For the past couple of years, I’ve had a huge crush on the ladies of the Outfit. It started when I attended my first bout and watched skaters like Lola Blow, Suzie Crotchrot, Bloody Elle and Queefer Sutherland from afar, longing to do what they did. From that moment on, I fell in love with roller derby. These were women with courage and confidence- women that I always wanted to be like. As a new recruit, it is still very surreal to be skating with all of the extremely talented ladies of the Outfit.

However, it took a couple of years for me to try out for the Outfit. I was finally able to do so with the help of some great fellow skaters who finally helped give me the confidence that I needed. One sticks out in particular.

We met in Derby Lite, which I had decided was the best way to dip my toes into the world of derby. I figured that if I liked it enough, I would move on to trying out for The Outfit. I immediately loved it and made some great friends (a few of which are on the team now *ahem* Scream, Flutter, Devil’s DaLight), but I often questioned my abilities and wondered if I would be able to skate with the Outfit. I had a lot of lame excuses for why I couldn’t muster up the courage to just try out.

Sometimes, you need a certain someone to give you an extra push. This skater asked me to try out for the Outfit as soon as the opportunity arose. When I expressed my doubts, she assured me that it was something that I could do. She helped me realize that I had no excuses, that I am capable of more than I give myself credit for. If I had continued to be reluctant, I would have missed out on a great opportunity.

The skater that I want to be my derby valentine is The Big Lebekski. I am so thankful that she talked me into trying out. I’m skating with so many women worth admiring- women that are strong both on the track and off. Plus, they are some of the nicest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Derby seems to bring together a lot of kindred souls. Joining the Outfit has given me a new level of confidence and satisfaction that I have not felt before- and I have The Big Lebekski to thank for it.

Bekski, thanks for being a great friend and teammate. Will you be my derby valentine?

Love ya,

13th Floor Hellevator

“What do you mean you have a wife now?”

Says my mom-in-law.

Similar to the friend in elementary school that you shared a “BEST FRIENDS FOREVER” heart necklace with, a derby wife is the girl that you connect with while going through the crazy roller derby adventure. She’s the one that you can share your secrets without fear of judgement and the one who will bring you a beer at work during a stressful day; the one you can confess when your stomach is in knots because of a scrimmage and she’ll always be your partner when you’re forced to “pair up” during a drill at practice.

Rogue is my Derby Wife.

She’s the kindest person (other than my husband) that I’ve gotten the chance to meet and I am so lucky to have her and my all of my leaguemates in my life.  It’s hard to maintain friendships when you work nearly every moment of the waking day but having two to three hours of better-than-the-gym workouts have made me a happier person.

The whole Chicago Outfit Family (skaters, coaches, ref’s, NSO’s and everyone in between) is my Valentine but Rogue has been the best part of it all.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Rogue is sweet,

And so is the entire Chicago Outfit.

I <3 YOU, ROGUE!

I am Jenergizer Bunny, a new transfer to The Outfit from Sacred City in Sacramento, California. Let me start by explaining how I came here.

There’s always been part of me that wanted to pack all my things and venture off to travel the world. I wanted to move to London and be a nanny, go to sea and work on a cruise ship, or become a flight attendant and fly around the world. But I never thought this dream would be a reality. I never thought I could be happy without my friends and family close to me. I never thought I would actually live my dream until I joined roller derby.

Roller derby has given me a second family and set of friends. I realized I could move anywhere and would have friends and a family because I could play roller derby wherever I went. So when I was given an opportunity to soar the skies and become a flight attendant for American Airlines, I took it in a heartbeat. I packed my apartment in three days and was on my way. No worrying about where I was going to live or whether I would make any friends. I knew there would be 60 girls somewhere, ready to welcome me into their derby world.

That’s exactly what has happened with The Chicago Outfit. They have welcomed me from the very beginning, from the first email I received. They sounded excited to have me – coaching welcomed me, girls have driven me to practice and Agony Andy help me become a member. Even just girls smiling at me and introducing themselves have all made this transition a little easier.

Being the new girl is not always the easiest thing, especially if you are also new to the city, but there are always those one or two people who go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. Those people who go out of their way to make sure you always have a ride to practice, make sure you do what’s needed to get to play and who are really looking out for you. This is why I would like to give a shout out to Devil’s DaLight and The Big Lebekski.

Devil’s DaLight is a new member of The Chicago Outfit and has jumped into becoming very involved with the Outfit. She is always helping out in any way she can. She is very dedicated to making herself a better skater on and off the track. The Big Lebekski has not only been a huge help to me but she’s hungry for derby so I can relate well with her. She thinks about roller derby all the time and can’t wait until she can get back out on the track to skate again. She’s an amazing skater who is constantly striving to make herself a better skater and team player. Both these ladies have made me feel part of The Outfit. I know I am not alone in this big cold city, because I have two people here who are looking out for me.

I also want to say that Valentine’s Day isn’t necessarily about having a significant other but its about having love in your life and feeling loved. These two skaters have made me feel very loved this year. So…

Devil’s DaLight and The Big Lebekski – will you be my Derby Valentines this year?

As most roller derby fans (especially Outfit fans) know, ours is a sport with a strong DIY spirit. Skater owned and skater operated, we do most everything with an indie spin. So imagine how happy we were when Dame Couture (and Blue Bow Millinery) asked us to help them out at Indie Wed (“THE alternative to the traditional bridal expo”) this year.

Early this month, a bunch of us headed up to Dame’s shop in Evanston to try on bridal gowns, and this past Saturday, we (me, Rogue, Scream Printer, Smashley “the Spaniard” Destructo, and Agony Andy) gathered at the Ravenswood Event Center to wear beautiful dresses and roller skates. Professional hair (with a retro/rockabilly vibe), makeup, (thanks to Tigerlily Salon!) and custom fitted gowns made us feel like the very best versions of ourselves, and skating through the crowded expo made us impossible to miss. We totally had a blast!

I know you just want to see the photos, so I’ll quit my yappin’. Here you go!

The Traveling Photo Booth

Magnolia Photo Booth Co.

Ben Chandler Live Photobooth

Also Ben Chandler (with our awesome designers, Gretchen and Megan)

John Dart Photography