Sometimes talent can overcome mistakes – and with seven Gotham Girls All-Stars on their squad, the Bronx Gridlock have plenty of talent. But on May 9 at John Jay College in Manhattan, the hole dug by 55 trips to the penalty box was too deep to dig out of, allowing the Brooklyn Bombshells to keep their unbeaten record intact, 231–186.
Read MoreWith each team having one game in the books, the Brooklyn Bombshells and Bronx Gridlock come to that familiar crossroads this Saturday at John Jay College in Manhattan. It’s an odd thing to say after just a single bout, but with each squad in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league only getting three home games per season, this second matchup has the potential to determine an ultimate outcome for 2015.
For the Bombshells, who broke a losing streak that lasted over a season when they won a nailbiter over Manhattan back in March, a victory this weekend could conceivably secure a spot in the 2015 championship game. For the Gridlock, who dropped an April bout to the Queens of Pain, a win gives their season new life, while a loss will likely eliminate them from a title run.
In Las Vegas, they call that high stakes. In New York, it’s just another week for the Gotham Girls, and despite opposite outcomes in their initial 2015 bouts, this is as evenly matched showdown as you will find—though one Brooklyn believes they will emerge victorious from.
Photo by Manish Gosalia
“We’ve had a longer period of time to go back and watch our own footage, so we can really deconstruct the areas of strength and weakness that we had during the Manhattan game,” said the Bombshells’ ShadowboxHer. “We’ve had a lot of time to focus on things like being able to defend against a power jam and how we can be more effective offensively. Secondly, we’ve had the advantage of watching Bronx play very recently and because of that, I think it’s going to be more indicative to how they’re going to be playing on Saturday, as opposed to us, who have been able to really grow and develop since our first game.”
An interesting point: one might think that the team who played more recently would have the edge, simply because they’ve had less time to get back into game shape and more consistent time staying sharp. About the only negative of making a quick turnaround is that any injuries have not had time to heal, but Shadow believes whether you’ve had six weeks or six months, some things stick with a team.
“As far as healing the aches and pains, I’m gonna put it out there that I don’t think a derby girl ever heals her aches and pains,” she laughs. “I think you would have to go on a yearlong sabbatical to even start to heal. So as far as physically, I think we’re coming at it from an equal standpoint.”
Maybe overall, but Bronx did suffer a key loss when the MVP from the Queens game, Massacre Marie, broke her leg the week after the bout. The good news is that she expects to be back by the end of the summer. The bad is that she won’t be on the track this weekend. That doesn’t mean she’s not helping her squad though, as she’s been at practice becoming another set of eyes for her teammates.
“It’s a lot easier to get a read on some of the smaller aspects of what could be going better and there’s definitely an advantage to sitting and taking time to see what’s going on from the outside,” Marie said. “We take notes, and aside from the videos that are taken at scrimmages and practices, we’re able to give real-time feedback. It’s a lot easier to see something, tell your teammates and have them fix it as quickly as possible.”
And with the largest contingent of All-Stars in the league on the Gridlock, that feedback is taken in and digested quickly, with the results showing up on the track almost immediately. So while penalties and communication issues hampered the Bronx attack against Queens, that’s not the case leading up to the Brooklyn bout.
“We have a worked on communication a lot; our move to offense has become much sharper; and our teamwork as a whole in terms of coming together and knowing each other and how we play,” Marie said. “That’s what has increased in terms of getting much better and stronger. So the more we play together, the better we become overall, and it’s just a matter of specifically focusing on some of the strategies that we needed to tweak a little bit more, and we’ve definitely been working on that. It’s something that we have been putting into practice and that has gotten better each week.”
You might have assumed that having seven GGRD All-Stars would guarantee a spot in the title game, but in derby, teamwork is always the key, and that often takes a while to come together, especially with a bunch of new skaters playing together for the first time. That’s not the case with Brooklyn, which only has two new skaters, and also brought two veteran Bombshells back into the fold in the form of Hela Skelter and B.Zerk.
“I think it’s the team mentality that the stars are completely aligned right now,” said Shadow. “We fought really hard last year and worked really hard, but it doesn’t even compare to what we felt going into this season. Just having the two of them back on the team in full capacity has just been a physical and mental motivator for us. They’re two incredibly strong, positive women and big driving forces on the track.
Photo by Sean Hale
“As far as Bronx having a ton of All-Stars and the Amazons of the league, I think Brooklyn has the secret talent,” she continues. “We may not have as many skaters who wear All-Star jerseys, but we have so many women on this team that have skills that meet the elite level of roller derby.”
And for those like Shadow, who went through an entire season winless with the Bombshells in 2014, getting that taste of victory in March was something she enjoyed so much that she’d like to make it a habit.
“It was the first win I’ve been able to celebrate with my team and it was honestly the best feeling in the entire world,” she said. “I have never felt that sense of joy. The game [against Manhattan] was such a nailbiter and it could have gone either way. We had to pull out everything we could and band together as a team, so we fought as a team and won as a team and it was an amazing feeling. To this day, I’ll think about it and just smile to myself. I hope that we’re able to continue this streak because this is the Year of the Bombshell. The Manhattan game was a start and we’ll do it again on Saturday, and again against Queens [on July 18th]. We’re a tough team this year. We’re no joke.”
The Gridlock aren’t laughing because they know they’re in for a fight. But they’re also aware that all it takes is one win and they’re back to where they want to be.
“It [the loss to Queens] was something we weren’t expecting, but we didn’t take it as an absolute downfall. We knew we had a lot of room to grow.”
On Saturday, the true test arrives.
Written by: Thomas Gerbasi
In a three-game Gotham Girls Roller Derby league home season, there is little room for error. So when every bout counts and every skater can compete on the elite level, the little things are often the difference between victory and defeat. And few teams do those little things better than the Queens of Pain, who kicked off their 2015 campaign in victorious fashion on April 11, topping the Bronx Gridlock 181–126 at John Jay College in Manhattan.
The first little thing: Mesh before the other team does.
The Gridlock entered the bout (and the 2015 season) with seven members of the GGRD All-Stars on their squad, an intimidating notion for any opponent to deal with, but Queens countered with a core of skaters that have been through the wars with each other for years. And when that core seamlessly integrated their new teammates into the Queens’ system, it proved to be one of the bout’s deciding factors.
“It’s been super important for us newbies to mesh with the vets,” says Queens MVP Low Maim, a newcomer to Gotham but a seven-year derby vet. “Everyone—the vets, the newbies, the captains, the managers—have been working toward learning the nuances of how each person operates so we can gel better as a team,” she continues. “We newbies are all transfers and have a combined total of 24 years of derby experience, so that helps, too. It also helps that Queens is a hella supportive, communicative, positive team that strives to get better. It’s a great group to mesh with.”
Queens MVP and Gotham newcomer Low Maim slipstreams behind returning All-Star player Fisher Twice. Photo by David Dyte.
The second little thing: Stay out of the penalty box.
Queens has been no stranger to costly penalty trouble at inopportune times over the years, but on April 11, they logged only 28 minutes in the box, compared with 41 minutes for the Bronx. More notably, their jammers visited the penalty box only twice in the game, while the Gridlock sent their star-helmeted skaters there ten times. And it hurt.
“I think communication issues and delayed offense played a big part,” offers Bronx MVP Massacre Marie when asked about the factors that slowed the Gridlock down in the opener. “With so many new teammates, it was difficult to sync up on the track. Our jammers ended up tired from fighting walls, which led to a lot of penalties. We had a great vibe on the bench, with lots of feedback and positivity; we just seemed to lose that in the excitement of gameplay once we got out there.”.
Bronx jammer Massacre Marie leaves a trail of blockers behind her on her way to winning MVP. Photo by Asa Frye
“The game against Bronx was a tough one, especially since they’re a team of big, tall skaters,” Low Maim adds. “But we’ve been training hard off the track with Muffin Topless’ intense workouts, and we’re being smart on the track by focusing on working together as a team. We’ve also been working on a very clean game and I’m proud of Queens for having fewer trips to the penalty box than the Bronx. I think these all contributed to our win.”
A fast start by the ladies in black didn’t hurt either. How fast? Try 55–0 fast, as Suzy Hotrod, Hyper Lynx, Kitty Roadkill, Low Maim and highly touted newcomer ShortStop blasted out of the gates before the Gridlock could even get warmed up.
Bronx rookie Legs//Cité, returning All-Star Fisher Twice (formerly known as Slambda Phage), Vera To$$ and Marie brought their team back to within striking range, at 67–48 by the 15th jam of the game, but Queens kept pouring it on, skating to the locker room with a 98–65 lead at halftime.
You knew that the Bronx was going to make a run in the second half, and they did, with Marie’s 14–0 jam against Suzy cutting the deficit to 11 points for a score of 106–95, seven jams into period two. That would be as close as the Cabbies would get though, as Queens kicked it into another gear down the stretch, with three double-digit jams by Ms. Hotrod, one of the sport’s perennial superstars, sealing the deal for the ladies in black—who have big plans for the rest of the season.
“We are so stoked [with the win] and working to improve even more,” Maim said. “What’s the forecast for 2015? We’re gonna bring the Pain, of course.”
Although both teams had a mix of veteran and new skaters, the Queens of Pain flew past the Bronx Gridlock on the scoreboard. Photo by Asa Frye.
The Gridlock are keeping a positive outlook as well, knowing that a three-game season can swing in another direction with wins in bouts two and three, and despite an injury suffered by Marie in practice just days after the Queens game, she’s confident that her team will turn things around against Brooklyn on May 9 at John Jay.
“The last few weeks have been better in terms of solidifying skills and strategy,” Marie said. “I'm extremely frustrated to be sidelined with an injury during Bronx's growth spurt, especially because I see such potential for this season. Injury aside, I expect us to grow stronger each bout, and with so much new talent, we're excited to give Brooklyn a run for their anchors.”
BRONX vs. QUEENS STATS
1 2 F
Bronx 65 61 126
Queens 98 83 181
Bronx MVP – Massacre Marie
Queens MVP – Low Maim
Leading Bronx Scorers
Fisher Twice – 54 points (16 jams)
Legs//Cité – 43 points (9 jams)
Massacre Marie – 17 points (10 jams)
Leading Bronx Blockers
Swede Hurt – 23 jams (-6)
Fast and Luce – 22 jams (-2)
Caf Fiend – 22 jams (-40)
Leading Queens Scorers
ShortStop – 70 points (15 jams)
Suzy Hotrod – 51 points (11 jams)
Kitty Roadkill – 24 points (3 jams)
Leading Queens Blockers
Puss ‘n Glutes – 25 jams (+17)
Babe Brawlins – 21 jams (+2)
Chopstick Murphy – 18 jams (+49)
Hyper Lynx – 18 jams (+19)
Bronx Penalties
Minutes in Box: 41 Jammer Box Trips: 10
Queens Penalties
Minutes in Box: 28 Jammer Box Trips: 2
In the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league, the history between the Queens of Pain and the Bronx Gridlock is well documented, and one evident with just a glance at the banners that will be hanging at John Jay College in Manhattan this coming Saturday:
10 years of Gotham;
Four championship titles for Queens;
Three titles for the Bronx.
In fact, for the first six years of the league’s existence, the only champions wore yellow or black, as the Gridlock and Queens traded the Golden Skate trophy back and forth.
The Bronx and Queens teams have a long history of rivalry in Gotham. Photo by Asa Frye.
Everything changes in sports though, and no dynasties last forever. In more recent years, Manhattan and Brooklyn got into the championship sweepstakes themselves; with title wins in two of the last three seasons, the Mayhem might be starting to build a dynasty of their own.
Yet the old guard has not faded away, content to live on past glories. Queens won the league title in 2013, the only team between the Mayhem and a three-peat. And against all odds, the Gridlock has battled back from retirements, skater turnover and injuries to become a thrill-a-second contender, a team that’s never out of any game.
So as the season opener for both approaches this weekend, it’s not a meeting where the two teams are focusing on the history of this rivalry, but on creating a new standard to build on and take to a championship game, no matter who else is on the track when the whistle blows.
“We look at all of our opponents the same way,” said one of Queens’ newly drafted skaters, Kitty Roadkill. “So it’s not really us against the Bronx, it’s really us playing like it’s for the championship. For us, it’s very important to be a good team, a very clean team and play against the other teams in a way that we can succeed this season. But I am aware of the Bronx and Queens’ rivalry, so hopefully we’ll be able to bring it for Queens.”
One of the Bronx’ newest members, GGRD All-Star and former Mayhem skater Swede Hurt, is also no stranger to the rivalry, having seen it from afar when she was on Manhattan. While she respects Queens and the legacy it has carved out for itself, she’s only looking at the skaters who will be trying to hit her on Saturday.
“I remember when I was still with Rat City, I came out and played Queens with one of my home teams from Seattle, and it was a big thing to play against Suzy Hotrod,” Swede said. “After that, I wound up playing with her on the All-Stars. I think Queens has a lot of legends who have been there for a while, though they had a lot of retirements and had to bring new skaters in. But their team is really solid. They have ShortStop, a fantastic transfer from Australia who played in two World Cups. She’s super strong, super athletic. Their new skaters are really good and they already had a solid team, so it’s going to be exciting to play them.”
That may be the key to the lack of nostalgia around this matchup – that only a select few remain from those early days of the Queens–Bronx rivalry. For Queens, it’s the venerable Suzy Hotrod, Hyper Lynx, Puss ‘n Glutes, and Pippi Strongsocking, while Speed McQueen is the only Bronx skater who helped raise those championship banners. In other words, it’s a new era, but no less intense.
That aforementioned Queens core is as fearsome as it has ever been, and there are more than a few veterans like Babe Brawlins, Allifornication, Celtic Thunder and ChopStick Murphy to help acclimate the team’s newcomers to the order of the black.
“It helps very, very much that we’re not new skaters per se, so we know strategies and Gotham strategies, and now we’re just building the team,” Kitty said. “We’re building Queens and not individual skills at this moment. We’re working on Queens strategies, which are very, very particular, and on team building and working together as skaters.”
And Suzy hasn’t stopped pushing her team in practices that have taken on a mythical air over the years for their intensity.
“For me personally, this is a great, great fit,” Kitty said. “I’m also one of those people that push themselves to the limit, so it’s great for me to be skating with people the caliber of Suzy, Lynx and Puss, and seeing them on the track and pushing it every time.”
The conditioning and cohesiveness of Queens may be their biggest asset come Saturday night, and they’ll need to be firing on all cylinders against a Bronx team that bears a distinctly different look from the one it sported last year. In fact, while last year saw a group of underdogs pull together to battle the juggernauts of the league, this year the Gridlock may very well be that GGRD juggernaut, with a lineup that employs seven All-Stars (the most of any home team in the league), returning jamming phenom Slambda Phage (who is now skating as Fisher Twice), and an imposing front line that includes Swede, returning All-Star Cherry Napalm, and noted knockout artist Davey Blockit.
That’s a lot of star power on one team, but talent alone doesn’t produce winners; teamwork does, and as Swede points out, Bronx is coming along in that area just fine.
“A lot of us are new to the team, so there are many things we have to learn together,” she said. “It’s a lot of communication, a lot of talking, and I’ve become to feel more and more secure in the team. I feel like I can make a difference and be an asset, and we’re helping each other. It’s a team sport, so we all have to work together and that’s fun. I’m finding where I can fit in and where I can be helpful to girls who might not have skated as long as me, or are new to Gotham strategies. It’s always an adjustment time for everyone, but I feel like we’re doing really, really well.
“I think we are building something really strong,” Swede continues. “We’re kind of a nerdy, quiet team. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like we’re starting to get together as a group, and being able to feel like the team trusts me and I trust the team is super important to me.”
So how do you beat a cohesive squad packed with skill and size? Queens has some ideas about that.
“We’re trying to make strategies that will work against that specific team, and when I look at them, they are very big,” Kitty laughs. “You can see that, so we are adjusting our strategies accordingly, and it will definitely be a challenge. But we’re getting ready psychologically and physically – we’re not allowed to eat chocolate before the bout, so we’re taking it very seriously.”
Never discount the chocolate factor.
Written by Michael Gerbasi
They didn’t disappoint. Picking up where they left off after last July’s one-point thriller, the Brooklyn Bombshells and Manhattan Mayhem gave fans at John Jay College in New York City another instant classic last Saturday night, with the Bombshells kicking off their 2015 campaign with a 153–148 victory over the defending Gotham Girls Roller Derby league champions – their first win since August of 2013.
“2014 was definitely a struggle for Brooklyn, but we never give up, even at the end of a game we're losing, and we love playing together,” said Brooklyn MVP Hela Skelter. “Beating a really tough Manhattan team is a great way to start the season and we're so thrilled that our hard work has paid off.”
Hard work is the only recipe for success in this storied rivalry, with practically each meeting between the two a war of attrition. This one was no different, but each team went for the knockout early, Manhattan using a 24-point jam from team MVP J-Rod (59 points) to jump out to a 24-5 lead, only to be answered by the game’s leading scorer Miss Tea Maven (90 points), who put 18 points on the board to allow her team to pull within one.
Manhattan jammer J-Rod Maven edges past Brooklyn blocker B'Zerk on her way to becoming her team's MVP for the game. Photo by Manish Gosalia.
The lead would change hands four times in the opening half, but after key Manhattan jammer Bruzin Brody was ejected for a misconduct foul midway through the first half, a 59–59 tie turned into a Brooklyn lead that continued to widen, with the Bombshells eventually taking a 99–78 advantage into the locker room.
Matters went even further south for the Mayhem in the second half, with injuries taking ROCKS! and All-Star skater Bonita Apple Bomb out of the lineup. Yet just when it appeared that Brooklyn was about to run away with the bout, Manhattan began chipping away at the Bombshells’ 130–97 lead, with a 19–0 jam from newcomer Rainbow Might putting a huge dent in Manhattan’s deficit.
“Having Brody get ejected and Bonita and ROCKS! out for the count gave us the opportunity to rally together and match Brooklyn's intensity, threatening their lead all while missing key players,” J-Rod said.
Now with Violet Knockout laying out the hits and Roxy Dallas quarterbacking from the pivot spot, the Mayhem went on a 13–2 run over the next three jams, making it 134–129 for Brooklyn. Six jams later, Manhattan veteran Em Dash raced through the Bombshell pack for 14 points, and just like that, the Mayhem had regained the lead, 148–137.
The miraculous comeback held for a while, but Hela, in her first game since a short-lived one-year retirement, blasted back as the seconds ticked away, with a 10–0 jam giving Brooklyn the lead that they never relinquished.
“The key to our victory was staying calm and collected and trusting each other on the track,” Hela said. “And our captains and managers were very smart about making adjustments to capitalize on what was working for us.”
Bombshell jammer and team MVP Hela Skelter returned from retirement to help lead Brooklyn to victory. Photo by Sean Hale.
In a short home season, every win counts, and though it’s only March, the Bombshells aren’t sitting back and celebrating. It’s on to the next one.
“We're already thinking ahead to our next game,” Hela said. “I'm confident that this is Brooklyn's year. We've got an incredible combination of experience, fresh skaters, and deep talent, and we just have so much fun playing together and being around each other. I have a really good feeling about this season. And now that we have a taste of victory again, nothing's going to stop the Bombshells.”
Except maybe Manhattan, a team undiscouraged by the rough start to their season.
“We knew going into this game that it would be a crowd pleaser,” J-Rod said. “Brooklyn is stronger than last year and we were ready to take on a worthy opponent. The season just started though, and Mayhem is ready to take another championship.”
BROOKLYN vs. MANHATTAN STATS
1 2 F
Brooklyn 99 54 153
Manhattan 78 70 148
Brooklyn MVP – Hela Skelter
Manhattan MVP – J-Rod
Leading Brooklyn Scorers:
Miss Tea Maven – 90 points (21 jams)
Hela Skelter – 34 points (8 jams)
Squid Vicious – 29 points (11 jams)
Leading Brooklyn Blockers:
Sexy Slaydie – 31 jams (+71)
ShadowboxHER – 22 jams (+1)
Lady Fingers – 21 jams (+2)
Leading Manhattan Scorers:
J-Rod – 59 points (15 jams)
Em Dash – 39 points (9 jams)
Cork Rebel – 24 points (11 jams)
Leading Manhattan Blockers:
Roxy Dallas – 33 jams (-9)
Violet Knockout – 30 jams (-27)
Sunshine Skate – 22 jams (+12)
Brooklyn Penalties:
Minutes in Box: 34
Jammer Box Trips: 6
Manhattan Penalties:
Minutes in Box: 37
Jammer Box Trips: 10
Written by: Thomas Gerbasi
Header photo by Stephanie Zakas
