The Detroit Pistoffs: The Bad Girls of Derby

Posted on May 9, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Cookie Rumble is the Captain of The Detroit Pistoffs.  She is also a machine.  Seriously, she was voted Most Feared derby girl in 2008.  Don’t get me wrong, Cookie has an amazing personality, great leadership skills, and is usually the first on the scene comforting an injured skater, but her hits are giant and somehow she can be anywhere in the pack at a moment’s notice.  I think this is because Cookie plays derby with every part of her heart and soul.

Cookie, what has been the most challenging thing for The Detroit Pistoffs this season?

I think the biggest challenge has been to get all the rookies on our team caught up with the vets in regards to rules, skating techniques, and different scenarios that you would come across during a bout.

What has been your team’s greatest accomplishment?

Well, despite the fact that our team is consistently plagued with what we like to call “Detroit drama”, I think we have the most dedicated, upbeat, and all around greatest team in the world.

Give me five words that describe The Detroit Pistoffs.

- fun
- hard-working
- accepting
- caring
- drunk

Mexi-Go is another hard-hitting Pistoff and seems to be a protégé of Cookie. When she’s not practicing, she enjoys going to more practices.  She is a dedicated skater and is definitely someone to keep your eye on.  

Mexi-Go regularly attends all the additional speed, agility, and Travel Team practices.  What keeps you going when you do three different practices, for a total of six hours of skating, in one day?  How do you think those additional practices have improved your game?

There are only a few times where I have done all three practices in one day. Before I was able to do the Travel Team practices, I was going to open skate every and any night that I could. So, as silly is it might sound, it’s all heart and then add some protein and water. Most importantly it’s the support group of people that we all have that keeps me going.  I can remember what it was like being the last one in all the drills when I started.  Seeing how my speed and everything else has changed in a year keeps me wanting more.

I think the more comfortable you are on your skates, the easier it becomes for you to do things. The more you skate the better skater you will become. So, these are the things that I am working towards.

Do you have any advice for incoming skaters?

You will get out of derby what you put into it. And most important, have FUN!

Violet-N-Deed was an injured skater who religiously attended almost every practice.  While off skates, she enthusiastically managed the first MCDL bout of the season and often helped call scrimmage line-ups.

Violet is just coming off of a long injury.  What exactly happened?

I was subbing for the Devil’s Night Dames on February 9, 2008.  We were playing against D-Funk Allstars.  I was hit and tried to control myself so I wouldn’t land in the crowd skates first.  I remember going to get up, seeing my skate sticking straight up in the air, and knowing that my leg was broken.  Both my tibia and fibula were broken spirally.  The next morning doctors put two plates and ten screws in my leg.  I was in a cast for ten weeks, then an aircast for two months, and finally an air brace for two months.  In September, I returned to skating again but by December the doctors put me back in another cast with a bone stimulator.  I have been dealing with this for about 14 months; I am ready to get back to a normal life.

Even though you were injured you continued to come to practice and watch from the sidelines.  Did you learn anything new about your team while being off skates?

I have observed that our new girls have really come a long way since draft day.  I have had a great time working with them and getting to know them better.  My skating style also has to adapt, and now I know what to change and how to do it.  It’s going to be a long off-season for me, but I will make it through, ready for next season. I learned so much, not just about The Pistoffs, but also about myself.

Action shots provided by Colin Johnson.

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