The Hit List: Skater Spotlight for 3/20/2015: Jim Ruffo #1618

by Hispanic Attack

What is your derby name? 
My actual name.

What is the story behind your name? 
According to my mom, my parents were seriously considering "Vincent", which ended up being my middle name.

What number do you wear? 
1618

Why did you choose it? 
It's the first four digits of the golden ratio, a famous mathematical constant.

What is your role in the league? 
Secretary.

What is your preferred position on the track? 
Wherever I'm most needed. Except jammer. Pivot is OK, as long as there are no star passes involved.

What’s your pre-derby athletic background? 
I did soccer, track, and cross-country in high school. I also used to skateboard, snowboard and play basketball, but not in any organized way.

What would you say are your greatest strengths as a skater? 
Probably my ability to see what's happening on the track and react accordingly. I'm a really good bridger.

What is your proudest accomplishment in roller derby and why? 
n/a

Which one of your teammates do you look up to most, and why? 
I admire all of the work Joe Stever and Graham Espe for they have done over the years to get the league started and keep it healthy.

What is your best memory of the 2014 MRDA season? 
Our last game of the Mohawk Valley Cup against the Twin Cities Terrors.

What is your motivational quote? 
n/a

How did you get involved with roller derby?
 My girlfriend, Melissa, started as an official with the league in Oneonta, where we live. There were some guys there who were trying to put a men's team together at the time, including fellow Quadfathers Oxenfree and Aaron Chapin. She harassed me until I agreed to come to a practice.

Finally, is there anything I didn’t ask you about that you want to talk about? 
n/a

The Hit List: Skater Spotlight for 3/13/2015: Bob Fowler #28

Photo by Sean Childs

What is your derby name?
My derby name is The RagingHomo but I skate under my real name now.

What is the story behind your name?
I chose that name in the hopes of becoming a positive role model for teens and young adults who maybe struggling with their sexual orientation by showing them that they can be a part of a team and accepted for who they are. I still believe that there is a place in roller derby for everybody.

What number do you wear?
28

Why did you choose it?
I chose that number to honor my step sister. She taught me how to skate when I was young. She died in a tragic accident when she was 28 and her birthday was Dec.28th. There were other factors involved that kept bringing up that number so, rather then fear it or look at it as some kind of curse I chose to honor her with it..

What is your role in the league?
I'm a blocker

What is your preferred position on the track?
Upright and next to a teammate.

What’s your pre-derby athletic background?
 A lot of farm work.

What would you say are your greatest strengths as a skater?
I feel as though I am a team player and can work well with anybody out on the track weather they be a vet or someone new to the team.

What is your proudest accomplishment in roller derby and why?
Well, its not really 'my' accomplishment but my proudest event/moment was playing in a bout with my son against the Connecticut Death Quads. It was amazing to be able to share the track with him and to see him holding his own and doing so well. I couldn't help but feel proud.

Which one of your teammates do you look up to most, and why?
The ones in orange and black because they have my back. I respect all of my teammates for different reasons and for all the same reasons.

What is your best memory of the 2014 MRDA season?
Playing the Twin City Terrors at MVC. I want a rematch. Derby Monster is a beast of a jammer.

What is your motivational quote?
"5 SECONDS!!!" it gets my blood pumping.

How did you get involved with roller derby?
I used to watch roller derby as a kid and would hit up the local skate rink on the weekends with my friends. I had always want to play roller derby and then one day several years later while at work a coworker told me that she was going to go check out roller derby after work. I didn't believe her and we went back and forth about it and she eventually invited me to go along with her. She is now known as my wife in roller derby. Thank you Becky. 

The Hit List: Skater Spotlight for 3/6/2015: B. Scherz #35

What is your derby name?
B. Scherz

Photo by Juan Paden- JPaden Photography

What is the story behind your name?
When I joined the Quadfathers in 2012 I decided to skate under my real name rather than having a derby name. I like people's derby names but it just wasn't for me. I'm pretty lame (my favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla if that helps determine my level of lameness).

What number do you wear?
35

Why did you choose it?
This was my number growing up playing hockey.

What is your role in the league?
Captain as well as behind the scenes as a member of the Board.

What is your preferred position on the track?
I prefer blocking but last year against Albany we were missing a jammer and they put me in and I put up a pretty big number and that was pretty much the end of my career as a blocker. I still get my fix though when I feed the baby to my eager blockers.

What’s your pre-derby athletic background?
I played hockey, lacrosse and soccer in High School.

What would you say are your greatest strengths as a skater?
Hard work and dedication at practice are definitely my greatest strengths. I push myself 100% in every drill and try to finish first in any speed or endurance drill we have. I am aware that people on the team look up to me and if I am pushing myself they hopefully will feed off that and push themselves as well.

What is your proudest accomplishment in roller derby and why?
Being selected to back to back All-Tourney teams at the Mohawk Valley Cup. Once as a blocker followed by being voted on as a jammer.

Which one of your teammates do you look up to most, and why?
She is technically not a teammate but Coach Kitten(my fiancee, soon to be wife) is who I look up to the most on the team. She came in and really turned our team around. She comes up with great practices and always pushes us to another level. We wouldn't be the same team without her at the helm.

What is your best memory of the 2014 MRDA season?
The second half of our game against Minnesota in the 3rd/4th place game at MVC. That was the best half of derby we had played all season and in my opinion we really surprised them with how we played.

What is your motivational quote?
"I love it when people doubt me, It makes me work harder to prove them wrong"-Derek Jeter.

How did you get involved with roller derby?
My brother was one of the early skaters that joined the Quadfathers and I watched a game and fell in love with it and haven't stopped skating since.

Finally, is there anything I didn’t ask you about that you want to talk about?
I'm really excited for the 2015 Quadfathers team. It seems like we have started to turn a corner and are on the way up. Who knows what will happen this season but all I know is that it's going to be one hell of a ride.