Fishnets, Rink Burn, and Attitude: The Hudson Valley Horrors
by Molly Jones
Dawg Catcher explains, “You do get a lot of killer bruises.
But you have to wear all the padding and you practice falling. Everyone
kind of protects the parts of their body that they feel are most vulnerable.
I never fall with my hands on the ground because as a vet, my hands
are the most important part of my work. You learn how to fend for yourself.”
So what compels a veterinarian, a banker, a business entrepreneur,
and a student to risk those killer bruises, or worse? As Rough Gem
tells it, her first bout “was the biggest adrenaline rush of
my life.” Everyone talks about the athleticism it requires. Naughtia
Knives says that the sport is “empowering.” When asked
if her friends and family question her roller derby activities, Dawg
Catcher answered, “People love it. People get a big kick out
of it. You know, it’s a real sport, and once I explain to them
the purpose of the sport, they gain a whole new attitude about it.
Everyone knows the campy part of it, and that’s everyone’s
first impression: ‘Oh, my gosh, you wear fishnet stockings and
everything, and that’s fun.’ But when they hear about the
real athletic part of it, they gain a whole new appreciation of it.
Everyone wants to come and see it for the fun part of it, then I think
after they’ve seen it, they have a new respect for it.” Candy
Skull Cracker’s family and friends had a different initial reaction
to her joining the league, “[laughing] It was universal. It was
like, ‘You’re WHAT?’” However, she knew when
she saw her first flat track derby game in Atlanta that she was in. “I
didn’t even know that roller derby was back. I saw it and I loved
it: the athleticism, the sportsmanship, chicks falling down. I just
thought it was great.”
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