Stu Jenks: Fezziwig Photography, Music, and Writing

Tucson Roller Derby: Night Two of the 2008 Season

Tucson Roller Derby: Night Two of the 2008 Season

    [The new season begins. FTW won their bout over The Copper Queens and Vice beat the IC. Good play, all around, from all four teams. New format this year: Two bouts each Game Night. All four teams play. It's tiring for the players I suspect but a joy for the fans. Below is a sampling of the action from last Saturday's bouts (plus some portraits of two new refs and one veteran.) Hope you enjoy the images, and I'll see you around the rink.]

"Roller Derby Needle Point" (c) 2007

"DUMB SHIT: Roller Derby Needle Point" (c) Sami Automatic(?) and Stu Jenks 2007

"The Championship Bout" (c) 2007

"Tucson Roller Derby's Championship Bout: Furious Truckstop Waitresses vs. Vice Squad; 9/15/07; Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2007 Stu Jenks

[All Photos by Stu Jenks except the below image of The Furious Truckstop Waitresses which was taken by Cathy Spann]

"The Ghosts of Roller Derbys Past" (c) 2007

“The Ghosts of Roller Derby’s Past”:
[Impressions from Tucson Roller Derby’s 2007 Championship Night] (c) Stu Jenks 2007

       Standing on the scaffolding, taking ghost shots. Took a couple minutes to get the exposure right (Four seconds too long, 1/8 of a second too short, ½ to one second just right). Looking later at a serendipitous flash shot and very happy that Dirty Teri was highlighted. Like the Five Ghost shot a lot too.

        Happy that Cathy showed up when she did, to back me up on the impromptu group shot of all of the folk involved in TRD. Happy I had a tripod with me too.

        Getting hit by a helmet. Big Fun. Truly. An Iron Curtain player on her way to the penalty box, near the end of the bout, threw her helmet. I was crouched by the announcers’ table. She was throwing it at the penalty box. I was in between. I softly batted it away and continue to take shots. Very cool.

       

Miscommunication on my part and a misunderstanding by someone else, outside of the rink, outside of the game. Really sucked. Nuff said.

        Shooting in RAW Digital Negative, knowing that working the images would be some much easier in the coming days.

       Feeling comfortable inside of the rink, inside of the circle. Getting more shots than not. Inside the circle is a great place to be, for shooting these Human Nascars.

       

Shooting pick-ups shots of non-players that I missed the week before. Got a nice shot of the EMT’s stethoscope and an image of the strong smile on a Security man’s face.

       

Knowing that when I was shooting the Derby Brats buttons, that I looked funny, my camera sitting at table level for a long time, me, not moving for about a minute, like a Irish Setter pointing at a bird. Wish someone had taken a shot of me taking that picture.

      

Finding a great new spot to shot from. Right in front of the announcers’ table, just to the left of the penalty box. Got a number of great shots of the tired/angry/passionate Derby Girls in trouble. Also got hit by a helmet there too (See above)

       

A drag not to be able to openly root for The Waitresses in the championship. It’s great to shoot photos of the Derby but it’s work nonetheless. I really miss not being able to yell “Flooooooooooooo” at the top of my lungs. Next year.

       

Knowing that FTW was having a hell of a run in the second period, but only from the screams of the crowd, the volume of the announcers, and of seeing FTW jammers' Flo, Peaches and Betty in the lead a lot. I was in the center of the rink, shooting, thinking, ‘I haven’t seen Penny Tencherry as a lead jammer for a while.’ (Vice skated hard in the third period but was never able to make up the deficit. Final Score: Furious Truckstop Waitresses, 99; Vice Squad, 76.)

      

  Getting a good shot of Annie cheering on the Waitresses. She’s the woman with the multicolored hair and the long arms near Turn One, screaming her head off.

       

Seeing a retiring Knuckles Sandovich cry at the end of her career, and watching Iron Curtain’s captain Bolshe Vixen hug a child after her bout. Barbicide kissing her son after her bout was a delightful sight as well.

    

 

Seeing Deadlock Doe collapse into her Eeka's and Ruby's arms after winning the championship. Actually got a OK shot of FTW celebrating the victory too, using the old technique of ‘Hold the camera over your head, focus as best you can, and pray to God to get something’. (Doe, a Captain of the Furious Truckshop Waitresses skated every minute of the bout. No breaks, except when she was in the penalty box. A Herculean feat.)

       

And finally, seeing Sassy Sue’s huge smile as she received her Championship Trophy. Sweet.

 

      

[Addendum: For those of you who are in the TRD group photo, or if you are related to one of those good people by blood, marriage or relationship, feel free and contact me at stujenks@gmail.com for a print(s) of your choice. They are free to the Roller Girls and Boys and to those close to them. They are nice prints, Fine Art Archival Inkjet prints that will last 100 years. If you are not intimately related to Tucson Roller Derby but would like a print of this bout or any other bout, those 8 x 10 prints are $10 plus shipping and handling. Finally, I'll be part of the Tucson Open Studio Tour this November. Large 13 x 19 inch Fine Art prints will be for sale at my studio for $90. Or just drop by and take a gander at them. I won't have my whole TRD portfolio printed up large, but I'll have some of my greatest hits there for sure. And needless to say, I'll print up any and all images, big and small, if you want to buy one. But bottom line is, if you are part of TRD, there is an 8 x 10 with your name on it.]

"The Passion of The Refs: The Semifinals of Tucson Roller Derby" (c) 2007

“The Passion of The Refs: The Semifinals of Tucson Roller Derby” © September 2007 Stu Jenks

       Odd thing being a photographer for TRD. I often have the best seat in the house, but, at the same time, since I’m working, I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know which team is ahead or behind, or what the pack is doing. (I do know who the lead jammers are though and I do keep an eye on the pivots.) I’m basically a brain/soul/body/spirit connected to an eyeball, connected to a lens, connected to a little computer. I’m constantly looking for The Image: The jammer out in front of the pack; the clash between jammer and pivot and the other blockers; the small details that others in the crowd can’t see due to their lack of proximity. The announcers’ play-by-play and banter is just a drone in the background. I’m basically perpetually looking for The Shot. It’s what photogs do, I’m afraid. A blessing and a curse. One big eyeball.
       Luckily though, last Saturday, I was able to disengage from my eternal quest for The Shot and enjoy the bouts between Iron Curtain and The Furious Truckstop Waitresses and between Vice Squad and The Copper Queens. I mostly attribute this to my plan before I got there, of shifting of my focus away from the skaters at times, and more toward the refs, the timers and the scorekeepers. I shot the referees primarily because I knew I would have close access to them and they all have wonderful faces too. (Too close to the officials at one point. Sorry again, Johnny Crash, for getting in the way that one time. I am teachable if nothing else.) Again, I shot the game action like I had at other times, but how many more shots of Flo or Penny do we really need, leading a jam? So, on Saturday night, I shot those other hard-working men and women of The Derby, who, if it weren’t for them, it would just be athletic women in nice clothes, skating counter-clockwise.
       I was particularly struck by the passion of the refs to get it right. It’s a lot of work to record the points, to call the minor and major penalties, to keep order in the structured chaos. Also, the intensity in the eyes of the scorekeepers was striking as well. I’m guessing the light in their eyes is no different than those who keep score in Division One College Basketball or in NFL Football, for the expectation of absolute accuracy is the same: They need to get it right. Every time.
       So all hail to the Refs, the Scorekeepers, the Merch People, the Timekeepers, The Announcers, the Security People, the EMTs, the Derby Widowers, and the dozens of other unsung (or less sung) heroes of The Roller Derby. I know the women really appreciate you all, as do I and many others.
       And maybe next time, I’ll get a better shot of a dedicated Security Person, rather than a soft-focus image of them in the background. And hopefully I’ll get an image of an EMT at the ready, one of these days. And more shots of the Derby Widowers.
       I did get a nice shot of a big man in a pink boa, though.
       Gongala, Gongala. So I got that going for me.

       [Addendum: FTW and Vice advanced to the Finals. FTW beat Iron Curtain 113 to 82 (but it was closer than that), and Vice defeated The Copper Queens, 112 to 92, again, a closer match than the score reflects.]


       Other favorite moments from TRD’s Semi-Finals:

       1)      Sneaking up on the man with the pink boa, my attempt to be ninja-like, an invisible grasshopper, getting close enough to capture a candid image of this man.
       2)      Cheap Ore slamming into the Announcers’ Table, in the final seconds of her bout against Vice, and her then springing to her feet, smile on her face, dusting herself off, and being hugged by players and fans alike.
       3)      Chatting with Ruby Hellcat, at a break about this and that (I won’t tell), but once again, struck by how much shorter and more vulnerable Roller Derby Girls are, without their skates on. On go the wheels, and all of these women seem to become ten feet tall and bulletproof.
       4)      Noticing for the first time, that the ref, Strictly Bizniz, has a sticker of Mr. Natural on his helmet. I smiled as I took the shot.
       5)      And finally, being struck, over and over again, by the high level of professionalism by everyone involved. And I’m not being pollyanna-ish here. There is an dark underbelly, conflicts, stresses, sadnesses, disappointments, like with all things. But I just feel fortunate and grateful to be able to help as I can.
       As I was picking up some negs at Photographic Works today, talking about the bouts to the staff there, I said the below, and it ain't the first time I've said it to someone.

       "Roller Derby is one of the last pure sports. Played for the love of the game."

       Championship is this Saturday. Hope to see you there.

[Images from top to bottom: Pink, the New Black; Seven Refs; 1.17 seconds; Octet of Refs; Kali and Doe Pivots; The Doe and Flo Show; Flo on Turn Four; Bolshe and Doe; Ruby's Gaze; Downtown Dave and Che; Kay Boom and the Boy Scorers; The Two Scorers; The Scorekeepers' Eyes; Eeka's Wheels; Great Barrier Ref; Penalty Girl; Johnny Crash; Mr. Natural; Good Sports; Pink and Mista Miner; The Back Stretch; Ferocious, Kay, and Sami; Polly Graf; Polly, Carrie, and Kay Boom; Cheap Ore's Profile; Copper Blur; Penny Again; Cheap Ore in the End; & The Pink Boa. Prints available upon request, at a good price.]

"The Saddletramps" (c) 2007

"The Saddletramps" (c) 2007 Stu Jenks

These portraits were taken at Trail Dust Town, here in Tucson, Arizona. These are the Saddletramps, Tucson's All-Star Roller Derby Team. They are going to Austin, Texas in a month, to compete in the National Championship. Easily, Tucson is ranked second or third in the country, depending on who you talk to. I didn't included all the portraits I took last Sunday in this blog entry, only because some of the images, due to my lack of creativity and experience, just were kind of average and boring. Believe you me, NONE of these talented women-athletes are average or boring. Just my shooting, sometimes. Wish them well as they travel to Texas to hopefully bring home the championship trophy.

[From top to bottom: Metal Maiden, Saddletramps on the Carousel, Deadlock Doe Holliday, Barbicide, Kali Ishnikov, Liberty Valancezula, Cheap Ore, Flo On The Range, Sassy Sue, and Whiskey Mick.]

 

"Inside of the Oval of a Roller Derby Track" (c) 2007

"Inside of the Oval of a Roller Derby Track" (c) 2007 Stu Jenks.

       The bout's getting ready to start. Vice vs. I.C. I'm at my position, right next to Monica the Timekeeper who blows the whistle that starts and stops the jams. I'm inside of the Oval of a Roller Derby track. Holy Ground if you ask me.

       Why Sacred? Because few humans get to ever be here. Two refs on skates, a couple of scorekeepers, a timekeeper and me. And it's a small space too, made even smaller by the refs skating on the inside of the track who match the derby girls in speed while they call the game. I only step close to the girls in the few seconds between jams to get a close up shot, then I hurry back to my spot. Otherwise I'd get run over by the refs and interfere with the bout. My goal is to get the shots, stay out of the way, and be as invisible as I possibly can.

       My spot. That's too proprietary I suppose, but it is a wonderful place. I'm standing in what I think are one of the two best spots to shot the action from inside the rink. I could shoot by turns three and four but that's where the two scorekeepers stand, and Stu would make three and that's just too many people in that space, at least I think so. By turns one and two, it's just me and Monica the Timekeeper.

       The announcers at getting the crowd up for the bout. The jammers, blockers and pivots leave their benches and find their marks. I find my mark too, just to the left of Monica the Timekeeper. I plant my feet close together, facing turns one and two and then I twist my torso hard to the right, toward the starting line of the jammers just east of turn four. I discovered last time I shot in the circle, that I can get about 270 degrees of smooth panning if I torque my body like this. (By the end of the bout tonight, my abs feel like I've be doing crunches for an hour on my living room floor.) The skaters are still waiting for the first whistle of the night. The timekeeper blasts her whistle once, signaling the pack to take off. A few seconds later she blows the whistle twice more, sending the jammers away. I take my first six images of the night, machine gunning the jammers as they go by.

       Before I know it, the first period is coming to an end. I've barely moved from my spot. I love being in the center of the rink, in the center of the Circle. I smile. I can see the emotions of the women so clearly, more than when I was watching and shooting from the crowd. Then again, they are just a few feet away from me at any given time. I take a moment before this last jam of the period to simply take it all in. I'm so lucky to be able to shoot for the Tucson Roller Derby, so grateful that they can tell I'm an OK guy, not some creep who just wants to take pictures of cute girls, or some arrogant pro who has no respect for the game. No, I'm a fan but I'm also a pro who wants to give them the best product I can. And I 'get' this thing called Flat Track Roller Derby. Or I at least think I do. This ain't the Bay City Bombers of my youth, those women back them being exploited by others. This is the true Feminist/Humanist success story. Created by women, run by women, played by women, for the entertainment of men, women and children. An honest and true sport, with a minimum of screaming egos. Smart, sexy, tough and competitive. And wholesome too. Really. It is. As pure a sport as piece of Fresh Hot Apple Pie. And more ink per square inch then you'll see this side of the Bashful Bandit. A healthy world of paradoxes. My kind of place.

       Some pros used to tease me as being a photographer who never took pictures of people, that I only shot flame spirals in the desert at night, or danced with Christmas lights in the nocturnal forest, that I was just about the Circle, the Spiral and making a bit of Mystery in the full moon light. Just about that, as if that wasn't enough. The final minute of the first period ticks down. The whistle goes off. The pack leave the line. Tweek Tweek blows Monica. Jammers right behind. Well, I'm shooting people now, I would say to those pros. But I still shooting from inside of a Circle. But instead of hoops of lights surrounding me, I have a dozen attractive female athletes skating in a circle, playing the game they love. Really doesn't get much better than this. The Sacred and the Profane, all at the same time. Feels a bit like Christmas.

[Images from Top to Bottom: "Olive with a Lead Jammer", "Zoe on her Marks", "Two Pivot and Aristhrottle", "Aristhrottle", "Vice Huddle", "Penny having a Career Night", "Polly and an I.C. Jammer", "Flash Curtain", "Two Iron Curtain Blockers", "Iron Curtain Jammer", "Great Barrier Ref", "Zoe Making a Circle", "Love Your Motherland", "Kassi Nova Flash", and "Amy with a Celebratory Donut"]

"Derby Brats, Copper Queens & Furious Truckstop Waitresses" (c) 2007

"Derby Brats, Copper Queens, and Furious Truckstop Waitresses" (c) 2007 Stu Jenks

       Lavender Pit told me before the bout that I was the only official photographer tonight, that their regular photog wasn't there. (A few weeks ago, when Zoe OK'd me being one of the official photogs of Tucson Roller Derby, I mentioned that I'm more comfortable being the Second Photog, not the Primary, for I do more artistic shots. She was fine with that. I was fine with that. Things change.) Then one of the refs came up to me, while I was sizing up the track from inside the circle of the rink, (a place I have envied to be for years), and said that they had no one to shot the Derby Brats, and would I do that for them.

       "Sure," I said with a smile on my face.

       Inside though, I'm saying to myself, 'Oh, Shit. I don't have the 1000 dollar lens I had last bout, that I borrowed from a friend of a friend. I just have my not-fast-enou