Skaterade – Details, episodes & analysis

Synchronicity is an undeniable theme throughout the life of Kapulani Patterson AKA Hawaiian Blaze. Each step of their journey in skating, life, and art all feel meant to be. 

Stumbling upon roller derby through a peer in trauma recovery after being medically retired from the Air Force reshaped their life in enumerable and amazing ways. In nearly ten years of playing, Kapulani met their spouse, found community, and leaned into their power as a skater and human being. 

In recent years Kapulani has deepened their connection to roller derby through skating for Team Indigenous Rising. As an indigenous, queer, Māhū skater, they hold the rallying cry for Indigenous skater representation in the sport close to their heart. Skating alongside their teammates on Team Indigenous Rising they have amplified one another’s ancestral wisdom and strength, and they’ve made big moves in not only the athletic but organizing arenas. The team has stood strong together through discrimination, and in this conversation we talk about Kapulani’s perspective on the organizers at BOTAs 2023 questioning their right to participate as a borderless team. We also go on to talk bout how the team has continued to support each other to keep pushing in the face of ignorance. 

Kapulani also shares their thoughts on how roller derby could educate skaters and officials to make it an inclusive space. We get into the racism and transphobia that are present in the international WFTDA community, and the roles that interpersonal connection as well organizations play in shaping progress and inclusivity. 

Their entry into the world of stained glass art seem just as destined in the way that their metal skills acquired during their military service branched into their artwork. And what’s more, they have since channeled their artwork into a means to raise awareness of Hawaiian cultural history and drawing attention to the thousands of missing and murdered indigenous women. 

This interview is jam-packed with thoughtful reflections from this amazing skater, artist, and mother. Tune in to hear about all the exciting projects they have in the works!

Follow Kapulani on IG! :
instagram.com/hawaiianblaze/

Take a look at Kapulani’s beautiful stained-glass creations! :https://www.instagram.com/wildwahineglass/

Listen to Kapulani's Playlist!:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DczOsv4bjdx9sbKaCalZO?si=105be284a6ce4231

Learn more about Team Indigenous Rising :
https://www.teamindigenous.org/

Learn more about Borderless Roller DerbyTeams : https://www.teamindigenous.org/borderless-roller-derby-teams

Read the Team Indigenous Rising Statement Regarding BOTAS: https://www.teamindigenous.org/indigenous-rising-roller-derby-instagram

Check out Gotham Roller Derby! : https://www.gothamrollerderby.com/

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Arri Santiago is an artist on and off skates, when she’s not lighting up the floor she’s creating imaginative characters and worlds as an artist and animator. 

She had no idea what was ahead when she rediscovered roller skating in 2020. She was introduced to rinks as a young kid (her dad was a rink ref back in the day), but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she would rediscover skating. She laced up a pair of her grandfather’s skates, which were 5 sizes too big, and she hasn’t looked back since. 

Roller skating has taken her on a journey from pandemic skate crews, to opportunities skating with roller skate productions such as DiscOasis, Flippers, and even New York Fashion Week shows. The approach that she brings to her skating is unmistakably elegant and simultaneously inventive by way of harnessing the artistry of whacking and voguing. As glamorous as all of that is, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, along the way she’s faced challenges ranging from tough past and present introspection and engaging with challenging community discourse. In this conversation we delve into the many experiences she’s had these past few years. 

She opens up about her complex relationship with movement and how she’s learned and grown and recovered through injuries sustained as a performer, and how exploring outlets for movement outside of skating have deepened her connection to her body.

We also explore broader conversations around boundaries and social media, advice for progressing one’s roller skate skills, the importance of connecting with your local skate community, and the future of building sustainable homes for rink skating in New York City.
Keep up with Arri on IG:
@arriquenia
Take a peep at Arri's artwork! :
@luneplanta
Check out some of Arri's fave jams to skate to! :
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UkN0eL0SwdWxoXsjoqaWb?si=1_AViUnHR0OS55Thkr-CNA
Arri shouts out A LOT of skaters in this episode, if you're curious about her  list of faves, check them out! :
@maskdsk8erz
@lynnamovingstar
@sydblaylock
@jasonacosta
@thesensational_sade
@keeganjamess
@elijahjustice
@jill_tf_out
@joshlemonade
@ginnngaa
@sqwheels
@sqwheelsandhubs
@cottorollerskater

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Tracie Garacochea is a WCMX skater (Wheelchair Moto Cross, a sport created and by Aaron Fotheringham) it’s a young sport, and Tracie has been making her mark on it for 7 years! At the age of 62, she finds herself carving out new frontiers as she pushes her sport with personal style, commitment, and a tangible love for community and the next generation of skaters. Even more than her pro-tour & competition appearances at the Dew Tour, and wins at Exposure, her focus is volunteering, as it has been her entire life. She is fueled by an innate desire to show what’s possible and extending those possibilities to kids by giving her time to expand access to more durable chairs suitable for sport, and teaching kids how to skate using their wheelchairs. 

In this interview, Tracie opens up about how she’s adapted her goals and pursuits to meet the changing tides of her life. She addresses how skating helped her to see her wheelchair as an empowering tool, and other gear that keeps her rolling including the adapted protective gear that has allowed her to address MS symptoms that impact her skating. Her flexibility extends to her artistic mediums as well, and she shares how her approach to artwork has shifted as MS has changed her ability to work with her hands. 

Tracie shines light on the institutional challenges she’s experienced as a disabled person. She recounts an exclusionary experience she had at a skate park, and the distrust she holds for our medical system which often fails to see the whole of a person’s experience by rushing them in and out of appointments. 

Throughout this interview Tracie emanates an undeniable sense of wonder that is truly infectious. From the exuberant way she talks about her skate bestie, skateboarder, Brooklyn Khoury, to her appreciation of assorted found objects that she collects from the skate park. 


Take this ride with us and get to know Tracie!

CHECK OUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRACIE WORKS WITH AND BELIEVES IN!: 

Challenged Athletes Foundation:

https://www.challengedathletes.org/

Life Rolls On:

https://liferollson.org/

PlayLA:

https://www.laparks.org/play-la

US Center for Safe Sport:

https://uscenterforsafesport.org/

USA Skateboarding:

https://usaskateboarding.com/

Catch up with Tracie on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/traciegara/?hl=en

Support Skaterade!

Buy a sticker:
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Get In Touch:
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Part two of our Shovel episode kicks off with a little spirituality. Rebel and Shove share the role that crystals, witchyness, and intention play in their lives. 

They also use their spirituality to manifest their goals and futures, and they open up about their experiences as fat and alternative models in major campaigns.

We get into the important role they play as representation of a unique  queer relationship, and they answer whether they will be sharing their upcoming wedding with their audience. 

They revisit two major injuries Rebel had during the height of the pandemic, and how Shove went above and beyond on many levels  to get her through it. We touch on the importance of therapy to help contextualize one’s life beyond their identity as a roller skater, and find balance in all realms of one’s life. 

Shove explores the intersection of her creative process and mental illness. 

 Both Rebel and Shove offer advice to skaters struggling to strap on their skates in tough times. 

Lastly, we round out the conversation with reflecting how important it is to nurture our relationships outside of skating. 

Check out Rebel's shop loaded with queer and roller skate treasures from skate accessories to cute sunnies!
 

https://www.cheerstothequeers.com/

Follow their podcast on IG: 

https://www.instagram.com/skatedatepod/?hl=en

Listen to their podcast, Skate Date! What's better than two roller skaters in love?: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/36B0jBzrCjYKkHXBTEKy9f

Follow Shove on IG! :


https://www.instagram.com/fat_girl_has_moxi/?hl=en

Follow Rebel on IG! :


https://www.instagram.com/queergirlstraightskates/?hl=en

Thanks to Shove, we've got some killer playlists for ya! :

The Basics So you Won’t be Basic 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1sTkAKVZmqAAYTPPxaxJ2b

Riot Grrrl

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4kZ6XFXeBgX1gfluKoArV7

Sun’s Out, Buns Out II 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vI5zEeqjw1PUwVt6u3ef6

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Rebel and Shove, AKA Shovel  are a skating couple that would be hard to miss if you spend any time on skate IG or Youtube! You might know them better by their IG handles @queergirlstraightskates & @fat_girl_has_moxi. If you haven’t heard, they’re two recently engaged down to earth and yet over the top skating fat femmes in love! With different approaches to skating that compliment one another, and a life in which they’re each other’s biggest cheerleader. 

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https://ko-fi.com/s/4da0f13491

Get In Touch:
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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

 This week’s guest is a former D-1 collegiate alpine skier turned Gotham Roller Derby All Star, not to mention she’s a physics, space, and paleontology reporter at the Wall Street Journal. Meet Aylin Woodward, affectionately known as Yeti Or Not. 

 Yeti cut her teeth on the ski slopes, but ultimately ended up a roller derby All-Star, she’ll tell you that switching from a team sport to a solo sport took some of the pressure off. But, don’t let Yeti fool you, she’s self-critical no matter what, and perhaps this is part of what keeps her nose to the grindstone whether she’s reporting on climate change or striving for the Hydra. 

 A competitive spirit is the lifeblood behind everything she does, but under a tough exterior beats an empathetic heart that understands that the greater good that only connection facilitates is of the utmost importance. 

 In this interview, Yeti speaks to the hard realizations she and her league mates faced during the shutdown. With her priorities rearranged, Yeti found herself slowing down enough to see that the very strengths that drove Gotham forward contributed to its shortcomings in relation to accessibility and openness to change. 

 During this conversation we see that Yeti does not shy away from the discomfort that inevitably accompanies growth. Over the past few years, she has exemplified this by proudly finding her place on Team Black Diaspora, and on the whole remaining teachable in her approach to derby in the post-pandemic world. 

 Ever the voracious learner, Yeti brings all of her hard earned knowledge to coaching junior roller derby skaters, finding that they are often her favorite skaters to coach! 

 On wheels Yeti can take a breather from her high pressure day job, and in this interview she gets a chance to take a load off. We’re right there with her along for this open and heartfelt ride. Join us!

For all things Gotham Roller Derby :

https://www.gothamrollerderby.com/

For all things Santa Cruz Roller Derby :

https://www.santacruzrollerderby.org/

Check out Team Black Diaspora on IG :

https://www.instagram.com/blackdiasporaderby/?hl=en

Follow Yeti on IG :

https://www.instagram.com/alwaysjumpsfirst/?hl=en

Here's the article Aylin wrote that we chat about in the episode :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-acl-tear-that-heals-itself-11662564861

Support Skaterade!

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https://ko-fi.com/s/4da0f13491

Get In Touch:
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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

Kiana Maxwell, better known as Kianayouwanna is an undeniable powerhouse of the park skating world. The timeless classic Whip It pulled them into the world of derby, but they found themselves lured to park skating after watching the OG Moxi skate crew at the skate park.
 
They open up that after leaving Moxi, they’re looking to focus on building the local SD community that has made them the skater they are today. To this end, they’ve been keeping busy as the admin of CIB SD and organizing with SD Skate Fund.
 
As an artist, they are very passionate about the creative pursuits and businesses of roller skaters. In this interview, they explore themes in their art such as clowns, duality, and emotional states that all serve as outlets to explore their identity.
 
Mack and Kiana compare notes about their experiences as skaters with ADHD.
Kiana opens up about their drive to compete,  and how representation motivates them to push the limits of their sport. They also open up about the confusion surround their non-binary division wins at Quad Cup 2022.
 
Whether they’re lighting up your feed with their sick lines, or teaching you to skate on Twitch Kiana keeps it kind and genuine. Please join us and to to know them a little better!

Kiana's Etsy for all your Clownery needs!:
 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Kianayouwanna

 Skating in San Diego? Link up with the SD CIB chapter!:
 
https://www.instagram.com/cibsandiego/?hl=en

Check out SD Skate Fund!:

https://www.instagram.com/sdskatefund/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE%3D

Kiana graced us with 4 playlists!

Uplift Black Voices Indie Playlist-Did someone say bedroom pop?:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Y916vy8WHSjjjPkkPm2vb?si=24d30ca4a6d24517

Kiana's Roller Skate Songs-Get pumped for stair jumping!:

 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/11layMUleAV7g00aADUm7W?si=7dc40f02563b4651

 Stardew Valley Lofi & Chill- Feeling anxious? sink into video game bliss:
 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3r6xqNFvsGeuaz44FlSlki?si=6ddccd5fb8f8440b&nd=1
 
Kiana's top songs of 2022! Get nosey! :

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mdu1ZfEQJtwUItJ5vbkTo?si=93a0c2f4c5de4849&nd=1
 
Check out Kiana's list of skater creators they're into on IG :

SKATE WAX:
@brainfreezeskatewax 

ZINES:
@anticliquezine
@dogdays
@rollerragmag 

MULTI-PRODUCT SHOPS:
@twotiasskate 
@skatefantom 
@fatfemmefatale.shop
@cheerstothequeers  
@projectpinup

APPAREL:
@gndrshredr
@sunshineskate 
@sunneeshenanigans

TATTOO ARTIST: 
@spookyval

VISUAL ART: 
@sarahcozz

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Get In Touch:
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Marawa the Amazing is more than an international high-heeled roller skating icon, and her achievements are enough to make your head spin! She’s a circus school graduate, a 12x The Guinness Book of World Records holder, a showgirl, a designer, a writer, a teacher, a wife, a mother and more! 

She took some time out of her busy schedule to chat, and imparted so much of her experience and inner world to us. Marawa’s world is dazzling, and she had us transfixed just the same whether she was talking about high flying circus stunts or the simple indulgence of a morning coffee at her neighborhood cafe. She is every bit as spectacular as she is humble, and the ways in which she tunes into the present moment twinkle with appreciation and a sense of wonder. We got a glimpse at Marawa’s pragmatic side as she shared wisdom about the importance of learning the basics to support a sustainable life of wheels, and how vital it is to pursue experience over image curation. In this interview she also shares how the stars aligned for her iconic collaborations with Impala! This interview is bursting with gems from this candid and unapologetic orator who wears her sequins as proudly as her bruises! Not to be missed.

Check out Marawa's brand, I WANT TO GO TO PARADISE, where you'll find her apparel, zines, hoops, her signature Impala skates & More! :

https://www.iwanttogotoparadise.com/?

Get your copy of Marawa's Book The Girl Guide 50 Ways to Learn to Love Your Changing Body:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-girl-guide-marawa-ibrahim?variant=32116260044834

Catch up with Marawa herself on IG :

https://www.instagram.com/marawa/?hl=en

This playlist is BOPS only, and makes it very apparent that Marawa knows how to  LIVE! Late 70s disco & funk dominate this party-scape, and they'll certainly transport you to a roller disco on or off the rink. Think disco anthems from Sylvester, Donna Summer, and Odyssey to name a few. The 80s and 90s nostalgia is felt in this playlist as well with acts like Prince, Ghost Town DJs, Mariah Carey, Chaka Demus & Pliers,  and Crystal Waters. The 2000s up till now are also thoughtfully represented here with Christina Milian, Kandi, Solange, Afro B. and others boost this dynamic assortment of RnB, Electronic(a), Afro-Pop, Afro Beats, Funk, Soul, Reggae,Synth Funk & the list goes on!  Check out Marawa's PARADISE ROLLER DISCO playlist, it'll make you want to dance!  :

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4s1jbKGh4wEoNAN0wHzkYg?si=S1nThh7rSsCzQd2EB7NRKA&nd=1

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Jasmine & Mack here! We can’t believe we just finished our first season of our first podcast! Neither of us had any experience in podcasting, and in this episode we talk about what we’ve learned along the way. We open up about the difficulties and the wins we experienced collaborating together, and the ups and downs of pursuing the podcast alongside our busy lives. 

We reflect on the varied points of views of our amazing guests, and achieving genuine connections that led to beautiful new friendships. We also chat about how the podcast has empowered us to connect with the roller skating community in new ways, and the encouraging feedback we’ve received from our amazing listeners. We once again find common ground in the parallels we see in the experiences of skaters and experiences in life in general. We explore all this and come to the conclusion that at the end of the day the most important and unifying theme of this podcast is fostering human connection by celebrating our common experiences. We’re so excited to take what we’ve learned into season one, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride!

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Get In Touch:
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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

Kid Ace, the creator of Yoga for Skaters, has got more than shredding in her back pocket, with over 12 years total experience in the fields of yoga, personal training, and health coaching she’s highly attuned to how all of these plug into a happy lifetime of roller skating! Throughout this intimate chat Ace opens up about how difficult life events including roller derby injury, mental health treatment, and academic pursuits falling through were part of her path to finding where she was meant to be with a little help from the roller skating community and a furry friend named Rio!

Check out Kid Ace's new shop, Rust Belt Roller Skates on IG! :

https://www.instagram.com/rustbelt_rollerskates/
Send an email to rustbeltrollerskates@gmail.com for custom orders!

Wanna do yoga with Kid Ace!? Check out her class schedule. :

https://yogaforskaters.com/

Catch up with Ace herself on IG :

https://www.instagram.com/kid_ace/?hl=en

Soulful, chill, and funky are words that come to mind when we think of Ace and when we hear this playlist. Ace has thoughtfully placed R&B and Soul standards from artists like Marion Black beside newer gems including Valerie June. She's clearly got a penchant for the 70s and the sound that typified the era, including anthems from Fleetwood Mac & Steppenwolf. There's some really fun and playful covers in the mix from Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Detroit Cobras. If all that doesn't convince you, she's got Brooklyn raised icons of Soul & Funk via The Dap Kings & the late great Charles Bradley. Just listen, see the link below! :

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/789mIcFjjXKctz7AcTIjLQ?si=00f5c90d9bf348c5

Support Skaterade!

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