As the wind begins to whip and the leaves turn different hues, so do freshly minted QCRG teammates find themselves getting whipped around in newly-colored jerseys.
This year, Queen City Roller Girls instituted a new draft system to ensure parity and competitiveness amongst the four teams. For the fifteen qualified draftees on Queen’s Court, each player’s skills, experience and attitude were all taken into account, and the order in which teams could pick players depended on rank and team strengths versus weaknesses.
With this year’s batch of enthusiastic skaters, the diversity in players’ strengths and histories and their uniform kickass-ness is sure to make for an entertaining, competitive season.
Part Two: The Alley Kats
#1666: inSinerator
Photo by Jim BushSince childhood, inSinerator has been burning up the ice rinks with her speed and mad juking skills. So when she switched from blades to quads this past year, the transition was smooth. This Kat and Furie now hopes to slice through the pack like a puck through a goalie net and looks forward to Purple making a comeback. In her spare time, Sin likes to run, hang out with her daughters and “master that damn plow stop.” She is also the first transgendered skater to join the league.
#83: Karsmashian
Photo by Bridget KellyAfter sixteen years of competitive cheerleading with the WNY Outlaw All-Stars, Karshmashian was ready to throw down the pom-poms and pick up the padded fists for a round with the Alley Kats. Small but solid, Kar is a quick learner and easily coachable. She hopes to improve her strides and be able to think quickly on her skates. Kar describes herself as “an X-Ray student and puppy lover.”
#369: PaulverizHer
Photo by Anita DoobieWhen PaulverizHer bagged her soccer cleats for roller skates, she resolved to give 110% every time she stepped onto the track. This kick-butt ’tude (and a little craziness) secured her a spot on both the Alley Kats and the Lake Effect Furies. Paul is a team player and plans to work her hips for maximum wreckage as a blocker and enhance her footwork and endurance. Her M.O. is to “latch on to the vets and pry all the derby knowledge and tips I can from them.” She can also sell you a house and then throw you a fantastic party.
#555: Red Hair-ing
Photo by Andy ForemiakFor Red Hair-ing, it’s all about attitude. This player is no fallacy— she brings everything she has to each practice and inspires a derby spirit others. While Red has been muscling her way through packs as a blocker, her goal this year as a Kat takes it up a notch: “I. Want. To. Jam.” Even her mild-mannered side has a kick: for several years she has been working to pass JayJ’s Law, a recently enacted regulation in honor of her grandson that cracks down on child abusers to prevent repeat mistreatment.
#226: Shank Ya Very Much
Photo by Jim BushAfter studying primate behavior in Indonesia for five months last winter, Shank Ya Very Much was ready to make a home back with QCRG. The jammer had previously carved out a year of experience and returned to the track like she had never left. This season, Shank is excited to cut through the pack as an Alley Kat and learn all she can as a fresh-faced Furie. Shank also likes to run and works as a Training and Behavior Assistant at the SPCA, preparing shelter dogs for future adoption.
#29: Toxic Shocker
Photo by Anita DoobieBefore she was a lethal force on the tracks, Toxic Shocker was soaking up the knowledge as a non-skating official and getting involved in many of the league’s soirees and fundraisers. When she did begin to skate, her years of experience as a workout buff and crew coach made her a favorable asset to a team. As a newly minted Kat, she hopes to learn all the strategy she can from her teammates and employ her determination and dedication to become a better skater.
