Roller Derby is a tough, unconventional sport for women but anybody can fall in love with it. Houston is actually a very strong market for the sport, and is home to four teams: Bayou City Bosses, Brawlers, Psych Ward Sirens and Valkyries.

The Cougar Claw sat down with Grrl Friday from the Bayou City Bosses just before her team played in the Championship which took place on Sept. 18. The Bosses won.

CC: How did you get into roller derby?

GF: A college classmate skated for the Texas Rollergirls in Austin. One day she gave me a flyer, so I came and checked it out. I was a fan for several years (and a few moves) and finally decided to try out Houston Roller Derby’s recreational league program back in August 2009 when I found out that they had skates and gear you could borrow for the first few practices. I was hooked.
CC: Do you have any roller derby heros?

GF: In Austin I was amazed by Catastrophe’s graceful skating style and Rice Rocket’s speed. In Houston I was impressed by Rebel Ann’s agile blocking style and DBC’s ability to rack up the points. After I joined HRD  Beverly Kills and Becky Booty really took me under their wing and helped me improve by leaps and bounds.

CC: Are you known for something?

GF: I hold the current HRD record for the highest number of points scored in one jam: 34.

CC: Has roller derby made you a better person?

GF: Roller derby has given me a few values. Perseverance, because I had never skated before joining and getting better was slow going for me. I learned to never stop trying no matter how hard it gets. It has also made me more confident and outspoken, which has carried over into the rest of my life.

CC: What are some charteristics of your team that arn’t like the others?

GF: The Bayou City Bosses, my team, are a really quirky bunch. We’re a very tight-knit, goofy team and it seems like we’re always in good humor.

CC: What makes you keep coming back?

GF: The thrill of playing really well and wanting to feel like that again and again. Sometimes I get frustrated if we lose or if I don’t do well in a game, but the times that I play great make it completely addicting.  Making lead jammer, scoring points and feeling proud of yourself is a really great feeling.

CC: What do you suggest for women looking into this sport?

GF: I highly suggest you forget about being nervous and just try our recreational league out. I guarantee it will be a lot more fun and a lot less scary than you imagine. Aside from that, just get some practice in at a local roller rink or in your neighborhood, and watch as many bouts as you can to get insight on how the sport is played at a higher level.

CC: What was your most memorable/inspiring moment?

GF: The Bosses had a game last season that we were missing about five of our star players, and the rest of us were very nervous about how it would turn out. Even though we were mostly rookies and second-level skaters at the time, we fought hard and won a VERY close game that night. It felt really good to know that we were able to do it on our own, without having to rely on our super-talented members.

CC: Whats the most craziest moment?

GF: Last season we played a banked track team, who play under a different set of rules than we do. We were prepped ahead of time to expect surprising techniques from them due to the different rulesets, but we were still pretty amazed at how it went. That game was likely the most bizarre I’ve ever played. One girl kept turning around and sort of ramming into me, like a chest bump, but with her shoulder to my chest. That kind of move is almost impossible to do legally under our ruleset. I didn’t know what to do but shoulder her right back! I imagine we must have looked like two bucks fighting. She eventually got ejected from the game for racking up too many penalties.

CC: What do you do outside of this?

GF: I love going to live shows at Fitzgeralds and Walters on Washington and I’m a huge fine arts buff. I go see a lot of theater and ballet performances.

CC: What kind of music do you listen to?

GF: Pretty mixed. Lately it’s been Die Antwoord, Cat Power, Edith Piaf, Handsome Furs and Valient Thorr.

CC: Was that a silly question?

GF: I love talking about music; not at all.

CC: What does your family and friends think?

GF: My family was surprised that I was involved in a sport at all, much less a full contact sport. My step-mom used to hang out at roller rinks as a kid so she was pretty excited. My dad was impressed that I finally found a sport that I’m decent at. My friends were excited about it and I love hearing them cheer for me at games.

CC: What stereotypes really bother you, if any?

GF: The myths are that roller derby games are “fake” in that the results are fixed, which isn’t true. People sometimes think it’s all about elbowing and fighting, which is untrue (both of those are major penalties and I’ve literally never seen fighting on the track). I think a lot of people who haven’t been exposed to the sport just think that it’s more theatrical and less sport-like, but they usually get wise as soon as they come watch a game.

CC: How would you explain roller derby to a person who has no idea what it is?

GF: Roller derby is a full-contact sport played on quad rollerskates on an oval track. Points are scored when a team’s jammer passes opposing teammates.

CC: How hard do you have to train for this, what did you do to get on the team?

GF: I didn’t even know how to skate before I started, so the rec league program helped me a ton. Aside from that I tried to practice as much as possible, and show that I could improve and take direction. Getting to know the skaters on the teams and chat with the team captains helps a little too because they’ll get a feel for your personality and attitude towards roller derby.

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Currently, if anybody is interested, the Houston Roller Derby’s Recreational League is available, which is an athletic and social organization formed to give all women the opportunity to learn and play flat track roller derby. Rec League is a place for women to play roller derby without having to make the commitments required to be a home team skater.

Additionally, the first bout of the new season is March 17. Houston Roller Derby All stars are up against  Assassination City’s Special Ops. The Psych Wards are also against The Bayou City Bosses.