December Skater of the Month!

As the holiday season and 2011 come to a close, we want to honor one more of our fabulous skaters, who has helped make Humboldt Roller Derby the fun and forward-moving league we are so proud to be.  Congrats, kudos, and tons of thanks go out to Anti Hero, our December Skater of the Month!

Anti Hero, better known by many of us as just “Anti,” has been with the league since our early days.  HRD’s founder, Jenneral Ms.Chief, calls her our “first newbie” in that she single-handedly created a voice and ideas for new skaters joining our tight-knit group.  “She gave us the tools to be open and accept community members in,” remembers Jenneral.  “We always dreamed of having a large league here in Humboldt County, but really did not know what that meant.  Anti gave us a voice.”

Anti’s devotion and contributions to HRD over the years would be impossible to measure.  Not only has she helped us to grow and organize, but she has taken on the roles of coach, newbie coordinator,  kickass pivot and blocker, and most of all, amazing teammate.  “She plays with her heart and she plays with her brains,” says Jenneral.  “It’s a lethal combination.  She sees the bigger picture [and] communicates to her team.  If you ask for her help, she will gladly give it, and she wants those around her to succeed.”

In her own words, Anti is oh-so-modest…but we happen to know that she’s pretty awesome.  She owns and runs a cosmetic teeth whitening company called Vividly White Smiles, is planning to set up a non-profit rescue organization for dogs, and has done some print work for a local kayaking company called Kokatat.  She’s actually been quite an artist since she was young, and has dabbled in competitive softball, swimming, and kickboxing over the years (as if derby wasn’t grueling enough!).

At the age of 5, Anti says she aspired to become a professional ballerina.  “That dream would be short lived,” she says, as “soon I realized I was much better suited for roller derby.  As I stood backstage in my perfect pink tutu, waiting for the curtain to rise, I realized one of my fellow ballerinas – and now nemesis – was holding my much admired Pillow Person prop (it had gone missing seconds prior to taking the stage).”  Can you just imagine the look on little Anti’s face?  She was having none of that!  “I clobbered her in just enough time for the curtain to rise as I took my position, Pillow Person in hand…the show must go on!”  And so it does in the present day, where Anti is now a rockstar derby skater, married, with a Bachelor’s Degree from UNLV, having traveled to Antarctica, and is always up for new adventures.

If you don’t already remember her from the ’80s TV show Romper Room (oh yeah, she was on there!), look for Anti Hero (#40 oz) out on the track with the stripe on her helmet.  In the words of her fellow skaters, she is an amazing teammate – and a perfect selection for such a great recognition.

Cheers to Anti, and happy New Year to you all!

HRD Still Rolling Behind the Scenes…

Happy holidays from Humboldt Roller Derby!  Your favorite skaters may be taking a break from bouting, but they are far from off their skates.  They’re still hard at work enhancing their strength, endurance, and skating strategy to get ready for 2012.

Some of our heartiest blood, sweat, and tears come from our latest and greatest Skater of the Month – congrats to Sissy Jr.!

Sissy’s fellow skaters describe her as an awesome and agile jammer with ninja skills, who’s quickly becoming a fantastic blocker as well.  She devotes a great deal of her personal time to helping skaters improve and get the most out of each practice, and even taught a beginning derby skills class for the public out in Blue Lake – all for the love of derby.  Her teammates love her for helping to get roller derby out into the community, for being a kickass coach, and for her lightning-quick, graceful moves on the track.

HRD’s founder, Jenneral Ms.Chief, looks back at their early days together with a smile on her face.  Since day one, you would think Sissy and Jenneral were at odds with each other – “we respectfully disagreed on many subjects,” says Jenneral.  “As a founder with a really specific vision, Sissy Jr. really challenged me to expand my thought process and to be open to other points of view.  Little did we know it would be the beginning of an amazing friendship.  I watched Sissy Jr. grow and excel at everything she tackled.  Recently at a practice we were all pushing ourselves to do a new skill, backwards jumping.  In true Sissy Jr. form she did a backwards 360.  Amazing!  With rugged form and a fierceness in her eyes, she has continued to be a top jammer in our league.  Through her will, tenacity to succeed, and love of roller derby, Sissy has always been a member of HRD that her peers admire, respect, love, and trust.”

Congratulations, Sissy!  We wouldn’t be the HRD everyone knows and loves today without you.

Don’t miss us too much…stay tuned for more fun updates from HRD in December!