Rail Bird of the Month
Each month, a Tilted Thunder Rail Bird is voted on, by her peers, to win Rail Bird of the Month. The winner is chosen based on their contributions, dedication and commitment to the league. They are honored for going above and beyond the call of duty and we show our adoration and love for these ladies by sharing them with you! (oh and by giving them some gifts and stuff too!)
Here's to our amazing Rail Birds of the Month!
September 2010 — Thumper Skull
photo by Joe Rollerfan at Battle on the Bank III
"She always does more than asked for with a big smile on her face."
"She's always willing to give great feedback."
"Thumper's leadership has blossomed like none other. As a young and talented rollerblader turned derby girl, she was someone you could barely hear at practice. Now she's someone who is barking drills and using her whistle like no one's business."
Q. What brought you to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds?
A. The amazing ladies I skate with (esp. Bonnie!) and an urge to do something with my free time that is beneficial to my health and my community.
Q. How did you come up with your name?
A. I've always identified with bunnies, if you sneak up behind me, I might spaz out a little. It's that fight or flight mentality that gives me an extra edge on the track.
Q. What inspires you to kick butt like you do?
A. I actually get really freaked out when I'm on the jammer line, I feel like I'm under a lot of pressure to perform. My coach and leaguemates provide a ton of encouragement and have more faith in my ability than I do sometimes, which really helps. Also, it feels really good to score (that's what she said).
Q. What is the best part about doing derby?
A. The camaraderie and teamwork that goes into something larger than yourself. Skating my butt into shape and knocking each other down is a big bonus!
Q. What advice would you give the new chicks?
A. Skate, skate, skate and never give up on yourself! Know that your leaguemates want to see you succeed and will help you in any respect, skating or otherwise.
Q. What is your most embarrassing moment?
A. I'm not easily embarrassed, I used to be, but I find it's much healthier to laugh at myself in those situations. When we were skating vs. the San Diego Derby Dolls at Battle on the Bank III, it was broadcasted live on the DNN. I was leaving the track while my teammate was approaching the track, we ran into each other head on and dropped like a couple of Stooges. That was hilarious!!
Q. What do you do when you’re not skating?
A. Posting to the forum and answering emails as head of the Coaching and Practice Committee, exercising and working. I also like to hang out with my leaguemates, especially my derby wife, Em Ergency!
Q. What is your beverage of choice?
A. I have to say water, but when I'm socializing or relaxing at home, I'll have a whiskey ginger or a glass of red wine (mmm, flavanoids).
Q. If you could be an animal, what would you be?
A. A flying bunny that can breathe under water, the best of all worlds!
And lastly, if you were caught in an elevator with the leading man or woman of your dreams, right now, what color underwear would they catch you in?
A. Red, with a skull on the crotch.
August 2010 — Stank A Pantz
Pantz accepting her Rail Bird of the Month award at practice.
"She has made a brave recovery from her broken leg."
"Pantz has really stepped up to help the league in many ways."
"She went above and beyond to help an injured skater."
Q. What brought you to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds?
A. I was friendless and needed a hobby.
Q. How did you come up with your name?
A. I didn't exactly come up with it. I wore some stellar pants to a skate at Greenlake and the rest evolved naturally from there.
Q. What inspires you to kick butt like you do?
A. Probably my lack of an attention span and my natural ability to have immense amounts of energy without caffeine or sleep.
Q. What is the best part about doing derby?
A. Having the never ending support of my leaguemates... or having a legitimate way to spend all my money.
Q. What advice would you give the new chicks?
A. Don't hesitate, relax, and just do it.
Q. What is your most embarrassing moment?
A. It started with an old pair of jeans. I had walked approximately one mile to school, and when I sat down in class my pants ripped. I'm not talking about a small hole, it was a gaping hole at least four inches in diameter. Everyone behind me at any given point in the day got a nice show.
Q. What do you do when you’re not skating?
A. I spend most of my time trying to not fail out of college. Other than that I like to watch General Hospital, go running, and hanging out with many of my awesome family members.
Q. What is your beverage of choice?
A. Trader Joe's Pomegranate Limeade.
Q. If you could be an animal, what would you be?
A. Liger.
And lastly, if you were caught in an elevator with the leading man or woman of your dreams, right now, what color underwear would they catch you in?
A. I am highly offended by this question.
July 2010 — Krozo the Klown
photo by Eric Lynch
"She has an undying positive attitude towards everyone.”
“She is always smiling and laughing and making people enjoy being at practice and events.”
“She gives a lot of her time to the league and her unending enthusiasm is infectious.”
Q. What brought you to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds?
A. I had skated previously in PFM (Potential Fresh Meat) with several of the founding members of Tilted Thunder. After attending the skater orientation and talking with several of my friends on the league, it just felt right. This was the league for me. And once I set foot on the banked track, I realized I LOVED it so much more than flat track derby. I can’t WAIT until we get our track!
Q. How did you come up with your name?
A. It is a play off of my real name and a reference to Bozo the Clown. I can be pretty silly sometimes and love to laugh and love rainbows so I figured it was appropriate. Also, I wanted to capitalize on the fact that a lot of people (including my mom) have a fear of clowns. As for my number, N2O is the chemical formula for nitrous oxide otherwise known as laughing gas. :D
Q. What inspires you to kick butt like you do?
A. I have a competitive nature and always strive to be better and faster, but all the while striving to have fun!
Q. What is the best part about doing derby?
A. There are a lot of awesome perks about doing derby!
Roller derby is an empowering sport for women that doesn’t discriminate based on size or age. There are women in their early 20s skating alongside women in their 30s, 40s and 50s! And there are advantages to being skinny mini as well as being a full figured gal.
Roller derby has given me a purpose. It is a sport to cheer for, to preach about, to volunteer for and sponsor. It has given me a reason to get in shape as I normally hate exercise. But, exercising for the purpose of skating and playing better, makes me tolerate it and excited to do it. Derby has also introduced me to a great community of people and I've met some amazing women; some of whom I am lucky to now call my leaguemates!
Q. What advice would you give the new chicks?
A. Everybody falls! Nobody's perfect. Everyone has their good days and bad days! Never compare yourself to others or beat yourself up for not being like so-and-so, because everyone is different. Every day, try your best and just have fun. And when you do fall, quickly pick yourself back up and keep on skating!
Q. What is your most embarrassing moment?
A. Every time I do a classic “banana peel” slip on the track. But since my name is Krozo the Klown, it’s ok!
Q. What do you do when you’re not skating?
A. Eating, drinking, hanging out with my man and friends, working on the website and other league committee work, promoting derby in the community, watching derby and cheering my head off, and working as a marketer during my day job.
Q. What is your beverage of choice?
A. Non-alcoholic- water with a lemon
Alcoholic- Beer, including Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Hefeweizen, and of course, Pabst! :D
Q. If you could be an animal, what would you be?
A. I have always had an affinity with cats and I love attention. So I would probably have to say, a pampered housecat! :)
And lastly, if you were caught in an elevator with the leading man or woman of your dreams, right now, what color underwear would they catch you in?
A. Red snoopy underwear with a rainbow elastic band.
June 2010 — Catti LaBelle
“She is an amazing person that all TTRB ladies should strive to emulate.”
“She works hard at everything she does and always has a smile on her face.”
“Her skating has improved immensely and she is always pushing herself harder.”
Q. What brought you to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds?
A. My husband worked at the Humane Society with Eli (Roxy Toss’em) and she sent me a random Facebook message one day, even though we didn’t know each other that well. She was like “Hey, I think you’d be really good at this! You seem like you have the personality for it!” It was [for] the orientation back in October. I thought, “You know, that’s always sounded really cool so I’m gonna go check it out.”
Q. How did you come up with your name?
A. I like music, so Patti LaBelle is a music reference. My middle name is Belle and then the whole cat thing, even though I never meant for it to be like that.
Q. What inspires you to kick butt like you do?
A. My competitive nature, always wanting to better myself and exceed expectations of both myself and others.
Catti LaBelle accepting her award as the first ever Tilted Thunder Rail Bird of the Month.
A. All the people I have met and how awesome every single girl is. Doing something that’s fun and competitive and keeps me in shape and being part of a sisterhood with the same goal; to KICK ASS!
Q. What advice would you give the new chicks?
A. Participate as much as possible in practices and all the extra stuff. Be as active as you can, immerse yourself in derby culture, watch as much as you can, learn as much as you can, learn the rules and everything as much as you can. And don’t get discouraged, especially when you [first] start. When I started, I had the shitty ass Big-5 skates and wanted to give up skating every single time because it was so hard to skate on them. My husband didn’t think I was gonna stick with it either…I had to prove him wrong.
Q. What is your most embarrassing moment?
A. I got food poisoning because I thought I was putting Country Crock margarine spread on my dinner but it was actually the grease bucket under our sink. Bacon grease, fish oil, hamburger grease, everything...it had been sitting there for like 10 months under the sink and I got them confused and put it on my dinner and went back for seconds. Our house had been so hot that day that I thought the grease was just melted margarine. I had horrible food poisoning and had to go to work and went to practice that night for a scrimmage and our team won!
Q. What do you do when you’re not skating?
A. I run a purebred cat rescue called Troopurrs, which does purebred cat rescue and re-homing. I’ve very into music too but cat rescue and re-homing is my passion and priority.
Q. What is your beverage of choice?
A. Captain and Coke for now. Or a pink Anniemal, which is Crystal Light lemonade and black cherry vodka. Sugar-Free!
Q. If you could be an animal, what would you be?
A. Actually, I’ve always wanted to be a bird so I could fly! (side note: her cats are all indoors only; no birds would be harmed in this dream)
And lastly, if you were caught in an elevator with the leading man or woman of your dreams, right now. What color underwear would they catch you in?
A. Zebra with pink roses. I swear to god.
