Nicole Losch, 31, of Burlington is better known as Green Mountain Derby Dame Bruise Control. She helped create the league in 2007. By day, she works locally in public works, planning bicycle and pedestrian projects and managing environmental programs. She can also be seen skiing, biking, curling and swing dancing around town, but she also likes to relax at home with her dog and fiance, she said. We spoke with her Feb. 24.
What is a Green Mountain Derby Dame?
A Green Mountain Derby Dame is a woman between the ages of 21 and 121, or older if they can manage to pull that off, who commits an absurd amount of time and energy into strapping on old-school, quad roller skates, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, a helmet and mouth guard three nights a week with 30 other women who turn left on an oval track and throw themselves, hips or shoulders first, into the other women on the track.
What does it take to be a Derby Dame?
Dames win bouts with perseverance and training, not with cheap shots or bad attitudes. Dames push themselves to be team players and athletes, even if they had no athletic background before skating with us. And Dames commit to attending practices and other events because the league relies on every single skater to help keep the organization moving forward.
What’s the hardest part?
For me, the hardest part is seeing skaters retire or leave the league. We’re an odd kind of family, so when someone leaves it’s kind of like losing an arm.
What’s the best part?
I still get a huge thrill out of seeing new recruits come in all shaky on their skates and trying to find their place in the league. Then one day you look at them and think, “She can skate! When did that happen?†They’ll be struggling with crossovers or whips, and then one day you look and see they’re throwing themselves into any drill, lapping veteran skaters on the track, and becoming really active in behind the scenes work. It’s an amazing thing to watch.
What should people know about the Green Mountain Derby Dames that they might not know?
I like people to know that we’re much more than just skaters. We’re our own media campaigners, production assistants, merchandisers, recruiters, trainers. We do it all, and I think we do it pretty well. We’ve sold out of most of our bouts, which are some of the largest sporting events in the state. And, we’re on our way to being eligible to compete in regional and national events as an apprentice member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. WFTDA is like the NFL, so after our apprentice year is up and we become full members of the WFTDA, we’ll start competing in sanctioned bouts. We’ll play to be ranked regionally, and we’re ultimately vying for a chance at nationals.
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