BOLDFACERS

Scared? Don’t be.

Roller derby player Rachel Chandler, says, “If you think that I’m cool, and you think this is something you could get into, don’t let me hear your excuse that sounds something like, “oh, but I cant skate”. I’ll personally teach you. Don’t be a Twinkie. You only have a certain amount of time to use your body for everything its worth, and you’re wasting time right now. And did I mention that we are desperately seeking refs? We train those too, and the collisions are much less frequent.”

Derby culture

“Drew Barrymore’s directorial début is a film coming soon called “Whip It” about a young woman who’s life was “saved” by the derby,” says roller derby player Rachel Chandler. “I’m excited to see that. I get a kick out of the general fascination of something that is as normal to me as a ham sandwich.”

Rather be a spectator?

New Hampshire roller derby player Rachel Chandler encourages you to come to the “Live free or die” state . “We will be playing home games in the spring at the JFK Coliseum in Manchester. All New England states have Derby, though. Some leagues and teams are further in development than others. But whatever you do, catch a derby bout. Its great live! Also, check out www.wftda.com or www.nhrollerderby.com before you go to learn the rules and regs. Its much better to watch derby if you know enough about the rules to properly heckle refs and skaters that play dirty from the opposing team. And if you ARE “that guy” we want you there.”

www.wftda.com
www.nhrollerderby.com

Slick skating

“No one should invest in derby skates that are more than $100 until you know what you need when you are at your best,” Rachel Chandler, New Hampshire roller derby player, says. “During the early part of last century, when the sport was more of a race, there were no pads and the wheels were wooden. That time is gone and equipment is now very technologically advanced and tested. My favorites are the new Riedell’s Minx. For some where between $400-500 you can get the first skate that was made JUST for rollergirls, and JUST for women. It’s built for a skater that makes constant left turns. (Counter clockwise is the only way the sport is played). I love left turns, and I love the Minx.

www.blackeyedsusanskateshop.com

Best-dressed rollers

“Fresh Meat” should look at the website of the league that they are interested in,” says New Hampshire roller derby player Rachel Chandler. “Often leagues have sponsorships with gear suppliers. My favorite is Eastern Boarder in Nashua, NH. You can get everything but skates there, and the staff and ownership are really cool. They do a lot for the community.”

Eastern Boarder
254 Daniel Webster Highway
Nashua, NH
(603) 888-0722

How to be a good roller girl

“The first ingredient of a good Rollergirl is mental toughness, and competitive drive,” says New Hamsphire roller girl Rachel Chandler. “The rest falls in line behind a personality that is willing to push one’s body to the absolute personal limit to win. If you are thinking about trying out for a league, but you think you aren’t tough enough you probably will surprise yourself. Plus, we’ve done this. We have experience with the fear and frustration that you might encounter, and we can get you through that.”

Are you a roller girl?

“You've got to decide if you are looking to play a sport that might bloody your mouth guard or if you are looking for a sport that you can wear lipstick for,” says New Hampshire roller derby star Rachel Chandler. “You CAN wear lipstick AND a mouth guard, if that’s your fancy, but its hard. Blood and lipstick are both messy. Try out for a league that fits what you want out of derby. Attending “fresh meat” events will help you distinguish which kind of league you are interacting with.”

www.nhrollerderby.com

Bitch on Skates

Keywords: Mind and Body

Entertainment

Does this delicate lass look like a cheerleader? Does she? Yes or no. Answer now or she’ll drop you with a clothesline and send you off to spank alley.

No? What do you mean, no? You saying she's not delicate? Brace yourself for fishnet burn. Oh, now you take it back, you little wuss? You are so fresh meat.

We're talkin' roller derby tough love here because we're channeling Rachel Chandler (a.k.a. The Empress), but between you, us and the lamppost, she's like that in the rink only. Because out of her skates, she’s really quite a gentle soul. She’s counseled gang members, helped runaway teens and is a breast cancer survivor. Rachel is a fighter on the rink, you could argue, because she’s a survivor in life.

She first traced the pompom-throwing footsteps of her mother and grandmother and became a high-school cheerleader in Andover and Newton. But being the risk-inclined girl that she was, Rachel opted for the precarious stunts—she characteristically performed as The Tossed, as in she was thrown cloud-cover high by her cheerleading compatriots—and volunteered for all other death-defying tricks. Little did she know that the true test of facing fear was finding a lump in her left breast at the tender age of 32. After three years of chemotherapy and a mastectomy, she beat it. She lived. And she decided not to waste a minute of precious life on things that she didn’t love for real.

Roller derby came to her in the form of a poster on the bulletin board of the Rude Awakenings coffee shop in Lowell. Roller Derby New Hampshire was recruiting players for new teams. It isn’t cheerleading, Rachel thought. It’s even better. Every week, after working as a program director for a human-services company, Rachel laces up her skates, rolls up her tattered fishnets and tightens her helmet. There are opponents to cannonball, and she’s the one to do it—Rachel’s considered a star player on her team, whose motto, by the way, is “Skate free or die.” Rachel likes that, mostly because she is wildly alive.

Roller Derby New Hampshire
www.nhrollerderby.com