An Interview with Pistol Panties: Fair City Rollers in 2012 and beyond

As part of the blog’s End of Year interview series, we caught up with Fair City Rollers’ Pistol Panties to talk about roller derby in Perth, and the future.

Pistol Panties and the rest of FCR vs Furness Firecrackers. (Photo by Ian Mccreadie)

Despite complications in the latter half of the year, Fair City managed 4 bouts in the past year, including a strong showing against the Furness Firecrackers in September. What’s the high point of the year from a bouting perspective?

I think we showed over the past year how a team can improve with hard graft. We think that’s reflected in our scores, especially against Furness, we all really enjoyed the bout and even though it wasn’t a win, we were still very proud of what we achieved. We are very grateful for the help we had from guest coaches from the other Scottish Leagues and most notably from Alma Geddon of ARRG, who has been a constant source of support for us, both from a training perspective and with the league as a whole. We wouldn’t have improved as much as we have without the support we have had from Alma, and Scotland’s leagues in general.

What’s the best moment of the year from Fair City’s perspective?

Its hard to pick a specific moment… for me it was drawing a small lead in our bout against Wakey Wheeled Cats in June. That Cats are such a great bunch of girls so it was great to host our re-match, and we had a feeling it might be a close bout, because we thought we had improved as a team, and we felt sure they would have too. I think it was during the second half when we pulled ahead by only a few points there was a flash of “We could actually win this”, and I think that was enough to push us to work harder and come back fighting. Even though we didn’t win the game, it was definitely a high point for the whole team.

Bell’s Sports Centre is a fantastic venue, and you’ve been kind enough to donate it to Granite City for their home bouts this year. Do you think it helps a league to have a really solid venue for bout hosting, and how difficult was it getting Bell’s?

We’ve had a lot of support from Granite City in the past, so that decision wasn’t a hard one, but yes it helps to have a really good relationship with your venue, which we have with Bells. They’re always accommodating towards us, when sometimes it can be difficult to find that with a fairly new sport, I’m sure most leagues have experience of that.

You gained a new sponsor in IntoTheNitemare this year as well. What’s your relationship with Raven, and how do you feel about the sponsorship and money-raising side of derby? (How is hire a Fear Maiden going?)

I know there is a split at the moment between those who see sponsorship in Derby is crucial, and those who see it as moving towards the more commercial side of the sport. When the relationship is mutually beneficial, and everyone is in agreement we see it as a positive thing for the league. That’s what we have with Raven, and supporting the derby family is our priority. We think that its important to keep things fresh and capture peoples imagination, which is where the Hire a Fear Maiden came into existence…..its going really well, were hoping to have more success with it next year.

The big shock for all of Scottish Roller Derby was Fair City’s announcement that they were going rec-only for a while. While it’s still sensitive, would you like to tell us a little about the difficult decision that this involved?

It really wasn’t a choice, it is a necessity at the moment. It has been a blow for us to lose so many skaters this year but we feel really positive about what’s happening and where we go from here. At the end of the day there were people who weren’t getting what they wanted from the league, or there was another league closer to where they actually live. People should always pursue what is best for them at that time, rather than stay with the league that doesn’t suit their needs. There have been some really positive developments for us recently, and were hoping that the new year will bring more of the same!

The promise of a future revival is implicit in the announcement on the Fair City facebook page. What do you have planned for 2013? (This isn’t the first time a roller derby league has reinvented itself and come back stronger.)

We are still a Roller Derby League first a foremost, but we are taking time out to focus on recruitment. As a team FCR are full of people who are really pro-active and positive about the future, and who really want the league to succeed, and that’s what’s most important to us. Right now were concentrating on listening to our members and giving them what they want from the league. The recreational element facilitates this because it allows us to draw in a bigger audience and get people interested in skating, and we can think about forming a team when we have a solid foundation to build that on. So watch this space!

Fair City Rollers vs Wakey Wheeled Cats

This Saturday (June 9) the Fair City Rollers bout team, the Fear Maidens will take on the Wakey Wheeled Cats at Bells Sports Centre, Perth.

This will be a rematch, following a bout down south last September. And Maidens captain, Pistol Panties says the team is ready to face their Yorkshire counterparts again.

She said: “It’s probably the most exciting and anticipated bout we have because that was my first bout coming back to FCR and I was made captain.

“So them coming up to play us, we’re interested to see how they’ve improved and they’ll be interested to see if we’ve improved. We are hoping to get a better score this time round, because last time half the team were playing in their first bout.

“And it will be really nice to see them because we we had so much fun at the afterparty and they’re a great group of girls.”

And the Fear Maidens have been working hard to prepare for the bout.

Pistol Panties added: “We’ve been practising a lot and just trying to focus our energy into mentally preparing because there are some people who are fairly new to the team, as well as the more seasoned players.

“We’ve taken feedback from the last few bouts and as far as tactics are concerned we’ve been focusing on default strategy and get our jammers more experienced and improve on our last bout.”

Doors open at 2.30pm on Saturday and entry costs £6.

Popping your bout cherry…

For most skaters, the first time you bout fills you with a mixture of fear and excitement.

You have worked for months to take your place on your league’s bout team, passing mins and then getting to grips with tactics, scrimming as much as possible and talking to more experienced skaters to get hints, tips and advice. You know, deep down, you are ready.

However, as bout day draws nearer, chances are the nerves will start to set in. Skating in front of a crowd, playing well, heck even what you choose to wear on the day can create doubt and nerves.

For Reggie Reg, the Fair City Rollers’ newest bouting member, the trick was to not let the nerves get the best of her during her first bout recently, when the Fear Maidens took on Granie City Roller Girls’ Northern Fights in Scrimmage of the Damned.

Here, Reggie Reg gives an insight to bouting for the first time, and offers advice to any skaters preparing to compete in their virgin bout.

*How long had you been skating before the bout?

Six months

* What was the best advice you got for bouting and who gave it to you?

On the day of the bout, Jill Antonic told me to just enjoy myself; that it didn’t matter if we win or lose; that there is no league table; and that at the end of the day it was all about having fun. This made me feel much less anxious but at the same time motivated me to give it my best!!

* What was your “getting ready” ritual on the day?

Porridge and banana for breakfast, some stretches in the morning to loosen me up, fake tan and lots of dramatic zombie makeup; and I walked quickly to Bells to get rid of some nervous energy!!

* What did you like most about bouting?

I liked feeling part of the team; I loved having my team shirt with my name on it; I liked using all the skills I had learned during training; I liked feeling that I was making a difference to how the team was playing!

* How did it feel going out and competing in front of people?

After the mortification of falling in front of my fans during the skate out, I totally forgot about everyone watching when it came to competing.

* What bit did you not like?

Falling during the skate out!!!

* What advice would you offer first-time bouters?

During the skate out, look at where you are going instead of the people watching! Also, everyone gets nervous but too much can be debilitating. You just need to keep calm and remember that everyone in the sport is very supportive, even the opposing team. So just have fun and do your best!!

Photo by BoutDay.com

Bout preview: Fair City Rollers vs Granite City Roller Girls

 

 

In what should be a brilliant bout, the Fair City Rollers Fear Maidens will take on the Granite City Roller Girls Northern Fights in Perth this weekend in the Scrimmage of the Damned.

This is the second of four home bouts planned for 2012 for the Fear Maidens, who have been working hard to prepare for what is bound to be a hard-hitting and high scoring contest.

With a small number of skaters available, FCR have recruited three guest skaters from the Fierce Valley Roller Girls – Fun Ghoul, Deep Fried Pixxie and Jo Anarchy – to join the fun.

Scrimmage of the Damned will take place on Sunday (April 22) at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth, doors open at 1.30pm.

Bout report: FCR Fear Maidens vs FVRG Parma Violents 30/10/11

Fair City Rollers bout team, the Fear Maidens, travelled to Grangemouth to take on Fierce Valley Roller Girls’ Parma Violents in Candy Jam.

It was the first ever bout for the Fierce Valley league, which will turn one later this month. And with family and friends watching – the bout was closed to the public – they showed how far they have come in a short time.

Both sides got into the Hallowe’en spirit for the skate out, with costumes, masks and facepaints. The Parma Violents even used Michael Jackson’s Thriller as their skate out song.

It was soon down to action, with the two teams lining up for the first jam. Captain for the Maidens, Ninja Knickers took on jammer duties.

And right from the start, both sides fought hard to win the game.

The Fear Maidens were dealt a blow early on, when long-serving member Van Damn was sidelined after going down in the second jam of the bout. A trip to the hospital after the bout – she stayed to the end to cheer for her teammates – revealed she suffered a chipped bone in her ankle.

However, the Maidens didn’t let that stop them, and they fought hard, staying ahead for the whole 60 minutes.

At halftime the score was 97 – 24 in favour of the visitors.

The Parma Violents never let their heads drop, even when the gap between points was more than 70. They continued to hit hard, making the most of power jams to rack up more points. It was only towards the end that the effects of the hard hits from the Fear Maidens started to show.

Just a few minutes from the final whistle, the FM found themselves another player down when Tenacious Dee was ejected from the bout for taking out an opposing player in what was described afterwards as a “Superman move”. But by that point, the Perth team had the result in the bag.

If that’s what the Parma Violents are like in their first bout, a year from now they could be pretty much unstoppable! Definitely a team to keep an eye on.

And the Fear Maidens continue to go from strength to strength. In under four weeks they will go head to head with Dundee Rollers Girls’ Silvery Tayzers at Pivots of the Caribbean.

Final score – Fear Maidens 170, Parma Violents 55.

Best Jammers – Teenie Bash (FM), Zombette (PV)

Best Blockers – Terrifying Tink (FM), Calamity Jen (PV)

MVPs – Jill Antonic (FM), Fun Ghoul (PV)

Photo used with the kind permission of
http://boutday.com/

Bout report: Wakey Wheeled Cats vs the Fear Maidens

On Saturday, September 24, the Fair City Rollers bout team, the Fear Maidens, travelled to Huddersfield to take on the Wakey Wheeled Cats in Knack Yo Libre.

The Maidens left Perth on Saturday morning, with team members both excited and nervous for the bout ahead. And with a number of skaters experiencing their first bout, the nerves were higher than normal.

Once the first whistle went, FCR looked tight, working well together as a team to stop the Wakey side getting points. The main Fear Maidens jammers were Teenie Bash, KPz Nuts and Ninja Knickers, with captain Pistol Panties, Nutshel and Breezy Does It also taking turns.

The rest of the team was made up of Jill Antonic, Terrifying Tink, De-femme-ation, Needles and Dread,Van Damn, Crash Vegas, Val Gore and Tenacious Dee.

Despite the Fear Maidens working well, WWC seemed to have the upper hand from the start. With around half a dozen bouts under theirs belts so far in 2011, compared to the Rollers’ one, their experience shone through and they were ahead for the entire contest.

However, for the vast majority of the bout, FCR kept the scores close, working hard to try and gain as many points as possible and they were helped by a 20 point power jam by KPz Nuts right at the end of the first half. They were also hitting hard, sending more than a few Wheeled Cats out of bounds.

Final score: Wakey 169, Fear Maidens 99.

Despite not managing to get the win, the Perth team can be proud that they put up a good fight, played well together and showed their strength.