The Bay Bombers & The Brooklyn Red Devils
It is a fact that Bomber ‘Tricky’ Vicki McEwen has been the number one women’s point scorer for every year that the ARSD has been skating. Another fact is that prior to skating for the ARSD Vicki has led the way in points for many of the years that she has skated for other outfits with derby type skating. These are facts, the record books do not lie. How does she do it? “I get a LOT of help out there!” she modestly states. “The Bombers have always been known to be a true TEAM, we all gel together and the girls just help me make it LOOK like it is easy. It is a lot of work and I couldn’t do it without them.” Bomber captain Gwen Miller has a slightly different outlook concerning McEwen. “It is true, we are a team in every sense of the word, it is a group effort out there. But Vicki is number one for a different reason also…Simply put she is the BEST jammer on the track today.” Prior to taking the captain position on the Bombers, Miller was known for her jamming talents and at one point was in direct competition with McEwen for top scoring honors. “She beat me out a lot of times also!” McEwen laughs. Gwen has taken over a lot of the blocking duties, but when the Bombers need quick points they usually can get them with a quick Miller jam. This point is not lost on McEwen. “I have always had a high respect for Gwen, I still learn a lot from her.” Learning is a good thing, as is passing on the knowledge of the game to the next gal. Liz McCluskey, an up and coming jammer in her own right states “Vicki is just terrific! I learn so much by watching her, and when she takes the time to show me some of her tricks, I am ALL ears and eyes! What a treat to be learning from the number one jammer in the league!” McEwen earned the nickname ‘Tricky’ for obvious reasons. Opposing teams are never aware of what trick McEwen will use on which jam, and therefore must be sharp at all times else more points will be scored. One trick she never over utilizes is what opposing skaters refer to as The sidestep from hell. “I love watching her do that” McCluskey chuckles. “When they least expect it Vicki is like… GONE and past them for a point. I still don’t know how she does it. I can’t seem to do that play but trust me, I am constantly working on it.” Admiration for ‘Tricki’s’ talents runs high in the skating world, from teammates to opposing players, and it is not lost on the fans. Little Johnny Sanchez, a young fan who attends all local games sums it up best. “Vicki is my favorite favorite skater, she’s the BOMB! The prettiest girl out there and the best skater by far. I just LOVE her.” Well said , Johnny.
A roller derby dream comes true for a local gal
By Martin Spencer
Liz McCluskey has lived in the Vallejo/Benicia area of California all her life. "Except for the two months that I transferred to Los Angeles so I could go to the roller derby training center" she chuckles. Four years ago, skating enthusiast (and 2 time Benicia track champion) Liz attended a bay area roller derby game and was instantly hooked. "I couldn't believe how exciting this sport was, and seeing men and woman compete evenly in the game was all I needed to know. They announced tryouts at the next weeks game, so I brought my skates." Bomber women's captain Gwen Miller remembers that day well. "Liz took to the track better than a lot of trainees, and I knew I had a future Bomber jammer [point scorer] on my hands." Miller gave Liz some strong advice, which was taken to heart. "No matter how great a skater may be," Miller points out "without proper training and guidance a skater could easily get hurt." Vallejo's gal took a lucky transfer to Los Angeles, and while there attended a roller derby training center. At the center, she learned some valuable lessons. "The pros make it look so easy, but that is only because they are so good at what they do. Something as simple as falling down has to be learned, or you could break a wrist. How to block, take a block, pace yourself, the list is endless what a skater needs to know." Luckily for Liz, Miller took her under her wing, and along with Bomber staple Maverick, she learned a lot and learned it quickly. "I was very impressed at how eager Lizzie was" Maverick recalls. "Even on breaks she was asking questions, and she studied videos at home and came back with… you guessed it more questions and observations!" Liz was affectionately called the question girl, and after two months Miller petitioned Bomber management for quick paperwork, to obtain her quick jammer. "The other teams did not know what was happening, or what I was getting, so it was a quick acquisition." Miller boasts. Since then, McCluskey has learned a lot and still asks a lot of questions. "I get to skate with some of the greatest players on the track today" she says, "Why wouldn't I want to learn all I can from them?" Liz brags that she learns from the top jammer in the ARSD today, teammate "Tricky" Vicki McEwen, as well as the talented blocker/jammer Pam Schwab. As in any sport, the competition is tough and Liz learns from them as well. "I always have to be on my toes out there, some of those gals are downright wicked!" Her toughest opponents? "They are ALL tough" she laughs "But Gale Bowers can pack a wallop, and now that MaryAnn Carr joined the league, it makes it that much tougher to get points." The jammers are tough also. "I am thankful daily that I skate WITH Gwen, Vicki and Pam, and not against them! There is one up and comer that started along the same time as me… Scary Marengo, that really gets on my nerves. She is always out to prove something, that she is a better skater because she was rookie of the year way back in 98. Well, for that moment she was good, but trust me, she still skates like a rookie and her 15 minutes are up!" Liz is talking about KAREY Marengo, who was indeed rookie of the year in 1998. "Another cutesy blonde that can't skate, that's what Dizzie McCLUTZy is. I swear they give a bottle of peroxide with every Bomber uniform. I hate girls like her, and let's face it, the game is fun as well as tough, I just happen to have fun teaching so-called talent what the game is really about!"
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