Blossom Bruiso, Lover of Skating

Posted on March 27, 2009

 By Holly Hitsville

Blossom Bruiso plays for both the Windy City Rollers (WCR) All-Stars and WCR’s Double Crossers. She was the Co-Captain of the WCR All-Stars in 2008, the year they grabbed 2nd place in Nationals.   I recently caught up with the Brighton, Michigan, native about the origin of her derby love, teamwork, and the advice she has for rookies. 

This is the last WCR interview of the series.  If you want to learn more about them come on out to Saturday’s bout and watch them in action.

Describe your skating and/or athletic background before roller derby.

I played ice hockey before I played derby, first for a girl’s team out of Ann Arbor and then for the University of Michigan’s Women’s Club Ice Hockey Team.

How long have you been playing roller derby and when did you start skating for the WCR and WCR All-Stars?

I started skating with WCR, the beginning of my derby career, in 2006.  I started skating with the All-Stars when the team formed in 2007.

What made you want to become involved in roller derby?

One of my good friends from college, who now skates with the New York Shock Exchange and bench manages for the Gotham Girls as Abraham Drinkin’, fell in love with roller derby when the Windy City Rollers were in their first season.  He convinced me to tryout and I fell in love too.

The All-Stars are coming off of a long break where they haven’t competed since they placed 2nd at the November 2008 Nationals.  DDG vs. WCR All-Stars will be your first travel team bout of the year.  Do you feel your team has their strategy all worked out for the 2009 season or does it usually take a few bouts before you feel really cohesive with one another?

We are constantly working together to build and fine-tune our strategy.  As far as our teamwork goes, many of us have been together for two seasons so I feel like we know each other pretty well on the track.  The newer skaters to the All-Stars have worked really hard to get on the same page with the rest of the team strategy-wise, and they have also brought new ideas and opinions to the team, which only enhances us.

Can you give our fans some insight on what to expect from WCR’s playing style?

The Detroit fans can expect a hard-hitting and intense game.  We know that Detroit is a skilled team.  They barely missed a trip to nationals in a nail-biting game with Philly where Detroit fought their way back from a deficit.  We really respect the DDG skaters, and I think this will be a game Detroit fans won’t want to miss.

As an established veteran do you have advice to share with rookie skaters?

Never be afraid to ask veteran skaters for help and advice, and don’t be afraid to try something new.  All veterans remember what it was like when we were first starting out – we are more than happy to answer questions about rules/skills/gear/whatever.  Also, if there is a new skill you want to learn, don’t be afraid to try it.  You might fall down the first 50 times you try it, but eventually you will get it!

When you hear the name Detroit Derby Girls what comes to mind?

Hard-hitting derby!

Meet Yvette YourMaker

Posted on March 25, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Yvette YourMaker plays for The Windy City Rollers (WCR) All-Stars as well as WCR’s The Fury. After a 20-year hiatus from skating she met a roller derby godfather at a party and the rest is history.  I recently chatted with Yvette about the early years of rolling, the infamous party, and roller derby burnout.

Describe your skating and/or athletic background before roller derby.

I was at the Roller Rink most Friday nights when I was 11.  With the goal of couple-skating with my junior high crush, I learned to skate backwards well enough to not mortify myself by falling.  At age 12 I moved on to dances on Sunday nights at the juice bar and didn’t look back until 20 years later when I tried out for roller derby.

How long have you been playing roller derby and when did you start skating for the WCR and WCR All-Stars?

My first season was in 2006 and I started with the All-Stars at the end of that year.

What made you want to become involved in roller derby?

I have a roller derby godfather.  We met as the loners because each of us were at a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend’s birthday party.  At the time, he was the roommate of a captain of the Manic Attackers (a WCR home team.)  We hit it off over Maker’s Mark and raunchy jokes.  He said roller derby and I would fall in love.  Try-outs were in a few weeks and I showed up.

Is it challenging to bounce around from playing with your intra-league team, The Fury, to bouting with the WCR All-Stars all within the same season?  What’s the biggest difference in your playing style between the two teams?

We have tons of talent and leadership from each of the four home teams on the All-Stars.  The challenge is to seal our direction by gelling as a unit.  We all love to play together and I think that makes the transition easier.

I find myself “directing traffic” as well as basic communication with The Fury.

What do you think was the hardest lesson the WCR All-Stars learned from their defeat at Nationals?

There’s no shame in losing to the Gotham machine, but losing to them (again and again) hit home that we need to be more equipped to adjust.

Do you ever get burned out on derby?  If so, is their anything in particular that you do to reignite your passion for roller derby?

Instead of getting tired of playing roller derby I more get blue from missing out on the other priorities and interests in my life.   I think catching a bout or re-watching an old one is the quickest spark to firing up roller derby higher on my list of priorities.

When you hear the name Detroit Derby Girls what comes to mind?

Big, solid hits!

Varla Vendetta Talks Derby

Posted on March 24, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Varla Vendetta is the Co-Captain of both the Windy City Rollers (WCR) All-Stars and Hell’s Belles.  From the moment Varla started playing, she has been fervently addicted to roller derby.  The addiction also seems to run in her family.  I recently chatted with Varla about Nationals, her recent injury, her derby-loving parents, and our very own Racer McChaseHer.

How long have you been playing roller derby and when did you start skating for the WCR and WCR All-Stars? 

I started with the WCR at its inception in September of 2004.  For the first year, I think I only missed one practice.  I’ve continued to be pretty obsessive ever since.  Our first All-Star team was a short-lived one that was formed for the original Dust Devil 2006.  It was really important to me to be on that first incarnation of our nationally representing team.  So I’ve been with the All-Star team every season since 2006 and I am co-captaining the team with Malice With Chains in 2009.

What made you want to become involved in roller derby? 

I saw the Texas Rollergirls on that Dave Attell TV show “Insomniac” and it reminded me of how much I used to love to skate.  I was in a big transition period in my life and was looking for a new direction to point my energy.  When I glanced at a flyer advertising an info meeting regarding roller derby in Chicago, I felt like it was a sign.

WCR All-Stars are currently ranked #2 in the nation.  Your biggest nemesis has been the Gotham Girls All-Stars, a team that seems to be in a league of its own having beaten WCR both at Eastern Regionals (133 – 92) and at Nationals (134 – 66).  Is your team specifically training this year for another run in with Gotham?  Why do you think Gotham was so successful this last year against WCR All-Stars? 

Ha! Do you have to remind us?!  In reality, every loss makes me think about why things went wrong and sets my mind in motion of ways to change it up and fix it.  So, yes, of course we think about a new plan of attack for Gotham in hopes we’ll meet them on the track again.  But we’re always thinking of ways to change up our training to become stronger.  The one thing we were lucky enough to learn from experience is that the most unassuming teams can rise up out of nowhere and be formidable threats.  So, the WCR All-Stars are always training to be as strong and fresh in our playing as possible: to be ready for Gotham or anyone else for that matter.

There are plenty of teams we have played with the outcomes going back and forth in favor like Carolina, Madison, and Texas.  But Gotham is one team that we have played three times without a win: twice in title games.  Gotham is a very solid team with a tight game plan.  They seem very integrated in how they work and they have very, very, strong athletes that make up the team.  It’s a fantastic equation for success.  Chemistry is something you cannot recruit or teach, it is just there or it is not.  In some ways I am happy we have this elusive win to strive for…I think it keeps our team hungry and it forces us to always push ourselves.  Ultimately, I’m a firm believer in hard work paying off and that good things come to those who wait.

You are coming off of an injury you sustained at the end of the first half of the WCR All-Stars vs. Texas Roller Girls at Nationals.  What happened?  What was it like to not be able to participate in the final championship game? 

I sustained a hit that broke my collarbone in half in that Texas game.  The break was substantial enough to require surgery and I now have a metal plate and 6 screws fortifying my bionic shoulder!

The worst part of being injured was not being able to participate in the Championship game.  In a lot of ways, I felt like I was letting my teammates down because we all depend on each other to be out there at our best every jam.  I could take the pain and nuisance of being wrapped up, but not being able to hit that track with my teammates was an awful feeling.  It was the culminating game in an eleven-month journey that I had worked my ass off with those ladies to be a part of, and suddenly, I wasn’t able to play.  It was rough.  I’m pretty enamored of my scar, though.  I hated going through surgery, but I love that scar!

Your parents, Papa Doc and Mama Vendetta, are both involved in the sport.  Can you tell us what they do and how/why they got involved in roller derby?

My parents have always been really supportive and accepting of what I put my heart into.  When the league first started out, they would come out and watch occasionally, just to see what I was getting myself into.  My dad is a retired pediatrician and my mom a pediatric nurse and both of them had experience in emergency medicine and trauma.  When they saw girls getting banged up at those early practices, their medical instincts just started to kick in and they’d run out to offer help.  They quickly fell in love with the girls and the personalities on the league and offered to keep coming out if their backgrounds could be useful.

I think it’s been really fulfilling for them both because they can immediately and directly contribute to the skaters.  It’s not like being in an office, dealing with mundane checkups and colds.  Plus, they’ve been able to meet so many new people all over the country, so it’s social for them as well.  Now they come out to 2 and 3 practices a week, and all of our games.  They keep track of injuries and healing progress, tape girls, help girls manage colds and illness so girls can keep skating, try to educate on injury preventions, etc.  They are in action whether I’m around or not.  They really have a lot of respect for the commitment people involved in this sport give and they like being part of a very genuine, grassroots community.  Essentially, they have adopted about 70-some daughters and couldn’t be happier about it.

When you hear the name Detroit Derby Girls what comes to mind? 

Racer McChaseHer.  I was so impressed by her abilities when I first saw her at Nationals in 2007.  She’s such a polished skater and she just had this look of focus as she elegantly racked up points in Columbus…and on top of it all, she hits like a brick!  So, I guess what she embodies comes to mind when I think of Detroit: solid, hard-hitting bruisers but with a really smooth style…oh, and Tootie Tinwhistle.  Whenever I think of Detroit Roller Derby, I think of his dangerously short shorts.

D-Funk Allstars Defeat Detroit Pistoffs 112-57

Posted on March 22, 2009

by AK-40 oz. - March 14, 2009

“boo, how does it feel to be going to the Championship?”
“It’s about time!”
No other sentiment could have better capped the action as the D-Funk All Stars defeated the reigning Champion Detroit Pistoffs 112-57 at the Masoic Temple Drill Hall for the first time in their 4 seasons.  The much-beleaguered D-Funkers had struggled for 3 years, and until now were the only team not to make a Championship game.  After going 0-4 last season, they shrugged it off, changed their jerseys and added some new talent.  The Pistoffs have seen their fortune reversed, losing veteran skaters Bikini Killer, Rude Awakening, Smashing Darling (out for season), and Effin’ Money who made her return against the D-Funk.  The Funkers started the bout just like they had finished the previous one (victory over the Dames), controlling lead jammer and racking up points.

boo d. livers (MVP, Jammer of the Game) kicked off the night with a devastating double-grand slam and they kept coming until the last whistle blew.  All said, boo d. put up 60 points, both a personal best and the watermark for a epic jamming performance accomplished only by a handful of the finest jammers.  Rookie Sista Slit’chya (25 points) and vet Ima Wrecker (23) contributed to the D-Funk total, which was capped off by Roxanna Hardplace’s (4) second half-opening jam.  Roxanna (Offensive Player of the Game), Polly Fester (Defensive Player oft of the Game), Black Eyed Skeez (31 attacks, +60), and captain Fatal Femme (15 assists/14 attacks) led the pack to completely dominate the Pistoffs.  D-Funk had solid performances deep into their bench including standouts Cat’s Meow, Tinja, and rookie ZOOMa Thurman who all put up excellent numbers in the pack.  D-Funk tallied 60 more attacks than the ladies in blue, and had 19 shutout jams of the 35 in the game.  After the first half it was 70-18 in favor of the “green machine.”

The Pistoffs more than doubled their scoring in the second half but the Funk held them to the lowest score in DDG history.  The Pistoffs scoring was led by Elle McFearsome (24 points) who looked 100% back from her injury, and augmented by the returning Effin’ Money (13), Cookie Rumble (10), and Vega Vendetta (10).  Combat Cat and Devil Kitty combined for 8 jams but 0 points against the green wall of Funk.  Pack standouts for the Pistoffs were Bruisie Siouxxx, Cookie Rumble and Elle McFearsome on both offense and defense (30 assists and 63 attacks altogether), and they got some solid help on defense from Maim West (12 attacks, 2 knockdowns) and promising performances from rookies Lottie Guts (6 assists/6 attacks) and Mexi-Go (6/7).  The Pistoffs showed they’ve got up and coming talent, they just won’t have their names engraved on the trophy this year.  As captain Cookie Rumble has been heard to say “Oh, that’s okay we only win Championships on even years!”

The Pistoffs will head to the Race for Third Place against the favorite foes - The Devil’s Night Dames.  The defending Champs defeated the Dames 3 bouts in a row to finish 2008 and open 2009, but with all the roster changes, this one’s anyone’s game!  Grudge match time, and it’s always fun to see these two foes go at it.  Come down and check out the rematch of the 2008 Championship, this time for braggin’ rights, on May 9th.

When it was all over tears and beers (of joy) followed, but the party was short-lived because now the D-Funk All Stars prepare to face their most difficult opponent in the Pistolwhippers.  They’ve never beaten the ‘Whippers, but this time they’re on fire and it’s for the DDG Championship!  Only one step remains in both their journeys to the RS Cup.  Who will stand victorious and see their name hanging from the rafters on the 2009 Championship banner?  Who will be knocked into the suicide seats and lose their hopes of hoisting the martini girl?  Come find out May 30th - tickets on sale now!

Welcome Back Home, Wreck N’ Shrew

Posted on March 21, 2009

By Holly Hitsville

Wreck N’ Shrew is a former member of The Detroit Derby Girls (DDG) but currently plays for The Windy City Rollers (WCR) All-Stars as well as WCR’s Manic Attackers.  On March 28, Wreck N’ Shrew returns to her hometown of Detroit, along with the WCR All-Stars to take on DDG’s Travel Team.  I recently chatted with her about her derby experience and how she felt about her impending homecoming. 

 

Describe your skating and/or athletic background before roller derby. 

Being the younger sister and the only girl on my block growing up, I had cuts and bruises before the age of three. My brother played everything, so I did too!  Soccer was my favorite, next was baseball. In the winter hockey was a natural thing to get into, but being a girl it was hard to come by. So figure skating is what girls did. This bored me and I took a speed skating class instead. Soon I was on a hockey team, but I didn’t get played.

How long have you been playing roller derby and when did you start skating for the WCR and WCR All-Stars? 

I feel like I started playing roller derby the night I saw DDG’s first bout, but it was not until months later that I strapped my skates on and set foot on Riverside’s floor.  As the season started I made the decision to move to Chicago, but I was not going to abandon my team, Devil’s Night Dames. For three months I drove from Chicago to Detroit almost every week. In October of 2006, I began helping WCR as a stats gal since tryouts were still months away. Soon after, I was playing for the Manic Attackers. With two WCR seasons under my belt, my determination to get on the travel team made me stronger and more focused on my goals.  In 2008 I became a Windy City Rollers All-Star!

 

What made you want to become involved in roller derby?

Before Fanny Pack was Fanny Pack, she was a frequent visitor over at my place back in Detroit. One day I realized she hadn’t been around, so I asked her what she’d been doing and she replied in a proud voice, “I play roller derby!” I thought, I need to see this. As I said before, I fell in love before the whistle blew that first bout!

How are you feeling about returning to the Masonic Temple, the home of your first derby league, with another team?

I’m ready! I am proud to have been a member of DDG and can’t wait to skate with my girls from Detroit. Although I will be playing against my birth league, I play this sport for my team. We are all sisters, on and off skates, and these sisters like to compete! 

When you hear the name Detroit Derby Girls what comes to mind?

Family! Before derby, I played sports to play sports. DDG was my first time playing a sport for my team, my sisters, and my new family! DDG ROCKS!

Fundraisers, Meet and Greets, Appearances

Posted on March 4, 2009

When we’re not on the rink, you can still find us out and about. We’ll be posting stories of our latest events here!

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