Skeeve Holt!- 49

High Rollers

Joined RCR: June 2010
Drink of choice: gin and tonic
Derby wife: Indigo Hurls (Fresh Meat)
Derby nemesis: Indigo Hurls
Derby hero: Too many to name!
Theme song: Final Countdown by Europe
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska

How did you get started with roller derby and the Rose City Rollers?

My partner (aka Indigo Hurls) took me on a surprise date to an RCR bout last season.  Sometime around the second or third jam I said 'oh god, let's do this!' A month later, we both had all our gear and started skating with Wreckers.  At the time, I never imagined going further with derby- I just wanted to learn to skate and hit people, and I could barely make it through a weaving pace line.  But I underestimated my own competitiveness and stubbornness, and soon 'just one more drill' turned into 'well, bootcamp couldn't hurt' and then 'hell yes I'm trying out for Fresh Meat!' I skated with Wreckers for six months before making it onto Fresh Meat, and I was drafted this past March.

And for those of us who don't watch the awesome TV show 'Arrested Development', clue us in on what your name means?

Steve Holt is a minor character on Arrested Development- a semi-obnoxious jock with a letterman jacket and the signature entrance- yelling 'Steve Holt!' while entering a room with arms raised.  I actually had a different derby name picked out, a lukewarm pun on my last name, and registering a Steve Holt reference originated as a joke while I was still on Fresh Meat.  Then I came to my senses and realized just how badly I wanted to be Skeeve.

What about your number?

Just a tip of the hat to Alaska, my home and the 49th state.

What is your favorite thing about being a rollergirl?

Having an excuse to wear neon spandex?  Maybe a little.  But really, the community and camaraderie that I've discovered since joining the Rose City Rollers.  It's beyond amazing.

What is your proudest derby accomplishment?

Getting drafted to the High Rollers!  I am so proud to be a part of my amazing team.

Is your derby persona very different from how you are off the track?

Definitely.  I'm kind of quiet and shy off the track.  I feel like taking on this kind of obnoxious, jock-ish name allows me to amp up the bolder, louder parts of myself quite a bit.  Those parts are definitely in there!

What WFTDA rule do you find yourself breaking the most?

I have to pick just one?  Probably something really unglamorous like low blocks or cutting the track.

Any bad derby-related injuries?

Not yet (knock on wood).  Just the usual assortment of interesting bruises and the requisite 'bleacher incident' (sliding into the bleachers during practice when the track barriers aren't up).

What do you do in your spare time?

I'm a huge word geek.  I love reading books, dorking out over crossword puzzles and Scrabble.  Also gardening, writing, and spending time outside.

The home season is almost over- are you happy to have a break for the summer?

I got drafted mid-season, so it went by so quickly! But no way am I hanging up my skates all summer long.  I'll definitely be lurking around the hangar.

What are you looking forward to most next season?

Skating, skating, and more skating with HRMF!

Anything else you'd like your fans to know?

Just that I love this sport so ver much and that I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.  None of that could happen without the support of RCR's wonderful fans and volunteers, so a huge thank you to all of them!

Come see Skeeve Holt! and the High Rollers defend their Rose City Rollers League Championship title this Saturday at the Expo Center.  Tickets and more info available here.