She’s one of our newest skaters, but she’s already made quite a name for herself as a squirmy jammer and reliable teammate. Whether you know her from the derby track or the skatepark, you can’t forget her moxie: it’s obLIVion!
Photo Credit: Phanovich Photography
Name: obLIVion
Number: 3
Travel Team: Brawlers
Home Team: Machine Gun Kellys
Years skating: 1
You were nominated by Night Mayor, who wants to know how roller derby has changed you.
Ooh— I would say that it’s made me more confident. I started skating at the skatepark right around the same time I started playing roller derby (with the same group of people) so both of them kind of together shaped me. It definitely made me feel like I could do a lot more cool stuff, and then it made me feel a little unstoppable, like I can do anything. I feel a lot more hardcore than I used to.
Yeah! So you discovered the skatepark first? Or how did you get into skating?
So I’ve always dabbled in it and thought it was fun. I was working at a bar, and the derby girls (in South Florida, the Gold Coast Girls) were at my bar after a game or practice, and they were just talking about it, and I was like, “I want to play roller derby!” So I started talking to them, and they were telling me, “Yeah, you should totally join us!” And two of my friends were at the bar, and I was talking to them about wanting to play roller derby, and they were like, “No you don’t! [Roller derby]’s psycho!” And I was like no, I thought it’d be fun. So the girls were trying to get me to join, and I was super down: I was going to continue doing whatever I needed to do. Then about a month later I moved to Knoxville, and the first thing I did when I got here was look if there was a derby team because I was like, “Oh, I need friends, I need something to do, I’m gonna try to do this,” and then everything worked out amazingly and it was just awesome. So I technically started derby first, but I went to the skatepark a couple of times before the Fresh Meat program started. So it was pretty much at the same time, but it’s made me so much more confident and capable of doing things. It was such a good decision!
What brought you to Knoxville?
My mom lives here, and I needed a change. I just figured, why not.
I’m glad you’ve made that change!
Photo Credit: Lyda-Kain
Me too!
Tell me what your experience of the Fresh Meat boot camp was like.
Oh my God, it was so much fun! I never wanted it to end. I was so scared when we started ‘real practice,’ because I was like, “Oh, but the fun stuff was gonna be so different!” It was a really good time. I didn’t miss a single practice throughout all of Fresh Meat. I looked forward to a lot of things, but being new here and not really having roots anywhere, it was really nice to have something to go to twice a week and be around such an amazing group of people, so it was just the best ever. Everyone was super encouraging and fun to be around. It was just amazing— got to learn things, and be goofy, and work out hard. I would do it so many more times over!
What achievement from Fresh Meat are you most proud of?
Probably jumping over the cones— that was my favorite part. I was jumping over the tiny ones without any problem, and everyone was like, “You totally got it, just jump over the big ones,” and I was terrified. Then I just did it, and I felt like I could do literally anything. Then I was really proud of myself for a couple of weeks, and any time the cones would be out, I would just be like, “I’m gonna jump them!” And I would get way too excited over it. Yeah, that was definitely a really fun thing to accomplish.
Do you feel like being in the skatepark helped you with that? Are those skills comparable at all?
I think being at the skatepark helps with figuring out your balance in more than just one way because when you’re on flat ground, you still have to be balanced, but you don’t have to worry about going up, going down, going in multiple directions, so I feel like it kind of sets you up to deal with any direction. I feel like it kind of helps you prepare to be knocked around a little bit more because you have to adjust your balance. Maybe you fall more at the park, but going downhill definitely made it easier to want to jump things. I think just being at the skatepark and learning skills there as well as in Fresh Meat made me more confident and that’s why I was able to jump more. I’m not sure how many of my skills came from pumping around the skatepark, like how much of my body changed with that, or if it was just mental, but I definitely feel the mental difference.
I think it is very mental at the skatepark, because I’ve only really gone to the skatepark once, and I’ve not dropped in a bowl because it just seems so scary to me, so what would you say to someone who is intimidated by that kind of skating?
Well, it’s scary! Once everything’s open again, go to some place like Paradox where it’s wood, and if you totally eat it, it doesn’t hurt like at all. When you fall really hard at Tyson, it hurts pretty bad because it’s rough concrete. The first time I dropped in, I sprained my wrist. That wasn’t ideal, but now I’m totally comfortable in there, and I can’t imagine being at the skatepark and not dropping in. So, I would say just pump around in the bowls, and do it. Commit to what you’re doing. Don’t back down halfway through.
Is dropping in your favorite part?
It’s definitely a really fun part, but currently, I’ve really liked doing airing out, where I’m doing jumps (while I’m in the bowl). I like dropping in— it gives you a lot of momentum to do something when you get to the other side, and it is scary, but it’s the cool kind of scary. So I don’t know, maybe it’s my favorite part! There are so many aspects that come together all in one that it’s hard to pick one specific aspect.
Going back to roller derby: you skated in your first bout with our home teams back in February. What were you expecting out of that bout, and did it live up to your expectations?
I was so terrified— I was absolutely terrified! I was really scared because we had such a small team. The Lolitas had so many people and we had like eight for the first game and seven for the second game, and I was so scared because I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I was told that I was going to be jamming, and I was like, “Hmm? Okay, I don’t know what to do!” And I had no strategy planned, I had nothing, I was just gonna wing it every single time I did something. I started off really strong and thought, “Oh! Maybe I’m gonna be good at this!” And then since we had such a small rotation, I got tired super fast, and then I was like, “Oh, this is scary. This is so hard.” And my teammates were like, “Yeah, normally it’s not quite this hard because there’s a slightly bigger rotation,” but I was dying. I loved it, I loved every minute, but I did not expect it to be quite that exhausting. And everyone told me 30 seconds between jams is not very much time, which I knew that, but when you experienceit, it’s no time at all. It was definitely like reality smacked me a little bit. As soon as the game was over, I wanted to do this again, a bunch of times. It was more intense than I expected, but just so much fun.
My first bout was also a home team scrimmage back in 2018, so I think it’s the best way to ease into it. You’re with your friends, and no one is really trying to kill you. They’re trying to get you, but you’re gonna be fine.
I got knocked around a couple of times really good. It was also really great because people on the Lolitas, when I was just so tired at that point, my opponents would be telling me, “You’re doing great! Keep going! You got this!” And I was like, “Oh I love you all!” So that was nice.
So you played as a jammer in that game. Do you think you want to play as a jammer?
Photo Credit: Lyda-Kain
Yes. Blocking is really confusing. I blocked maybe twice in that game. I can’t say I did much to help. If someone was telling me what to do, I could be like, “Uh huh! This is my spot! Here’s what I’m doing, and I could do it.” I’ll have a moment or two where I block decently, but jamming makes sense to me. Blocking is way too complex for my brain.
What is it that you like about jamming?
I like the struggle of getting through the pack. It’s cool to see all of the different ways that you might do that. I kind of like doing the ‘fish flop’ to try to get through. I seem to be not bad at that, so I like it because it’s fun to be squirmy. It’s so exciting to get through the pack, especially to be lead jammer and get through the pack. It’s such a good feeling— like, “Oh, I want to do this a lot.” When you do badly as a jammer, well I guess this applies to everything, but for me, if I do badly as a jammer, I just want to do better, and if I do good as a jammer, I just want to do that again. As a blocker, when I mess up, I’m like, “Oh no, I’m so sorry everybody!” I don’t know, everything about [jamming] is so good.
What is the story behind your skater name and number?
I had no idea what I was going to pick as a name. Night Mayor, my big sister, gave me a big list of names that would be great for me, and one of them was Oblivion. I thought it was absolutely hysterical because my ex-boyfriend used to call me “Oblivious Olivius.” It wasn’t a sweet thing, that he used to call me that, and all my friends would call me that, and I hated it because I didn’t think it was cute. Well, my name’s Olivia, and I am oblivious to major things. I notice the tiniest details, but it’s the giant things that I’m like, “I don’t know what’s going on.” So they would always call me that, and I hated it for years, and then Night Mayor was like, “Oblivion would be a great name,” and I was like, “Oh no, she’s right.” It made sense, since my name is Olivia, people call me “Liv,” and I kind of wanted to have a nickname that could be shortened to something I would actually recognize. If I pick a name that is totally unrelated to my name and someone says it, I’m gonna be like, “Who are you talking to?” But if someone says, “Liv,” that’s my name. So [Oblivion] just made so much sense, and I was like, “Oh no, this has to be it!” So I picked it, and originally I picked “Hurricane” because I’m from Florida, and that’s the Florida thing, but I felt that it was too similar to Lyda-Kain, so then I changed it to Oblivion. I think it’s the perfect name for me.
When I hear it, I think you’re gonna “obliterate” us and totally knock us out.
Right, that’s kind of how I’ve been using the word more recently too. When I use it in conversation, I’m like, “That’s my name!” It’s not in the way of being oblivious— it’s in the way of destroying something into oblivion.
You’ve taken ownership of it.
Yeah, so I’m very happy with my name. I think it was Night Mayor’s husband that picked it, so good for him. And then number 3: it’s just one of my favorite numbers. It’s always been like a lucky number. I just like it— it’s so cute.
Photo Credit: Jamie Saccullo
How do you spend your time outside of derby? Do you think it’s contributed to your experience of derby or skating in general?
I like to do a whole lot of different things. Before I moved here, I worked at a tattoo shop, and I worked at a holistic wellness center, and it was kind of funny because part of me was a little hippie child, and part of me was the tough girl; now I have derby, and this is the part where my tough life is, and I just started working at a library, so this is where my nerdy side is, so I always have different parts of me categorized with the different things that I do. I like to always have something that makes me feel tough (so right now that’s derby and it’s the best), but I recently started getting into biking and trail skating. I went on my first hike ever a few months ago. My friends were like, “We’re going hiking! Come with us!” and I said, “Okay! This is amazing— mountains don’t exist in Florida.” And no one believed that it was my first hike ever. I’ve just been trying to stay active and do stuff. I keep trying to tell myself to get really fit and get all my muscles strong so I can be much better at derby. It hasn’t happened yet— maybe I’ll start weight lifting one of these days? I’ve gone skating downtown and on the greenways; I’ve done ten miles a couple of times. It seems like a lot, but when you’re actually doing it, it’s easier than it sounds. It’s crazy when I track the miles and see how many it was. I’ll think that I’m not good enough to do those numbers— how did I do that? It’s cool, but it’s nothing as often as derby. It’s sad because I've lost my calluses (in my feet). They’re still kind of there, but I’ll skate for an hour or two, and I’ll feel my feet kind of hurting.
We don’t know when we’re going to go back because things are constantly changing, but when our season does pick back up, what goals do you have for yourself for this Hard Knox season?
I’m not sure. I just want to play in a game against people who are not my teammates. That’s the main thing I’m excited for. But now I’m kind of scared because I was feeling pretty ready for it, and then things got canceled, so now I’m like, “I’m gonna go back and be a little baby deer.” I’m a little scared, but I just want to play a good game against cool people. And win!
I think we’re all going to have to reset our mental game, so you’re not alone in that.
I don’t have particular goals besides just winning some games. I want to jump the apex at some point in my life, but I have figured out that’s not going to happen for a little while. Maybe I’ll just get confident one time and do it. I would like to do that at some point in my life.
Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask them?
I would like to pick Cat Pheasant. I want to know how skating/derby has made a difference in her life.
Thank you for chatting with me, obLIVion! Y’all, this conversation was so much fun because her excitement for skating just shines through in every word. If you missed her first bout, I hope you can catch her on the track soon because she is a force to be reckoned with. Until next time, be like obLIVion and obliterate whatever obstacles are standing in your way.
-smalls
Photo Credit: Nick Wolfenbanger