Interviews: BotB II team captains Ivanna S. Pankin and Krissy Krash

In the championship bout of last weekend's Capital Punishment:  Battle on the Bank II banked track roller derby tournament, the San Diego Derby Dolls banked all star team defeated the L.A. Derby Dolls Ri-Ettes in a gripping 78-76 nailbiter to claim the 2009 Banked Track National Championship (archived text boutcast).  The team captains took time out to speak with DNN's Mercy Less about the experience.

Ivanna S. Pankin, Captain, San Diego Derby Dolls Banked Track Team 6/22/09

DNN: Tell us a little bit about the history of SDDD.

Ivanna: I'm a relatively recent transfer, but I do know a little about the genesis of the San Diego Derby Dolls. Bonnie D. Stroir (MVP of the Battle on the Bank II tournament) started skating around 2004, I think, with the L.A. Derby Dolls, and started the San Diego sister league a few years later. I suspect the commute had a lot to do with that.

They started playing flat track while figuring out how to afford a banked track and facility, and the girls found they loved both - and loved the competition they could get on flat track since so many other leagues were doing it.  I don't know if they always set out to be a hybrid league, but by the time I got to know them, they were ardent about both. I think they started playing [flat track] interleague by challenging Team Awesome at RollerCon [2007].

DNN: How did you prepare your team for BOTBII?

Ivanna: Well, The Big One [California Flat Track Championship Tournament] was just a few weeks ago, so we've actually been working hard towards this summer since Trish and I transferred here at Thanksgiving.   San Diego had a string of disappointing games last season and when we met them they were eager to try new ideas. We're lucky to have our own practice facility with unlimited practice time, so we're in there a lot.

For The Big One we practiced 6 hours a week on flat and 3 on banked (to keep from getting rusty timing), then as soon as that tournament ended, we flipped it. I'm not giving away any training secrets to say we spent most of that time on team work and strategic gameplay. And putting lots of miles on our skates together so that we could work together efficiently.

DNN: What was your feeling about your team's performance going into the tourney? Did you have expectations?

Ivanna: I got to watch our team very closely at The Big One because I had an ACL injury and couldn't play. So I feel like I had a really accurate idea where we were coming from and what we were capable of. I had very high expectations for our team, but also an extremely high opinion of our opponents, so I knew we'd have fun and do well. And I thought we had a good chance to take it. 

We knew quite a bit about many of the players on Team Legit, and we know our LADD sisters very well because we play them all the time. We couldn't predict how far Texas [tournament host TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls] had progressed, but we knew they weren't playing a lot of interleague, and I admit to a bias there: it is possible to get awesome without playing interleague, but its a lot easier faster when you're getting lessons on the track from strangers every game.

DNN: How was the experience of the Austin Tourney compared to last year's BOTB?

Ivanna: Well, I was a banked track virgin last year (blushes). We went into this with a much stronger base of knowledge and skill, as a much more cohesive team. And as fun as Team Awesome is, its much more serious when its your team that you work hard with every practice. We really wanted this. Plus there was an element in there of me of hoping to show that San Diego is a quality, hardworking team and that banked track is a serious sport. So I feel like I personally had a little more to prove this year.

DNN: What were the keys for SDDD to winning the Championship game?

Ivanna: Defense, defense, defense. We have great jammers and we work everyone hard at jammer skills, so lots of backups, too. We felt confident that they could do the job, but were also aware that we were going up against some of the best around. So we tried to button up our pack play to prevent joy for our opponents, as much as we could.

DNN: What kind of bench talk was going on in quarter breaks in the Championship game? Coaching? What kind of adjustments did you have to make?

Ivanna: That was a seriously intense game for us. We've really worked on polishing it up at the bench to stay calm and focused so that we can make adjustments when we need to. That game, though, it was like playing family. It was emotional. We reminded each other a lot to enjoy it. It was such a close game.

DNN: If you could give out 3 MVPs to your team, as captain, who would they be? Why? Who would you give them to on LADD?

Ivanna: As much as this is going to sound like b.s., I am totally sincere in saying that our whole team stepped up and played amazing. Standout players for me on LADD were Krissy Krash, playing with a bum knee and a migraine but still a huge threat, Broadzilla, stuffing our jammers and so hard to knock down, Mila Minute who seems like she might be playing on injuries but is still slippery like she's greased up...

And on my own team, I want to call out our 4 primary jammers, because they all knew they weren't going to get a lot of help from us aside from setups and the occassional whip, and they were getting totally beat up. They all still kicked ass and never complained (at least not loudly) a minute about our strategic decisions.

Bonnie [D. Stroir], Sarkastika [known as Steely Jan on the flat track], Kiki Diazz and our newest transfer, Kung Pow Tina [LADD alum]- they just rocked it all night.

DNN: What was your personal best moment of the Championship game? Of the tournament?

Ivanna: I had been looking forward to nailing Krissy [Krash, of LADD] in a piledriver since the first time I saw her turn around in a jam and stare at the opposing blockers. I mean, just waiting for the day.

So, she did it to me, and I lowered my shoulder and took the hit...

... nothing.

Dammit!

Two jams later she did it again.

I came at her like I was gonna try again, then dodged around her at the last minute, and when she pitched forward to take my hit, she ate it. Super fun for me.

Other than that, I was just thrilled the entire time that I got to play. I was worried my knee wasn't healed enough, and sitting out The Big One sucked ass. I didn't want to miss the whole summer season of fun, especially after having spent so many hours working so hard to get there. And so after the first warmup I knew I was fine. From that moment on I was having a blast.  It didn't end 'til the alarm went off to early this morning to get to the airport. Still kind of high on it, tho, even in my sleep-deprived, sore state.

DNN: How do you think flat track interleague play his impacted your team's banked track success?

Ivanna: We worked very hard to analyze the differences; what works where. I think that intellectual approach helped us really refine our training goals. Then we went at it super hard. Transitioning back and forth also made it a lot easier for us to have a great game on an unfamiliar track, too.

DNN: What advice would you give to the rookie teams in the tournament?

Ivanna: They looked pretty good! I think the best thing they could do is talk to the experienced leagues. Everyone wants to help them, and everyone wants stiffer and stiffer competitions. It's like the early days of flat track when everyone helped everyone. There is not one thing I know about banked track derby that I would hesitate to tell or teach a potential opponent. Whether they asked or not, some might say, hahaha.

DNN: How is Taryn Hearts recovering from the first round game?

Ivanna: Good. She has a shoulder injury but it's in the meat, not the bones. She'll be checked better this week by her own doc. They suspect a torn or strained rotator cuff. She's in great spirits.

DNN: You're now the California Flat Track Champions, and the National Banked Track Champions - what's next for the mighty SDDD?

Ivanna: We are super excited that the Angel City Derby Girls are letting us play an undercard to their Oly match in August. We'll be lining up against Bay Area Derby Girls' all stars in a double header. That is going to be so AWESOME. And we've got flat and banked games scheduled with Cincinnati in the fall, and we're hoping to make the LADD champs with our home banked track team, The Swarm. I am personally looking forward to my 40th birthday, because we'll be spending it in Hawaii playing the Pacific Rollergirls and the Maui Rollergirls, that's this fall, too. TONS OF FUN.

DNN: Any last thoughts?

Ivanna: Big love to DNN. Thank you for giving us a place to find out what's going on in this sport! And - YEAH, DERBY DOLLS! Tell LADD we love them and would never have gotten there without them. We owe them a lot.

 

Krissy Krash, Captain, L. A. Derby Dolls Banked Track Interleague, The L. A. Ri-Ettes

DNN: How did you prepare the team for BOTBII?

Krissy: We got the '09 All-Star team together in January, and made some goals with the team, in terms of things we thought we had as strengths from last year. Coming out of the tournament in the #1 position last year, how did we want to improve as a group...so we really took some goals like focusing on specific strategies, plays and really taking all the strengths we have as individuals, and trying to piece them together to find a really good, strong fit of players together. 

DNN: What was your feeling about your team's performance going into the tournament? Did you have expectations?

Krissy: I think I had pretty high expectations. Like I said, we're a really strong group of girls, and it's hard to play any of those girls on the track together and not have them skate well and perform exceptionally. We were hoping to come into it and place in the top ranks.

DNN: How was the experience of the Austin Tourney compared to last year's BOTB?

Krissy: It was definitely different ruleset - wise. We were playing a little more Texas rules, a little less Derby Doll rules, which definitely gave it a different feel. It was really great to go in and skate against some of those newer teams! That's not to say, "oh, it's great to go in and have a blowout," it was really amazing to skate against Red Dirt [Rebellion], and know that we were their first banked track experience. It really made us feel like we were bringing the game to our little sisters, and being able to show them what derby is all about was a really awesome experience that we didn't have last year. 

DNN: What were the keys to LADD's success leading up to the Championship game?

Krissy: I would have to say definitely teamwork. We just had a real strong focus on our strengths as a whole. Coming together after every game, saying " here's what we did well, here's what we're up against," really focusing on specific strategies, and for each team we were playing, knowing their strenths and weaknesses and playing off of them was something we were preparing for. 

DNN: What kind of bench talk was going on in quarter breaks in the Championship game?

Krissy: We tried to focus a lot on playing actively versus reactively. Going up against a strong team like San Diego, you have to actively not let them take over. So you have to be making those plays that are causing them to react to you. When you get into a reactive mode, you're essentially getting out of your game and getting into their game. Each quarter we were focusing on "here's what we do well, let's keep doing that," instead of saying "well, let's react to it." It was all about forcing the other team to play what we wanted them to play, not necessarily following their lead.

DNN: What do you think was the most challenging part of that game for your team?

Krissy: You know, San Diego and LA have such a long history together, and I think it's very interesting to go up against your sisters, because you don't want to see your sisters fail, but at the same time you really want to win. It's difficult for us to go up against those girls that we're so familiar with, versus going out and hitting the crap out of someone you don't know. 

DNN: What was your personal best moment of the Championship game? Of the tournament?

Krissy: I had a really rough Championship game. I had a wicked migraine, and I was just trying not to die! It all happened so fast...I have to say, I was really proud of V Lee in this game, and I thought it was really amazing to watch her skate in this game. Because she just busted out with a beautiful game defensively, offensively, and that was a pretty powerful pair.

For me, watching my team come together, because I wasn't in the best place, because I was hurting so bad, knowing that I could just have so much faith in such an amazing team, knowing that they could pull it together. It's not about the individual, just knowing that that team was going to work together, and they're just going to bring it.

I think the best part of the tournament for me was meeting the new teams. It really shows that the banked track is spreading, and that the next five years for banked track is going to be so amazing, and the growth is going to be so phenominal. Seeing these new teams coming out with so much stoke for the banked track, and really just getting ready to charge forward, was the most exciting thing for me ever. Realizing that our foundation of it is what everyone is going to start building upon. Being the leaders in this whole new evolution of derby. 

DNN: Do you think flat-track interleague play has impacted your teams' banked track success?

Krissy: I think so. Because flat track is similar, we learn different strategies, and we learn how to apply them to the banked track. It makes us look at our track differently, and makes us think of different ways that we can work it. It's just a great form for concentrating in general. It basically makes us look at our track from differnt angles. We've learned how to apply our heads to the banked track, so this just makes us all-around better skaters.

DNN: If you could give out 3 MVPs to your team, as captain, who would they be? To SDDD?

Krissy: For LA, I would definitely say V Lee. I would have to say Jacq Pot. Jacks came in and I was a little skeptical, this is her first year as a rookie, and I think she's really bringing it, for the all-star team. For San Diego, I think Damernatrix had a really awesome game, she had some really heavy hits. Bonnie... and Trish, she's just always a hard player, she's a force on the track, it's hard not to have to deal with her. (laughs) Like it or not. 

DNN: What advice would you give to the rookie teams in the tournament?

Krissy: Play harder, and faster. Stay in derby and skate every game you can, meet every derby girl you can, play flat trck, play banked track, and constantly train. Just keep going with it. The harder thay all train , the harder we have to train. Those are the girls we're going to be coming up against next year, and going "Oh, Snap! Where did you come from?!" It's just really exciting to see all that potential.Keep working hard - it's going to show.

DNN: Your team placed really well in The Big One, you took second place at BOTB - what's next for LADD?

Krissy: Next for LA Derby Dolls is hiatus (big sigh). We have a second half of our season coming up, and were looking to come at it real strong. Looking forward to playing against San Diego some more, because they are a part of our regular [home] season. Really focusing on possibly unifying some rules, getting our name out there. 

We're really looking to establish ourselves in the flat track community. Because we do very, very much want to unify roller derby in general. It's really great for us to come out, we're really looking forward to getting known. We are real roller derby. We're here, and we want to play hard, and we want to play strong. We want to play everybody! I think we're going to do a lot of travelling, or if not travelling, skating outside our own teams, and really getting the word out that we're here.

DNN: Do you have a message for San Diego?

Krissy: I would like to say that I want to thank them for bringing the Dolls into flat track, and really working hard to establish a really great name for Derby Dolls. Together, Derby Dolls are going to take over the world!