The Banger Sisters are like the mafia: tight-knit and not to be trifled with. Get to know this season’s newest addition to The Family.
Judgment Bae – Banger Sisters
What drew you to roller derby? How did you find out about NSRD?
I don’t remember exactly what it was, but roller derby came up and I remember thinking “That is something I should do.” I didn’t have any skating experience, so after doing some research NSRD’s satellites sessions seemed like the right way to get started and learn.
Tell us about your derby name!
I actually started with a different name but after a couple months I realized it didn’t feel right. I enlisted friends to help me brainstorm, and ultimately Judgment Bae just felt like it suited me best!
What did you enjoy most about bootcamp? What was it like transitioning to league?
Bootcamp gave me the first taste of what being part of a roller derby community feels like – it was so full of awesome folks that made it fun and safe to learn and push myself in that setting.
What have you learned from the Bangers so far?
Since being drafted to the Bangers, my skills as a skater have seen a ton of improvement across the board. It is great having teammates with so much experience and skill to help me become a competent player on the track. Also – I’ve learned there is no such thing as too much glitter.
What goals do you have in the league?
Outside of skating, I am also heading NSRD’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. My goal is to deepen NSRD’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring the league supports our skaters and keeps roller derby accessible to those who share our passion for the sport!
Patty Gnarr – Banger Sisters
Tell us about your derby name!
As a native Spanish-speaker, I wanted to flex my bilingual fluency. The Spanish verb for “to skate” is “patinar,” and Patty Gnarr is a nice anglicization of that.
What drew you to roller derby? How did you find out about NSRD?
I actually met Freya and Jack at roughly the same time in my life, through different aspects of my life, and both were very open about how cool NSRD was.
What did you enjoy most about Bootcamp? How did the transition from bootcamp to league feel like?
It was a really awesome collective of supportive-to-the-max people who just wanted to see each other do their best. Also getting to learn contact in that kind of environment made the whole thing less scary.
What did you enjoy about your first bout? Were you nervous?
While I was hella nervous, I enjoyed the freedom I had to be like “Hey, this is my first bout, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Although all bouts feel like my first bout at this point.
What have you learned from the Bangers so far?
I’ve learned so much about the mental game of roller derby, and big-picture strategy. I’m really learning how to use my brain in this sport in a way that I could’ve never fathomed and I feel so fortunate for that.