Skater of the Month - Barbarolla

NAME: Barbarolla

NUMBER: 404

How did you first hear about roller derby?

My 30th birthday was looming and I’d gotten into a routine of work-Xbox-sleep. I was desperate to do something new and I remembered I still had a pair of disco-esque quad skates from my teens. I was looking online for somewhere I could get a skate session in Dundee and came across the DRG website. Like a lot of people, I’d only really heard of roller derby through watching ‘Whip it’ and I was astounded that Dundee had a league. So, in January 2012 I went along to Fresh Meat (after bottling out a few times if I’m being honest) and that was that!

What do you do for the league besides skate?

I like to think have done a little of everything! I have sold merchandise, cakes, entry tickets, and pretty much everything else. I have NSO’d at numerous scrims and bouts. I’m slowly getting line-up experience, which is pretty high pressure but I do love it. The most nerve-wracking thing I have done is bout day announcing. It amazes me that I have managed to so something that high-profile without any major disasters.

Do your friends and family understand your passion/love for derby?

My friends and some work mates think I’m mad, but that is mainly because there are still misconceptions about the sport (“Do you all wear fishnets?” “Can you punch each other?” “Is there a ball?”). My Mum wishes I would take up something more sedate, like cross-stitch. My husband started off pretty dubious, but after hearing me talk about skating for a year he joined DRG as Fresh Meat in July 2013.

What do you think is the most important thing for a new skater to learn?

Be kind to yourself, because everyone has at least one thing they will struggle with more than everyone else around them. I’m saying that because really, no-one makes amazing progress overnight, but you will make bloody good progress eventually. For example, my background is artistic/figure quad skating so I had to spend a lot of time unlearning things I had done by rote for years. It was so frustrating seeing people nail things like derby stance and plow stops that felt completely counter intuitive to me. I just had to accept it was going to take a little longer for me and I got there in the end. Also, a few things came a little easier because of my dancing background so it’s not all bad!

Who do you choose as next month’s Skater of the Month?

Tough one! I have made my choice based on this skater’s upbeat attitude and the progress she has made doing things out of her comfort zone. I’ve never laughed so much as when I skate alongside her. For me she embodies the original fun, counter-culture spirit of the sport. I have chosen Lola Rocknrolla!