The Gunks Cast
The Gunks Cast
#116 Mid-Hudson Misfits - Rosie the Pivoter and Susan
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Today we're joined by Rose the Pivoter and Susan from the Mid-Hudson Misfits Roller Derby, a nonprofit roller derby league serving New York's Hudson Valley. The Mid-Hudson Misfits bring together athletes from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for competition, teamwork, and building an inclusive community through the sport of flat track roller derby. Founded in 2012, the league is dedicated not only to athletic excellence but also to promoting roller derby throughout the region and giving back through community engagement.
Rose and Susan are here to give us an inside look at one of the most exciting sports around. We'll talk about what drew them to roller derby, the culture and camaraderie that make the Misfits unique, the challenges and thrills of competing on the track, and how their league continues to foster a welcoming environment for skaters of all experience levels.
Whether you're a longtime derby fan or have never seen a bout before, you're in for a fun and inspiring conversation with two passionate members of the Mid-Hudson Misfits. Let's roll!
Going to Boston.
SPEAKER_03Boston? Shipping up to Boston?
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_00How long have you guys been doing this?
SPEAKER_03Five years. Five.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh, awesome.
SPEAKER_03We get I don't know, two or three hundred downloads each episode.
SPEAKER_04Fantastic. It's wonderful.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know, not too bad. Right, Tom? Jeff?
SPEAKER_04These are some crowded racks of metals over here. Congratulations, everybody.
SPEAKER_01Amazing. That's that's UML, right? Yeah. That's the whole world. Wow. Yeah. Glenn was an athlete in his former life.
SPEAKER_03Oh, Jeff. Zing. Sorry. Zing. All right, folks. Ouch, that one hurt. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Wow, I don't know who this is.
SPEAKER_03It was the last cast. No. It wasn't? No. From rollerball. 75 movie. Tom Hine in the house. Well, Jeff, get to it. Good morning, everybody. Woo! Gung's cast. Tommy, we're live?
unknownWe're live.
SPEAKER_03We're line. We're live. Wow. Tom Hine digging in. Listen, Tom never ceased to amaze me from the rollerball movie. Better than the 99 one. Although that one was the one with L Cool Jay.
SPEAKER_01I saw neither.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Now I want to see it. Well, yeah, go ahead. Rollerball. You're home watching Hazel. Talen's going to Boston. Yeah, watch it tonight. Yeah. Alright, but school night. Sure, my deeper up late. I'm sure my eight-year-old love it.
SPEAKER_01All right, Jeff, introduce our guests, please. Alright, folks. Um, we have today two really awesome guests. Very excited. Um, two uh representatives from the Mid-Hudson Misfits. Who are they? Um I was gonna ask them to introduce himself. Okay, amazing. Yes, please.
SPEAKER_04Um, hi, I'm Rose. I'm Rosie the Pivoter. Um I play for the Mid-Hudson Misfits roller derby.
SPEAKER_00And I am Susan. I don't have a name yet.
SPEAKER_01Oh. Susan's your name.
SPEAKER_00Susan is my name.
SPEAKER_01So oh, you don't have like the pivoter or name yet.
SPEAKER_03We have a lot to cover here. So, first off, welcome to our show.
SPEAKER_04Thank you. Thank you so much for having us. Yay.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, just came together pretty quick.
SPEAKER_01So thanks for coming.
SPEAKER_03But we've had you on our list of folks, like people for the past couple years. We've like, we gotta get someone from the Misfits here.
SPEAKER_01Well, I spoke to Amberly at Pride last year. And uh I was like, we have this podcast, we'd love to have you on. And then I don't know, we had a couple of Texas changes and timing wasn't right, and then I reached out the other day and it just all came. It was the right time.
SPEAKER_04It's a perfect time.
SPEAKER_01Yes. So we're super excited to hear all about the misfits. So roller derby in general. Tell us questions. We have questions.
SPEAKER_03Tell us first of all, I guess. Tell us, you know, how you got here, yada, yada, yada.
SPEAKER_01Each of you take a moment, tell us about yourselves and came where you're from, and yeah. You landed in roller derby.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. So yeah. I grew up watching a little roller derby. Sort of time, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04Excellent, excellent. Um, yeah, so my skate name is Rosie the Pivoter. Um, my actual name is Claudia, um, but almost nobody who I skate with even knows that. Um we you know. You still didn't know that. I did not. I still it's hard. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So let me do you assign your own name, or your team is like, hey, your name is this?
SPEAKER_04Um, so some teams do it different ways. I think on the Misfits, people sort of used to be given names, but um in the last few years it's been, you know, you skate for you you skate for a while, you learn the ropes, you settle in, and then a name sort of comes to you. And, you know, I think most people wind up with a skate name within the first like six months, six to eighteen months or so. They will suddenly wake up one day and be like, you know what? I know who it's gonna, I know what it's gonna be. That's that's what happened to me. I skated with the team for about a year, and then just as Claudia, as Fresh Meat, Total Rookie, and then when I was ready, I was like, okay, you know what? I know what my skate name's gonna be. Everybody please start calling me Rosie.
SPEAKER_01All right, cool. Usually those things come about, you know, through group dynamics, and someone you know sees an aspect of you. You know, that's their nicknames come about. So I'm not gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sometimes it's not great ways, though.
SPEAKER_01Well, not all nicknames are are a little hazing involved.
SPEAKER_03Fortunately, people get upset. So it's good that you pick your own names.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no hazing. There's yeah, good. That's yeah, we don't do hazing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's that's good.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Where are you from?
SPEAKER_04Um so I'm originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Um I moved out east uh about oh my god, almost 25 years ago uh to go to Bard for undergrad. Oh, cool. Lived down in New York City for about 15 years, and then I moved back up to Kingston uh about three, four years ago. Um, and I had I've never played a sport before in my life. I had not done anything athletic since 10th grade. Um, but I started roller skating just sort of just for fun, get a little movement, get a little exercise. I just love the I love the feeling of freedom that you get from just gliding on wheels. Um so freeing, so zen. And so I started going to skate time regularly, got to know some of the people there. Um, even if people aren't interested in derby, I so recommend hanging out at Skate Time. The people are fantastic. Um, and then one night, me and my husband went over and we were just gonna go for a Saturday night open skate, and we got there, and the parking lot was just overflowing, like people parked on the grass. Um, and out front was just like all of these really cool looking people. Like, you know, I remember somebody with a really cool jean jacket with like a big sparkling sequin eyeball on the back, like all sorts of cool people. It was fantastic. Um, and so we went in and it turned out it was halftime for a Misfits bout. Um, the Hellions of Troy were down playing with the Misfits, and we got tickets, we stayed and watched the second half, and by the end of the second half of that bout, I was like gripping his arm. I was like, I'm that this has to be me. I have to learn how to do this. Um so yeah, so then I joined the team, um, trained with the team for about a year and a half before I played in my first scrimmage, which is pretty typical. Um, you know, one of the joys of roller derby is that almost nobody grows up playing it. So when you join as an adult, you're with a bunch of other people who are learning for the first time. Um, you know, it's not like you know, if you join a soccer team as an adult and you've never played soccer, you could be playing with people who just started, or you could be playing with people since they were two.
SPEAKER_03So you're you're roller skating, no rollerblading.
SPEAKER_04No rollerblading. I'm a roller skater.
SPEAKER_03It's a quad wheel.
SPEAKER_04Yep, yep. Roller derby is always played on quad skates.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. You want that, it gives you the right balance that you want.
SPEAKER_03And skate time is a cool place. I used to do open skate there with my youngest daughter when Tess was practicing for roller derby. And we would just skate time is a nice place. It's I would go to wooden wheels also.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_03I grew up hanging out there on Saturday night. Moonlight skate, skating backwards, the My Sharona.
SPEAKER_04Oh, hell yeah. Backwards, real fancy.
SPEAKER_03No way Gladi can skate backwards. Damn right I could, Jeff. All right. Could. I tried.
SPEAKER_04Tell you what, after that side, we'll settle it once and for all.
SPEAKER_03I hurt my knee. I can't skate.
SPEAKER_04Hurt my knee. You know, not today, but almost.
SPEAKER_03So now do you guys skate at all outside on like just to practice on like the rail trail? They're all paved and nice now, I would imagine.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. I mean, I live in Kingston right by the OW rail trail, so I skate on that all the time. Yeah, I got that beautiful new pavement a couple of years ago. So I was just out there the other day.
SPEAKER_01Cool.
SPEAKER_00I'm not ready for that. Um, but everyone talks about how they go out and skate.
SPEAKER_03So uh Susan, you just get there though.
SPEAKER_00I can work on it. Possible I will get there. Yes, I'm working on it.
SPEAKER_03We just joined the team.
SPEAKER_00I did just join the team, but we didn't say it's like that. Kind of new. I think I started in February.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00Gosh. So it's kind of been a while. Um what did you ask me?
SPEAKER_03Where now where are you from? How'd you get here?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I was raised in Texas. Wow. Dun dun dun. Whereabouts in Texas?
SPEAKER_03Texas.
SPEAKER_00Uh North Dallas.
SPEAKER_01North Dallas, okay.
SPEAKER_00North Dallas Plano.
SPEAKER_01Um so I've been I've been to Plano.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01A couple times, yeah. Yeah. It's very hot. It's I was in Plano in July twice for some reason for conferences. And it was awful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I generally often go back in August, so I'm like, what am I doing here in August?
SPEAKER_01I mean, it wasn't an awful place. It was just awful hot.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate that. Yes. It's a nice place.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um dry heat. That's what people said, yeah. Yeah. No, it is dry heat.
SPEAKER_03A lot of dry heat. It's not dry. It's not dry. Yeah. That's the problem with Dallas. It's not dry. This is hot. I was at Dallas once for a wedding in December. It might have been nice then.
SPEAKER_00The nice thing uh so in in Texas, you know, at night here it cools off. And in Texas, it doesn't. So, you know, you're out at at midnight and it's like 99.
SPEAKER_03You're like, Yeah, I'm not down with that. I can't live that way.
SPEAKER_00It's hard. Um, so uh I actually came to New York for my medical residency in 2002. And I lived in New York City until about 2020.
SPEAKER_03Um lot going on in 2020.
SPEAKER_00A lot going on. Um and really?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Like in New York?
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's weird. I'm just kidding. You're looking at me like, what is happening? She was just like, is this guy just really dog?
SPEAKER_03Or is he that dog?
SPEAKER_04Like, where'd you go with the action? Or maybe it was so chaotic you just broke through to the other side and looked like total peace.
SPEAKER_01Just kept going, then no idea.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01So you're so you moved up.
SPEAKER_00I moved up then, and um, and yeah, I I've always kind of it's been in the back of my mind. I always, you know, I had some awareness of Derby over the years, and uh and I always just kind of it just kind of felt really cool and something that I wanted to explore, but I really didn't know much about it. I mean I've watched what was that? Um Drew Barrymore did that movie. Whip it. Yeah. Whip it. Yeah, she's like we have birthdays, like she's four days older than me. Um, thank you. Um, and and uh yeah, so I wanted to join, and I was really just wanted to expand what I was doing in life. So I reached out to Hits, who is our coach, and um, and I I reached out, I think, like right around when you guys were having new skaters come. Um, and she's like, Yeah, you can come tomorrow. And so I went and just started, and it's been what a journey to learn. Yeah, I bet.
SPEAKER_01Wow. So real quick, Hits is the coach's name. Yeah. That's good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Hits and Glamour is our head coach. She runs a tight ship. That's pretty good.
SPEAKER_03So, how often do you practice?
SPEAKER_04Um, we practice every Tuesday night. The adults practice Tuesday nights. The our juniors team, the mischiefs, practice on Sunday mornings. So once a week for about three hours.
SPEAKER_01Can you talk a little bit for listeners um about your junior uh team and junior league?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so our junior team are the Mid-Hudson Mischiefs. They are ages nine through 17. All it's um just like the adult team, they are an all-genders team. Um and they are fantastic. They play at different so for since it's such a wide age range, you don't want, you know, typically for adults, roller derby is a full contact sport. Obviously, you don't want nine-year-olds and seventeen-year-olds playing the same contact sport.
SPEAKER_01I don't know, it'd be kind of fun. But yeah, it's like you're 17. Right.
SPEAKER_04Oh, for sure. And I think there's some of the younger kids who would actually be fine, like, you know, like a pinball, just pew.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um you could whip them, like you do that move where you like, oh, yeah, um, but they play at this, but they play at levels one, two, and three. So they play like level one is they're not allowed to touch each other at all. Level two is you know um a little light contact, level three is a little more, so they sort of grow into that aspect. Um, but what it means is their skating skills are off the charts. They play really hard, they skate really well. Um, and you know, getting to see from the sidelines how they grow up and how they support each other is it's really exciting. You know, a lot of us on the adult team will volunteer at games for the juniors. You know, I usually go and keep score, um, help out the team, and it's just a blast to watch them play.
SPEAKER_03Now, is there a is there like a federation or a governing body for roller derby in the country or the world? Or you guys are just like independent, like each team, how's that work?
SPEAKER_04Um, so leagues, leagues are independent, um, but we all there's different rule sets that people play by. Um, the most common is we we call it WIFTA. It stands for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, and that's the most common rule set that you will see. Um, and it's it's winds up being um it's not as quite as fast-paced, but there's a lot of strategy involved.
SPEAKER_03A lot of strategy, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's why you would wing like the uh you would always see because I would watch it on television. It was kind of popular in the 70s and 80s. I think there was a league and I would watch it. It was like Saturday morning, and they always had a couple moves they would employ where they would like whip people around the track. It was spectacular. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03So I City Rollers, man. That was my team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, right, right. Yeah. I'd I'd love to hear more about wait, you mean out in San Francisco? Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, hell yeah, that's where I'm from. They were the team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um I think hey, I've heard of that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was pretty popular for a while. Tom, you must have watched it.
SPEAKER_00I remember seeing some of that stuff. I think that's part of why I have this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, maybe it's why it's all in our heads somewhere. Yeah. Yeah. Um, plus it's off the like. What's cool about it is the same thing that appeals to, you know, cyclists and different triath lines. It's not like basketball. It's not baseball. It's not like conform to everything else. It's like, this is what I'm doing, man.
SPEAKER_00It's kind of edgy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's totally edgy.
SPEAKER_01It's very edgy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And there's like a from what I've seen, there's sort of like um like a little bit of a punk flair to it as well. Love the punk flair, which kind of adds some coolness to it.
SPEAKER_04For sure. Yeah. That's part of that's part of the flag.
SPEAKER_01There's some appeal there, maybe to a certain group of people, but it's like there's some factor that that's kind of it's so different, right? It's not, it's not your standard thing. And so that one may that's maybe what is drawing people to it.
SPEAKER_04I think that's definitely part of it. Um, I know, you know, it's uh it tends to be a very queer sport. There's a tends to be a lot of room for neurodivergence, different gender identities. Um, you know, different leagues treat the W in WiFTA it different ways. Um, we say if you feel like you belong here, you belong here. That's how we like to run our league. Um and also part of the appeal, I think roller derby tends to also draw in a lot of people who maybe didn't play sports growing up.
SPEAKER_03100%. Give them a place, man.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and part of why I think that is, is because it on a roller derby team, you actively benefit from having a diverse range of body types. You know, um, you can't hear this on the radio, but I'm very tall. Um, and then we have some other teammates who are like very petite and then all different shapes and sizes. Exactly. And um so, but that actively really benefits the team to have that diversity because different people will have different strengths for different strategies. Um, so part of I think why roller derby attracts so many people is uh and maybe people who didn't feel as drawn to other sports, is because like you need that difference. There is no ideal roller derby player, there is no ideal roller derby body. Um, and so that's something that's really fun about it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I could imagine that. That's cool. Can you talk can we talk a little bit about just how how it works? Yeah, I don't know. Tell us about the rules. If someone was like, if if you join if you asked me to come join, I would just either be rooting for a go in circles or get my ass kicked.
SPEAKER_04So, like I mean, those are the two main components. So, yeah.
SPEAKER_03You're you guys are gonna be skating around the thing and Jeff's gonna be like hit a whole run. Oh, come on. All right, fine, fine.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna start this and then it'll go to Rosie because you know, I've joined and I don't I haven't even really known the rules. I've been learning as I'm learning some as I go, but like I just not that you asked this, but as a new skater, you know, they're teaching me how to skate.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00It's amazing. I mean, it and the when when Rosie's saying, you know, people come of all types and it's so welcoming. And so I've been able to be there without really even even knowing all the details of how to play the game. Um I'm learning how to skate. I'm part of this team. I really feel I mean, after the first week, the the way people were welcoming in, I was kind of like, wait, I really you guys are that welcoming? And they take the time to literally teach the new skater separately.
SPEAKER_04I mean, it's it's a yeah, we train people up from absolute zero. If people have like never put on roller skates before, we're like, great, here's some loaners, get some safety gear on. Let's see what let's see what's funny.
SPEAKER_00Wow. So on to the actual rules.
SPEAKER_01If you well, so like you were saying, everyone's welcome. Everyone's welcome.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, so the basics of how you play roll flat track roller derby with the Wiffle rule set. So we tape out a track, um, an oval-shaped track on the floor at skate time. Um, like just picture any any oval like racetrack. And uh everybody lines up on what's called the jam line. Roller derby is played in segments called jams. Each jam can be up to two minutes long. For each jam, each team uh fields five players. There will be four blockers and one jammer. You can always spot the jammer because they have a star cover on their helmet. Um, the blockers line up in front of the jam line, the jammers line up behind the jam line, and um the jammers' job is to score points. Jammers score points, uh one point for each member of the opposite team that they lap. So what that means is a jam starts, the jammers try to break through that group of blockers, um, and then when they come back around, uh now every member of the opposite team that they pass is gonna be one point for their team. Um the first jammer to break through that pack is called the lead jammer, and they have the ability to call the jam. They can stop the jam whenever they want. They tap their hips three times, jam's over. And they can do, and so that's where a like some of the strategy starts to come in right up.
SPEAKER_03It's like bicycle racing, Jeff. Really? The jammer. Yeah. So the blockers.
SPEAKER_01Right. So you so the jammer could actually get through, lap everyone wants, possibly get through, and then just stop.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. They can just call the jam um whenever they want, or maybe maybe they're feeling hot and they keep going and they can rack up a bunch of points. Sometimes jammers will even call the lead jammer will even call the jam before they score points because the other team's jammer is coming up right up behind them and might score points before they do. So they can be like, screw this, no points for anybody.
SPEAKER_03How many referees are on the on the cut the course?
SPEAKER_04Um, oh my gosh. I think it's six. Wow. So we have a lot to cover. There's a lot to cover. There's two, each team has their jam ref, which is they're just watching the jammer counting how many points a jammer scores. Then there's two refs inside watching the pack, watching for any kind of fouls or penalties, and then we usually have one or two outside pack refs as well watching for fouls and penalties.
SPEAKER_03Like I remember watching on TV, and there'd be like a competition, and they would grab like they'd grab the jammer and they would do like a whip. And they would like to be able to get away. The jammer would slingshot past like six people. I'm like, gosh!
SPEAKER_04You can whip anybody you want, but it's most useful with the jammer. But yeah, you just sort of like, and you're skating forward, so you've got momentum, and they come up and you just grab them, and you basically give them your momentum. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah. And and the strategy behind that is just to throw them faster in front of others, that's simple.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. Just get them out faster.
SPEAKER_03Like when is your guys' next match?
SPEAKER_04Uh, we are playing, yes, um, next Sunday, the 18th of October. We're having actually, it's gonna be really fun. It's gonna be a double header. So the ladies at Skate Time Nice in Accord. Yep, Skate Time and Accord, 2 p.m. Ladies, Death and Derby Society are coming to play with us. Where are they from?
unknownOh, I can't remember.
SPEAKER_03Ladies, Death and Derby Society. I love these names.
SPEAKER_04Um, I know they're fantastic, very cool names. And uh, and then afterwards, there's gonna be a short junior scrimmage as well. So cool. If anybody wants to say you get like twice the derby for the same price, um Skate Time has snacks and drinks. It's a real it's a cool.
SPEAKER_03They have a nice thing there. Nicer than wooden wheels, I think.
SPEAKER_01You know, I like it because I know you don't want to speak a foul of any roller rink.
SPEAKER_04I love all roller rinks. I think the more it's newer and it's bigger, it seems bigger. It's it's a it uh uh Skate Time is a gorgeous space. Um, you know, the management has been Doing a lot to really like sort of spruce it up, um, keep it modern, keep it fresh. And so it like that's my home rank, that's always close to my heart. But I say any place where people can roller skate is a place I want to be.
SPEAKER_03So, Jeff, coming back from the cabin challenge once, I had like four cyclists. I run cycling events, so I had guys packed in the car and we had to drop chess off at skate time because she had practice.
SPEAKER_01Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_03So then, like Mitch, remember Mitch? Oh yeah. He had to use the bathroom, was like the 70 guy year old guy who's a good dude. He's like, I gotta go inside. So we all walked inside, they're in their bike attire, and it was like a colliding of like two worlds. Skate worlds and the guys are in there in your spandex uniforms.
SPEAKER_01Pretty much.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was fun. Um sometimes.
SPEAKER_01All right, so maybe Hazel could do the junior team. She might, she loves roller skating. Yeah, um, we got her some roller skates, she roller skates all around the house. I love it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's oh, excellent. Yeah, come on, cool parents.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, why not? Um so um so Susan, yeah. Tell us your experience so far. What what have you what has it been like joining this this league and what is roller derby to you?
SPEAKER_00I'm glad you asked. Um and I just want to say that you know, everyone's at a different skill level. I mean, even how you learn. So my my description of what's gone on with me may not be someone else's.
SPEAKER_02Sure.
SPEAKER_00But yeah, I started in I think it was February, um, and been have been coming about once a week. And um as I said, you know, they they literally teach you how to skate. Now I skated, I had my second birthday party at the skating rink. I had my whole like outfit with the little skirt. I was so excited.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I walked into skate time and I was like, wow, like to be my my eight-year-old self was like, I'm in the rink and no one else is here, and we're here behind the scenes. It was really cool. I was very excited. Yeah. Um, it's definitely been a process because you know, it's like I haven't been on skates in a really long time, and but everybody's been surprisingly patient, like the best teachers ever. Like, it's like everybody just knows that it's such a process. It's not, it's not one of those you're learning a new skill, and in about a month, you got it. It's a process, and it definitely, you know, um, I was talking with another new skater and we were talking about how like we want to be there, and there's a part of it's like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04It's a little scary. Learning roller derby is a little scary for sure.
SPEAKER_00So you show up and then and you're like, I don't know, oh, it kind of suck, and you have to, you know, you have to stick it out. As be there. There were some people from our team that were on um Kingston Radio yesterday, and they were talking about how, you know, there's a lot of mental, of course, right, for for athletics, but there's such a large mental component and and staying with yourself and just reminding yourself that you're learning and um and not getting too in your head. Um that's definitely part of it. Um, and it's amazing how, you know, I'll be learning and I'm like, God, I suck at this. And then the next week I'm like, oh wait, I'm a little bit better at that thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and I've not been going to the Thursday night skates. Um uh so I've just been so impressed that not just hits, but different members of the team will at different times and practice. Everybody shares teaching us, and everybody is so like it's so supportive. Um I I think because everybody gets that the process is a process, but just that welcoming vibe of like you are. I think one of the things of this being kind of edgy and alternative, it's it's also this place where you can just be yourself and everybody's great with it. Whatever you're doing, even if you're you know, you you're uh new at skating, um, it's it's uh it's so it's such an amazing thing to be doing.
SPEAKER_03Well, there's so there's so few teams that like you have to take care of your own, right? You bring them in, you teach them, you're patient, people could we'll meet you where you are, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00So it's like exactly what it is. I mean I can't emphasize that enough.
SPEAKER_01And what a great thing to have, right, in your life. It is amazing. It's a new thing. It's hard to get to certain points in your life and be like, what new things can I start doing? What what especially when it's like physical activity and it's not just going for a walk or you know, like it it's a sport. And now you're getting you're learning this new sport. There's a team, this huge team aspect to it, obviously. It's roller derby is not a you don't have like solo roller derby.
SPEAKER_04No, it is very much a team sport.
SPEAKER_03So it's that's really cool, and that's great that you're jumping out. No, my oldest daughter, she just joined a women's hockey league.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow, nice.
SPEAKER_03So she's like, Well, there's like A, B, C level. So she's C, she's like, she doesn't know anything about hockey. She took figure skating lessons all year. So then they're her instructor's like, you gotta just join a hockey league and you'll skate more. So she joined, she's like, Hey, you watch hockey, right? That's the she's like, Isn't there a team in New York called the Rangers? That was like her level hockey. But she joined, and they're like, Okay, here's you're gonna be a wing, we have a goalie, and they teach you to play because they want there's not a lot of women playing hockey. Yeah, so it's like you gotta kind of bring your own you've gotta make them hockey players, like the same with you, you guys.
SPEAKER_04So the best way to get more roller derby players is to teach people how to play roller derby.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
SPEAKER_00And it's it's really fulfilling.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and so I've done some whips, that's fun. Yeah, and like um Jeff, you do a whip.
SPEAKER_03I'd love to whip you down. I'd love to do it.
SPEAKER_00It's really fun. It's really fun.
SPEAKER_01I'd love to be whipped around. Great.
SPEAKER_00It's also nice that you can join the team and you don't have to participate in bouts. Like, even if you know, you have to pass a certain uh skills test in order to be doing full contact. And we haven't done that yet, and I'm not really ready um mentally. I might be ready physically. Um, but I could actually just choose to be a non-skating official, which I've done actually a few times at some of the bouts. Um, and I could I could be a ref and I could still be part of the team and come and practice, and I don't have to skate and do contact if I don't want. So people are getting knocked down.
SPEAKER_04Oh, oh yeah. It's pretty rough. I remember it being very rough. Yeah, I think I think the level of contact is like I I always compare it to rugby. Yeah. Um where skates, exactly. Where like it's or hockey is also a good comparison because like lots of checks, blocks. Lots of checks, lots of blocks. You know, sometimes in the movies it's people are punching each other. It's not that. Um They gotta make it exciting. Well, it's always great. But yeah, lots of it's a lot of full body checking, a lot of just like blocking with your body, um, you know, and yeah, people get the floor.
SPEAKER_01Brawl was gonna say, getting checked on skates. You could go down hard on that floor.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. We just practice tapping each other's wheels as as content. I'm like, oh.
SPEAKER_03So you have to be really pads, the elbow pads, your wrist guards, right, on your arm.
SPEAKER_04I'm thinking putting butt helmet and mouth guard.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I bet.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's good. You need that because hitting your head on that floor.
SPEAKER_03I mean, is there ever like a hostility breakout? Like all of a sudden someone does something dirty, next thing you know, you turn around and like, hey, don't do that. Um boom.
SPEAKER_04We don't no, we don't tend to know. We've wait we've uh for one thing, our refs are really on top of like illegal contacts, like straight to the box.
SPEAKER_01Um how long's the penalty?
SPEAKER_0430 seconds, which is a long time giving that given that a jam is a maximum of two minutes. 30 seconds in the box is a long time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_04Um and so so our reps are pretty on top of that, but also like uh especially in this area, um, teams will borrow players from each other all the time. We host uh scrimmages a few times a year, as do other teams, and those are often um for us, they're always a fundraiser for a local organization, a local nonprofit.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um so also everybody here, we all skate together, we all know each other. You know, there'll be people you see maybe once or twice a year and be like, oh, hell yeah, it's great to see you again. Can't wait to skate with you. Maybe we'll be on the same team, maybe we'll be put on opposite teams, but like it's such a community that we I think we really try to keep it not at all hostile. Everybody's everybody's here to have a good time.
SPEAKER_01That's cool, that's great.
SPEAKER_00And it's it's not like like basketball, it's like such a unique place where I I don't know if somebody was saying this yesterday on Kinkster Radio, but you you're paying to create like it's I I don't know what I'm trying to say here, but it's just you really have to go out of your way to do this sport. Yeah. Um you have to it's not just it's not something that is connected, I think, to anything else. It's not like you're doing this. Just fall into roller derby. Yeah, yeah. You seek it out, you're creating something that's really unique that you're like actively choosing to participate in. I don't know, it's different.
SPEAKER_03I mean, to me, it was the thing that set separates roller derby apart. There are probably other sports too. Gotta take it, it's a major, courageous first step. Because not like you're inundated at like six years old and you're a PE soccer. Yeah, I think that's what I so you're an adult or even a teenager, more so when you're like, I'm going against you, this is what I'm doing.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03And like you gotta really take a step of like, I want to try this. And that's hard for people to make a change like that or to like step out of their comfort zone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I think the juniors is really cool, and that's such a confidence builder. All the anything. Any any that kind of activity, even if it's community soccer, but like to do things that are not the standard, yeah, and to go and do roller derby and talk about that. I mean, that's gotta be so cool for for a kid to say like and to particip not just to say it, but to do it and to live it and and and enjoy it. What a great, what a great opportunity.
SPEAKER_04And I really I I completely agree with you. I always think of like how amazing it would be to be like in junior high, cast yourself back to that age, and then imagine having this ultimate badass alter ego.
SPEAKER_01Totally.
SPEAKER_04And you know, and you know, as Susan's been saying, like, you know, the the team is really a place where people can really be themselves. And I know that the coaches who work with the juniors team work really hard to make sure that the kids on the team really feel like they can be themselves, they can work on figuring out what that even means for them. Um, it's a really supportive, inclusive space, um, which I think is just so important for kids.
SPEAKER_03Agreed.
SPEAKER_04And adults.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's we all we all need that. It's hard to find that. It's hard to find it.
SPEAKER_01It's harder, and and it's not it doesn't get any easier as you get older either. No. It's hard as a kid and it's it's hard when you're older. Yeah, absolutely. That part doesn't always get easier, but but it it's it's easier in a different way. You know, you have a little more confidence walking in the door, maybe and just going for sure. Like you did. Yeah, you know, like Susan. You just said, I'm gonna this seems cool, I'm gonna try it. Yeah, you know?
SPEAKER_03And you didn't know what you were gonna get. No, you were like this guy Jeff and Glenn could be real jerks. It's what you mean when you walked in here today. Which maybe they're still thinking.
SPEAKER_04Not at all. Yeah, we'll talk later. Don't worry about it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you guys go there with notes. Is the coach for the young team the same as your coach, or you guys kind of all coach the young team, the mischiefs?
SPEAKER_04Um, no, so we have so coaching is done by a committee. Um, so Hits and Glamour is the head of our coaching committee, and then we have some other members of that committee who also coach us, and then some members of that committee coach the juniors as well. Um, I think the people who do the yeah, uh I know our friends Poutine Riot, Madam Manatees, Sandstorm, Poutine Riot, Squirrel Jam are all big with the juniors.
SPEAKER_03Uh my daughter was really like Sandstorm.
SPEAKER_04Sandstorm is fantastic. And she's a great player. She turns into an absolute cannonball on the track. It's great.
SPEAKER_03She gotta go out there.
SPEAKER_04Hell yeah, this Sunday. Yeah, uh, next Sunday afternoon.
SPEAKER_01And I on your website you have the list of of your meets or your your what do you call them? It's a message. Yeah, bouts. About. Okay.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So the website's cool. Oh, thank you so much. Um, yeah, so like I said, we've got this bout coming up on the 18th. And then um the next thing we'll probably have is our jingle jam in December. That's a scrimmage. Um, we open our scrimmages up to skaters from all over the area. We basically just open up the sign-up sheet, and when it's full, it's full. Everybody shows up. We make a black team and a white team, and we jam on. Um and so all of our bouts benefit local organizations. The bout next Sunday is gonna benefit the Ulster County SPCA. Nice, awesome. Um, the jingle jam every year is the we is always for Toys for Tots, and it's actually the biggest collection point in the area for Toys for Tots every year.
SPEAKER_03Really?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely. Um Right there at Skate Time. Right there at Skate Time. It's the yep, that's the biggest spot for Toys for Tots. It's a blast. Um, yeah, I think also you get uh a discount on your ticket if you bring a toy. Um but you know, other organizations we've worked with, we've worked with Ulster Immigrant Defense Network, the LGBTQ Center, um, a couple of veterans organizations, Habitat for Humanity, um, St. Baldrick's hair donation. So we really try to just like reach as far as we can through the community, you know.
SPEAKER_01So your bouts are fundraisers for these organizations.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we we donate a portion of the proceeds for every bout and every scrimmage.
SPEAKER_01Um there's a cost associated with coming and doing the bout, and then you donate that that those proceeds. I'm just understanding.
SPEAKER_04You're probably renting the skate time and you're I don't have the I don't have all the uh you know I don't have all the numbers in my head. I am thankfully not on the treasury committee because I'm terrible at. But um but yeah, there are costs associated, of course, with the space, but um there's always uh, you know, there's a fee for admission, runs 10 to 15 bucks. Yeah. Um and then uh skaters pay a small fee to skate as well, something in the same ballpark. That's great.
SPEAKER_01And you have enough to to make a nice donation to these these places. So cool.
SPEAKER_04Thank you so much. And sometimes we also um collect not just money, but in-kind donations. So, for example, for the bout on the 18th for the SPCA, we're also collecting items that they need. Um, if anybody's curious, you can check out our Facebook page for that. Um, but you know, things like towels, laundry soap, folders, trash bags, you know, the stuff that really helps these organizations run.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So it's not just bring a bag of dog food, but also something that they might actually need at their facility.
SPEAKER_04Exactly. Exactly. Like garbage bags. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_03Jeff, aren't you in the market dog for Hazel?
SPEAKER_01No, get out of here at that.
SPEAKER_00I also know that there's discounts for fam families uh for about. So that's something that's oh fun.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we do have um we do have a new family bundle ticket. It's $25 and it's two adults, and however many kids are with you. Wow. Um yeah, so it's a it's a great deal and it's a really fun afternoon.
SPEAKER_01Totally. It's cool for sure. So um let's see, can you talk a little bit? You've you've touched on a bunch of this, but um in in parts, but maybe we want to just nail like because you you folks, um Rosie the pivoter, came prepared. She's got notes. Yeah, she's got uh a notebook. This is the most prepared guest we've ever had.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, which is in contrast to Jeff and I. Right, who have nothing at the book. Showed up with a can of seltzer.
SPEAKER_01I'm a writer, I always have a notebook. Um but maybe we you can share a little bit about like the mission uh of of your organization, the misfits, and and just just so people can hear that. I think because I read it and I thought it was really well done.
SPEAKER_03So my daughter read it when she was and she was like she was in. Yeah. That's why we came there.
SPEAKER_01Um you don't have to read it, but just to just in your own words, however you want to do it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think, you know, in my own words, our mission is to create a really inclusive, supportive community, um, to grow the sport of roller derby and to have it be a space where um people can express themselves like personally, athletically, work together, um, and really and people grow in so many ways personally in confidence in athleticism. I'm not the only person on our team who had never done a sport before. Um, and so, you know, and folks have grown enormously in all these different ways. And we just um one of the the phrases from the mission statement that always stands out to me is unapologetic belonging. I love that. Yeah, I know. Reading back through that, and I'm like, it's okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04That's the most important thing for us. And giving back. Yes.
SPEAKER_01And giving back, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Listen, I really gotta tell you, I the giving back is cool. You guys are dialed in. You know, my wife and I run lots of events, cycling, running, and it's all food pantry, uh youth center, stuff like that. So it's cool.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and it and it really does add something special to the events as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it sort of gives that there's there's a bigger purpose to to doing it, right? You've got your own personal thing that you can get out of it. You know, and there's the larger community picture of it, which is always good to keep people dialed into that.
SPEAKER_03Here's why people I feel they like the big picture when when people are doing something, because a lot of people don't do anything. So, like I said, we run like seven or eight cycling, running, swimming events, and it's all for charity. There's food pantry, every event I do is attached to a specific a lot of uh alcohol awareness stuff type stuff. But people do nothing, they just hang out and live their lives, so they like coming to those events or donating to it because like that's your part. Other people organizing it, your job is to fork over some money. Yeah, yeah. Right, or in kind.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, exactly. But yeah, but still, but you know, extending that sense of participation to people is like a really important is really important. And that's like that is a big part of how you get people in the door is to say, like, hey, you can come watch this cool thing and soak up this amazing vibe. And also we can help out with this other uh with this other thing. And maybe it's something that's really important to people. That's part of why we sort of change up who we're donating to each time, because you know, you never know who it's gonna chime with and who's gonna say, like, oh my gosh, you know what? That or they maybe they're like, I didn't even know that organization was here. And I'm so glad to hear that we have an LGBTQ center or an immigrant defense network. You never know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I didn't know about the immigrant defense network. Um, but you know, the other side of that same coin is the people who are connected with those organizations might say, Oh, I hear there's a fundraiser for the organization that I help support. Yeah. I volunteer with them because I'm interested in their mission and their whole existence. I'm gonna go check this thing out because I volunteer, and boom, you have someone who's like, Holy crap, this is amazing. I want to start doing this.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01There's gotta be a portion of people that see it for the first time and go, This is so freaking cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's I want to be a part of it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is that how you got? Or you just knew that it was in you you had it in the back of your mind.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just kind of it's been it was in the back of my mind. Yeah, okay. Well, and I think I saw you guys at OPositive and it reminded me, and I saw Sassy, and she handed oh, and I was I was at OPositive uh in the clinic um volunteering, and uh she handed me a flyer and I was like, now it's there it is, right?
SPEAKER_01It came together. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean So exactly.
SPEAKER_01So you were part of OPositive. Yeah, and then you didn't you didn't necessarily see the bout, but you were reminded, you saw that this existed.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, finally, right now that was your opportunity. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's so cool. Yeah. So walk us through about. Like you you started to it starts, tell everybody I want to I want to hear some details about when are you checking people, when are you hitting pump someone's skates?
SPEAKER_03How long is it? I know the jam is maybe a couple minutes, but go on. Is there quarters? Is there quarters? Is there halves? We're looking at Susan. She's like, don't look at me.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I can tell you things, but we play two 30-minute halves. Um the clock, yeah. So we play two 30-minute halves. Uh the clock does not stop except the timeouts.
SPEAKER_03Yep, it's how many timeouts do you get per half?
SPEAKER_04Um, each you each team gets like two up to two timeouts per half. So not a lot of timeout. Not a lot of timeout. You use them very judiciously.
SPEAKER_03Do they stop the clock if someone goes down or no?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, if if um yeah, if someone goes down and stays down, yeah, we stop the cloak.
SPEAKER_03So that could be the is there ever like, hey, take a dive, we gotta stop this clock. Um I mean, literally, that's happening as well. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I know um it happens, it does not happen often in roller derby. Okay. Um a lot, they just get up. Yeah, yeah. Falling is just part of the game. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You get up quick and go.
SPEAKER_04So you get up quick. My ass is well acquainted with the floor of skate time. Um so the so we play in two 30-minute halves. Um, you play as many jams as you can in that half. You know, um, I'm usually a blocker. Um, I'm pretty big, I can take up a lot of space, which makes for great.
SPEAKER_03So the jammers like kind of right behind you're like plowing through they're trying to get past you.
SPEAKER_04Jammers are trying to get past me and my other my other three blocker teammates. They're trying to get past. So we are making walls with our bodies, we're catching them with our shoulders, embracing each other. People are moving side to side to try to like plug up any holes that they might slip through. Um, you know, some jammers like to try to get through by pushing really hard. Some like to get through by like dancing and hopping and call them cheeky jammers.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but the other teams do.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we're trying, yeah, we're trying to stop their jammers. Oh, yeah, we want them through. Sometimes we'll even the blockers will go and we'll sort of build a wall around blockers from the other team to make a little gap for our jammer to get through.
SPEAKER_03Like I've seen the elbows locked and like a wall going through the biggest. Yeah, we can't lock elbows.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because we can you touch each other's shoes. We can touch we can touch each other. We just um you can't clothesline people.
SPEAKER_03Um that's always a lame.
SPEAKER_04Easy for you to say. You ain't got skates on it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, nor have I been closing every now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um but yeah, no, but so we're hitting the other blockers, we're hitting that jammer. Um, because if you hit somebody out of bounds, they have to come in behind you. So something you'll see a lot is a blocker will hit another a member of the other team out and then skate backwards real fast, because then that person has to go all the way back behind you. Oh, no way. And come back in. Yeah, they got to come back in behind the person who knocked them out. So there's so that's another piece of strategy.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah. And then are you setting up strategy? How are you establishing your strategy at the start and throughout?
SPEAKER_03I mean, depending on the team, it must have changed, is based on the team.
SPEAKER_00Right, based on who's playing and you know, if you got a big physical imposed.
SPEAKER_03I have no idea.
SPEAKER_04But um I'm just guessing. Yeah, so we have sort of general strategy that we always use. Um, you know, uh it's somewhere between like strategy and like our style as a team. Okay. We work we focus a lot on staying together, um, staying close to each other, making sure that if somebody breaks through our wall that we can reform very quickly um and be ready for the next thing. Um so that's sort of like our general strategy is stay together, work together, communicate, communicate, and lots of communicators.
SPEAKER_03There must be a lot of yeah, yelling. A lot of yelling. So the coach is yelling, the coach is subbing people in, how many people so um there's no subbing mid-jam. So um But after the jam man's a coach, get in there for Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So, so you know, we'll have in each jam you're fielding five players, but we'll have up to 15 people on our roster. So, you know, five people go out and play, one jammer, four blockers, that jam is over. The next people are lined up and ready get to like a whole new slot of people goes in.
SPEAKER_03Whole new slot of people goes in.
SPEAKER_04And and they gotta be ready because the next jam's gonna start in like 10 seconds. Right. So you gotta be ready to rock and roll.
SPEAKER_03Um it's not a sport that you're hanging out on the bench.
SPEAKER_04Not for long. Hanging out on the bench, you get about three minutes max.
SPEAKER_01I mean you might. Most people don't.
SPEAKER_00I I was the non-skating official for uh a few bouts, and just you I had to document who was playing what what role and which numbers. It was so hard to keep up because it is so fast. Yeah. The movie it is it moves so fast.
SPEAKER_01So but when you practice, like for so for you, Susan, when you are new to the team, yeah, relatively new, and so when when you're practicing, we talk about strategy, a lot of this is sort of observing maybe how the team just works and how they skate. I'm guessing, I'm asking, because you're not necessarily sitting down saying, okay, here's what we're here's our game plan.
SPEAKER_00There's sort of a general game plan, right, for every for every jam, but but to know how everyone works together is maybe through observation and just being with them and that's been part of it for me in this role that I'm in now, as I'm learning, you know, I when we start, we're kind of a little bit separate. Um, well, at least at the skill level that I was at, you know, different people come in at different skill levels all the time. Um, but for me, um, and a couple of the other new skaters I was with, we kind of went to the top of the skate rink and we practiced some of our skills, just like learning how to stop. Learning, you know, we learn what's going on to fall and all that. Yeah. I mean, I fell a few weeks ago just almost standing still, practicing moving my left forward. My left forward.
SPEAKER_04Happens to everybody.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But so, but then now I'm like I do more things in the team will practice certain certain skills. Um, and and I might as a new skater be kind of separate, learning different skills. But then I I've been joining in more to the practice and doing some of those things with the team. So I'm learning like how people, how different people um like postage do, how postage do does stuff and how um postage do postage is another name.
SPEAKER_01I love these names. These are these are fantastic.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, we've been doing um yeah. So I think it's again, I'm just still in process.
SPEAKER_03Everybody is and we appreciate you're here telling us about your journey.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. Um it's also just really helpful to hear from different skaters being like, ah, it took me two years to learn that.
SPEAKER_03So I would imagine how long has the team been in existence?
SPEAKER_04Uh the team was founded in 2012.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Now, the the whole sport of roller derby itself, I remember watching it, but when did it start? I want to say it was very popular, even in the 50s, right?
SPEAKER_04I would think I think roller derby was officially started in the 1930s, actually. Um yeah, and it was really popular in the 50s, 60s, 70s. A lot of roller derby teams were really active in the civil rights movement and helping rinks get desegregated.
SPEAKER_03It's definitely a progressive sport.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We we want everybody to play and have a good time.
SPEAKER_01This is cool.
SPEAKER_00And that is such the vibe. It really is.
SPEAKER_01It sounds it sounds like a really fun group of people, a really fun atmosphere.
SPEAKER_03This is totally off topic, but we used to have a skate rink in Newports.
SPEAKER_04Oh, nice.
SPEAKER_03It was right, Tom, you must have remembered it because you must have been here in high school. It was right where the Fryhopper's building is, which that's gone now, too. Gateway, kind of by Rikor. It was a big, big skate, like skate time.
SPEAKER_04Oh, fantastic. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that building that like they did they now there's a huge apartment building there, right? Is that the spot they built? Yeah, something like that. Yeah. Yep. Okay. It was cool. I wasn't around for that. Yeah. I was a wooden wheels guy.
SPEAKER_04Oh, hell yeah. Yeah. I go to wooden wheels too, because I live over in Kingston. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Wooden Wheels, man. I we you know, my I've been to birthday parties recently, the past few years of wooden wheels.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's a great.
SPEAKER_03I was like, Dad, I got a birthday party at wooden wheels. I'm rolling into wooden wheels. I got it all. Wheelings, bad.
SPEAKER_01Not to not to diss anyone's business, and Wooden Wheels has been doing this for 50 years or more. It's amazing that they've they've just the longevity there alone is is pretty good. And they've they've adapted and changed. But I do like the out the layout, I should say, of of skate time. Yeah, skate time. Bringing the little kid there, I can like kind of post up in one seat and no order where she is, yeah, I can keep an eye on it. Yeah, it's wooden wheels are like, where'd they go? You can't see anything. Over some behind some corner.
SPEAKER_04Sightlines are fantastic. Yeah. And the staff works really hard. So I'm so glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it.
SPEAKER_03I would tell uh Ella, who was upstairs, like, hey, listen, Ella, mom and I are gonna stick around the birthday party, I'm dropping you off. She's like, what are you gonna do? I'm like, mom and I are gonna do a little skating around the moonlight skate. Like, yeah, get out.
SPEAKER_01There's no way she's excited for that. No, she hated it. Um so as you progress down into the rabbit hole of of Derby. Derby. Um what do you what what is what's next? What do you just keep going? Are you growing? Are you uh do you do you uh this is regional, right? You're not you're not skating against like the Chicago team.
SPEAKER_04No, no. We we're a local team. We're also we're a recreational league, so like we're a little chiller, but um Which I like. Yeah, and we're not on the official whiff to scoreboard, so we don't have to worry about that.
SPEAKER_03What do you guys do when you're not roller derbying?
SPEAKER_04Um, so I'm a novelist by trade.
SPEAKER_03Great. Um avid reader myself right here. Oh, yeah. Trying to do 50 books a year.
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_04Oh, excellent, excellent. Um, yeah, um, I'm a novelist. I live in the area. Um, yeah, so I'm I'm just here working writing away.
SPEAKER_03What kind of stuff are you writing?
SPEAKER_04Um I write fiction that sort of plays with different genres. Um the my first novel is called Lucky Red. It's a queer feminist western. Um wherever at your local independence. It's out now, really? Yeah, yeah. Uh came out in uh 2023 in hardcover, 2024 in uh paperback.
SPEAKER_01Well, plug it again.
SPEAKER_04So it's it's called Lucky Red. Um my name is Claudia Cravens, and um it is a queer feminist Western. You know, every Western has that hooker with the heart of gold, and her job is to help some guy with his adventure, right? Um, but in Lucky Red, she gets to tell her story in her own words, and she falls in love with a badass lady bounty hunter, and then when everything goes wrong, um she and her two best friends have no choice but to saddle up and ride out and just sort it all out themselves.
SPEAKER_01Nice.
SPEAKER_04That's that national bestseller.
SPEAKER_01Uh, we'll put that on the uh on the link.
SPEAKER_04Oh, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03Dude, I just I'm renting it, I'm borrowing it right now.
SPEAKER_04Oh, thank you so much. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01That's cool. Um, and have you is this your first book?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I'm working on another one now. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Uh, do you want to reveal what you're working on now?
SPEAKER_04Or are we all to uh you know it's it's so ready that I'm just okay yep, secrets of the trade.
SPEAKER_01Got it. Totally cool. And what about you, Susan?
SPEAKER_04What about me?
SPEAKER_01When you're not when you're oh you don't have I was gonna say when you're not I was gonna say your name, but you don't have your your roller.
SPEAKER_00It's starting to come up. I'm like, oh, maybe that's it.
SPEAKER_03I'm excited to hear what you're gonna come up with. Me too. Instead of renting, I'll buy it, right? Yeah, just being a good idea.
SPEAKER_04Either way, just fun fact for everybody library requests do count towards your sales numbers as an author. Oh, really?
SPEAKER_01Oh, good. Oh, that's cool.
SPEAKER_00Nice. So sorry, excuse me. That was great on there. Um, so I am a physician. Um but I'm really um I'm not your regular physician.
SPEAKER_01Uh super physician.
SPEAKER_00I'm a super physician. I fly through the air. Yeah, that's right. Um, I actually started in internal medicine and moved into holistic medicine as soon as I could, but I'm actually working in in psychedelics, but um it's not just about the psychedelics, it's just about whole healing, mind, body, spirit, soul, and um really helping helping people. I guess it's not all I do. I would say I'm an entrepreneur and I'm here to do a lot of things um which are still building, but I'm here to help people have better lives. Um, help people help themselves to have better lives. And um I'm actually getting more involved in the community now. I've been here for a little bit and just want to expand in different ways. So um a lot of creative projects coming up.
SPEAKER_01Do you have a practice?
SPEAKER_00I do have a practice. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And where are you based?
SPEAKER_00Um in Kingston.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Yeah. Nice. And what's the practice called?
SPEAKER_00It's just my name. Just your name? I haven't done one of those, like Yeah, that's cool.
SPEAKER_01Do you want to tell me? Susan Sharp. That's my name. There you go. That's where I was going.
SPEAKER_00I hadn't said that yet. Thank you. That is my name.
SPEAKER_01Susan Sharp. There might be people who are like, that sounds really cool. How do I reach this person? And they're just out there looking for Susan. Yeah. Susan's. Google Susan Doctor.
SPEAKER_00That's right.
SPEAKER_03You got 12 million hits.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. You're welcome. Reminding me I didn't say my name.
SPEAKER_01That's okay. Um, that's so cool. Um, well, we have some questions that we get.
SPEAKER_03We end all our guests with.
SPEAKER_01We end with uh changing them up. Nice. I got some new ones.
SPEAKER_03Yep, I was gonna have some new ones. Um but go ahead, Jeff. No, go. I was just gonna say before we get towards the end, it's been great having you guys here.
SPEAKER_04Oh, thank you so much. It's been so great to get to meet you. We'll get lots of lessons. Really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_03This is gonna come out in two weeks, right? We just had Tuesday next Tuesday. Next Tuesday. So when the web when it's coming out, we'll send you the link. Please put it on your website.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. Thank you so much. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is there anything that we haven't covered that you'd like to let people know about roller derby or the mid-Hudson Misfits or the mischiefs?
SPEAKER_00I mean, don't forget about our bout next week. Bout next Sunday? On the 18th. On the 18th.
SPEAKER_04On the 18th.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Are you guys on Instagram?
SPEAKER_04We are. We are on Instagram and Facebook at Mid Hudson Misfits. If people want to get involved, um, either to play or to volunteer as a non-skating official or just to come and dig the scene. Um, you can um you can absolutely contact us on Instagram or Facebook. You can also email us at coaching at midhudsonmisfits.com. Um and yeah, and what we would say is, you know, what we've been saying is that all are welcome. It's incredibly fun. Don't be afraid, you know, whatever level you're at, we love it. We wanna we want everybody to just like skate, um, skate safe, skate fun, skate together.
SPEAKER_01Love it.
SPEAKER_00And we're also gonna be in the O positive uh parade next Friday. Yeah, we'll be able to do that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, positive next Friday.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we'll be we'll be skating.
SPEAKER_01Next weekend, right? Doesn't it go the whole weekend?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, it's next weekend. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Um and yeah, we'll be skating in the parade. It's we'll we we'll be skating on in the parade on the ninth.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04So whenever that is compared to now. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Isn't that Indigenous Peoples or Columbus Day or whatever?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's Columbus Day, it's an Indigenous People's Day weekend. Um yeah, it kicks off that little weekend. We'll be in the parade.
SPEAKER_03Listen.
SPEAKER_01And you skate in the parade? Yeah. Of course. That's cool.
SPEAKER_00Claudia, who's your favorite author? I'm gonna walk the sign, I think, in the front. Perfect. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Quickly before you go to the questions, Claudie, who's your favorite author?
SPEAKER_04Oh my gosh. Uh Shirley Jackson. Okay.
SPEAKER_03I just want to know. Had never had an author in here. Well, we have. We have had two. Yeah. One.
SPEAKER_00You don't want to know my favorite doctor?
SPEAKER_03I know. I was gonna say, what about Susan? Who's your favorite doctor? Who's your favorite doctor? Dr. Oz. No. Not just kidding. You're knocking on Dr. Oz? Yes. Yes, 100%.
SPEAKER_02Trade Secret, I can't.
SPEAKER_01What's that? It's it's trade secret, I can't. Trade secret? Yeah. Totally understood. Yeah. Do it, Jeff. That's cool. All right. Do it, do it. Um, okay, I'm getting there. Um all right. So, like I said, what we we usually ask our guests like three questions. Great. It's kind of the same three questions, and and it's a little not personal, but just stuff about you individually or together. Um, so uh the first question, so I I met I'm gonna give a little backstory here. So I met a uh uh we have a friend of mine, good friend of ours, Ryan Corbett. Corbett. Great guy. Speaking of great folks, we've got time to mention Jake Mellinger. Jake, so he's a fan. Yep. Number 18. Yep. Um so uh a buddy of his, um we were hanging out, we went camping. I didn't think Corbett had friends, but and he's got a couple. Okay. And he had this all weekend, it was like his questions were always uh as we were sitting around and things would come up, he'd say, What's your top five? Give me your top five favorite bands. Top five, this, and everything was top fives. Love top fives. Top fives was great. So I was like, I'm gonna bring top fives, I'm gonna steal that, bring in top five, but we'll go top three because sometimes five is a little more. So yeah, and then it's hard to come up with on the fly. So um because I'm gonna ask you, you could do this together or you can do them separately, but for this one, just given this particular cast, give me your top three uh names from uh roller derby. Like the the cool names that are out there. Like you said, Poutine Riot, which I thought was Poutine Riot was so cool. What a great name. So creative. So, what is your top with the ones you've heard?
SPEAKER_04Um, so many good ones. Um let's see. Just give people a few on the misfits, uh, tripping hazard, lightning mqueer, uh, postage stew, um sandstorm, electric thunder, um other skaters I've seen um let's see, Mary Payne, um the real slim skatey, Tara Beaton.
SPEAKER_01Tara Beaton. Okay, so that was like nine. That was awesome. But what about you?
SPEAKER_00Actually, my therapist suggested I could be um Queenston. I like that. Queenston, yeah. I don't know if I'm I'm thinking about it.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I think that's cool.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Um blank.
SPEAKER_01Okay. That's what happened. Well, we got ten.
SPEAKER_00We got ten.
SPEAKER_01We got a couple in there. Yeah. That was great. Um okay. So that was our first uh top five. Our first top top three. What's that?
SPEAKER_00We did top six. I mean, I have a lot of opinions. Yeah. Me too.
SPEAKER_01No, that was great. You got another top three for us, Jeff? Nope, that was our top three. That's what we're going with.
SPEAKER_03Now uh, but like you have one question, is like top three, whatever.
SPEAKER_01It was top three uh Kirby names. Gotcha. Yeah, yeah. Um, so our next question, if you this is individual. If you had a sandwich named after you, what would be on it?
SPEAKER_04Oh. So I love a fancy BLT.
SPEAKER_03Oh, one of the best.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I love a fancy BLT. You know, you like slice the tomatoes and you marinate them, you get a little salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar. I love to cook. I yeah. So I love a fancy BLT. I had one with some smoked salmon in it once. That changed my life.
SPEAKER_01With the bacon?
SPEAKER_04With the bacon.
SPEAKER_01And the smoked salmon.
SPEAKER_04Yep, and then crispy sourdough. I'm from San Francisco, so I love a real, real sourdough bread.
SPEAKER_03Yep. Love sourdough.
SPEAKER_04Yep, makes my heart sing. But yeah, I would definitely want a fancy BLT of some sort.
SPEAKER_03So basically, listen, a BLT.
SPEAKER_01So this is gonna go on the menu and it's gonna be it's gonna be the sandwich name is is Rosie the Pivoter. Is a and and the someone's gonna look at it and go, I want marinated tomatoes, maybe a little salmon.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. It's some, yep, good sourdough toast, good mayonnaise.
SPEAKER_03That's a great I was gonna ask about Schmir. I was like, what's what's going on?
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_03This is a fine sandwich. We've had some good ones and some terrible ones.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_03So is it lay it out?
SPEAKER_00I mean, I also like I'm a foodie, but I've also been eating a very limited diet. So I'm just gonna go with maybe like a good burger with like a gardenera on is that how my little jardinera petrol.
SPEAKER_01Maybe some Chardonnay's like a mix of things though, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, some olives, some spices, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I feel like it often has cauliflower and carrots in it. Right. Yeah, yeah. Classic like Italian American pickle.
SPEAKER_00If I was eating bread, like a good brioche, um, yeah, some lettuce tomato. I'm trying to think if I'd add anything to that, you know, because you gotta go sometimes cheese, but I don't know if cheese would be on that. I don't know. There's so many good foods.
SPEAKER_01It could be anything you want.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01This is the sandwiches you guys, maybe bacon.
SPEAKER_03This is the Dr. Susan sandwich. Do you have any top places in Kingston you guys like to go to eat?
SPEAKER_04Um, yeah, I'm um let's see. My I love breakfast sandwiches. Um, so I go to KBB, Kingston Bread and Bar, Sissy's Cafe, Dising's Bakery does an incredible breakfast sandwich. Um Black Eyed Susie's. Yeah, Black Eyed Susie's, and um I also love noodles, so we're big at lucky cat skills over on Front Street.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_00I've not been there.
SPEAKER_01I've not been there either. I feel the noodle bar. There's a lot of great places, like a noodle bar kind of place.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um yeah, there's all sorts of delicious stuff. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But I just went to the ridge. Yes.
SPEAKER_02That was good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I was impressed. All right, so I think you both like this question.
SPEAKER_04All right.
SPEAKER_01If you had a superpower, what would it be?
SPEAKER_04Oh.
SPEAKER_01Or what or what's your superpower? It's a good one.
SPEAKER_04So in real life, my superpower is I'm really good at finding bathrooms when out and about in the world.
SPEAKER_03That's a great superpower.
SPEAKER_00That's a good one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's just a superpower is creating them. There's actually not a bathroom.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's nice.
SPEAKER_03It goes.
SPEAKER_04Um, but uh if but in a more magical world, um, I would want to be able to talk to animals.
SPEAKER_03I that's a cool superpower.
SPEAKER_04If if only because we have an outdoor cat and she has this whole other life that I don't know anything about. I think, you know, I don't have children, but I from what I understand, I think this is what it's like to parent a teenager where she comes back and I'm like, where'd you go? She's like, nowhere. What'd you do? Nothing.
SPEAKER_03You know what? Take one on your way out the door upstairs.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03What, a teenager and an animal? We're home for a week.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, there we go. So I just, yeah, I I would just I would love to be able to and I just I love wildlife. Yeah. It's one of the things I love about living here is like all of the animals everywhere.
SPEAKER_03So I like this.
SPEAKER_01You know, I some I was talking to someone l this past week and they were telling me that there's a local um like animal whisperer in New Paltz that that is like for hire that will come uh and like t talk to your animals or or commu or or commune, I should say, with your pet and then share back with you what your what your pet is going through, what your pet is thinking. And they they they uh we should have this person on the podcast, number one, but also number two, they said they they were like, let's try it. They have this new cat and the woman came in. I've experienced she was like she was like, uh the cat is saying that you know you she doesn't feel like you've ever had cats before, and you've never even had animals before. And they're all like, Yep, that's right. My sister's got a pet whisperer.
SPEAKER_04The cat's sitting there going, amateurs.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, totally. My sister's got a pet whisperer in LA, and we would call my mom would call all the time and would be on the phone with the her FaceTiming the cat. Literally, and like the you know works over Wi-Fi. Here's what's going with the dog. I don't know. No, they would they would talk and they would like lay it out. My mom's like, well, you know, here's what the dog is saying. Yeah. Like, okay.
SPEAKER_00All right.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, so that's a great thing. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um I'm um I'm a bit psychic myself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
unknownNice.
SPEAKER_00Um it's not something I can just like turn on and off. Yeah. But yeah. So that's yeah. So, you know, psychic or less? Yeah. I'm growing it. I'm growing it all the time. Yes, I would want to be more.
SPEAKER_01So so your your your magic is.
SPEAKER_00Teleportation. Teleportation is a good idea.
SPEAKER_01Oh so that would be your magical superpower. It's a cool power.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I thought about this, but then I've thought about this a lot. You know, if we were able to teleport, like we would never really be anywhere for very like we would be moving all the time. Like you'd pop, you'd have maybe have dinner with friends, but then you're like, well, I forgot something at home. Boop, boop, like probably just move it around and then there's that fly thing. Could make things a little bit more busy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you want to watch out for the fly and the in the machine. But when you when you're teleporting in your scenario, are you just teleporting in in now? You're going or through time. Gotta run home, and then you're home. But you're not teleporting through time. Teleporting through time to be speculative.
SPEAKER_00So there's a show called Dark Matter.
SPEAKER_01Next year you know you're like hanging out.
SPEAKER_04Anyway. Um don't start screwing around with the timeline. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um she might teleport to just this morning and be like, I can't make it.
SPEAKER_04Oh, so you're gonna use your CD.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to do that. I don't want to give you a chance.
SPEAKER_00There is no such thing as time. We just do that to like uh yeah. Yeah. It's not good to mess with the timeline. No. You just know different dimensions? Oh yeah. Dimensions, different dimensions of business.
SPEAKER_03Jeff, if I could teleport through time, I'm coming back to like aunt your high school circa 19th century. Oh, yeah. Oh, I have things to do if we'll hang out. Buddy Glenn, I'm from the podcast. We created a podcast, the future. What the hell's a podcast? Yeah. You'd be like, what? I'm like, dude. So listen, at some point we should talk about some signal you could give me. Yeah. That when this happens and I go back to talk to yourself, and like the I'll know what it is. You'll know, but holy shit, dude, you are from the future.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you'll just do that. Yeah, like in big when he does the secret handshake.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yes. Yeah. I guess we'll need a secret handshake. Yeah. No, but it was had would have had to have been done then. I won't know that we have one now. You yeah.
SPEAKER_00You gotta you'll be like, here's our secret handshake.
SPEAKER_01I'll be like, this guy's a creeper, get him out of here.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's too that's complicated. That's that's getting complicated.
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, um, thank you both so much. This was so cool to learn about roller derby. And we've never had anything like that on our podcast.
SPEAKER_04Oh, well, thank you so much for the time.
SPEAKER_01Make sure to listen to the podcast.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yes. I will. Absolutely. Yeah, thank you so much for having us. It's such a treat to get to talk about roller derby. People who know me know that I almost never not talking about roller derby, so it's great to do it with a purpose. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01We will try to bring bring crowds to your to your um to the jams. Oh, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00Thank you both.
SPEAKER_01All right, thank you.
