Ask a Dame a Question

Posted on May 9, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Racer McChaseHer is the Captain of the Devil’s Night Dames. She embodies speed, endurance, and a graceful style that makes everything she does look effortless.  Every move she takes is calculated and her hits are massive.  She can squeak through the tiniest of holes as a jammer and can easily open up the track as a blocker.  Not only is she an excellent skater but she’s also a patient teacher.

Racer, what has been the most challenging thing for the Devil’s Night Dames this season?

It has probably been our constant turnover of skaters. Of the four girls that joined our team last spring during the mid-season draft, none of them are around. Of the six girls that joined our team this past fall, two of them are injured. With the mid-season draft we just added five more girls to our team in February. It’s difficult to gel as a team when you are constantly adding new skaters to the mix. But as soon as we get some girls that stick it out, look out!

What has been your team’s greatest accomplishment?

I would say making it to the Championship bout in 2006. We had been the underdogs for a very long time and had never won a game until that season. We lost our first game of the season to D-Funk Allstars only to later beat the Pistolwhippers and the Detroit Pistoffs to get into the Championship (where we were ultimately defeated by the Pistoffs). We came a long way that season.

Give me five words that describe the Dames.

Dynamic. Amiable. Maniacs. Entertaining. Sarcastic.

Spanish Ass’assin also plays for the Dames.  She’s a solid hitter and always seems to be holding down the spot where her opponents want to be.  Her timing is right on and she never gives up until the other player is out of the way or on the ground.

Spanish, tell us a bit about your first season playing derby.

This first season couldn’t have been more rewarding or eye-opening for me. I went from not being able to understand what’s going on in game from even just the sidelines to being able to anticipate plays before they happened and actually make blocks and create holes for my jammers. I’ve had numerous veteran skaters to me help me along the way, and that is how I have improved. If anyone was willing to take two minutes to stop and explain/show me something, I listened! I also realized that you have to surrender your fear. The day during Queen of the Track, when Whiskey knocked the wind out of me, was the day I became a good blocker. Once I got back up and realized that was probably the worst it would get, I wasn’t afraid of the heavy-hitters anymore. Now it’s just fun and I want to be a heavy-hitter!

Can you explain how the score of a derby bout doesn’t always reflect the game that is being played?

The score can definitely change drastically at any point of the bout.  In any given jam 20+ points can be racked up by a team. Jammers can take a tactical approach to a jam by playing defensively to stop an opposing jammer from scoring points. The other team might be winning, but the score is not showing how well the defense is being played here. Penalties also play a big role in the score. When one team has skaters in the box, it makes it much easier for points to be scored. Jammers get points for every person in the box in this situation just by passing an opposing blocker. Points are being accumulated here, but that doesn’t mean that the other team isn’t playing excellent defense with the short-handed skaters they are working with.

Muffy Mafioso is a spark plug.  My favorite thing about her, besides the fact that she’s a skilled derby girl, is that she’s loud and you know exactly where she is just from the tone of her voice.   She’ll keep you going even when you feel like you can’t skate anymore.

You and Whiskey Soured have this great rapport off the track together. The two of you are a skating comedy/loudmouth/dirty joke telling duo.  What’s your relationship with Whiskey like on the track?

Comedy/loudmouth/dirty joke duo?  I always thought I was the serious/quiet/modest one on the league!  Seriously though, Whiskey is my sister from another mister.  She always has my back, regardless of the footwear or floor surface and anyone lucky enough to know her is a little better off than everyone else.

In a jam I like to think of us as the perfect Zen balance…I shouldn’t be telling you this because it’s pretty top secret, but basically, I hide behind her and she hits like it’s nobody’s business.  Bottom line:  I would kill for her off the track, and she would kill for me on it!

Action shots provided by Colin Johnson.

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