The Rolling Hills Derby Dames aren”t just a team, they”re a family.
Ali Jones, better known by her roller derby name, Big Al, said she loves the team and the camaraderie that comes along with being a part of it.
“This is my family, it”s fun,” Jones said. “You can have a stressful day and you can go and really just be yourself where you can”t anywhere else. I can”t even describe it … You work 55 hours in a week and derby still takes over your life.”
Whitney Storch, who goes by the derby name Halo, said she loves roller derby because it can change you as a person.
“You could be this soft marshmallow and [then] you do all of this physical activity and you do teamwork and what-not – you get this sense of toughness,” Storch said.
Storch said she believes it”s important for girls to realize their inner strength.
Megan Gospe | Rawr
Two members of the Rolling Hills Derby Dames get rough during a Monday night derby practice.
“You develop this part of yourself that”s so strong,” Storch said. “Not necessarily physically but mentally also, which is important.”
Ashley Dabie, also known as Cyanide Siren, is a senior in chemical engineering at Washington State University and is also a TA for general chemistry – which makes for a stressful schedule.
Dabie said roller derby serves as a way for her to let go and release some of the stress that builds up throughout the week.
“Roller derby helps me take out that aggression and also it”s a great stress reliever,” Dabie said. “I”m also that weird person and WSU is like 90 percent Greek so I had a hard time making friends … I instantly adopted a family when I joined roller derby.”
Many of the team members come from a variety of different backgrounds, which makes for a more diverse roller derby experience.
Growing up, Catreas Mohr, who goes by Lethally Blonde, used to watch roller derby. Mohr said by the time she was old enough to participate, roller derby had been largely phased out.
“Then it came back in 2009, and in 2009 I joined it at 42 and here I am,” Mohr said. “I like eight wheels on my feet. I just like to skate.”
The Derby Dames will have a breast cancer awareness event on Saturday at the Beasley Coliseum in Pullman.
“We”re going to get all of the money from the beer garden and give it to Bosom Buddies and it”s going to help women in need of mammograms if they can”t pay for it,” Jones said. Jones said a co-ed team is going to start off the fundraiser at 5 p.m., followed by a match at 7 p.m.
On Monday the ladies begin their three-day fresh meat boot camp and welcome any new skaters.
Molly Spencer can be reached at [email protected]