May Skater of the Month: Dragon Ballzy

Dragon Ballzy, or as she is also known, Katey, is a blocker and, as of late, a jammer for the Dire Skates. Though she just joined in 2013, she has clearly has a natural talent for derby as she has shown great improvement in the short time she has been on the track with the team.

Ballzy is always smiling and willing to geek out with her fellow sisters at practice, making her a wonderful, positive energy on the team, but she is also a force on the track. She hits hard, falls hard, and plays hard for her team. To illustrate, Ballzy scored more points for us in the last away bout than any other jammer. She works hard to improve her skating and it shows!

Off the track is an artist who just so happens to also make pizza to support her derby habit.


Here is what our coach, The Golffather, had to say about Ballzy:

 "Dragon Ballzy is up and comer for the Dire Skates. She is coming into her own and coming out of her shell. She has been known to make the big hit and recently she has been starting to jam. Most of the time you see a jammer that is small and agile, well "Ballzy" isn't the smallest skater or the most agile but she can make her own hole. It will be fun to see where she can go from here as long as she puts the time and effort into it."


RollHer Zombie had this to say: 

"I dig Katey's skate or die attitude. She has improved tremendously and I love to watch her skate. She is easygoing, always a total sweetheart, and always a total badass. I <3 her so hard"


BadAZZ MotherCutter added this:

"Ballzy is an amazing person and a great player. She's a sweet person, but don't let her smile fool you. Her skills have improved tremendously since she started with the team. I very much enjoy having her both on the track and as a friend"

Thanks for all you do, Ballzy!

Derby love

Spotlight: Bilbo Stabbins

Name: Bilbo Stabbins

Number: 42 (The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything!)

Position: blocker

Tell us about your non-derby self: I am a married mother of two. I am an English professor. I enjoy renaissance festivals, zombies, reading, crafts, and naps.

Were you a fan of the Dire Skates before joining?: YES! I loved coming to the games and one day I just said “I have to do this.”

Why did you join roller derby?: I wanted to be a part of something that seemed really fun. Derby is accepting of all types of women and it empowers them to be the best version of themselves. We need more of that in the world.

What is your favorite part of roller derby?: It’s great exercise, the other women are amazing and inspiring, and it’s really just fun to skate around and knock over people.

What are your roller derby goals?: I hope to become stronger and more agile so I can be a good asset to the team. I also hope I can become a better player who inspires others to come play derby!

What do you hope Dire Skates can do for Richmond?: I hope the Dire Skates can inspire young women and young people to get active physically, to get proactive about achieving his or her personal goals (even if they are not derby-related), and to get active in the community.

What are you skating on right now?: I am on Riedell Rogues, with Atom Poison Wheels (for Townsend) or Fugitives (for The Skate) and Reds bearings.

If you could skate anywhere, anytime, where and when would it be and why?: Most of the places I would like to visit don’t have the terrain to allow for skating, but it would be pretty fun to skate around in The Colosseum or around the halls of the White House. Ooh, wait, the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, Buckingham Palace…I am indecisive. Everywhere. That’s my answer.

If you could have any famous person alive or dead join Dire Skates, who would it be and why?: Amanda Palmer, Melissa McCarthy, Pink, Tina Fey…basically any fun and/or smart woman, including some friends who I hope join in the future. I want to sweat all over my favorite women.

Tell us one thing you want us to know about yourself: I like to dance, but only in kitchens.

Tell us one thing about another skater: Terahrizin is an amazing motivator especially when she is singing Olivia Newton-John, DJ Smear-O has knives for bones, and Dragon Balllzy is so hot, but it’s a trick! She is strong and fast and will knock you over, cracking your tailbone, and leaving you in the dust. Brutal.

A Way To Progress

(Editor's note: this is Klept-O's first contribution to our blog--welcome her!)

As a skater, you always wonder, “What can I do to make myself better?” First, don’t take extended breaks from skating. Don’t even take a week off. You would be surprised at how much it affects you. Trust me, I know from personal experience.

Seriously though, skate, a lot. Skate with your team, and skate with other teams. Find local teams who won’t mind the guest skaters, and go as often as you can. The Dire Skates are lucky. They have Gem City in Dayton, and A-Town in Anderson near by. While both are an hour drive or more, it is still well worth the drive to help better yourself as a skater.

Is there a scrimmage near by? Go. Grab as many of your team as you can and head there, asap. It goes back to the skating with others point, but it also brings more than JUST those near by people to you. Recently Em, Terahrizin, Dragon and myself (Klept-O) went to Cornfed Derby Dames scrimmage in Muncie. We met A-Towns GoldyBlox and Faye-Tality up there. It put some of us out of our element. It allowed us to do things we don’t normally do. It also allowed Dragon to put me on my butt once. (Be glad I love you, Wifey, or I would never admit that in writing.)

Watch derby, watch as much as you can. Take and bookmark Derby News Network, or subscribe to WFTDA’s youtube channel. Go to every bout that you can. See things that other people can do. That drill you didn’t understand before? Watching elite teams do it, without fail makes it click perfectly. You may not be able to do it as well, but at least you can go, “I know what it looks like, and I will do it myself.”

Finally, and this is something I fail at, cross train. Do some running, yoga, or maybe even some kick-boxing. Find whatever it is that will get that heart going, and do it. Keeping that endurance high will help in those long two minute jams. Especially when you have to do a few jams in a row.

There are probably many other things that can be done, but these are just a few things that come to mind. They also tend to be the more important things for a derby skater. Maybe that is just my opinion, though.

--- Klept-O-Matic

Roller Derby and Charity: We Hit for a Cause

The economics of roller derby is a vast, complicated thing. And involves numbers, something I am not really good at--but I will try for your sake. Because not only do we pay to hit people, we pay to help people.

Let me explain.

We pay to play, we rent local facilities, we travel to other cities to play and stay in hotels, we have insurance, we buy gear, and we replace gear.

As Hard Dash, a writer and derby girl, explains:

"OK. Now, let’s do math. Blog followers know how I love math. According to a study by WFTDA last year, skaters spent an average of $622 on skating equipment and gear in 2011, along with $656 in travel for roller derby and $223 in other support costs (dues, tickets for events). That’s $1,500 a skater. If there are in fact 39,239 skaters that is $58,858,500  — yeah, about $59 million a year from just the skaters — not the fans, the referees, the support staff, bout venues, rinks. That $59 million goes to local skate shops, local rinks, American skate companies, local hotels."

The economy of derby is huge. And it's only growing.

One other important financial component here is that the money we make from ticket sales goes to charity. This is the derby standard. Each bout raises money for a specific charity or non-profit organization. As derby grows, so does derby's ability to give back to the local communities in which the teams reside.

Dire Skates are no different.

In the past we have bouted for BRAvo and HELP the Animals among others. Our next bout on December 8th will benefit Sunrise, Inc., a therapetic riding center. As their website states:

"Sunrise, Inc is a not-for-profit corporation, established in Wayne County in 1980, whose purpose is to promote the health and social development of physically, mentally and socially disabled people through therapeutic horseback riding."

We are so excited about being able to help fund this organization and we hope you are too! Come on out on December 8th, support local derby, and support this amazing cause!

Featuring Dragon Ballzy, Terahrizin, and classdisnissed...and is the Mr. BadAZZ NSOing?!

"Name thyself!": Choosing a Derby Name

Roller Derby names are fun. Consider names such as Suzy Hotrod and Bonnie Thunder from Gotham or Maiden America and Dora the Destroyer from one of our Hoosier teams Naptown. These names are fun, pun-filled, sexy, strong, violent, or sometimes obscene. They can be almost anything a skater wants them to be, but finding the right name can take some time.

A week in and I've used roller derby otter twice--get over it!

If you are thinking of joining roller derby, one of the first things you often do is start thinking of a name (which is fine, though I suggest you also start a workout regimen!), but know that there are some rules. Don't pick a name already taken by another skater. Here is the master list of names--be warned: it's a crazy long list! Here is a handy guide to take you through some of the other guidelines. 

But more importantly, you must choose a name you like. This can be many different things. You might like the sound of it, it might sound like your current name (Terahrizin or Jenocide), it might reflect your day job (DJ Smear-O djs, classdisnissed teaches, BadAZZ Mothercutter cuts hair and is a bada**) or it might reflect just how geeky you are (Dragon Ballzy and myself, Bilbo Stabbins). Others reflect interests or are just fun!

And sometimes they simply make no sense.

No matter what your derby name, don't rush the process and make sure YOU like the name you choose. You are basically naming (and creating) your alter ego so get creative and have fun!

Are you considering playing or reffing for derby? If so, what names are you considering?
Let us know!

--Bilbo Stabbins