Fright Night Scream Park Auditions this weekend!
By Solitaire | July 23, 2008
Come on out and show us what you got!!
I dare ya!
Topics: Announcements, Around town, Scream Team | No Comments »
A roller grrls story. part 5
By MsJoey | July 21, 2008
I was still riding high from my very first bout. the feelings i had were a mixture of excitement, confidence and a whole lot of worry. I couldnt believe i actually skated in and won my first bout. But at the same time i couldnt believe it went down the way it did.
We werent the kind of girls who fight. we werent the type of team who puts out negativity. we knew once we got home from the bout that we needed to do some damage control and quick!
first we needed to sit the team down and discuss why this will never happen again. there were severe reprimands and honest apologies. we knew we were wrong in reacting the way we did. we could’ve sat ourselves down and justified the whole situation; we were antagonized, we were baited, we were pushed beyond our limit, but the bottom line was, we were wrong in reacting the way we did and we needed to mend the situation.
our first plan of action was to apologize. we did. first to our fans and then to the other team. the latter was very hard being that they did all they could to hurt us and bring us down even if it meant playing dirty. we sucked it up, swallowed our pride and apologized then never looked back.
with all that being said, we took the opportunity to prove that we were more than that one bout. we were a team of strong women who skate hard, play fair and stop at nothing to bring Fresno a show that was not only honest but hard earned and fun for the entire family.
we began to scout the state for a team to host here in Fresno. the obvious choice to us was Bakersfield. I knew a few of the girls from that team. They were very nice and totally open to the idea of coming to Fresno. We carried on a bit of a harmless rivalry, talking the requisite trash on each other; this is a competitive and aggressive sport after all.
we planned to bring Bakersfield to Fresno and whoop them in all fairness with a crowd of hundreds cheering us on. We worked hard skating at practice, promoting ourselves off the track and generally hyping up the bout to friends and family as well as those who were new to the notion of roller derby.
this game was still relatively unknown here in Fresno. Although we were on our second season we still needed to get beyond our friends and family. we wanted more people to know what was going on here in Fresno. We worked overtime to promote our benefit concerts, special events and fundraisers. Again, being league owned and operated the money we needed to pull off a home bout would be hard earned and it wouldnt just fall from the sky.
this meant more shows, auctions and bake sales. Fortunately, many local clubs and venues got behind us, believed in us and were willing to help us in any way we can.
I have to thank Yoshi Now! and Club Fred especially for offering the help we needed when it was so hard for us to find a place to call home. Both venues provided a place for us to mingle with Fresno fans, create an atmosphere condusive to what we were doing and helped us raise the money we needed to host a home bout.
Our scheduled home bout was to be held in June of 2007 at the Jr Exhibit Hall at the Fresno Fairgrounds. We couldnt believe our luck! not only were they hospitable, reasonably priced and easily accessable, they were also as excited as we were to host a bout for the Smog City Roller Grrls!
During this time, we were still driving to Madera to practice twice weekly. Dont get me wrong, Don Miracle and Miracle Skate were very good to us. He treated us with kindness and respect and even supported us off the track at our various events. But driving an hour two times a week when the gas prices were beginning to surge was more than we could take. It became a problem for many of us girls who had families to support.
We did what we had to do because we loved the sport so much. We did what we had to do because we had no other choice. we all had the common love for the game and the desire to be bigger than what we were. We knew we had it in us to be more that just girls on skates.
June came around very quickly. This was such a big event for us. We had 3 bouts under our belt but this was special. We were on home turf. We had people coming just to see us and see what we were all about. This was a make or break deal for us. While we knew we were on to something in Merced when we drew 100 folks we knew this was so much different. We knew that we’d pack the place and they all came to see one thing; were we for real?
We had alot to prove in this one bout. We not only HAD to beat Bakersfield, hell, we talked so much trash how could we not!? we had to put on a great show for our established fans and hopefully gain many more.
I for one, sold over 50 tickets again. I have a large mexican family. I have 13 uncles and 9 aunts. I have a huge baseball family. Eat, sleep and breath baseball. I spend many summers sitting in the stands cheering on my cousins. There was no way any of them were getting out of watching me skate. they thought i was crazy. they bought tickets.
I went on a one woman mission to promote us through the media. i courted every TV station, radio station and newspaper not to metion local websites. Big Big thanks to Fresno Famous, Great Day and MindHub for believing in us and giving us the coverage we needed and helping us peak the interest of those who hadnt heard of the Smog City Roller Grrls. Those media outlets made ALL the difference.
The night before the bout the team gathered at the exhibit hall. the room looked so incredibly huge. it was enormous. we all just sat in awe over the fact that in less than 24 hours we’d be skating in front of hundreds of friends, family and strangers. it was such an overwhelming feeling. very surreal.
OH MY GOSH! the night was upon us. it was finally time. we gathered on Saturday evening and sat together in the hours leading up to the bout. we all laughed and some of us cried but mostly we just felt this solidarity that we hadnt really felt up to that point. we were a team but most importantly we were now family.
as the hours passed and we prepared for the bout, put on make up, pulled up the fishnets and laced up the skates we heard the bustle of the crowd beginning to arrive. rows and rows of empty chairs began to fill up with familiar faces. every once and a while we’d peek out our heads to see the massive crowd. the bleachers filled and there was not one empty seat. quite the contrary. there were rows of people standing, some were sitting on the floor.
faces were painted, signs were waving and they were all there for us! i poked my head out side of our dressing room and saw the spot designated for the family of Lola la Chola. There they were, my family. mom, dad, step mom, step dad, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. all there for me.
There was that knot in my stomach again. i looked at the clock, 6:30pm. 30 minutes til game time! ugh, i think i’m going to puke. the bubble guts come around 20 til and last until my first jam.
10 til 7, time for group prayer. I told the girls i respected everyones beliefs but i was going to pray and if they didnt want to be a part of it, please step outside. They all stood and we joined hands. All i asked for was fearlessness, humility, strength, stamina and courage. And no injuries. the rest was in my Fathers hands. win or lose was up to him.
7pm sharp, here goes nothing!
the lights dim, the crowd quiets save for the few whistles and cat calls. one by one our names are called and we skate out to the sound of Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation. it was thrilling beyond explaination.
One glimpse of those Bako girls and i know they’re gonna give us a run for our money!
The bout started and it was one hit after another; fast paced, slip and slide, non-stop girl on girl action! point after point we were neck in neck. There will be no easy victory here, both sides were giving it all they got! this bout was definately going to define us.
We were halfway into the bout and we feared we werent going to win. they were up by 8 points and in derby thats an easy margin to gain but would definately be some hard work. we pull out all of our tricks and skills but in the end, Bako kicks our butts!!!!
They deserve the win. they fought hard for it. a 10 point win. we were surely bummed. BUT we lost with digninty, played fair and skated away with a new found respect from our home town. AND both teams went out afterwards and drank some victory beer! A sisterhood, the way roller derby is intended to be.
I remember thinking, now Fresno knows what we can do. Now WE know what we can do. This is the beginning of a long love affair between Fresno and SCRG.
Win or lose, we played hard. We were so proud of ourselves. we didnt whoop them and they didnt whoop us. even though we lost we knew we were successful through and through.
the buzz of a home bout would not wear off easily or quickly. we knew that we had so much more up our sleeve. what we always knew, we shared with Fresno and it was to only be the beginning.
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July is still setting off Fireworks!
By Solitaire | July 15, 2008
Although the 4th has passed us by there are still a lot of shows and events going on that’ll blow you away!
Rogue Year Round is at it again and this time they are talking dirty!
Comedy Night At Ashtree Studios
1035 N Fulton
Fresno CA 93728
In the Tower District just 2 blocks south of the Tower Theater
(559) 268-3693
Featuring:
Jayne Day; Talking About Sex
Tony I; I Was a Sexually Confused Teenager
Just $10 gets you in for both Shows
Friday July 25th at 7PM
DON’T MISS IT
Fright Night is plotting away gearing up for their October Debut! Come on out and be a part of a brand NEW experience! Audition info is coming out this week, don’t miss out on this opportunity!
A selfish plug… yes… come see me perform in Twelfth Night for the Woodward Shakespeare Festival!! We’ve only got 2 weekends left! Don’t miss out!
Topics: Announcements, Music, Scream Team, rogueblog2008, theatre | No Comments »
A roller grrls story. part 4
By MsJoey | July 10, 2008
It’s been 11 months since i’ve jumped on this crazy ride. I am still a little flabbergasted that i had the courage to not only get myself on skates but that i’ve elbowed my way into a position of leadership and respect. Well, “elbow” isnt really the proper term being that in roller derby you elbow someone when you want to get them out of the way.
As stated in the past, there was a hole that needed to be filled, i stepped up to the challenge, took on the task and was immediately voted in by my fellow grrls as the official SCRG P.R. officer, event planner, media liason and general “Mouth” of the league; a job i relish and take very seriously.
All the work i’ve talked about prior to this has been in effort to raise awareness and money for our league. Again, we are league owned and operated by the skaters for the skater. I would guess that the annual income of each skater is not much. I would say that the majority of the skaters are not in the middle to upper class bracket and I would say that the money we put into this league is money hard earned and well spent.
But now the hard work and dedication is finally paying off for me. My very first bout. Not the leagues first bout, MY first bout. I was unable to skate with the grrls in Sacramento due to personal reasons but i am not about to pass up the chance to put my skills to the test.
It’s March 2007 and we’ve been invited to Merced to skate against Port City Roller Girls in an exhibition bout. What that means is that it isnt sanctioned by the Womens Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) therefore its not considered a legal bout and we are playing just for fun. Either way, for me this is my first bout and i’m thrilled beyond belief.
Finally my friends and family are going to see that this is a real sport! They are going to see that we arent just a bunch of talk. For the past year i worried that maybe they didnt believe us. That maybe because they didnt see the work we were doing on the track they may think we were just a bunch of fluff and not take us seriously.
Merced is only an hour away. I told our girls there is no way our friends and family are getting out of the drive up to watch us. We put on our full plan of attack and began selling tickets like crazy! We hit myspace like mad, we plastered the businesses of the Tower District like wallpaper and we held “skate outs” where we donned our skates and cruised the neighborhood passing out fliers and promoting like mad women!
The day of the bout came and we had sold over 100 tickets! we couldnt believe it. We couldnt believe that 100 of our friends and family would actually drive the hour to watch us skate and do what we love. It was unbelievable. we were exstatic.
I admit, of those 100 folks, 25 were mine alone. What can i say? I’m Mexican; we roll deep.
Its about 30 minutes to game time. i really think i’m going to vomit. My stomach is in knots. i cant feel my tongue. my toes are tingling and i think i’m going to burst. But i KNEW we were going to win. I just knew it. i knew nothing about this other team. i knew nothing about what to expect but i knew that we had been training hard. i knew that we were prepared and i knew that no matter what, win or lose, this would be one of my finest accomplishments.
Here we go. The music starts and we are introduced one by one. The crowd is going crazy. I can see that the majority of the crowd is from Fresno and the MC actually makes reference to that. When my name is called and i skate my lap around the track the chills that run down my arms are electrifying. I really think i’m going to pee my pants!
And so it begins, the first jam of the night. It all starts out so innocently. We skate, we knock them girls on their butts, we talk a little trash and we earn tons of points. second jam starts, we skate, we knock them girls on their butts, we get knocked on our butts and we all talk a little trash.
third jam starts; it gets weird at this point. we skate, we knock them girls on their butts but the most horrible thing happens, they pull us down with them. they grab our hair, they kick our feet out from underneath us, they snatch us by our shirts and skirts.
WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!! This is not the way derby is played. I know that there will be a little bit of dirt done on the track. its par for the course. if you can get away with a little elbow here, back block there then so be it. But to intentionally pull a girl down with your hands is a serious NO NO! its like soccer; no hands. They are kicking us, slide tackling us and when we knock them down legitimately they resort to playing dirty.
I am completely appalled. Not only is derby NOT intended to be mean spirited or dirty, here i have my friends and family watching, not to mention a representative from the Fresno Bee catching it all on tape! All i can think is, “Dear Lord, work this out. Make it work, help us!!!!”
Okay I admit, i can be a bit of a spit-fire. I’m a pistol, a talker and someone who has a hard time turning the other cheek. I dont ever start a problem but i will surely end one. This day is a lesson in self restraint. i have a reason to be the bigger person. I have a reason to overlook the negativity. I have a reason to restrain myself. My daughter.
Now imagine, you are on skates. You are skating at close to 20mph. Doesnt seem very fast but it is. You are looking side to side, finding your spot, taking girls out to get your jammer by. You look to the left and suddenly you feel a sharp blow to your right knee. Your knee snaps and your whole body feels like it was struck with a bat. You fall to the ground instantly writhing in pain but remembering you have to get up. you have to get back into the pack. but you look to your side and the sinister grin from an opposing blocker is staring you in the face. what do you do?
What i wanted to do was punch her! punch her right in the mouth. punch her satisfied grin and make her hurt. But what do i do? I listen. I listen to the cry of an 11 year old girl. My girl. “Mama get up! Get up, get on your feet! Beat them fair and square! GET UP!!!!” so i do. I wish i could say the same about my teammates.
These girls, Port City, were horrendous. They tried every dirty trick in the book to take us down. they pulled and grabbed and kicked and tripped us til we just couldnt take it anymore. Thats when all hell broke loose! My grrls couldnt take it anymore. they fought back. It wasnt our proudest moment. and it was all caught on tape for all the googlers of the world to see.
We won that night. We won by a HUGE margin. And we won playing fair, even after the fights. It was a sweet victory for me because it was my first and i left that track knowing i played fair. i took their jabs and i took their kicks but i didnt take their bait. i won.
This bout will forever have a negative impact on our league because of an innocent Web Blogger from the Fresno Bee who only wanted to help promote us. What his good intentions did was smear our good name and gave us a reputation that took a LONG time to eliminate. We appreciate him anyways and we now look back on this bout as a hard lesson learned. We may have been wronged, but we did our share of wrong as well. we let ourselves get caught up with a team of poor sports but we will NEVER do that again.
Here is the video. Its a great clip and while we werent proud of the fighting, we were extremely proud of how well we played. You’ll notice that the other team were the aggressors and we were merely fighting back. Our push came to shove and it turned into one big debaucle.
http://www.fresnobee.com/static/2007/video/roller/
And i will say this again, WE TRULY APPRECIATE WILL ALBRITTON for his dedication to SCRG when no one really knew who we were or what we’d become. His choice to follow us to Merced and cover this bout meant the world to us. We just didnt forsee the incidents that would ensue.
What i did know for sure was this, I was into this league for the long haul. There was no way i would step down now. Hearing my friends screaming my name, seeing the look of pride on my dads face when i knocked those girls down legally was all i needed to know that i was in love with roller derby. This one bout in March would be the begining of a love affair.
From then on, we definately considered ourselves a force to be reckoned with. We had the ability to skate and win. We had the ability to draw a crowd out of town which meant we could definately draw a bigger crowd in town. So we began our campaign to host a bout in Fresno.
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
A roller grrls story. part 3
By MsJoey | July 2, 2008
Suddenly I’m Lola la Chola, PR queen and derby darling! I am amazed at what has become of me in the last 7 months. I have become quite an agile skater. I’m quick and fluid on the track and i’m smooth and confident in front of a camera. I never imagined when i joined this group of women that i would become such an integral part of the league. And it was not something that was handed to me.
In derby there is a saying, “find the hole.” To a jammer and a blocker, this means two different things. For a jammer, this means, find a spot that is not occupied and work your way through the pack, via that hole. For a blocker this means if you are in a pack and there is an obvious hole, the opposing jammer will take that opportunity to get through, via that hole. This means as a blocker you must fill that hole, meaning make that spot yours and dont let it go.
I’m a blocker on my team. Finding the hole means filling a spot. I took that philosophy off the track into the inner workings of the league as well. I saw what was what needed to be done and I took the reigns.
So to go back to that initial interview i spoke of with Channel 24, it’s important to tell this tale because again, it leads to why it is so important to have a PR officer representing a roller derby league.
This was to be our very first public appearance and we thought it would be fitting that we held that interview at Yoshi Now! during their August Flea Market where we were holding a bake sale. Jenn was unable to be there so she asked if i would speak to the reporter and give her a concise idea of what we were doing as a league and as women. I was so honored that she picked me to do this. i didnt really know how the rest of the team viewed me and how they would feel having me speak on their behalf.
When i met with the reporter, Jenny Eberling, she was friendly, cordial and most importantly, interested. At the time I was and still am studying it at Fresno State and everything i was learning i was trying to apply to our league. One thing i had just learned the week before was how to deal with reporters. My instructor told us specifically, “nothing is off the record.” SCRG learned that the hard way.
I gave my interview, trying to be as poised as possible, saying all the things we wanted to get across to Fresno while tempering tough with sweet but apparently, i wasnt enough for her. She asked if she could get a statement from all the girls about why they joined the league. i immediately bristled because i knew the potential for one innocent comment to harm our image but how do i say no?
So she went down the list of girls, each with a clever answer and putting their own spin on things. Along came a girl, aptly named, “The bitch.” Her response was short but full of power. She said, “i joined derby because i liked the outfits and so i could beat up other girls without getting in trouble for it.” That was all we needed.
My PR instincts kicked right in but even when i tried to recant her statement and manipulate the situation, it was to no use. i saw the gleam in the reporters eyes and i knew we were in trouble.
I immediately called Jenn and told her what happend and she was so upset. All i could think was, i let her down. We tuned into the news that night and sure enough that was the loop that kept running through the piece. No matter what i said about female empowerment, promoting our community and representing Fresno in a positive light, all they focused on was a bunch of girls beating each other up!
Here we were with our first interview under our belt and it made us look like a bunch of savage women out to hurt one another while looking sexy in the process. Harmful, yes, but definately something we could fix.
In the meantime, we were still skating twice a week in Madera. We were teaching ourselves new techniques, learning to block, hit and skate with agility and speed. We were learning to be tough physically and mentally. We were training for our first bout.
We were so excited because this was something none of us had ever done in our lives. Most of us had never even been on a team sport let alone be competitive with another group of women. What we knew of the roller derby leagues around California was that there was a sisterhood and a cameraderie that made everyone feel welcome and at home. We were very excited to skate in our first bout.
Being that this bout was in Sacramento we knew that it would be hard to gain support for a sport that wouldnt be quite visible here in Fresno just yet. We had to think of something that would draw a crowd and gain Fresno’s interest and keep it for the year to come. Plus we needed to fund our trip north and we thought of the perfect way to do it!
As stated before, each girl has a very unique style and with that style comes a large group of friends that we all hang out with. Each of us run in different but sometimes intertwining circles typically hanging out in the Tower District. We thought it would be fitting to call upon our friends for support and a night of good clean fun.
We also thought it would be fun to take a spin on the interview we did with Channel 24 and vamp it up with a derby grrl auction. Boy! Did i get railroaded into that one!
I began to promote this event. It was the first event i’d promoted with our girls. With the help of Apache Gonzalez and Goodie 2 Bruise (Jenn) we booked 2 really awesome rockabilly bands and were donated gift certificates to our very favorite Tower District restaurants.
At the time we only had 4 single derby girls. Each was to be paired with a gift certificate to a restaurant and the grand prize would be a date with a very special derby girl, a dinner at Veni Vidi Vici and a tattoo each from SCRG’s very own Lucky Eddie. Who do you ask was this very special derby girl????? Yup! yours truly. Again, how i got railroaded into this, i just dont know!
So the night of the auction came and i was filled with nerves. It felt like we had plastered 3 million fliers all over the Tower District, promoted ourselves on every Fresno website and even talked to a local DJ about this derby girl auction. I was literally going to vomit. i was convinced that i’d get up on stage, they’d start the bidding and……..crickets. No one is going to want me!!!!!
The night was great; good music, good friends but what i didnt anticipate was the amount of men there. The door just stayed open because there was a steady stream of guys coming in. I was frantic! So whats a girl to do? Drink, naturally. It was one margarita after another after another. But then i stopped myself. I thought, “I can do this! i am strong and i am proud of my league, hell, I AM SCRG!”
So finally the band takes a break and the auction begins! The first girl sold for $40. The second for $65. The third for $100. Then its my turn. GULP!
They call my name and i slowly work my way up to the stage. I seriously think i’m going to puke! This has got to be the worst situation i’ve gotten myself into. And that is saying alot because i’m naturally outgoing, confident and poised. I take life by the horns and never really let anyone see me sweat. That night i was drenched!
Okay so i’m there, standing atop the stage at Club Fred listening to the description of myself being read, long walks in the park, dinner by candlelight, knocking girls unconcious, blah blah blah……
The bidding begins, $50, $65, $95, $160, $200, $250, $300!!!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!
I cannot believe what i am hearing. The bidding just goes on and on and on and even when we crown the winner, another guy is still yelling in the background that he has $500 cash but the $3oo winner, takes the gift certificate, grabs my hand and pulls me through the crowd before $500 guy takes me away! I am speechless. and it takes alot to shut me up!
Okay so there is a reason for this lengthy story and that is this: I found that night that if i could stand in front of over 200 people at a bar taking bets and listening to cat calls, i can do anything for this league. I can dodge bullets from the press, i can shield my grrls reputation from negativity AND i can put a whoop down on any opposing blocker on the track who’s trying to touch my jammer! I am meant for this league and this league is meant for me!!!
This night pretty much sealed the deal in my derby relationship. When at first i was dating the team; spending my nights with them, speaking lovingly about them in public and giving up the goods for them (NOT LITERALLY, IT WAS JUST A DATE!), at this point, i was now fully commited and ready to wear the SCRG ring. with pride.
What i was starting to realize was that my life as a single mom, student and full-time employee would all in some way become melded with this crazy thing called the Smog City Roller Grrls.
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Come out and join the SCREAM TEAM!!!
By Solitaire | June 30, 2008
Topics: Announcements, Around town, Scream Team | No Comments »
My new neighborhood
By joyunconfined | June 28, 2008
I’ve been spending my time moving.
See, I’ve made the move from North of Herndon to the Tower District.
And several people have questioned that choice.
So, in an effort to explain that there IS life South of Shaw Avenue, and normal people do live here, I’m going to start sharing things that I’ve found down this way.
One of the first I’m going to share is one of the newest. It was scooped in this post at the Beehive . That was a while back. But it piqued my interest. So another local blogger and I took a walk (yes, now I’m within walking distance of cool stuff and don’t have to jump in my car just to go get a snack).
The Tower District now has an ice cream shop. And I like it.
He had the Foster Farms Pistachio ice cream. I had a scoop of Superior Dairy Lemon and a scoop of Superior Dairy Rocky Road, plus a bit of chocolate biscotti.
My verdict: Yummy. And an affordable cold snack on a hot summer day. It’s a tiny little place with only one little table indoors, and a few tiny tables out front. Don’t let that stop you. Pick up a scoop in a cone or a dish. The proprietors are friendly and smiling. The decor indoors made me feel happy. On Olive Avenue, just East of Wishon on the South side of the street. Here are some photos.
With this in walking distance… I could gain 10 pounds this summer.
Oh, and if you aren’t doing anything tonight… there ARE things to do.
Specifically, there’s Blake Jones and the Trike Shop with the Suicide Lounge at Milano on the Fulton Mall tonight at 8:30 pm for only $5. (You can hear me sing. I’m told I’m not bad at all.)
OR, you can go support the SCRG at Ernest Valdez Hall at the Fresno Convention Center at 7pm. (And check out MsJoey’s posts here on Fresnocentric about the SCRG. They’re a great read!)
Or… do one, then the other?
Whatever you do, there ARE things to do in Fresno. Have a great weekend.
Topics: Around town | 3 Comments »
A roller grrls story. part 2
By MsJoey | June 26, 2008
I cant believe i am a part of something so unique and controversial. At this point it had been about 3 weeks that i’ve been skating and we had been officially kicked out of Cal-Skate. We recieved a 4 sentence email stating that our business was no longer financially profitable for them and they did not want us coming back any longer. We were so taken aback because we were paying $10 each per night to skate there. $10 at 25 girls seems like a pretty good amount of money for a Thursday night. But okay we took it in stride and put on our thinking caps.
By this time i’d established some friendships where i felt confortable enough to speak up but only a little. anyone who knows me will tell you that i am a bit slow to start but once you’ve become my friend, its you and me together forever. not to sound crass but my motto is, “you f*ck with me, you stuck with me!” so this meant it wasnt an SCRG problem, it was my problem. i digress.
Jenn was in all kinds of worry about it because there are no other indoor skating rinks in Fresno or Clovis. We really had to do some brainstorming and what we came up with was our next closest option, Madera. Jenn contacted Don Miracle at Miracle Skate and we made the trek north 2 times a week, carpooling to save money and paying him a little less than was expected at Cal Skate.
On a side note, I heard a rumor (this has yet to be confirmed) along the way that Cal Skate wanted to buy into our league. When we told them no, they put up a cold front and booted us out. There is an allure to the roller derby owner and skater. we are league owned and operated. We do not want an outside company coming in and telling us what to wear, how to play nor do we want it to become a circus-like atmosphere. we ride the fine line between being a sport and being a freak-show. this sentiment is echoed throughout the nation. we are the ones who put on the skates and put our bodies through the hard work and danger. we will be the ones to decide if we’ll wear fishnets or socks. in taking that independant grassroots stance, we know that all our funds must come from within. we work hard at fundraising and pulling in sponsors to provide the money we need to create and implement an event. it is hard work but worth it when it means keeping “the man” out of our affairs.
Back to the subject. I found that a friend from high school was also on the team. Her name is Michelle. She is now Apache Gonzalez, a retired skater. she and i had dated guys who were best friends, we got pregnant within months of one another and spent a great amount of time during and after our pregnancy holding bible study and hanging out. once i saw her there i felt much more comfortable getting involved with the other girls outside of practice. I met Becky through her and we hit it off instantly. She is Toni 2 Tone and she is one of my best friends on the league. She’s also my derby wife. That’ll come later.
Toni, Apache and I would make the trip to Madera together and it was so much fun anticipating the pain and labor we were to put in once we got there. While i still didnt know all the grrls very well, there was a group of grrls that i settled in with and we became a bit of a click. its unfortunate but inevitable that it happens but with 25 women, its just par for the course. During this time, i was still a bit wary about my place on the league and the normal outspoken Joey was lying dormant for fear of aliention.
At this time we lost one coach and gained another. for privacy purposes, this new coach will remain anonymous and i’ll call him Hank. Hank loved roller derby. but more than roller derby, hank loved control. he was definately intent on helping us improve and grow as a league but his tactics and ways of going about it was nothing short of abusive. We spent so many nights sacrificing time with our friends and family to commit to a sport that we all felt passionate about just to lace up our skates and get the crap beat out of us verbally. it was no small wonder that we all didnt quit.
I wont go into specific details and the only reason i’m even bringing this to light is because it sets the stage for what will later be known as the catalyst to this league becoming closer and stronger. Our league struggled for many months wondering if we would have to endure this relationship with Hank in order to stay strong and be successful in the years to come. What we found was quite the opposite. We had the strength in ourselves all along to succeed without him.
We met after practices to discuss our feelings over beer and pizza. We cried to one another unable to believe that we HAD to deal with someone so cruel just for the sake of success. What we found in those late night meetings was that we all secretly wanted to speak up. we all secretly held the desire to excuse him from our league and find a way to lead ourlseves. And it was during one of those late night meetings that i found my voice in The Smog City Roller Grrls. What i had reserved for so many months, what i held back for fear of alienating myself, flowed forth like a rampage of encouragement to myself and the other girls. I spoke the words that we had been feeling for a long time, “We all feel impotent as a single girl but as a team we were powerful.”
I admit, it was easy for us to give him the boot. And it wasnt my speech that made the deciding factor but I’ve never shied away from controversy, especially when it affects me directly. I would never allow myself to be in an abusive relationship nor would i sit back and watch any of my friends suffer through one either, so why was this so hard for us?
I think the answer to that is as simple as a question looming over our heads unspoken, ” Are we good enough to do this on our own?” And the answer would make or break our league.
Back to the strong woman, can-do anything attitude. Of course we were strong enough. Of course we were good enough and of course we had it in ourselves to forge ahead.
With one quick phone call and a meeting of the minds, Hank was quietly asked to leave. Of course he didnt go quietly and we worried what he might do to our reputation but strangely it brought us all so much closer and from that decision, the REAL Smog City Roller Grrls were born.
Quickly we voted for a coach within our league. Toni 2 Tone won hands down. She was just a natural leader. I dont recall when or how it was decided that she seemed like the likely candidate but it just was meant to be. And naturally, a leader needs a partner and who better to fill that spot than me. yup, me. Toni and i had developed such an unlikely friendship yet we complimented one another so well. I felt certain, that with her leadership, Jenn’s business sense and my PR skills nothing could stop us at this point!
Toni minded the track, keeping us on task, yelling when neccessary, coaxing when needed and praising us always. Jenn kept the business affairs in order, booking bouts with other leagues, managing our finances and thinking of new and exciting ways to make money for our league. I, on the other hand found that we were becoming one hell of a force to be reckoned with but who besides us, would know if we didnt promote ourselves? So there came the need to push ourselves on the good folks of Fresno.
I talked to Jenn about giving me some freedom to promote SCRG. I told her if she would just put a little trust in me, I wouldnt let her down. Given that she had seen me speak in our first interview on Channel 24, she said that naturally i was the right girl for the job.
From there, The Mouth was born.
Topics: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
A roller grrls story. Part 1
By MsJoey | June 24, 2008
Okay so this is my first post and of course it’s fitting that i write about what i know best, roller derby. I am a skater with The Smog City Roller Grrls, Fresno’s first and only roller derby league.
I have been hesitant to write about the grrls because i dont want to oversaturate every Fresno blog site with SCRG. Its what I do, its what i love but it only defines a small part of who i am. But because of it, i am who i am. I do love my team. i love what i do and i love being affiliated with such a strong and diverse group of women who are like minded, have strength of mind and body and who truly have a passion for Fresno and representing Fresno in a positive light. And besides, this blog is more about what SCRG means to me.
When I heard about roller derby in Fresno my heart raced instantly. First i felt excitement because i knew this would be something unique and ultimately if handled properly it could be something really big. Then i felt fear because i didnt know the league owner Jenn but I knew that she would have a ton of friends who most likely would join. suddenly i felt like i was in 3rd grade again waiting to be the last girl picked. i made so many excuses why i couldnt do it but Jenn was persistant.
During this month of going back and forth, should i do it should i not, i was going through a horrible break up. It wasnt ugly as in i hate you, you hate me break up, it was another sort of horrible. I was with a woman for 6 years and during the last year we were together i was having heterosexual tendancies. i was going back and forth in my mind because i couldnt figure out why i wanted out of the most perfect relationship a girl could ask for. My ex kept telling me to join. She said, you need to meet women who are single and straight to find out if that is the path you need to take. She said, you need to reach out to other women. She was so supportive of my change of heart which of course made me love her more and in turn made my relationship decision that much harder. She said, “if you are happy i’m happy. i love you enough to let you go.” but still i was conflicted. if i couldnt decide what to do in my romantic life, how am i going to decide what to do in my personal life?
One day i was sitting around with our mutual friends who are gay and we were talking about my lifestyle struggles. One of my friends said to me, “Joe Joe, if you are gonna find a man, you aint gonna do it sitting at home with us lesbians!” That was the deciding factor for me. I called Jenn right there and then and said, sign me up!
I remember vividly the day i showed up to practice for the first time. I was not as nervous as i thought i’d be but i did feel distinctively out of place. I didnt have my own skates; most of the girls did. I wasnt wearing the cool clothes; almost all of the girls had their own style. But i felt a connection. Of course, there were those girls who looked right past me and didnt even so much as grunt in my direction. Then i saw one girl come in with that same fearful look in her eyes as i did and i walked right up to her and said, “hi, i’m joey. this is my first day. have you been skating long?” she smiled and said it was her first day too. She was claire. She is now The Clarifier. she was my first friend.
A shrill whistle blew and i found out quickly that if i was going to fit in, i needed to follow along, ask few questions and pay attention. What caught my eye right away was the diversity of this league. there were cool punk rock chicks, blooming pregnant girls, willowly snobby girls, tough shaved headed rude girls; a full on motley crue of tattooed, pierced and dyed woman. women i never thought i could relate to. but the strangest thing happened, they liked me.
Slowly i began to immerse myself in the drills and the group and while not everyone was friendly, i found my place and made it my own. I followed each drill expertly. I skated with the ease i knew when i was 10 and running around Roller Towne. i smiled at everyone, listened to the coaches and by the end of practice i knew Camille, Karen and Kim. Today they are Suzy Sweet Knuckles, Lucky Eddie and KimBurly. They were nice to me and any woman can relate to the joy one finds in meeting friendly women who are endearing and not threatening.
These girls became my new friends and i knew then and there that i wouldnt be walking away any time soon.
part 2 coming soon.
Topics: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
The Bard and a Trike Lounge….
By Solitaire | June 23, 2008
This week bring a whole bunch of fun to Fresno! Running Thursday and Friday the WSF opens their 4th Season with Twelfth Night and if you’ve followed this blog at all you know what an uphill battle it has been to get this show up. Our struggles have not ceased in that we don’t have a strong enough power source to run a light board. Well this makes it very interesting. Our show is light on the tech/cue side but without a light board the potential might not be fully reached. And with the lack of power source our sound system will not be what we originally expected… so… the show will go on and we, the actors, will show the audience what we can do.
But hey, we got a set!
So remember Thursday & Friday we are performing at the Group Activities Center, Woodward Park! 
Curtain is at 8:00 pm.
Now you might be asking me, what will I do on Saturday?? Oh I have just the thing!
Rogue Year Round is back and putting on 2 great performances for only $5!!!! Yes, you read that correctly, these 2 awesome bands for only 5 smackers!
If you’re on MySpace, friends these bands HERE and HERE!
So now you have your whole weekend planned! I can’t wait to see you out and about!
Topics: Announcements, Around town, Music, Parks, rogueblog2008, theatre | 1 Comment »