldn’t wait to get started.
 
What position do you play or enjoy the most?
I’m a blocker and I love it. Something about hitting others off the track is so much fun. I’m not the fastest girl, but I’m very strong.
 
What do you love best about roller derby? Most fun memory?
I love roller derby because it is fun and you can be yourself. I will always remember my first bout, but my favorite memory is when our team played another team with twice as many players and they were all teenagers. It was only 8 of us (SFV) and we played so hard and we won!
 
What do your school friends and family think of you playing roller derby?
Since roller derby is a unique sport, not many know about it. I love explaining the rules and getting everyone interested. My friends and family all support me and come to watch me play. I love telling people I play roller derby. The response is usually surprised and they always say, “You play roller derby?!” I try to get all my friends to come and check out my team.
 
What would you tell other girls/kids if they asked you about roller derby? 
It’s a great sport to play. Roller Derby makes you awesome! I have learned a lot about myself and I’m happy to be a part of a sport that makes me physically and mentally strong. I love that I get to skate and have fun with my team.

March 2015 Skater of the Month

KILLO KITTY
#187

Photo by Tough Girls on Eight Wheels

As the President of SFV Roller Derby, Killo Kitty touches the lives of every adult and junior skater in our league, on and off the track. As our 2015 season gears up, we honor our fearless leader as March’s Skater of the Month. Here are just a few examples of how Killo has influenced our skaters:

“She’s who I look up to and want to be like when I grow up. I want to be as strong and unstoppable at everything I put my mind to. Thanks for changing my life Killo Kitty and giving us SFV Roller Derby.”

— Tomcat Cruz (skater, the Like OMGs)

“Killo Kitty is an inspiration. She is the first person to create an adult league out of a juniors league. She continues to amaze me and steal my heart on and off the track.”

— Razorslut (Co-Captain, the Like OMGs)

“Killo is an inspiring pioneer and her outlook reminds me that the only limitations we have in life are the ones we put on ourselves. She has truly changed my life and if I could be half the person Killo is, I’ll consider that an amazing accomplishment.”

— Little Earthquake (skater, the Fer Sures)

“She created this little place of joy for women, and has allowed it to grow and flourish. She tells you, ‘Hey, let’s do this because it’ll be awesome and fun!’ and it ALWAYS IS. And you feel awesome about yourself because of it.”

— Mimi Murderface (skater, the Like OMGs)

“Killo has done so much for me, I skated under her as a junior for 3 years and then as her teammate when I joined the Like OMGs. She has been an inspiration to me as an athlete, as a business woman, and as a person. Being able to skate with her has been a privilege and honor that has enabled me to succeed in my derby career. Without her influence, I would not be where I am today. Killo is the best.”

— Raebies (currently on Denver Roller Derby’s Mile High Club; formerly of the SFV Fast Times and the Like OMGs)

“She has literally altered the course of my daughter’s life, and so many other girls’ lives besides. How will they ever be able to accept mediocrity, complacency or defeat? She has created a league of extraordinary girls and women.”

— Agony Christie (Co-Captain, the Wipeouts; Mom to Danger Bird)

“Killo is a super duper good coach. She never gives up and she never lets you give up. She never lets you down.”

— Danger Bird (SFV Gnarlies)

March 2015 Junior Skater of the Month

How long have you been skating? 
A little under 2 years.
 
How did you start playing roller derby? 
My dad worked on a show that featured roller derby.
 
What position do you play or enjoy the most? 
Blocker
 
What do you love best about roller derby? 
The thing that I love most about roller derby is that it isn’t your average sport and most people are amazed at what you can do on roller skates.
 
What is your most fun memory?
My most fun memory is a game against a team called The Sharkbites and when I got a Most Valuable Blocker award on a game that was 8 people against 22 (SFV had 8)!
 
What do your school friends and family think of you playing roller derby?
Everybody that knows I play roller derby is shocked because it’s a sport that they haven’t heard of in a long time.
 
What would you tell other girls/kids if they asked you about roller derby? 
I would tell them that roller derby has absolutely changed my life for the better. I met my best friend, Cha-Cha Glide, and I am now a part of a growing community that people all over the United States are falling in love with.

GEEKSTER
#98.6

February 2015 Skater Of The Month

MA-SKEETER
#B1TE

Tell us about your name
I’ve had the name “Skeeter” since I was about 10 years old. It was shortened from “Mosquito Woman.”

What’s your favorite derby position?
I enjoy learning how to both block and jam. I haven’t decided what I like more yet, but the more tools I have in my toolbox (or “gems in my jewelry box”, as Tomcat Cruz likes to say!), the better of a derby player I will be. Every day I’m getting lower.

What inspires you on the track?
Watching so many dedicated, hardworking skaters go though the freshmeat program is an inspiration to me. Also, watching the OMGs travel to Australia to play roller derby shows you can take this sport as far as you want to go, even halfway around the world!

What is your favorite derby memory?
My favorite derby memory is making my first flyer for SFV. It opened up a whole new opportunity for me to utilize my art skills and contribute to this great group of people. Thank you!

January 2015 Skater of the Month

DETHBLOCK
#3

Photo by ConJobb Photos

Tell us about your name
I’m a bit of a metal head and one of my favorite bands is a cartoon band named Dethklok, from the show Metalocalypse. I wanted to pick somethin’ scary & intimidating. 

What’s your favorite derby position?
My favorite derby position is definitely a blocker! Working with my other blockers is extremely rewarding.

What inspires you on the track?
My biggest derby inspiration has to be all the strong, hard-working women I skate with in this league … INCLUDING our freshies! Watching the passion that this sport gives to so many is what keeps me falling in love with this whole experience.

What is your favorite derby memory?
One of my favorite memories has to be from one of our first games as a league in Tulare 2012. I was so nervous and scared when we lined up on the pivot line (cause THATS where we lined up in those days). Next to me was a sweet girl from the opposing team who turned to me and said “Hey, I really like your name!” I wanted to hide my nerves with some false confidence so my answer to her was “Thank you! But you’re not gonna like it in a minute.”

Any pre-bout rituals?
Usually relaxing most the day, making sure I eat a good breakfast and listening to loud inspirational metal. It gets me in game mode.

December 2014 Skater Of The Month

TOKYO TAKEOUT
#1-800

Photo by Rottsy Media

Tell us about your name!
My father actually came up with my derby name. I originally wanted Sake Bomb because I wanted something relating to my Japanese heritage. Lucky for me it was already taken because I think that Tokyo Takeout suits my skating style better.

What’s your favorite derby position?
My favorite derby position changes based on who I am playing with and against. I love blocking because it was the first thing I was good at in derby; hitting and positioning myself on the track effectively comes naturally to me because of my soccer and basketball background. The pivot panty makes me think more strategically and forces me to be even more vocal on the track. I like jamming, but I think what we have is more like a tumultuous love affair. I love it but I don’t think it always loves me back. That may be a mental thing.

Any pre-bout rituals?
I don’t drink alcohol a couple days before. I drink a lot of water. I like to lay in bed doing nothing until I have to get ready. Black wingtip eyeliner and my hair in a braid to the right side is a must on game day.

What inspires you on the track?
To be honest, when I first started I struggled to find inspiration on the track other than just trying to not be that one skater who clearly doesn't belong. I don’t feel like I truly blossomed until I joined the Like OMGs and became a coach for the Jawbreakers in the second Freshie Expo Bout. Most importantly, the Balboa Bandits voted me as the team captain and trusted me as a leader to build and structure the team. I realized that what inspires me on the track is inspiring others to reach their potentials. I push myself so that I can push others.

What is your favorite derby memory?
​I can’t pick just one, because they are all pieces of my experience. The good, the bad, the happy, the painful (both emotional and physical!), the serenity and the blessing of finding SFV Roller Derby … I can’t appreciate the positive without the negative. The derby community, especially the wonderful women (and men) of SFV Roller Derby, has given me a confidence and a love for myself that I didn't think was possible.

Although travelling to Hawaii and Alaska with my OMGs to play derby is probably more of the answer you are looking for.