Name: Gnarly Davidslam
Number: 883
Travel Teams: All Stars, Brawlers, & Marble City Mayhem
Home Team: Lolitas
Years skating: 8
Hard Knox fans had double the chances to see December’s skater of the month out on the track this past season. She skates with both the Allstars and the Brawlers, and there’s a lot you may not know about Gnarly Davidslam!
You were nominated by Mad Dawg, who wants to know how different is it playing roller derby up North versus playing derby down in the South?
I think a lot of the difference just comes from when I started derby, because I started in 2014 and there were some different rules. The last time I played derby would have been 2017, so the rules [have] changed even since then. I think back home—where I first started—there was less travel. We had leagues that we played that were closer to us, and I think it was just because we were a smaller area, smaller town. But really as far as derby itself goes, there’s not a whole lot of difference.
I will say: in this area, I feel like people from other teams tend to know each other, like there’s a lot of connection more so than there was back up North. I like that because I can go somewhere and be like, “Hey I’ve played with that person!” or “Hey I added them on Facebook, I know who they are, I watched them play before!” So that’s kind of the cool part about being down here that I’ve found so far.
So how did you discover roller derby?
So, April of 2014, my best friend was killed in a motorcycle accident, like very best friend since—we went to Germany together in middle school, so really since middle school—was killed in a motorcycle accident. Just people being stupid and not being patient; somebody turned in front of him, and killed both him and his passenger. And I was not really coping well with it. I was just going to work and sleeping and school and just kind of going through the motions. I think it would have been about July came around and my parents were like, “Okay, you need to do something. This is not healthy.” And they said we’re going to get you into therapy, but you need to find something else to do outside of the house.
So I had just watched Whip It for some random reason, and I was like, “I doubt there’s anything like this around here.” So I googled “roller derby central Wisconsin” and up popped Mid-state Sisters of Skate, which is the league I started with. Went to watch one practice and they were like, “Yeah just come check it out, see what you think.” Watched a practice, literally was like, “Yep, let me know when I need to be here, what I need to do to sign up.” Did fresh meat.
By September—so I started mid-July—by September I was buying my own gear and everything like that (they had loaner gear that they let fresh meat use because our fresh meat classes were so small). In September I bought my first pair of skates. I was on the, we called the “Bambis,” that was our B team.
I just needed a sport, I needed an outlet. I’ve always played sports, but needed something that was active and you know, just being a motorcycle person, derby kind of was a non-traditional sport. I liked that, I liked that it was an empowering sport for women. I liked that it was kind of a rough and tough sport. I had never really played a full contact sport before. That was new for me. I always wanted to play football, but my dad wouldn’t let me. I got asked to play football in middle school, and my dad was like, “No, you’re a girl, you’re not playing football.” Well, probably made a mistake there because I probably would’ve gotten it out of my system then. But no, I joined derby and it was just kind of one of those things.
You know, the community of it, and just the support and the physical and mental challenge of it, but also it’s very good mental health wise for me. It just kind of—and I know, everyone says it, but it saved my life. When I joined here, I was also in a pretty tough spot in my life. When I joined the team here, it was at one of my lowest points since I’ve moved here, and it just kind of helped me realize, “Hey, you’ve got a community here with something you love, there’s a reason to be here,” and it’s just, again, I always find derby when it’s tough times in my life. I’ve gone away from it and it saves my life once again.
Oh man, that’s really incredible that derby could help you in both of those times and in such sincere ways! So what brought you to Tennessee?
I’ve always wanted to live in Tennessee. I grew up in Wisconsin, went to every state except for Hawaii, so Tennessee’s always been in my top three states. At the time I moved here, I was dating somebody who had lived here previously, but lived back home in Wisconsin. He said he wanted to be here, live here again. His company’s based here, but he can kind of be wherever, so he said, “Well, let’s move to Tennessee.” Made it happen.
We love motorcycle riding, so it was longer riding season, better weather, no snow in November like they’ve got back home. You know, there were a lot of reasons, and for me it was just, you know, being able to kind of start fresh and just kind of be, see what it was like to move 800 miles away from your family, which has its, you know, positives and negatives, like the fact that I can’t see them this weekend for Thanksgiving, but it’s also forced me to grow and become more independent from my family.
You’ve mentioned motorcycles a couple of times, and I know that’s connected with your name. Has that always been your skater name and number?
Yes. So my mom had a daycare in our house when I was younger, and we became really close with the parents of the first kids she took care of, and then those kids as they grew up. One of them, her name was Kathy, and she had seen derby before I even talked about it, and when she found out I was in derby, she was like, “Oh my gosh, that’s so cool, that’s perfect, I love it!” And I was fresh meat, trying to come up with a name, and couldn’t come up with anything cool, and she was like, “What about Gnarly Davidslam? It is kind of a play on words off of Harley Davidson,” and I was like yeah that’s cool.
And then at the time the motorcycle I had was a Harley Iron 883, so it was 883 cubic inches, so that’s where the 883 came from. So since then I’ve upgraded bikes, but obviously wasn’t worth changing my number on everything. But I do really love that it wasn’t something I came up with, it was kind of chosen for me in a weird way.
It goes back to your community again.
Yes, right.
So this past season you’ve played on both the Allstars and captained with the Brawlers. What has that been like, navigating between two different teams?
It had its challenges. Most people would think the idea of having to play two games in one day was the worst part of it, but that really wasn’t. For me, the hardest part was when we were at practices and they would split the two teams off to separate sides, and I was torn between which one I should be practicing with. Especially being the captain of the Brawlers team, I felt like I should be there for that team, I should be there as leadership for them, but also in that, I knew that the Allstars team, I had a purpose on that team as well. I think in a way it kind of added, or hopefully gave people a reason to have a little bit more respect for me as a captain, and I was completely shocked when I got nominated as captain and then got chosen to be the captain, but I was very happy to fulfill that role.
We went through a lot, the Brawlers team, we had a lot of rough patches this season, but you know just being kind of looked to as leadership from my peers and just being able to—I think a lot of the stuff I would’ve done anyways, but I felt like it was more necessary, checking in with my team before, everyone who was rostered before the game, the week of the game, I would always check in with everyone to see you know any questions, any concerns. Between Wednesday and Sunday, would always reach out to everybody individually and just check in to make sure that everybody was good, they felt good about the communication on the track, kind of how everybody was feeling with everyone on the track. And that was something—I’ve always kind of been a natural leader and I’ve always been told by people I work with and school counselors and things that that’s something of a strong point for me, so to be able to do that and given that role in something I love to do and enjoy was kind of a double bonus for me.
So when you’re out there on the track, what positions do you most enjoy skating?
When I started derby I was a jammer. The team I played rec league for in grad school started transitioning me to blocker. When I got here, within a couple of weeks, Kilty was like, “Yeah, we need you as a blocker.” I personally love being a pivot because I have the opportunity to do both.
My favorite spot in the wall is to be the brace. I love bracing just because it helps me. I feel like, generally speaking, I’m a strong communicator and I can see more of it and I feel that’s where I’m more effective. But definitely have learned to love blocking. I still love jamming, but I learned that right now, that’s not my strongest position. So pivoting, definitely because I get to enjoy both.
Do you have any goals for yourself for our upcoming 2023 season?
I want to successfully complete an apex jump in gameplay, whether that’s scrimmage or actual gameplay. Definitely wasn’t able to do that this year because I didn’t jam that much, but it would be cool just to be able to do that. Last season I had my first fouling out of a game, which actually ended up being incorrect, but maybe this season have a legit one where I actually do foul out of a game, but to have the penalties that I get be more purposeful because I’ve been heavy on penalties. I’ve kind of worked on that, but just to kind of figure out how I can make them useful penalties (because we all know there is such a thing in derby). I guess otherwise I just want to keep developing skills and be the best that I can be for the team.
Yeah! How would you describe your derby playing style?
Ooh, that’s a good question. Jamming, I’m definitely more of like an Earth jammer. I’m not very jukey. I will push and push and push. As far as blocking, I would say kind of aggressive? My favorite thing to do actually is—probably something as part of my goals for next year—is to really chase the jammer out of the pack, like to the edge of the engagement zone, and get to a point where I can execute hits successfully. I know that’s something that people have kind of noticed that I do, like even if I know I’m not gonna get that jammer, I’m still practicing that muscle memory of chasing them out. I would like to be more aggressive, but I think, you know, I’ve learned this year to have some pretty intense hits. I mean, I don’t really know that I have, how I would describe my style overall, like I have a jamming style but I don’t think, blocking styles I don’t really know.
I think blocking is so much—it’s in the moment, whatever’s needed.
Yeah, and for me, I have places I prefer to start on the line, at the beginning of the jam, but I will literally go wherever I need to be as things become chaotic.
What have been some of your favorite roller derby moments?
Let’s see, my first autograph when I was with my first league. The woman who actually came up with my derby name, she brought her middle son to watch me play, and he asked me for an autograph at the end of the game. I think he recognized who I was, but didn’t like put it all together, so it was just really cool to have that kind of superstar type thing in somebody’s eyes. Like to have them look up to me, that’s something I love about derby is having little kids or even people who don’t play, adults who don’t play derby and don’t think they can or haven’t tried it come up and say, “Wow, that’s really cool, like it’s so cool that you do that,” and you know just have that recognition.
One of my other favorite moments was when I got my first MVP jammer award. It was at a scrimmage in Little City this year, but I’ve never had an MVP award, and then to get the Seltzer award at the end of the season was really cool too.
How do you like to spend your time outside of roller derby?
I spend a lot of my time with my dog, who is currently trying to eat my feet. I spend a lot of time with her. I like to explore breweries and restaurants in the area. Obviously ride motorcycles. I like to be outside, not necessarily like hiking or doing anything like that, but just being outside. Used to do a lot of fishing when I lived back home, but not able to do that as much because my dad’s up there and I’m here.
Nothing too crazy, just motorcycles, my dog, breweries, derby. My friends all think I’m crazy because of how much time I spend on derby—we all know that’s a lifestyle.
Who would you like to nominate for next month, and what do you want to ask?
Let’s do Shine-Her, she’s really excelled this year. How has joining derby changed your life?
Thanks for a fantastic conversation, Gnarly! Watching you balance multiple teams with grace was an inspiration to your teammates, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way! Until next time readers, give a shout out to a derby player in your life who inspires you!
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