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A Farewell Message from Frightmare of Bay Area Derby

I’m Frightmare #31, a jammer with pivot dreams and 2018 Co-Captain of Bay Area Derby All Stars. I’ve been part of Team Chaya since 2016. It’s been such an honor to grow with and represent this brand for the past three seasons.

Bonus: my shiny gold and white custom Onyx skates helped me achieve a personal goal I’ve had for 5 years – execute an apex jump in a WFTDA charter game! More like a skip-hop and I may have fallen immediately after the jump . . . but hey, got the points and even photographic evidence courtesy of Will Toft Photography.

The time has come for me to take a hiatus and hang up my skates as a competitive roller derby player.

Maybe I’ll do some travel and coaching for leagues and teams who are interested? My 2019 life path is shrouded with a bit of uncertainty (excitement), but I do know that I can’t fully commit to being a dedicated player and teammate at this time. Additionally, I believe my brain needs a bit of rest.

The Details

Like many roller derby athletes, I’ve had a handful of concussions and suffered varying degrees of head and neck traumas from playing the sport. But it reached the point that I didn’t even notice most of the minor subconcussive impacts during gameplay anymore. It would take a gnarly hit to my face or particularly jarring impact which caused whiplash for me to react.

Over the past year, I started noticing after some practices I would have heightened anxiety, depression, dizziness, nausea, ears popping, occasional blurred vision, and brain fog. This year I also experienced my first ever migraine. Then, when the WFTDA released its concussion awareness campaign this past August, I learned about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the degenerative disease believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head.

About a month leading up to WFTDA playoffs my anxiety about potential traumatic head injuries spiked. Aside from not playing, what was in my control to prevent subconcussive impacts during practices, scrimmages, and games?

Change the way I attacked the pack as a jammer?
Increase my awareness about my head’s positioning in relation to blockers at all times?
???

I was not in a good headspace. When it comes to athletic performance, the instant you fear an injury happening or second guess your abilities you are distracted from being in the moment and performing the activity and instead leave yourself open to an elevated risk of injury. Mental acuity is integral for successful performance. Long story short, I lost my mental game conditioning to play full contact roller derby.

What’s Next?

Dance, theater, hitting the park and streets in my new spiffy Chaya Lifestyle Melrose Elite skates, more travel!

I’d also like to work towards making roller derby safer for all players’ brains.

I would love for leagues and teams all over the world to:

Engage in discussion not only about concussions but raise awareness about subconcussive impacts as well.
Research and share information about helmets and safety gear which can help decrease head impact injuries.
Consider making changes to the ruleset.
Strategically plan practices and training.
Look into the research being done for other contact sports (keep in mind it is limited to mostly cis-male subjects).
Seek out recommendations for how to minimize subconcussive hits – the Concussion Legacy Foundation advocates for three pillars as a start:
1. Delay the introduction of contact (Age appropriate rules).
2. Eliminate contact where unnecessary.
3. Modify contact where appropriate.

While I am looking forward to 2019 and the new adventures it has in store for me, I would love to one day play roller derby again.

Potential future derby players. Photo from 2018 BAD Champs by Will Toft Photography

If you have any ideas on how to make the sport safer or have more derby focused concussion information to share, please feel free to hit me up:

#derbytwitter @frightmeow
Insta @frightyface
Email: frightmare.31m@gmail.com

I can’t wait to see all the amazing things the Team Chaya skaters do and the new innovations Chaya will come up with next year.

Chaya-bunga dudes!

Frightfully yours,
#31 Frightmare

Posted by Chaya on 11. December 2018

General

9 Reasons You Should Get Involved with Chaya Skates at RollerCon 2018

1) Team Chaya Assemble

Chaya Skates will see more roller derby team members at RollerCon this year than any so far! Make sure you swing by the booth to say hi to all of the team. Have you ever wanted to meet Falcon Punch, PeaceWar, Barrett, Ana Cheng, Kid Block, Rogue Runner or Laryn Kill (Winters)? Now’s your time! Keep an eye on Chaya’s social media pages for further info.

2) Chaya Skates vs Frogmouth All-Stars

This year Chaya is breaking the norm – instead of playing a fellow skate brand, Team Chaya will take on the epic Frogmouth All-Stars (captained by the legendary Miracle Whips and featuring a roster completely stuffed with talent!) Both teams will be looking fly in their Frogmouth uniforms of course, and we are so excited about our incredible roster (see below). You don’t want to miss this! The game takes place on Wednesday at 12.30pm. To buy tickets at just $5 each, visit THIS LINK

3) Chaya Coaching

Kid Block and Rogue Runner are both making their coaching debut at RollerCon this year! Learn how to ‘Zombie Block’ like Kid or ‘Apex Jump’ like Rogue Runner. The full schedule can be found HERE

Kid Block – “I have really long arms, see?”

4) Ramp Skating at RollerCon 2018!

GUYS! Ramp skating has well and truly landed at RC (literally) with a dedicated ramp at the venue! YES! There will be open skate time along with classes lead by some of the best in the business AND a Trick Contest! Chaya’s very own Cuban Miss Elle will be leading some sessions, and you just know that Barbara Luciana will be shredding at some point (keep an eye on our social pages for more info).

5) Barbara Luciana : Meet and Greet

Chaya’s park/ramp and trick pro-rider, Barbara Luciana, is coming to RollerCon! Fresh off a plane from Argentina, we are so excited that Barbie will be shredding and wow’ing in Vegas this year. Follow Chaya’s social media pages for details of an exclusive meet and greet at the Chaya booth… day/time TBC and announced very soon!

6) The Chaya Cabana

Never one to shy away from a party… make sure to swing by the Chaya Cabana (No.9) at the Black & Blue Ball on Saturday night. We’re envisioning inflatables, dance offs (you guys HAVE to see Rogue Runner dance), glitter and F-U-N to the M-A-X. If you’re lucky, you could even win our adjoining cabana in the RollerCon raffle and help us host at the party of the year!

7) New Skate Launch : THE TOPAZ! (This is no ordinary derby skate)

You just have to check out Chaya’s new derby skate – The Topaz! A high performance package at a truly unbelievable price. The low-cut boot features an extremely durable, responsive and light weight composite heat moldable shell (carbon free). The flex cut shell and pain free technology paired with high end padding materials offers unparalleled fit and performance. The boot is loved for its low cut look and feel that ensures increased freedom of ankle movement. Featuring a 45º strap with a ‘from the box fit’ means less time breaking in and more time focusing on your game!

8) Get Fitted in Everyone’s Favourite Derby Skate : The Onyx

The Chaya Onyx is fast becoming Chaya’s best selling derby skate… and you can see and feel why for yourself at the Chaya fitting booth. Head to booths 36-39 in the Breezeway (you can’t miss it) or booth 17 in the Bruised Boutique skate shop to try on everyone’s favourite derby skate! You’ll also then be automatically entered into a draw to WIN A PAIR of your very own!

9) Save Money!

RollerCon is the perfect time to treat yo’self, so be sure to check out the super duper special offers available on both Chaya derby AND park skates. From a $200+ saving on the Chaya Pearl skate package and a FREE Grind Block with every pair of Chaya Jump skates for park, you gotta get involved! Visit RollerCon’s dedicated vendor, Bruised Boutique and grab yourself a bargain!

Posted by Chaya on 18. July 2018

General

Powerslide appoint new Sales and Marketing Director for the USA: Luke Powell

Powerslide and Chaya Skates would like to formally introduce Luke Powell as the new Sales and Marketing Director for the USA. Former athlete (Derby/Speed), current coach of Kansas City Roller Warriors, and two time USA Men’s Roller Derby coach, Luke brings a plethora of knowledge to our company. From avid skating enthusiast to dedicated staple within the industry, Luke is excited to bring his expertise in the fields of product development, sales, and marketing to supplement the companies already amazing team!

Luke says, “I am really excited to join the Powerslide/Chaya family. I remember watching the amazing athletes back in my days of speed skating wishing I could be strong enough to make the race team. Knowing what I know now, I am happy that I took the direction that I did as being part of the inner workings is more than I could have ever imagined! As an avid skater, we all know that once you have made it within the ranks of Powerslide, you have absolutely made it!”

“I personally would like to welcome Luke to the Powerslide family.” says co-owner and founder of Powerslide, Matthias Knoll, “I am very excited that we finally get to work together as we have been friendly competitors within the industry and have known each other for many years. We here at Powerslide and Chaya are super excited about this new adventure and our mission to continue solidifying the top spots across all brands under the Powerslide umbrella!”

We would of course, like to thank each and every one of you for the overwhelming support you have shown Chaya thus far. We strive to continue to bring you top tier product to assist in whatever endeavor you pursue while roller skating!

Luke Powell – Sales and Marketing Director (USA)

Posted by Kid Block on 9. April 2018

General

How to Mount Roller Derby Skates in One Easy Step…

Don’t! Yep, you heard right… don’t! With Chaya’s Dual Center Mount (DCM) system, the pain of mounting roller derby skates ‘the hard way’ has disappeared for good.

You need a lot of equipment to mount skates the ‘old way’!

Think of all the items you need to mount a pair of skates ‘the old way’. A scary power tool, screws, nuts, a clamp of some sort, bolt cutter, spanner, wrench, ruler, masking tape, pens. PLUS, YouTube tutorials, nerves of steel, a good hour or two of your valuable time, your best guess where the midline is and a cross of the fingers… Phew! (Or, you could of course take your skates to your local & trusted skate shop for them to mount on your behalf, but this often comes with a wait time and a fee.)

Once it’s drilled down, that’s it, done… But wait, what if you think you’ve mounted it incorrectly? You either have to live with it and persevere OR re-mount… which means extra drill holes through the bottom of your beautiful new boot!

This could all be a thing of the past with Chaya’s revolutionary DCM system.

This is all you need to mount Chaya skates using the DCM system!

The DCM system features two sliding nuts placed inside the plate – one under the ball and another one under the heel. The nuts can slide forward and backward in the plate and you also have 3mm movement left to right. This allows you to adjust the position of the plate under your boot exactly as you want, whenever you want! If you fancy trying an offset mount to the inside or moving your plate further forward or back – go for it, as often as you like – find your truly personalised set up!

Chaya plates are mounted through the boot from the inside, where you place two DCM mounting screws and tighten by hand with our DCM mounting tool. There is a recess in the Chaya boots to counter sink the screws which are of course covered and padded so when skating you won’t feel them.

Advantages of the DCM system

Less hardware and time needed for the assembly
Plate position can be customised to your individual preference, time and time again
Easier handling for both skaters and skate shops
Truly personalise your set up

These technical advantages allow you to personalise your set up and adjust as needed over time, this will both increase your performance and additionally help you to assemble and maintain your plates much more easily.

The DCM mounting of Chaya plates is revolutionary in Roller Derby, but has been a standard in ice speed skating for decades. This is tried and tested technology.

Note:

The DCM system is available on our roller derby collection (Diamond/Pearl/Onyx/Sapphire), our Karma Park skate and ALL of our plate models (Shiva/Ophira/Zena/Shari.)
Chaya plates still offer standard mounting holes to fit all boots of other brands.
Chaya boots can be mounted to other branded plates.
Visit our website for further information

Posted by Chaya on 14. December 2016

General

New Team Skater : PEACEWAR #27

In the build up to WFTDA Championships this weekend we have a very exciting announcement… please everybody wish a warm welcome to the newest member of our International roller derby team… PEACEWAR #27 of the Texas Rollergirls ‘Texecutioners’.

PeaceWar’s roller derby adventure began like many, after watching the inspirational movie “Whip It” in 2009, Peace joined the South Texas Rolleristas out of Weslaco, Texas. After finding her derby feet and falling more in love with the game, Peace decided to challenge herself further and moved to Austin in 2013 to train and skate with the Texas Rollergirls.

“I wanted to learn and be more challenged at practices” Peace says, “I love skating with my Texas Rollergirls. In my first year I made it on the Texecutioners (All-Stars) and also played for the Firing Squad. I learned so much about blocking from the Firing Squad and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to play with them.”

Peace started out this 2016 season as a jammer for the Texecutioners, but then her role changed mid-year to blocking. “I always accept a challenge” says Peace, “it has been truly amazing. Everyone brings something different to the team. It’s really cool to be a part of. It’s a team effort when we are out on the track. I know they have my back and I have theirs at all times. Also a shoutout to my lovely pack PTSB or PTSD (Peace,Trauma, Stoney, Bitter, and Dolores.)”

PeaceWar’s blocking certainly made an impression on many at D1 Playoffs in Montreal this season, with Peace taking home the coveted MVP tournament award voted by the WFTDA board. “I am so thankful to have received Tournament MVP at Montreal. It’s an honor to skate at D1 playoffs and I am really thankful to my Texie Captains, Trauma and Virgo for believing in me. Love you Texies!”

You can see PeaceWar skate with her team the Texecutioners at WFTDA Championships this coming weekend. Go get em’ Peace!

Posted by Chaya on 31. October 2016

General

The Truth Behind “Heel Slip” in Roller Derby Skates

When it comes to performance, the biggest problem for roller derby skaters is the lack of arch support, which can make skating feel very uncomfortable. Combine this with the fact that on average, a woman’s heel has up to 26% less volume compared to a man’s heel, and sadly, this results in women feeling like they lack a snug heel lock in unisex derby skates.

Heel slip in your skates can massively affect performance. If your heel slips every time you move from your wheels to your toe stops, you are wasting time—and power—through your push. If your foot slides in your boot as you come to a stop, your performance will be affected, because your foot needs to move and fill space within the boot before you can even start to exert power in your stop. Everything you do will be less than what it could be!

Alongside performance issues, you can also experience pain.

A poor heel lock results in multiple issues, as it compromises your lateral stability and brings with it two common problems (we call them pain zones… ouch!)

Common Pain Zones Resulting from Heel Slip

Calf cramping
Pressure point on top of the in-step

Together with Sergio McCargo, one of the leading manufacturers of custom boots, we have developed a derby-specific last (a boot-shaped form used to create skates) that eliminates this problem, and is used in all CHAYA roller derby boots. We are confident that our heel lock is the best offered in the roller derby market today. Your heel is locked in tight as soon as your put your foot in the boot, with no need to exert extra force via a top strap or overly tight lacing (which further adds to your instep pain.)

We are inundated with feedback from skaters telling us how their previous pain disappeared once they started skating in their CHAYA’s—this makes us so proud of what we have achieved with CHAYA thus far, and we will continue to innovate and move forward as roller derby evolves and grows as a sport. Happy skating, everybody. May it be pain free!

Here are some examples of the feedback we receive on a daily basis…

“My feet are extremely narrow and flat. I’ve always had issues with pain in the arch of my foot and heel slippage. With a few heat molds to specific spots I was able to get the fit I need to perform for my team and increase my skating skills all around.”

“Over the past several seasons I have struggled to find skates that can accommodate my narrow heel and the Chaya boots are the answer. From the time I lace them up until I take them off my heel is securely in place.”

“The ankle support is amazing… Zero heel slippage and no looseness.”

“The boots are light and feel like an extension of my own foot. No more heel sliding out of the back of the boot. I now feel secure with all my stops and movement on my toe stops.”

“I’ve always found there’s been a loss of power transfer from my foot to the floor as my foot would always turn in my boot, but the CHAYA boots fit so well, that even the slightest movement my foot makes I can feel through my wheels.”

“I was keen to test the heel slip in these boots, as that was my main problem with my previous boots. I am so pleased they lived up to my expectations! I love them! I got ZERO heel slip, my feet weren’t coming out of the boot at all.”

Posted by Chaya on 15. June 2016

General, Team

New Team Skater : FALCON PUNCH #66

It’s midweek hump day… Let’s get over it in style by announcing yet another super talented skater onto Team Chaya.

Falcon Punch #66 of everyone’s favourite team… Montreal Roller Derby’s ‘New Skids on the Block‘.

Falcon Punch has been with Montreal Roller Derby since 2011, and for their A Team: ‘The New Skids on the Block’ specifically for the past 2 years. “I’ve always been a jammer, but I recently started working on being a pivot and I love it!!” says FP… “I was also one of the main jammers for Team France during the 2014 B&T World Cup in Dallas, one of my best ever memories!”

Falcon’s sports background is quite diverse and totally unrelated to roller sports or team sports. “I mostly did gymnastics, horseback riding, snowboarding and Muay Thai (which actually really helped me in the “hit/being hit” aspect of the sport.) Roller derby was my first experience at a team sport, and it really changed my life. Not only does it includes all the things that I love in sports (strategy, agility, flexibility, strength and aggressiveness) it gave me the opportunity to travel and meet some of the incredible people I now know.”

Falcon Punch and her team took Helsinki by storm at the recent Mayday in Hel tournament hosted by Helsinki Roller Derby, winning 3 out of their 4 sanctioned games, as well as hosting various bootcamps throughout the weekend. We can not wait to see what Falcon Punch and the Skids do throughout the rest of the season. You can catch Falcon Punch as the New Skids take on Tampa Roller Derby this weekend.

We are so happy to support you along your derby journey this season FP!

Photo Credit: Marko Niemela

Posted by Chaya on 1. June 2016

General, Team

New Team Skater : Astrid Suchy-Dicey (aka Belle Tolls) #4

Our second exciting team skater announcement ahead of this weekends The Big O Tournament hails from Seattle, Washington and the legendary Rat City Rollergirls. Please welcome the multi talented triple threat that is Astrid Suchy-Dicey (aka Belle Tolls) #4.

Astrid Suchy-Dicey (aka Belle Tolls) joined the Rat City Rollergirls in 2010 as a “baby giraffe on ice”. She got swept off her feet by the awesomely competitive nature of the sport, and by many of her derby heroes and teammates. Over the years she has learned to hold her own, however, making Rat City’s B team in her first season and then Rat City’s A-team in 2012. As a confirmed PBJ (pivot-blocker-jammer), this sandwich lover describes herself as “obsessively goal-oriented” who draws inspiration from the tenacious and the determined. A characteristic which you might recognize in her blocking style: strong, steady, and stubborn… with the occasional, unmistakable cobra-strike that sends her opponents flying.

Suchy-Dicey (rhymes with Spooky-Spicy) is a big supporter of skater development, in both skater technique and mental game, of which she says are critical to success in roller derby. She co-created Rat City’s fresh meat program, the “Rat Lab”, in 2011 and she still coaches specific skating skill seminars. But she says she really prefers working one on one: discovering opportunities, setting goals, and then crushing them. One of her favorite Sunday activities with her teammates is to “load up some footage, get some froyo, and debate strategy”—she says she can talk about it forever, and if you get her into a derby related (or really any) conversation, you will see for yourself that is definitely the truth. Just be sure to bring extra toppings!

You can see Suchy-Dicey crushing it with her team mates at The Big O tournament TODAY as they take on Texas at 2.00pm PDT.

Posted by Chaya on 29. April 2016

General, Team

New Team Skater : HANNAH JENNINGS #415

Ahead of The Big O tournament in Eugene, Oregon this weekend, we have two very exciting team announcements! We’re going to kick it off with the incredible blocking force that is Hannah Jennings #415 of everybody’s favourite team, the Rose City Rollers (Wheels of Justice) and Team New Zealand.

Hannah Jennings has been playing roller derby since 2008, and was a founding member of the team she calls family – Auckland Roller Derby League. “I’m old, you guys. I’ve been around so long that I played in New Zealand’s first ever interleague game, worn “uniforms” that were loosely based around team colors, and even participated in a two-minute, no-action jam when my team played against VRDL!” Hannah moved to Portland in February 2014 and was a part of Wheels of Justice when they played all the way to the final at WFTDA Championships in 2014 and lost out to Gotham by 3 points (in one of the best games of all time!)

In 2015, Hannah Captained the Wheels of Justice to the final for the second time, and she is still coming to terms with the fact that they did it – they beat Gotham and won the Hydra! “I’ll walk past the trophy on the way out of practice and try and force myself to believe that it really happened, but it still feels like a dream.” The Wheels of Justice were pulled in a hundred different directions last year, and still managed to pull it all together when it mattered most. “I continue to be inspired and invigorated by the Wheels of Justice every single day, and I feel extremely lucky to be part of this team.”

We are so incredibly excited to support Hannah in her derby journey this season and can not wait to see what she and her team do at The Big O this weekend.

What do we want? When do we want it?

Posted by Chaya on 28. April 2016

General

Blocking with the Head: The Importance of the Mental Game in Roller Derby

Ask yourself a question… When competing in roller derby, how much of your performance do you feel is attributed to your mental game? 10%? 30%? 50%? More?

If you answered 50% or more, let me ask you another question. How much time are you putting aside to work on your mental game? If you spend 5 hours a week on skates at practice, do you then spend another 5 hours working on your mental game? If the answer is no, then what are you waiting for?

I’d personally place a higher figure on it – If I had to state a number, I’d put about 80% down to mental prep. No matter how many hours you practice, no matter how physically fit you become, if you are not mentally ‘there’, your performance will never be at the highest level it could possibly be. What a sad thought!

Pre-game mental prep will look different from person to person – find out what works for you personally. If you’re not sure where to start, buddy up with a team mate and bounce ideas off each other.

When you look at skaters that you admire and aspire to be like… what is the one thing that they all have in common despite everything else? Confidence. This confidence comes from of course, physical preparation – practice/scrimmages/off skate training/experience/the honing of skills – but it also comes from having a killer attitude.

So, if this is all completely new to you…

How can you start to work on your mental game right now?

1) READ. You need to start reading some literature in the area of Sports Psychology, and as a starting point I recommend ‘Sports Psychology for Dummies‘ and ‘Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence‘. Read these and if you don’t start seeing an improvement in your attitude and as a result, your game, I’ll give you your money back.* Make notes, scribble all over them, pick out chapters that really resonate with you and read them time and time again. From there i’d suggest moving onto some of Phil Jackson’s work (Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 – 1998) such as ‘Sacred Hoops’ and then I personally love ‘The Way of the Peaceful Warrior’ by Dan Millman, which is massively thought provoking. I usually move from one book to the next based on quotes/references within my current reading that I find interesting or want to hear more about.

2) TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE AWESOME. I’m a firm believer in self reassurance and bigging yourself up – out loud! If you are going to training/boot camp/scrimmage/game and are feeling nervous or lacking confidence – tell yourself you will be the best skater there because of X/Y/Z, and mean it – REALLY MEAN IT! It’s not being big headed or egotistical, it’s essential! If your mind can really believe this fact, and I mean really believe it – your game will improve instantly – before you’ve even put on your skates! Result!

3) GIVE NO SHITS. To play roller derby (or any sport really) you can not give a crap about what you look like to other people. If your mind isn’t solely on you and your game in that moment, you will not play to your best. If you are too busy trying to impress someone/not disappoint someone, or if you are worried about ‘messing up’ you won’t fully commit to the moment and you will never ever ever ever (can I say ever one more time?) play to your best. You can spot these types of skaters a mile off.

”Show me a guy who is afraid of looking bad and I can beat him every time.” – Ozzie Smith

I feel like I could write so much more on this subject. It’s a huge part of my own personal training and I am really passionate about spreading the word and making other skaters realise the power your mind really has.

If you have any questions or comments – please do hit me up, but those books are a great starting point.

Happy Reading!
Kid Block

*Disclaimer: I won’t actually give you your money back, but I will be very shocked.

Why so serious? Photo by Tsunami Photography

Posted by Chaya on 18. April 2016