Sugar

How long have you been skating?

I started skating in 2015, with the very first Underworld session.

When did you first hear about roller derby?

I first heard about roller derby in 2013. I mentioned roller derby to the person I had just started seeing. Less than a month later she had tickets for us to go to an August bout. I started volunteering as an NSO that November (and I'm married to her now).

How did you come up with your derby name?

My derby name was picked for me by people I was working with at the time. My initial name was Sugar Rush because it embodied the person I wanted to become. I took a three-year pandemic break and when I came back I dropped the later part of the name, because I'm not trying to rush anywhere.

What position do you play?

I am a blocker.

When you first started skating, what was the hardest skill to learn and how did you master it?

The hardest skills to learn when I first started were transitions and skating backwards. In both cases my biggest hang-up was my fear. The best tip I have is to think a lot less (thanks Ramzee). Over-thinking is the source of my fear and why I still struggle with fast transitions and backwards crossovers.

Do you have any pre-bout rituals?

I have an entire pre-bout schedule. I have a Starbucks and a Waffle House sausage bowl. I make a sacrifice to the plant gods, normally planting or repotting an existing plant baby. I take a nap, do deep stretch yoga, and make sure I've got a double-shot coffee ready for right before the game.

What do you like to do outside of derby?

Outside of derby I enjoy playing Nerf wars and board games with the kids, and I enjoy a variety of arts and crafts. I just follow the dopamine.

Do you have any advice for new skaters?

The advice I have for new skaters is don't compare yourself to others and don't give up. Skating does not come easy to me. It took me five or more underworld sessions to pass assessments and I still felt inadequate compared to people that started skating years after me. But just because I'm a slow learner doesn't mean I can't learn. It just means I need to be patient with myself.

July 2024 : Skater of the Month