Category Archives: BAD Skater of the Month

We're currently catching up on a backlog of BAD Girl of the Month articles that are overdue! From April 2015 . . .

She is instrumental in keeping BAD running behind the scenes by volunteering to run league practices as well as B&W scrimmages. With her positive attitude and great listening skills, Gretchen helped bring home the Berkeley Resistance's first league championship in 2015. Read more about what keeps this Libra’s seven-year derby career ticking below.

Photo credit: Mark Nockleby

Name: Gretchen Vomette

Number: 86

Team: Berkeley Resistance, All-Stars

B.A.D. League Involvement: Berkeley Resistance Coach

What’s the story behind your derby name?

I’m a puker . . .as a child, like every other day, as an adult much less so. I also wanted a name that wasn’t big and intimidating to live up to.

How long have you been playing roller derby?

Nearly 7 years!

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

5 seasons completed. A change of pace, a change of coasts and the desire to play for THE best team and league in a perfectly temperate and liberal environment!

What’s your skate set-up?

Antiks (fuchsia suede with gold and black trim) on Arius plates

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?

I’m subbing on a rec softball team now with a teammate but I love a good dog-jog.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

Winning Champers!!! Experiencing Berkeley come together in our best and most hard fought bout this past October. The cumulative team power, knowledge and prep we flaunted that night was beautiful to be a part of.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

“Ninety percent of this game is half mental.”  Yogi Berra

For September 2015, we recognize the 2015 Rookie of the Year, Dreadzilla. The Oakland Outlaws' newest addition and an indomitable jammer, Dreadzilla comes to us by way of the Peninsula Roller Girls. In her short time at BAD, Dreadz started an informal derby training program for beginning and returning derby players in Dolores Park and quickly made a name for herself as a regularly rostered jammer. During BAD's volunteer events, Dreadz can be seen sporting an extravagant outfit and a big smile while pouring you a cold one. Come see her at our next home team game of if you can’t wait that long, check out her design business, Facebook or on Instagram @serpentesdesigns.

Photo credit: IGP Photo

Name: Dreadzilla

Number: 333

Team: Oakland Outlaws

B.A.D. League Involvement: Merch Committee. Interested in getting more involved with Reckless Rollers.

What’s the story behind your derby name?

It came to me in a dream one night. I also had dreadlocks for over a decade.

How long have you been playing roller derby?

About 3 and a half years.

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

I’ve been with BAD for a year and a half. I moved back to San Francisco specifically to skate for BAD.

What’s your skate set-up?

I skate on Bont boots, Arius plates and Zombie 91s. My skates are my babies.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?

I LOVE distance running! There’s not much in this world better than throwing on my sweet, sweet tunes and running the hills of SF.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

Hands down being drafted by the Oakland Outlaws. I still get excited when I think about that moment.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

“O Lord, what hast thou hoarded up for me in your great free treasure?” Some of the best parts of life require nothing more than being present.

March’s BAD Skater of the Month, Red Card, is a perfect example of how Bay Area Derby strives to include their local community from step one and beyond as we continue to grow our organization from the ground up.  After seeing her very first derby bout at the Craneway Pavilion about two years ago, Red Card signed up for our intro program, the Reckless Rollers. She also began volunteering as an official. After learning the basics and drawing from her competitive athlete background, Red put in the hard work necessary to make the jump from newbie to league member and passed tryouts. It wasn’t long after that Red found her way on to the roster of the Oakland Outlaws. In March 2016, she skated in her first ever game with the Outlaws against the Santa Cruz Derby Girls.

Red Card’s admirable work ethic doesn’t just end on the track. In addition to continuing to serve as a non-skating official, Red also serves her league as a member of the facilities committee and the bar manager for our Events team. In essence, she keeps our house clean and safe, our thirsts properly indulged or hydrated, and she’s got our backs on the track. Red’s dedication on and off the track has made this homegrown hero an incredibly valued member of both her team and the league as a whole.

Photo Credit: Lucas Saugen

Name: Red Card

Number: 27

Team: Oakland Outlaws

BAD League Involvement: Facilities Committee and Bar Manager for Events Committee.  As bar manager I work closely with sponsorship to get us sponsored for alcohol, coffee and the likes.  

What’s the story behind your derby name?: I played soccer all the way through college, so I knew it had allude to soccer.  Red was my nickname growing because of my hair.  When a friend tossed out Red Card, it was perfect and stuck from day one.  It also worked really well, as I started in officiating (NSO).  

How long have you been playing roller derby?: Almost 2 years, though there was an unfortunate break for a bit with some knee problems.  

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? : I started in Reckless Rollers and just continued up from there.  I went and saw my first bout at the Craneway a while back and couldn’t believe how awesome it looked.  So I signed up when they had the next bootcamp and then just kept showing up.   

What’s your skate set-up?: Pretty beginner setup, though I’m looking to get new gear at RollerCon this year.  Riedell “Wicked” package: 265 boot, Powerdyne Rival plates.  Added Bionic super stop toe stops and Rollerbones Turbo 92s for wheels. I LOVE the wheels.  

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?: Soccer by far is my favorite non-derby sport.  I don’t play anymore, but for cross-training, I try to force myself to do sprint work at least once a week.  The crippling feeling in my lungs makes me know it’s good for me.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).: Before the Santa Cruz bout, Oakland took a second to recognize and cheer for the fact that it was my first bout ever.  Made me know Oakland is my home and family.  

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
C. S. Lewis

Aside from the ethical implications, that means working hard when you know you need to and should for your team (ex: off-skates training or giving your all on the track), even though you could just lie and say you did.

This month we celebrate and honor Berkeley's Joss-hole as B.A.D. Girl of the Month! Joss skates for the Resistance in her spare time, by which we mean the time she's not spending totally co-owning our Events committee, which makes our bouts happen, and, you know, her day job.

Joss is a great asset to the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls, not just because of the committee work she does, but because of her great smile and wonderful sense of humor. She is tremendously hard-working, seems to be involved in everything, and totally in charge of whatever she does. Described as someone who is “feared on the track and a boss off the track,” her league mates also say she is “a reliable and dependable teammate, who knows how to balance hard work and dedication with laughs and fun,” “a go- getter who quietly, but effectively gets [stuff] done,” and “the prettiest Little Mermaid with her red hair.”

Congratulations, Joss, for being recognized as the B.A.D.-dest Girl this month!
Photo By: Mark Nockleby

What’s the one on your birth certificate?

Jocie Bartlett

How did you get your derby name?

The infamous BuzzKillR anointed me long ago when we were just wee Reckless lasses

What do you do for non-derby work?

Various types of event management/coordination and administrative boring-ness.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?

Reckless Rollers long long ago when it was more of a Ya- Ya Sisterhood of the traveling safety meetings about 3 years ago.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?

Being drafted onto my team during an incredibly difficult time in my life. Viva!

If you had one super power what would it be? Would you use it for good or evil?

To steal others’ super powers, and most certainly with malintent.

Where would you love to live, if not in the Bay Area?

In the countryside of the Bay Area, somewhere where the culture is still awesome, derby is close, I can afford a mortgage, and horses.

Who’s your derby crush?

Gus, my spirit animal.

What’s your personal goal for 2015 (derby or otherwise)?

To not get injured. To play my hardest, and best. Ever. Oh, and to help my team crush it, and make it to Champers.

To be a successful teammate you need to exhibit hard work on the derby track, both at practice and on game day. To hold successful sporting events for thousands of fans you need a creative mind, strong organization and even more HARD WORK. Pomba is known by her team and league as on of the hardest of workers in her roles skating with the Berkeley Resistance and as Events Co-Manager and for that, we recognize her awesomeness and dedication from November 2015.

Photo cropped to feature Pomba. Original photo credit: Mark Nockleby

Name: Pomba

Number: 242

Team: Berkeley Resistance

B.A.D. League Involvement: Events Co-Manager and Insurance Liaison. I also help coordinate inter-league games for Berkeley.

What’s the story behind your derby name?

Pomba is my last name. In my competitive softball days my teammates and high school classmates always called me Pomba, so it seemed to make the most sense.

How long have you been playing roller derby?

About 2 years.

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

I’ve been with BAD for two-ish years. I started out as a huge fan, one day the offered a “learn to skate” bootcamp and took the dive from fan to skater.

What’s your skate set-up?

Bont Hybrid Carbons, that used to be white but now too dirty to tell. Reactor Pro Plates. Rollerbones Turbos.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?

I have a personal trainer who has been pretty life changing and I really enjoy working hard with. For fun, I play softball on Friday nights with some of my Berkeley teammates. We’re also in the process of creating a champion speed walking team with our league-mates.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

Berkeley Winning Champs.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

“Can you smell what the rock is cookin’?!” -Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

From July 2015, we'd like to recognize this BAD skater . . .

Mary Prankster is no joke when it comes to BAD finances. She’s been whipping the Finance Committee into to all-star shape by streamlining processes, compiling excellent reports so we can all see where the league is financially, and generally rocking things all around. Also, in her arsenal is an array of valuable architectural knowledge as BAD continues searching for a new practice space. From drawing up track dimensions and then helping us maintain our budget – BAD is lucky to have Pranks keeping us from too much mayhem.

Photo credit: Lucas Saugen

Name: Mary Prankster

Number: 64

Team: Oakland Outlaws

B.A.D. League Involvement: Finance Manager and also involved with the Space Search

What’s the story behind your derby name?

The Merry Pranksters are an infamous group that traveled around the States in the 60’s causing general delight and mayhem. They were chronicled in the book the Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test. This is a play on their name by changing Merry to Mary, which also happens to be my paternal grandmother’s name. I supposedly take after her, though I never met her.

How long have you been playing roller derby?

Two years.

How long have you been with B.A.D.? What brought you to B.A.D.?

Also two years since I started at B.A.D.! I wore my old speed skates from the 80’s as part of a Halloween costume a few years ago. A friend said to me, “You should play roller derby!” They were right . . . a few months later I found B.A.D. and signed up for a pre-Reckless class.

What’s your skate set-up?

Antiks. I’m a fan of ankle support.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?

Trail running with my pup, Harvey! And backpacking when I can get away for a weekend in the Sierras.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2015.

In our game against the Belles this year, in the last few minutes of the game the score was very close – within a few points. Our coach, Huck Sinn, called a timeout and we huddled for a regroup. Huck pulled out a passionate motivational speech and declared, “I won’t lose by three points again!” (The Outlaws have lost to the Belles by three points twice in recent years.) And sure enough, the Outlaws came together for a win . . . by four points.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

From a woman who will always be my inspiration, my Mom, “What’s the worst that could happen? They say no. But they might say yes and you won’t know unless you ask.”

For many roller derby fans,  the spectacle of a tenacious jammer attacking a wall of defenders well represents the intensity of the modern flat track game. Out on the track, size doesn’t matter nearly as much as agility and craftiness; and Bay Area Derby Skater of the Month for January, Frightmare, is all the proof you need!

Transferring to BAD at the end of 2014, Fright was drafted to the Berkeley Resistance and quickly fell into their primary jammer rotation, playing a part in the team’s overall success and 2015 Championship victory. Additionally, she joined the Bay Area All-Stars in 2015 and put up points as a jammer all season, helping the team in their fight at WFTDA Playoffs and Championships. Fright’s dedication to roller derby is also evident off the track; she is the head of our PR Committee and has a wheel in a few other committees – all of which benefit from her amazing focus and thoroughness.

Photo credit: Ryan Quick || Quick ‘N’ Derby

Name: Frightmare

Number: 31

Team: All-Stars, Berkeley Resistance

BAD League Involvement: PR Manager, WFTDA rep, Berkeley Coach, Travel Team Boot Camp Coordinator . . . I do a few things here and there.

What’s the story behind your derby name?

I’m really into horror movies – A Nightmare on Elm Street series with Robert Englund as the ever cheeky and incredibly diabolical Freddy Krueger being some of my favorites. Frightmare sounded like a cool spin on it. And I can’t leave my number out when I talk about my name as it was originally 31M st. for some added geekiness. Now, I’m 31 but it still works because the best holiday is on October 31.

How long have you been playing roller derby?

This year I’m going into my 5th season.

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD?

Life adventures brought me to the Bay Area. I wanted to keep playing this crazy sport on quad skates and transferred into BAD last year as soon as I possibly could.

What’s your skate set-up?

Chaya Pearl with a Chaya Shiva Clip Axle 45° degree plate and Juice wheels.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?

Towards the end of last season I got into weightlifting and other fun-torture cross-training activities with a  rockin’ personal trainer. But dancing is definitely the most enjoyable and exhilarating!

Share your favorite derby memory/moment from 2016 (so far).

Well, the season has only just started and there’s not much going on besides league practice. However, I’m currently in the midst of a mini UK tour of coaching four different leagues. Traveling, meeting these various skaters, and sharing derby knowledge has been an amazing and inspiring way to kick-off the season!

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.

Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down.

This month's Bad Girl of the Month is Berkeley's own Jambee! #43 in your programs, #1 in your hearts, Jambee is most recognizable by her mass of curls spilling out from under her helmet, her bright, engaging smile, and the devastating hits she quietly dishes out on the track. But her teammates also know her as an agile, versatile athlete – she frequently turns cartwheels WHILE WEARING HER SKATES – and an amazingly positive person. “Jambee has a way of calming people down after a trip to the box or a particularly hard jam,” says one Resistance skater. “She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, even when she's blocking and dropping other skaters, which is frequent.”

One story I heard that sums up Jambee to those who know her well relates when she tried to teach a stranger how to ride a unicycle ('cause naturally, Jambee knows how to ride a unicycle….and juggle…). He held on to her head and she ran along side, holding him up. Because that's what you do.

Ladies and gentlemen, Bay Area Derby Girl of the Month, JAMBEE!

Photo By: DonnaLee

What’s your gubmint name (the one on your birth certificate)?
Jessica Little

How did you get your derby name?
It was my husband’s nickname for me. But I also took it, because I like to do jam (dance) skating

What do you do for non-derby work?
I do sales, marketing and management of various computer hardware sites. Nothing too exciting, but I mostly work at home, which is cool. This allows me to randomly do handstands all day or go skateboarding outside whenever I feel like it.

How did you become involved with our league? How long have you been with us?
I think I started in April of 2011. I was bored one day and went under community activities on Craig’s List and found this new group forming called Peninsula Roller Girls. I only skated with them for a few weeks, when I found out about B.A.D. I saw one of their games and was hooked. Also I live in Berkeley, so it was meant to be.

Do you have a favorite derby moment or one thing you are most proud of?
Humm that’s a tough one, lots of good moments and memories. I can think of three that stand out: When I was still in the Pool in 2012 (Bay Area’s name for the group for skaters eligible to be drafted up to B.A.D. home teams), I played my first game with Richmond against Monterey and than that same night was picked up by Berkeley. In 2013 I went through a lot of personal growth and was humbled when I won most improved skater of the year award. Third would have to be the love and support I got from my team and league when my husband passed away suddenly in August. I can’t put into words, how appreciative I was during that time of need.

If you had one super power what would it be? Would you use it for good or evil?
If I had the ability to heal people, I think that would be special. Or if I could teleport like in the movie ‘Jumper’ I would be down with that. I would like to travel and see more of the world, so being able to teleport would certainly come in handy.

Where would you love to live, if not in the Bay Area?
Venice Beach, CA or Tokyo, Japan. I took off four months of work and traveled recently. I loved Venice. They have a group of skaters that get together every weekend and dance to music in a popular area near the skatepark. I hung out there for weeks, talked with locals and vendors and enjoyed the vibe. Reminded me of Berkeley, except people wear less clothing.

What’s your personal goal for 2015 (derby or otherwise)?
For derby I plan to continue to work hard and have fun! Viva! Outside of derby I’ve sorta made it my goal to get to know my neighbors more. And not just my neighbors but anyone I meet, I like to spend a little more time getting to know them.

Don’t mind us as we play catch-up and give recognition to our April BAD Skater of the Month!

Since transferring to BAD from Central California Area Derby in Fresno, KillA Beezy’s been a tremendous asset to BAD both on and off wheels. She’s always eager to learn, willing to help, and will take on just about any challenge put in front of her. A member of the Berkeley Resistance, Beezy’s dedication to growing her skills set and being a supportive teammate is apparent. She’s always got a smile on her face, is happy to do whatever her team needs in the moment and has no qualms about putting her head down and just doing WORK.

If you’re a follower on Bay Area Derby’s Facebook and Instagram pages, you can credit Beezy for the steady stream of info, pictures and derby fun. If that isn’t enough, she’s also been instrumental within our Merchandising Committee.

She’s smart, works hard and is very much a positive addition to the continued stream of skaters transferring into BAD. In fewer words: we’re glad you’re here, Beezy!

Photo credit: Into the Void Photography

What’s the story behind your derby name?: It’s a multi-fold story. My “real” name is Betsy and I had a good friend in college who nicknamed me Beezy. When I went to choose a derby name I was watching a lot of this anime called Naruto which features a ninja named Killer B, who is an 8-tailed beast with extraordinary powers who raps in an obvious homage to the Wu-Tang Clan. Things just kinda came together.

How long have you been playing roller derby? : Almost 4 years.

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? : Just under a year. I was recruited for a job in the south bay and when I made the move I wanted to put myself in a position where I would be able to improve in my sport, so I transferred to BAD.

What league jobs do you currently hold? What committees are you involved with?: I am the social media coordinator of the PR/Marketing committee and I work on the the merchandise committee.

What’s your skate set-up?: Riedell 495 & Powerdyne Revenge plates.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?: Power lifting and spinning.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).: Traveling to Los Angeles with Berkeley to play in the Tinseltown Showdown and winning all the games!

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.: Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. -Vince Lombardi

Your heroines in World history. Kathleen Hanna, Margaret Heafield

Your favorite food and drink. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chips, and fresh salsa (preferably made from homegrown tomatoes). I mostly drink water but if I had to choose one alternate beverage forever it would be hard cider.

Your favorite heroes/heroines in fiction. Right now Arya Stark and Brienne of Tarth (I’m currently reading A Storm of Swords, that’s the third book so no spoilers you HBO watchers!!)

Who you think is the most despicable fictional villain? I can honestly only think in terms of what I’m reading right now so it’s got to be Joffrey and Cersei Lannister. Let’s be honest – there are more despicable real life villains out there than fictional ones because they are just as sick or sicker and they are REAL.

If you weren’t doing your current occupation, what would you want to do? Something to help tackle real world problems that affect everyday life, especially impoverished and/or homeless youth. I could probably do more about that no matter what occupation I have, so that’s a goal for me to find a way to do that.

May’s BAD Skater of the Month is an individual who has gone above and beyond since she joined the league.

Pomba #242 (the skater formerly known as Hakunama Pomba) could be BAD Skater of the Month every month of the year! Pomba is the epitome of a team player whose hard work on and off the track help keep BAD rolling strong. As a blocker/pivot for Berkeley and a 2016 travel team skater, she clocks in nearly as many hours as a full-time job with her Insurance Liaison and co-Events Manager positions — along with other league tasks she picks up throughout the month. Often one of the first skaters to arrive and last to leave when volunteering at BAD’s games and outreach events, you can give her a fist bump when she reps Berkeley’s hippies July 23rd at the Craneway Pavilion in their game against the San Francisco ShEvil Dead.

Name: Pomba

What’s the story behind your derby name?: It’s my last name.

How long have you been playing roller derby? : About 3 years

How long have you been with BAD? What brought you to BAD? : 3 kick-ass years. Started as a fan, then signed up for a BAD led “learn-to-skate” clinic and the rest is history.

What league jobs do you currently hold? What committees are you involved with?: CM of Events, WFTDA Insurance Liaison, Team Gold Captain, part time league trainer, and I help out wherever possible.

What’s your skate set-up?: Custom carbon Bonts with the Infinity plate, and Bont FXX wheels. Best setup I’ve ever had.

What is your favorite non-derby sport or cross-training activity?: I sweat hard with my Personal Trainer (who is a retired BAD All-Star) a couple times a week. She keeps me strong, focused, and reminds me to have fun.

Share your favorite derby memory/moment of 2016 (so far).: When I found out I was selected to be on Team Gold. I am constantly humbled and reminded of the hard work that has been put in by my teammates both past and present each time I step on the track. The Gold Helmet represents so much, including years of work and I am grateful each day to have been given the opportunity to wear it.

Share one of your favorite motivational quotes with us.: “I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.” – Mia Hamm

Name your favorite heroines in World history. I’ve got too many to list.

Your favorite food and drink?  Pizza with a Brotein shake on the side.

Who are your favorite heroes/heroines in fiction?  Right now, Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. She’s like 6 years old and already shutting down the mansplaining.

Who you think is the most despicable fictional villain?  Can I say Donald Drumpf? I like to pretend he’s not real. 

If you weren’t doing your current occupation, what would you want to do?  I’d be a Gastroenterologist who specializes in inflammatory diseases of the bowels.