Roller derby is in a lot of players’ hearts, but it’s becoming more and more common for it to be in a player’s blood. Cincinnati Rollergirl Skunna Hurt knows this scenario well.
At 18, Skunna (Carly Brown) became the youngest member of the Cincinnati Rollergirls when she made the team in January. But that wasn’t the only unique thing about her. Upon joining the team, Skunna and her mom, Juwana Hurt, became CRG’s first mother-daughter pair to be on the team at the same time.
But while Skunna openly admits that her mom is her “derby idol,” she still wants to make her own path. And she’s got a good start on it, getting track time as both a blocker and a jammer for CRG’s Violent Lambs this season.
As a graduate of the Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls, Skunna had the experience needed to move up to CRG. While she’d already been a key player on the junior team, she still has goals that she’s working toward on CRG. Skunna said she was surprised by the difficulty of the endurance drills, and hopes to work on her footwork so she can improve as a jammer.
“It was difficult at first going from one official practice a week to skating three or four times a week. But I’m really happy with how quickly my endurance has picked up,” she said. “I’ve also gotten more solid on running on my toe stops and doing hockey stops. It feels good to see improvement.”
Skunna’s improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed. Rostered for CRG’s Violent Lambs, she already has two games at the Gardens and one away game under her belt. “I’m looking forward to skating at the Gardens more and more as our season continues,” she said, “It’s such an honor to play there. I’m really excited about traveling out of town with the team, but it can be hard to skate when you’re missing half your fans. CRG’s fans are the best.”
With roller derby being a unique family tie, Skunna is also excited to share the experience of being on a team with her mom. (Juwana is currently unrostered due to injury, but is hoping to return to the team at full strength by the end of the season.)
“It’s definitely not something every kid gets to do with their mom. It’s brought our family even closer – we get to show each other everything we’ve learned, and go to skating sessions together.”
As for her age, Skunna doesn’t want it to be obvious when playing – even through it’s been a focus for many. “So far, some of the teams we’ve played were surprised – they didn’t expect me to be 18. I’ve been told I listen well for my age, and take advice.”
And with that attitude, this promising player could become a fixture on the Cincinnati Rollergirls.
-Karli Wood