To say the South Bay Mizfitz are not a sanctioned roller derby
squad doesn’t begin to describe their humble playing conditions,
nor does it take away any of the sport’s meaning for the 25 members
of the team founded in Morgan Hill.
MORGAN HILL
To say the South Bay Mizfitz are not a sanctioned roller derby squad doesn’t begin to describe their humble playing conditions, nor does it take away any of the sport’s meaning for the 25 members of the team founded in Morgan Hill.
The Mizfitz currently practice their skating, sliding and blocking skills on a basketball court at a city park — if they get there when no one is playing hoops. They don’t have matching jerseys. The coaches shout at scrimmaging beginners — some who look like they just learned how to stand on a pair of skates — to motivate them and let them know when they’re breaking the rules.
But they share a common passion for the all-female sport and for the team that brings them together from all over southern Santa Clara Valley.
The team was founded by Amber “Bad Moon” Risner (All players have “derby names.”) After growing up in Morgan Hill and playing high school basketball, Risner, 28, fell in love with roller derby while attending nursing school in Fresno.
A fellow student introduced her to the sport and she started skating with a local league about four years ago. Risner, who sports two “snake-bite” piercings on her lower lip and visible tattoos on her arms and upper chest, became hooked.
“It’s a way that women can empower themselves,” Risner said. “And it’s a great way to get women together and have a blast and get fit.”
Risner described her team in Fresno as “my second family.”
Although she has moved a few times between Morgan Hill, Fresno and Santa Cruz, and has been busy raising her 7-month-old daughter Saylor, Risner has wanted to continue participating in roller derby since she started skating. The closest team — San Jose’s Silicon Valley Rollergirls — had grown too large to accept new members by the time Risner looked into trying out.
So Risner and high school friend Tara “Patty Hearse” Flores, now the Mizfitz’ vice president, decided to start a local team. Posting flyers and relying heavily on word-of-mouth, the new team had its first practice in April with “no idea” how many people would show up, Risner said.
While they started with three members, since the first practice they’ve steadily acquired at least one new member every week, with a total roster now of about 25.
Risner is excited by the momentum that seems to be characteristic of the sport’s growing appeal. The team is still recruiting and Risner and her teammates hope to acquire a warehouse to practice in, and eventually host spectators when the Mizfitz gain sanctioning from the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. They also hope to become a nonprofit, and start their own junior league for players 18 and younger.
The sport brings together an eclectic mix of players. There’s no money in roller derby, no matter how well you can skate. Most roller girls have full-time day jobs, and many are mothers. Risner, a single mother who works graveyard shifts at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, has skated with police, teachers, massage therapists and even a chiropractor.
Flores works for a construction company and has two children. “It helps me stay in shape and meet new people,” she said at a recent practice.
A new member of the Mizfitz is Amy “Thumpelina” Osako-Aochi, 47, owner of Michi’s Floral Company in Morgan Hill. Her daughters are already skating in a junior derby league.
“When I was a kid I watched it on TV,” Osako-Aochi said. She said she became “addicted” to roller derby when she attended a training session recently with members of the SVRG, who has helped the local team become acquainted with the rules.
One of SVRG’s founding members, Jaime “Filthy Forniskater” Shirley, is the Mizfitz’ coach. Originally from Morgan Hill and now residing in San Jose, Shirley said helping a possible future competitor improve their skills is part of the “derby love.”
“More derby is good,” said Shirley, 25, who works in a real estate office.
Several key aspects of roller derby make it a sport unlike others — most noticeably, the fact that it’s an all-female full-contact game.
A game resembles a sort of organized chaos, a roller skating race in which each of the two competitors has her own line of defenders — with everyone moving in a circle as quickly as they can.
Helmets, mouthguards and pads for knees and elbows are necessary. Holding, pushing, tripping and throwing elbows are against the rules — but a racer’s teammates can block and set picks to keep the opponent from passing.
Injuries are part of the game. Shirley, the Mizfitz’ coach, is currently out with torn ligaments in her shoulder, suffered at a practice in March. Others have had their share of bumps and bruises, and have seen blood shed on the track, as well as broken bones and black eyes.
Leagues such as the SVRG and the Mizfitz rely on fundraising and, eventually, sponsorship to pay for travel and other expenses. Shirley and another SVRG skater started Rollergirls with a post on craigslist.org, and now the San Jose team was just sanctioned by the WFTDA.
And many teams, including the SVRG, are set up as nonprofit organizations, making donations to other community groups.
Roller derby has grown “exponentially” since about 2004, according to WFTDA executive director Juliana Gonzales. There are currently 141 sanctioned leagues (a league is a club or a large team in roller derby parlance) worldwide, and that number has doubled in the last year. Counting unofficial teams, there could be as many 400 leagues throughout the world.
“I think it’s a good time for women’s sports right now,” Gonzales said. “People enjoy watching women play contact sports. And it’s a contact sport that has a lot of speed.”
