Rantin' Razor

2011 Black Rock City Roller Girls Merchandise

2011-06-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

08.09.11: THIS JUST IN! No more orders will be shipped, I need to start packing and get everyone's shirt done who ordered. If you want to order and pay and pick up on the playa I will do that. You can pick up at the BRCRG camp within Gigsville. If you already ordered you will receive your shirt in the mail if you asked for shipping.

If you haven't seen all my links and comments and stuff, I'm one of the organizers of the Black Rock City Roller Girls who play at Burning Man. Yes, there is actually a skating rink at Burning Man, the Black Rock Roller Disco hosts our scrimmage every year. Our skaters come from all over the world to Burning Man, and shlep their gear out to the desert to skate in the most awesome scrimmage I've ever participated in. Where else do you get to pants the jammer, have fights with orange cones, cheat like crazy and dogpile the refs? Last year no one was watching the penalty box so I sat for about 10 seconds and then went back into the game.

Every year we make shirts for the skaters, and we also like to give away other shwag like free tees, stickers and hand stamps to promote our scrimmage. This year, in order to fund our scrimmage and help us acquire our awesome giveaways, I am asking people to donate $15 + $3 shipping to the BRCRG and in return you will receive a badass black ladies tank top or men's tshirt with the limited edition 2011 logo in red on it. For $7 more I will put your name & number on the back.

BRCRG Ladies tank

BRCRG Unisex Tee

SAFETY 3RD knee high socks
SOLD OUT!!!

Email me at steffinrazor at gmail.com if you have any questions!

BRCRG Camp 2009 - Get Beat Up By A Derby Girl

Sheila Princess Of Power jamming against Wrath Poutine, 2009

Steffin' Razor jamming against Allison Chainsaw in 2008

Derba luv,
Steffin' Razor

Razor's Custom SkateWear Helmet Panties

2011-02-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

First off, check out my Facebook page for the most updated photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=102083549870279&aid=2741

Queen of the Rink helmet cover

I am a one woman show. I do lettering for scrimmage shirts, uniforms and booty shorts, plus I do helmet panties for roller derby. AKA helmet covers. I have done countless sets for my league and I love making them. For jammer stars I iron them on first, then I stitch them on and I've never had one come off. I overlock all seams so the seams are strong.

A full set of panties is $50 and consists of 2 jammer and 2 pivot. Each team should have at least 2 sets (i.e. one jammer and one pivot in red base with white contrast; and one jammer and one pivot in white base with red contrast) because you never know when you might need a different color scheme. Having a full set of each color scheme is even better (that's 8 panties total) because you can have one set on the track and one set for skaters the bench to put on for the next jam.

My league played in a tournament in Tucson last year and used all 3 sets of panties in 3 different color schemes. Below are photos of some that I've made, click on the photo to super size it:

Photos above are courtesy of Jim Cottingham and Axle Adams. I can't figure out how to list the credits right underneath the photos, sorry guys!

Email me at steffinrazor@gmail.com if you are interested in some custom panties in a color of your choosing. I love fancy fabrics, patterns, metallics, etc. Just let me know what colors or patterns you want and I'll find the fabric. I can do reversible jammer panties for $3 more each, this means there are stars on the inside as well as the outside in case your jammer puts it on inside out(if the stars aren't showing, she won't receive any points). Also, check out my blog for info on other uniform-type things I do!

Derba luv,
Steffin' Razor

Razor's inspiration for her derby little sisters...

2010-03-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

I started derby 8 weeks after I had my daughter in 2007 (Knuckles and I started on the same night), I hadn't skated since I was a kid and I pretty much sucked. I went to every practice and felt super guilty when I missed one. Because SVRG didn't have any kind of training program at the time I even attended BADG's training camp to supplement my SVRG practices. I learned a lot, but those coaches are tough, not sympathetic at all because they deal with so many skaters.

I didn't expect to excel right away and I wasn't too hard on myself about it. Although I did make the roster for SVRG's very first game against Santa Cruz, I could tell that I wasn't at the level of my teammates and I didn't get to play. I spent the next 6 months as an alternate on our one team and reminded myself that at least I got to play at practice. Don't forget that! I know everyone dreams of being picked for a roster and playing in public, but you ARE playing roller derby at practice.

Razor's first formal scrimmage against Santa Cruz Rollergirls, February 2008. I sucked.

Then, after I had been skating for a year we had a game at Sac City where so many of our regular skaters were injured that it was more of a B team who got to play (we still only had one "A" team). That's the first time I pivoted, the first time I played a lot in a game and I kicked butt! We won that game 145-39. What Panda had been yelling at me for the last 6 months had finally sunk in. "Look behind you!" "Match the speed of the jammer!" I was just a slow learner and it really took me that long to really "get" the game, to be effective and to get play time. I was probably a pretty passive skater for a long time and when I started really pushing myself to do things I couldn't before, knowing instantly what needed to be done on the track, the coaches noticed it.

Razor booty blocking the Sac City jammer, November 2008. See how I'm finally looking behind me?

Really try not to compare yourself to other skaters, everyone learns at a different level. Some girls are naturally athletic, learn super fast and are bouting 4 months after they strap on skates. Some girls take over a year to be ready. I always trusted my coaches' decisions, never complained or asked for special treatment- instead I asked what I needed to improve on so I could make the next roster.

So last year I ended up as Co-Captain of the brand new KillaBytes and I continued to play a lot. I even played the majority of the Dot.Kamikaze games last season. I had knee surgery in December and I'm still recovering, it sucks watching the Dots and Killas play games without me- especially since they're going to 3 tournaments while I'm still injured. This February at my second practice back, I was trying to skate cautiously but I tripped over a cone and gave myself a concussion. How's that for a recovery?

Killas at Santa Cruz, Aug 2009. I'm holding back their jammer as Smack assists our jammer.

Good luck in derby! Don't give up, go to practice, keep your mouth shut at practice, be diplomatic when dealing with other skaters, play with all your heart, listen to your coaches and veteran skaters who give you advice, ask for feedback, push yourself farther than you think you can and skate outside all the time. Don't drop out of pace lines!! And don't give up. Derby is the first thing I've done that was really hard and that I've fallen in love with so much that I've stuck with it. I hope you do too.

Steffin' Razor

8 weeks after surgery, doctor says I can skate!

2010-02-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

I went in for my 8 week checkup last week, and the doctor says I can skate! I can't say enough good things about him, I didn't even have to ask about it- he brought up the skating.

So Weds Feb 17 will be my first practice back. Gonna take it easy and try not to fall.

2 Gimp Knees, Sore Shoulders and Armpits

2009-12-21T14:02:00.001-08:00

Last Weds I went in for surgery on my bum right knee, but boy was I not prepared for it. I figured I'd be walking in the next couple days, skating in a month, at least ready to scrimmage by February. Ummm..... no.

Can I just say how awesome my anethesiologist was? He looked like Sam Elliott. Without the cowboy hat.

Those guys are really good at finding out what you're interested in, then asking you questions about it until you pass out. Everyone seemed really intrigued that I play roller derby, and surprised that they don't see more derby related injuries. Oh yeah, and I had to explain a couple dark bruises on my arms. I think they bought it :)

My symptoms were excess fluid around my kneecap, swelling/stiffness and occasional pain. So the dr told me that he was going to go in and drain the excess synovial fluid (synoviocentesis?), fish out excess chips of cartilage that the MRI reported missing from my femur (chondrectomy?), and possibly score the bone where the cartilage was missing to encourage scar tissue growth (microfracture). They did all of that, plus the condition of my cartilage was worse than expected so they cleaned up a ton of shredded cartilage from behind my kneecap and on the end of my femur (chondroplasty).

Here is the shredded cartilage behind my kneecap:

And the yellow part is missing cartilage on my femur.

I thought this thing would be a breeze, and that I'd be back on skates in 4 weeks. I can't even walk on my own til 10 days after surgery! The 2 days after surgery I was on pain meds and felt ok enough to finish projects and go to SVRG's christmas party. Saturday I hit a wall and have been in bed since. My left knee aches from having all my weight on it, plus my shoulders and armpits ache from the crutches. And today I lost the cable remote and got pretty upset. Plus with christmas 4 days away I'm freakin out because I didn't get everything done and we're having family over on christmas. Note to everyone out there: Christmas is NOT a good time to recover from surgery.

Good news is that the dr says this was not caused by derby, since I had this before I started skating. She said this took a long time to develop. Anyway, it is feeling better today and I haven't taken pain meds since last night so that's a good sign. The vicodin makes me feel hung over so I prefer my knee's achiness to a yucky stomach.

At least I went out with a bang, the Red Red Holiday tournament on Dec 12 was SO. MUCH. FUN!!! I had girls from Sonoma, Sac City, Battle Born, Sacred and Central Coast on my team and they were all awesome.
http://jwcotting.smugmug.com/Roller-Derby/RedRed-Holiday/Orange-vs-Brown-12-Dec-2009/10636959_xM2wv#740440344_6tWJN-A-LB

Magic School font

2009-12-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have no idea how friggin' cool a font will look until you test it out. Here are the 2 versions of the Magic School font and they kick ASS!! Our names need to be 2" minimum so I usually do all caps, but sometimes using lower case is aesthetically better.
The bottom font is Sparkly Diner which I'm really liking as well.

Razor's Font Of The Week

2009-11-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

I'm in love. With a new font. Its called Space Out.
Did I mention I like it? And its even got numbers!!

Click on the pic to see a dazzling large view of this font.

Razor's Custom SkateWear

2009-09-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Scrimmage shirts. Uniforms. Sweatshirts. Helmet panties. Booty shorts.

Check out my Facebook page for the most updated info:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rantin-Razors-Custom-SkateWear/102083549870279

Link to info on helmet covers:

http://rantinrazor.blogspot.com/2011/02/razors-custom-skatewear-helmet-panties.html

PRICES:
Black or white scrimmage tank or tee with your name and number $20
Name and number on the back of your own shirt or sweatshirt $10
Name and number on the back of your own shirt, plus numbers on sleeves $12
Name and number on the hood of your hoodie $8
Small name or number on something $7
Printing on the butt of your booty shorts: $8
Booty shorts with printing on the butt $15
Uniforms: contact me for customization

LETTERING COLORS:

Solids: Black, White, Red, Apple Green, Yellow, Fuschia, Royal Blue, Orange, Purple, Burgundy, you name it.

Metallics: Fuchsia, Red, Silver, Gold (add $1 to the price)

Glitters: Black Glitter, Pink Glitter, Red Glitter, Green Glitter, Rainbow Glitter, Gold Glitter, Aqua Glitter, Purple Glitter (add $2 to the price)

CLICK HERE FOR FONTS or you can use almost any font.

Order here:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGJ3LTdCVmN3QVpoSGl3clRuNVYyRnc6MA

Email steffinrazor at gmail.com if you have a question.

A million fonts and counting...

2009-09-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a sample of the fonts I've got, click on the photo for a closer look. Also, send me any suggestions, or let me know if there's one you want and I'll find it. If you want to see what your name will look like, go to dafont.com and search for the font, then type in your name and it will show your name in that font.
Like this:
http://www.dafont.com/tattoo-lettering.font?text=STEFFIN%27+RAZOR

The skater #15 blues/ Derby shirts obsession

2009-08-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

As my derby wife Aim DeKill would say, I've got the skater #15 blues. I didn't quite make the roster of skaters 1-14, but I'm the first runner up! I can't really complain, I've actually skated in every game my league has had this year, A team and B team alike. And in 2 back to back double headers. Plus, my girls Aim DeKill and The Beast get to play so that's rad.

But still. It sucks. At least I have a bout job where I can take attendance and check people in, my favorite thing ever!

What's funny is that I was trying to figure out what to wear to the bout, and I realized every single shirt I wear nowadays is derby related. Today is the Bad Reputations, from Terminal City (Vancouver), my friend Toi Box's team. At Burning Man I'll be trading SVRG shirts for London Rockin' Rollers and Emerald City shirts.

I just dug through my sewing pile and found 3 more derby shirts I forgot I had. Shirts used to be the one souvenir I would get to remember a bout I went to, but I haven't had the money recently. I've also been so focused on skating that I forget to look at the merch.

I also collect those floaty pens, with the liquid inside and usually a boat or something that floats by when you tip it. Now all I need is a Derby floaty pen to connect my two collecting obsessions.

Junior Derby

2009-07-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

Santa Cruz has an awesome Jr derby program, I can't wait til Vivi is old enough to start derby. Hopefully SVRG will have something organized by then- Diskettes, anyone? She is such a tough little thing, she can take a major spill and just get up, no crying. She's got skates, pads, wrist guards (hard to find for a 2 year old), a helmet and likes to wear a helmet panty on it. And she wants nothing more than to dress Derby like Mommy, pads and all.

Check out this lil jammer:
http://lollergirls.blogspot.com/2009/06/yes-i-can-be-lead-jammer.html

Black Rock City Roller Girls Camp!

2009-07-29T00:02:00.001-07:00

So Burning Man is coming up. I'm excited because this will be the first year we stay with a camp, rather than just ourselves. I've got 2 other roller girls joining us at Black Rock City Roller Girls Camp, plus their entourages- Lisa from Emerald City Roller Girls, and Sideshow Ho from London Rockin' Rollers. That's friggin dedication, to fly across the ocean to attend BM.

I've always wanted to have an event, so we're planning "Get Beat Up By A Derby Girl", where people can stop by and get knocked into the dust by one of us. We've got a ref in our camp, so we can make it official. I'm hoping some of the other skaters will remember to stop by and participate, but I know how Playa Time works, and it's easy to forget these things.

The scrimmage is Thursday evening at 7 pm, at the Roller Disco. Check out the website for the Black Rock City Roller Girls: http://www.blackrockcityrollergirls.com/

Photo by Calamity Strange

Vivi's 2nd Birthday

2009-07-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Vivi turned 2 on July 14, she had a party with her derby siblings Chip Off The Old Blocker and Dirty Daughter, plus her derby step moms, Aim DeKill and Dirty Thirty.

Her grandparents, Uncle B, Aunt Mira, cousins Frankie and Fino were there too- thanks to Uncle Matt for this video! She got her Maisy fix, and was excited by her Maisy doll, books, and cool stuff Grandma brought back from Europe.

Oh yes, and how could I forget the highlight of the party- seeing Andy (Aim's son) position himself on the little yellow scooter at the top of a long, 20 foot slide, ready to take flight. I almost didn't say anything because I couldn't believe what I was seeing; fortunately I did yell and Uncle Matt saved the day. I seriously respect Aim for her mothering skills if she deals with stuff like that all the time and doesn't lose her mind. She wins the mothering prize. All I have to deal with is tantrums because Vivi doesn't get the right stickers she wants.

Do I really have that much to say that I need a blog?

2009-07-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

Who knows... but maybe this will help me organize my thoughts and stop the barrage of texts to my friends all day.