The Chicago Outfit is known as being “Chicago’s Derby Little Secret.” To some, you might already know who these badass women on skates are. To others, you will soon find out. Founded in 2007, The Chicago Outfit has made its way through the cracks. Just last year, in June, they officially became members of the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association). The Chicago Outfit currently ranks in at #9 in the WFTDA’s North Central region. On May 14th you can catch the Syndicate (The Outfit’s A-team) and the Shade Brigade (The Outfit’s B-team) in a double header for their home season opener at the Windy City Fieldhouse, in Logan Square. If you haven’t been to a derby game, this is your chance. What can be better than hot chicks battling it out on skates?
The L Stop was lucky enough to sit down and interview one of The Chicago Outfit members. Ottermatic Weapon, #99, told The L Stop some of her derby little secrets over cups of coffee at Wormhole Coffee, in Wicker Park, where Ottermatic Weapon can be found when not on skates.
The L Stop: How did you get into roller derby?
Ottermatic Weapon: The first time I ever saw a derby game was five years ago, when I was living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I had friends that played for the Detroit team. They took me to a derby game at the Masonic Temple, which is where Detroit used to play. I remember going there and really loving the energy, and how enthusiastic the women were about the sport. I didn’t really know what I was looking at. There were lots of girls going around really fast and hitting each other. That’s the impression, I think, most people get from derby the first few times they see it. I remember thinking how awesome it was but how ridiculous it seemed, and that I would never be involved with it.
I came to Chicago a few years ago and worked at a café. I was not getting paid very much and I was working all the time. I was bored, broke, and just didn’t know what I was doing in Chicago. I had been here for maybe six months. One day these girls come into the café, and it turned out that they played roller derby. They would always tell me that I should play roller derby, and that it’s so much fun. They seemed really cool, but I felt that it really wasn’t the right thing for me. I’m really small and I’ve never been in any sports. They kept hounding me about it. I got to a point where I thought, I’m either going to move out of Chicago or I’m going to do something with my time. So, I decided to try out. That was the beginning of a very long adventure.
TLS: How was it like, learning to skate and practice with The Chicago Outfit?
Otter: When I joined, basically anyone that tried out was going to get on the team. They teach you how to skate. As new recruits, we’d be on the side of the track practicing basics and stuff, while the rest of the team did what they were doing. That only lasted for about a month. Then, after that, they kind of just threw you in. Right now we have a little more of an extensive training program, so that new girls aren’t expected to sink or swim. But, I see the benefit of just getting people out there and putting them on their skates, because the more you skate the better you’re going to be. You have to keep trying. You’re going to fall. You’re going to screw up. That’s just inevitable.
TLS: What would you say is your favorite part of being with The Chicago Outfit?
Otter: It’s kind of two-fold. One would be the people that I’ve met. If I had known, the day I tried out, how much it would change my life and how many people would come into my life because of it… it’s just impossible to think of where I would be right now without having joined roller derby, especially The Chicago Outfit. I feel our league is a really big family. My best friends play with me. I’ve been around the country with them.
The second thing would be pushing myself to places I never thought I would go, and experiencing things I never thought that I was capable of doing. The idea of being an athlete, to me, is still something that I, kind of, have a hard time swallowing. I can now appreciate the physical aspect of sports. I never thought I’d say that.
TLS: Any significant injuries?
Otter: Most of my serious injuries, in the last couple of years, have been from non-derby related things. I’ve seen girls get seriously hurt. I think that’s actually what separates the people who really want to play derby from the people that just aren’t quite there is the fear of injury. It’s always there. You’re going really fast on roller skates and hitting each other. You’re going to fall a lot. And, although it seems as though you would get hurt a lot, people really don’t.
TLS: If someone were interested in joining The Chicago Outfit, what would they have to do to join?
Otter: In the summer we hold an advance tryout, which means that we’re looking for girls that are at a minimal level of skill. Minimal meaning, that they can skate and take and receive a hit. We also have regular tryouts in the fall. And, often, what we do is what we call “rolling recruitment.” So, we’ll have a period of, maybe three months, where we’ll take anybody that wants to come skate and just attend any of our practices. We’ll have someone there, during the practice, to help the girls on the side. During our season we don’t really take girls, except for that, because it’s just too much of an interruption to our training schedule. I will say, to anyone who wants to try roller derby, that it’s really amazing and the most fun ever. But, expect that it’s going to be a lot harder than you think.
TLS: Do you have any signature moves?
Otter: Well, I’m a pretty small, skinny person. What, I think, is the most impressive thing I have going for me is that I’m able to, sort of, slip through without being noticed. People don’t expect me to hit them very hard. They don’t expect me to be a strong skater. Being aggressive is a valuable asset, I’ve learned, when you can control it.
TLS: How does a derby player get their name?
Otter: Well, it gets more difficult every day. You know how in the other kind of derby, the one with horses, you can never have a horse with the same name? It’s the same thing with skaters. There’s this master roster, which has all of the derby girls that have ever skated. You don’t have to go by that list, but most people do, out of respect for the other skaters. You can’t have the same name as someone else. That is a lot of names after ten years of people playing roller derby. There are really cool names that are based off of famous women or just really funny ones that are puns on whatever. Some people take their actual names and make it into something.
For example, everyone calls me Otter. It’s been my nickname since I was in middle school. I didn’t want to have a nickname and a derby name. That would just be too many names. So, I decided to pick a name that had Otte, my last name, in it. That is how I came up with “Ottermatic Weapon.” Actually, I didn’t come up with it. I was having a hard time picking out my derby name. My coworker, at the time, came into work one day and was really excited because she had a dream. In her dream she came up with my derby name. That was pretty significant, I guess, that she had a dream about my derby name seeing as how she’s never played derby. (laughs) There are some really good names out there. I would suggest looking up the master roster. Just Google “roller derby master roster.” Sometimes, if I’m in a bad mood I’ll go on there and read them because it will crack you up.
TLS: Any upcoming off-skates events this season?
Otter: I’m our events director. Our last major event was the burlesque show. That was really fun. The way I try to have it set up is one major event per month. We have a show at REGGIES ROCK CLUB coming up on May 27th. It’s going to be awesome. One of the girls plays in a band, so she set up the show. We always do some event related with Pride. We always skate in the Pride Parade, which, I think, is our league’s most favorite thing to do. It’s kind of, also, the most dangerous thing that we do because people are just throwing shit on the street the entire time, like beads, lollipops, and condoms. But, it’s really fun. This year, I’m hoping to do a dance party during Pride week. That’s one other thing our league really likes to do. We like to dance. Burlesque show. Rock show. Dance Party. It makes people want to come.
TLS: Do you have any activities outside of derby?
Otter: I draw comics. I make and collect zines. The Chicago Outfit made a zine this year, which I put together with a couple other girls for Chicago Zine Fest. That’s something I really like doing. If I had more time, outside of derby, I’d probably do a lot more of it. I, also, really love traveling. I’d love to go camping a lot more.
TLS: What’s an interesting fact about Ottermatic Weapon?
Otter: I speak Japanese. I took six years of it in college, and lived there for a while. I can eat spicier food than most people I know. I think what might surprise people is that I really enjoy being alone in the woods. I love the city, but a part of me just really craves being outdoors.
TLS: Overall, how did The Chicago Out do last year?
Otter: We did really well last year. We made it into the WFTDA, which is the governing organization for roller derby. We were, then, able to be ranked for the first time. We made it into the top ten in our region right off the bat. We’ve continued to get better. I just checked our rankings the other night. We’re definitely rising in the rankings right now. If things continue this way, we’ll be at regionals this year. Maybe even nationals, if things go really well.
TLS: Where are you at in the rankings right now?
Otter: We were number nine, until last weekend. The rankings haven’t officially come out yet. But we’ll, at least, be at number seven.
TLS: For someone who’s never been to a derby game, what can they expect?
Otter: Expect to have a good time. Expect to see people do a lot of crazy shit. Just watching people skate at the level of our team, especially what our A team is capable of, is really impressive. These girls are the most in shape people I have ever met. They’re true athletes. The crowd that comes to derby is, actually, really diverse. There are families. There are people from all classes and ethnic groups. It’s a good time.
TLS: Is every league run by its own members? How does that work?
Otter: I think, for the most part, the skaters run the leagues, but at different levels of commitment. Some leagues have a really top heavy structure. So, they might have a group of people, on their board of directors, which make all the decisions for the league. Our league is more democratic. So, instead of a captain or two captains that run the whole team, we have a committee of coaches. They all vote and decide on the best way to steer the league. As well, we do try to incorporate a lot of democratic values into the league, whereas, a lot of leagues run theirs as a sort of business. At this point, you’re not going to get rich off of roller derby. Nobody is, really, getting paid to skate. For the most part, it’s all for the love of it.
TLS: Ten years from now, do you see yourself playing derby?
Otter: I hate to say it, but no. I don’t know if derby is something people can pull off for such a long time. A decade of derby seems like an eternity for me. It’s just because it’s such an intense and high-energy hobby. Skating and planning events take up so much of my time. I feel like that sort of commitment can only be sustained for a limited period of time. For some girls it’s longer than others. Also, the physical tolls of roller derby will catch up with you. It’s a contact sport, and injuries do happen. But, however long I’m in Chicago I’ll be with The Chicago Outfit.
TLS: Anything else you might like to add, for the readers out there?
Otter: The spirit of The Chicago Outfit represents, I think, how the queer community feels. Which is, that we have this togetherness. Even if you don’t have that much in common with that person you can still value them. And… I hope that people come watch us. The under dogs are always more fun to watch.
Check out The Outfit’s first home game this Saturday, May 14th!
6:00pm - 9:00pm / Windy City Fieldhouse / 2367 W Logan Blvd
Save $5 when you purchase your tickets in advance! And you can save an additional $5 if you enter the promo code: HBHCOUTFIT
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