Straddler On The Street: Amanda K.B.

Hi crush monsters, this is Straddler On The Street, a feature where I celebrate all of you incredible Autostraddle readers by hunting you down, demanding you chat with me, and then writing about you on the Internet so we can all crush on you. Get excited, because butterflies in your stomach 24/7 is a fantastic way to live.

Header by Rory Midhani

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Straddler On The Street: Amanda, 23

Amanda was born in Miami and raised in Miami and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She’s traveled extensively, both because of her extracurricular activities — which include drum corps, steel drums, classical music, and roller derby — and just for fun, and has the west coast on her mind when it comes to places she’d like to visit next.

Amanda finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa in 2012 as a percussion performance major, did an extra semester at University of Miami “for fun” and is now getting ready to start applying for grad school. She plays percussion, baritone, and bassoon, and currently marches for Tampa Bay Thunder Drum and Bugle Corps in Tampa, FL. She was just in Trinidad for Panorama 2013, a big steel drum competition that takes place in the middle of Carnival. She wrote to me from the road, saying, “We got tied for sixth place in finals with Caribbean Airlines Invader…pretty good but we gotta work for next year.” That encapsulates Amanda perfectly: always working toward her next goal.

Amanda calls herself an “open book” and would like to let y’all know that she’s 100% single. She spoke with me extensively about all things roller derby (FYI, her derby name is Mah-Ko), her favorite love songs and the importance of supporting our queer youth.

Amanda, 23

Amanda, 23

Okay, let’s talk about roller derby! Your derby name is Mah-Ko. How did you get that name and what does it mean?

It comes from Maco, which is slang for “noisy” in Trinidad, or minding other people’s business. My mom always called me that when I was young!

How did you get involved and how long have you been doing it for?

I started watching derby when I was in college with the Old Capitol City Roller Girls in Iowa City, IA, but I didn’t start skating until September 2011. I got picked up by a couple of skaters who started the Miami’s Vice City Rollers when I went to a game at the University of Miami. I skated with them for a while and then transferred to Gold Coast Derby Grrls in Fort Lauderdale, and that’s where I am today. In the beginning I did not know how to skate at all. I actually had my ankle in a brace at the time because I had tendinitis from all the marching I was doing. I wasn’t expecting to be decent, but from practicing and being really dedicated I’ve gone pretty far in a little bit of time. It’s a lot of fun.

Wow, so you didn’t even know how to skate in the beginning?! How did you learn and progress?

I’m always the first at the rink and always the last to take my skates off. When I was skating with Miami, I would practice with the South Florida Junior Derby Team and then stay for the main practice afterwards so I was on my skates extra hours which really helped me get used to how I feel in them. I did a little bit of inline skating when I was younger, but I was not good at all. I never skated in quads until I started derby.

What are quads?

Quads are the skates with the four wheels side to side. They’re the “old school skates.”

Oh, okay! Sorry, I don’t know any of the lingo.

Another way I learned to skate is studying my quads a lot and how they work for me. I have taken my skates apart so many times, it’s fun. I have three pairs and I love them all.

Do all derby skaters have so many pairs of skates?

Um, some of us. Not all. Each boot is different, and each plate is different. You have to experiment with what feels right.

Huh, I didn’t know any of that. I think I would be so scared to skate in quads, let alone do derby!

I still don’t know how I play derby! I am not a very aggressive person at all.

I’ve never been to a derby game but I would like to go. That is one of my goals for 2013. Wait, are they called games?

I call them games but technically they are called bouts.

As I’m someone who learned about derby exclusively via Whip It, can you tell me if I have the right idea?

Well, the game is changing and really pushing players to get in shape. We are real athletes. We do have home teams and recreational leagues so the girls can still have their fishnets and have fun. But WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) has now expanded to teams overseas. Banked tracks still exist in some places, but it’s not as common because it is a lot of money to maintain (and scary as hell!). But parties still exist and the games are still intense and the bruises…I should tell you about my first bruise.

Amanda "Mah-Ko" plays for the Gold Coast Derby Grrls

Amanda “Mah-Ko” plays for the Gold Coast Derby Grrls

Yes please do!

I am pretty dark skinned, so I don’t bruise easily at all, like never. But we had a scrimmage one day and I just ate it hard on my side. It was just sore so I brushed it off. Woke up the next day, and my right side on my outer thigh was purple and swollen. I was freaking out, so I called my Captain Baller Shot Caller, she was laughing her ass off at me of course. She just told me to ice it. But for weeks after I could not keep my pants on — I had to show everyone my bruise.

I think I am probably not cut out for derby, is what that story tells me. But if girls are interested, how can they get involved?

There are a lot of leagues all over the place. Always check the local skating rinks, we love to hang out and be rink rats. Or you could always check online — WFTDA.com has all its ranked leagues on there, or you can simply Google “roller derby” in your state. We’re also always looking for referees, NSOs (non-skating officials) and super fans!

Perfect, thank you! Now onto some personal questions. How did you discover Autostraddle?

Wonderful Caro and The Fist. She swears by Autostraddle!

She is totally wonderful isn’t she?!

Yeah, it is nice to see that there are regular people still left in Miami!

Do you have a celeb crush? Or crushes!

Well I have derby crushes and celeb crushes. My two derby crushes are on totally different sides of the spectrum: Juke Boxx from Minnesota Roller Girls and Demanda Riot from B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls.

I am googling frantically right now…

As for my celeb crushes — Lori Petty, especially in Tank Girl and A League Of Their Own and Nicole Kidman back in her Moulin Rouge days.

Oh my god I forgot about Moulin Rouge until right this second. That is so legit.

I adore love stories and love songs.

Do you have a favorite love song?

My team makes fun of me because my favorite song to just belt has got to be “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon. Also “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus.

Finally, do you have anything else you’d like to share with the Autostraddle community?

As we get older, we need to really support queer youth and activities for them. If it wasn’t for band, I would be going crazy, and I know a lot of us practiced sports, arts, and plenty of other stuff to get through what a “wonderful” time high school was. I was so glad to have an outlet to express myself.

TKTK QUOTE

“I’m always the first at the rink and always the last to take my skates off.”


If you would like to be featured as a future Straddler on the Street, please email vanessa [at] autostraddle [dot] com. Include a few photos, 3-5 sentences about yourself and put “Straddler Submission” in your subject line. Approximately a million people have submitted so far, so please be patient as Vanessa goes through her inbox — you’re all sexy with really smart brains, and don’t you forget it!

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Vanessa

Vanessa is a writer, a teacher, and the community editor at Autostraddle. Very hot, very fun, very weird. Find her on twitter and instagram.

Vanessa has written 404 articles for us.

23 Comments

  1. Ugh we have the same derby crush. Well, I have 18903284923 derby crushes, but Juke Boxx is amaaaazing. I felt terrible for Madison when she moved to Minnesota but at the same time, GO MNRG I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY.

    /derbynerd

  2. Drums & derby are a hot combo, not gonna lie. Also I’m so excited to see a queer Trini on AS! I just visited Port of Spain last month & was wondering where all the queers were at.

    • There are queers in Trinidad, but they aren’t as open as we are in America due to the lifestyle. There is a gay club in Port of Spain off Tragarete Road opposite the Oval (Cricket Stadium) called Studio Rumours

  3. Did you do a community service project with Build-A-Bear in Washington D.C. a couple years ago? You look super familiar and I remember meeting a very talented drum player who looked just like you.
    If not, you seem really awesome and my apologies for being random.

  4. As I’m someone who learned about derby exclusively via Whip It, can you tell me if I have the right idea?

    thank you for asking my questions for me vanessa

    anyhow i love everything that’s going on here in this post, all of it

  5. I actually learned about roller derby through the one ex-boyfriend I ever had (random I know) and I’ve really wanted to be more involved. Then I was invited to volunteer for a bout next month (since I’m a certified EMT) and I’m soooooooo EXCITED!!!!!!!

    Amanda, I’m super impressed by your story and work ethic. Good for you in getting involved in roller derby and working so hard to get better! I’m so inspired :)

  6. Hey girl heyyy. One of your shots is from franky panky against the Duval girls. YaAay! I am from Tampa roller derby. Glad to see a fellow straddler did a post on roller derby looking forward to when Tampa plays Gold Coast. :)

  7. haha this line made me smile
    ” But for weeks after I could not keep my pants on — I had to show everyone my bruise.”

    also can apply to the aftermath of a first rugby game!!

  8. For everyone frantically gooling new derby crushes go look at Bonnie Thunders from Gotham City RIGHT NOW. Also Tracy “Disco” Akers on Denver. I’m going to force myself to stop listing people now.

    Probably the most wrong thing in Whip It is the notion that you can do this sport on the cheap. I cackle every time I watch Ellen Page get her beat up skates and basic knee pads. My gear was heavily discounted and still cost me over $200, and that’s just from the basic stuff. Just gettin new wheels runs around $100. That made the joining process a bit less magical ;_;

    • SUZY HOTROD FROM GOTHAM GIRLS ROLLER DERBY, EVERYBODY.

      (clearly all credit to my buddy Gil Leora, photographer for Windy City Rollers).

      you know you want it. (I promise I’ll stop just posting pictures of rollergirls now).

      • please don’t stop, actually.

        also if any other rollergirls wanna submit to be straddlers on the street…that would be swell. hint hint, nudge nudge. <3

  9. Love this.

    “I’m always the first at the rink and always the last to take my skates off.” Yesss, tell the people. Me too and it makes SUCH a difference to your rate of progress. I used to go to roller discos twice a week and the hours on skates add up. Plus you can spot the A Team skaters who got there by being just as superkeen, and it’s beautiful. Derby’s still in this space where if you put the time and effort in you can go as far you want, and I love that about it.

    Another major difference from Whip It is that our rulesets tend to be a lot kinder. WFTDA have no e.g. elbowing in the throat, and throwing a punch gets you expelled. It’s a lot less violent than I’d’ve thought. I’m whatever the opposite of an adrenaline junkie is and I love the fuck out of it.

    I only went to derby in the first place cause of Crystal’s comment in the how-to-meet-gays article that it was “wall to wall queers”, so a derby girl on AS is like coming full circle.

    In conclusion: derby derby derby, support your local derby league.

  10. AAAhhhhh!!!!!! Way to represent the queer derby!! I totally look forward to skating against you in July.

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