COMMUNITY PROFILE MELODY “WAIKIKI WARRIOR” SANTIAGO WAIKIKI TRAINS AS A BLOCKER AT THE COLORADO SHINERS. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN It can cost $500 or more to begin skating in roller derby, and the Shiners have found ways to reduce or eliminate these costs to individuals who aren’t yet sure about roller derby. Case in point, Jams has secured sponsorships with skating brand Triple 8 NYC, to provide pads to new skaters, and also with the Denver Skates Shop, to help new skaters secure skates. The Shiners also seek to address more than the financial barriers to participating in roller derby. “Being together and celebrating skating is tremendous,” Tammy, ‘Queen of Hertz,’ or ‘Q,’ said. “I look forward to Friday nights because I just get to be me.” Q asked that her last name not be used for privacy reasons. According to Q, learning about the BIPOC training team opened the door for her to participate in roller derby. “Through the Shiners, I know I have people who are on my side, who have my back, and who understand,” Q said. “Not everybody understands what people of color go through on a daily basis.” Q had never skated in roller derby before joining the Shiners. She had roller skated in middle school and rollerbladed as an adult, but when she first attempted derby, she didn’t have the skills to make it around the track without falling, let alone play roller derby. “I pretty much hugged the wall the entire first night, but I was so excited and thrilled just to be there and watching everyone else. The practice was just really inspiring,” Q said. Jams and Norm both said the Shiners team is special because it is one of the few places the BIPOC community can go without worrying about stereotypes, microaggressions, or worse. Friday night at the Rollerdome in Denver is always a night when they feel they get to be their true selves. BUILDING EACH OTHER UP Roller derby can be intimidating. The rules are unlike any other sport. There isn’t a ball to throw or catch, and it can be difficult for those watching it for the first time to understand the game. The sport looks like a mix between Olympic speed skating and a rugby scrum. Roller derby is simultaneously artistic movement and brute force. Although the game is played on wheels, the players are on their toe brakes and in the air as frequently as when they roll across the arena floor on all eight wheels. Gameplay involves one jammer and four blockers from each team on the track. The skaters move counterclockwise around the track, and jammers can score points by lapping each blocker. It takes a lot of strategy, teamwork, and deft footwork to build a winning team, and it can take months, or even years, ELIZABETH “BLAZIN” MCCUNE WAITS FOR SHINER PRACTICE TO BEGIN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN to master the nuance of the sport. While other Denver roller derby leagues train new players, none offer the one-on-one coaching that the Shiners do. Jams directs each practice, but rather than stick with a concrete plan, she likes to build the practice around the individuals who show up each night. Some nights, both high-level and low-level skaters arrive, and Jams plans those practices on the fly to meet both skater type’s needs. Jams’ name is a play on the Derby position jammer, which Jams excels at. She recently won the tournament MVP at the Louisiana-based Y’allstars Southern Skate Showdown. At nearly 6 feet tall, Jams has the unique ability as a jammer to skate with power, speed, and agility. She brings this experience and knowledge to every Shiners’ practice, helping other skaters advance in their skill level. Norm is a powerful blocker, who often takes on two opposing skaters at once. She coaches other skaters on gaining leverage and adjusting their positioning to effectively stop opposing jammers and break up opposing defenses. Q started skating in April of 2022 and has made impressive progress quickly. She is learning the rules of derby while training with the Shiners and two other Denver leagues. The combination of her dedication, and frequent one-on-one training from Jams and Norm, has helped Q go from barely being able to stay upright to skating backward, developing derby-level footwork, and learning to play as a blocker. She even is learning to referee derby events, which she believes will help her develop a deeper understanding of the sport. Q is hoping to play in the BIPOC Bowl, but that will depend on whether she recovers in time from a recent injury. THE SHINERS WAIT FOR PRACTICE TO BEGIN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN According to Q, her rapid development as a derby skater wouldn’t have been possible without the safety and camaraderie she experiences in the Shiners’ practices. Q said that it is impossible for a white individual to understand the presence of racism a person of color experiences in everyday life. For example, when she eats at any restaurant, regardless of the cuisine, it isn’t unusual to have another patron assume that because Q is Asian, she is part of the wait staff. It also is common for white people to tell her she speaks great English, even when she tells them she was born in the United States. Some don’t believe her name is Tammy and demand to know her REAL name, a name that sounds more Asian. Jams hopes the Shiners can continue to provide support to its members, whether in or out of the roller derby arena. “This is a space for people who recognize and understand who I am because they have my shared experience,” Jams said. “This is a space where you can be vulnerable with other people of color and Black folks.” Continued on page 8 April 2023 DENVER VOICE 7
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