Derby name:
SlamBo

Real Name:
Samantha Evans

Number:
300

How did you come up with your name and number?

When choosing a derby name it's best to come up with a couple and then keep them in your head for a while until you figure out which one you like best.  Slam was one of my top picks, and then a close friend of mine suggested Slambo, immediately I LOVED it!  I chose 300 because it's a bad@$$ number....have you seen the movie?

What made you first start roller derby, or how did you discover roller derby?

I heard about derby a few years ago briefly on a tv show and it sparked my attention, but I had a lot going on in my life so I never really looked into in. I moved to Sonora almost two years ago and read in the paper about a bout the Hellcats were going to put on, I really wanted to go check them out, but it was still bad timing for me.  Then in September of last year I had some time, so I checked out a practice and haven't missed many since.  The team was very welcoming, we have a wonderful group of girls. Now a lot of them are like family to me. I love you ladies!

Why do you love roller derby so much?

I have always loved to skate.  As a kid my mom "made" me do gymnastics, I liked it...sometimes...but it was something she wanted me to do. No one is "making" me play roller derby.  I love it. Something about being on skates makes me feel good inside, like I'm being set free. The competitiveness and the ability to be able to take and give hits just makes me even more determined to want to be better.

How many hours per week do you practice?

2-4- 6hrs a week is when practices are held, but I try to skate five days a week for at least two hours, and then even more if I'm just skating for fun at skate night or whatever...

What is your favorite drill?

The bear crawl.... haha...does that mean I don't have to do it anymore Tripp?

What is the most challenging part of roller derby?

I would have to say being a smoker

What are your non-derby hobbies?

I don't have any anymore, derby has consumed my life...I'm only kidding.  If the damn rain would ever stop, maybe I could actually do other things, like bike riding, camping, laying out in the sun, any kind of adventuring.  Now it's just derby, work, hangin out drinking, dancin, and occasionally some scrabble or a puzzle.

What’s your favorite piece of your roller derby wardrobe?

My helmet.  Our helmets are OUR helmets.  We put our little stickers or drawings or sayings or whatever we want on them.  I think it's the part of our uniforms that really set us apart from each other, and shows our creativity, or lack there of... hehe

How does your derby alter ego differ from your everyday persona?

I'm not really sure.  But when I tell people I play roller derby they seem to be very surprised.

What is a common misconception about roller derby?

Fighting...no we don't throw blows, we can't even throw elbows.  Shoulders and hips with a little oooommmfff behind it, but just because we can't or aren't supposed to, doesn't mean it doesn't happen

What’s your favorite roller derby web site?

Don't have one.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about joining roller derby?

You don't know how many times I've heard this, "I want to play roller derby, I just don't want to get hurt."  That's the wrong way to look at it.  Getting hurt is not a concern of mine because I'm not dwelling on it.  I'm more concerned about what I can do for my team, improving, how to get faster, or how I'm gonna get past so and so, and getting stronger and more "agile" as coach would say...don't play if you don't want to get hurt and don't do it for attention...if you wanna skate around and look cute, go figure.

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