Good Bye and Good Luck in Austin Axels!!

Testimonial by Suzy Snakeyes

Axles of Evil and I joined the LA Derby Dolls on the same day. That would be the first of an insane amount of similarities we’d find between the two of us. We’re both short, hovering around the five foot mark. We both have spent a lifetime fighting a battle to manage a head of naturally curly brown hair. We’re both feisty Jewish gals. We both have spent time behind a mic and on the air, as we both have a background in radio broadcasting.

We have so much in common that it actually started confusing people. One time at practice, someone came up to me and told me that she heard I just got new skates. I was pretty confused as there was no way my broke self had the means to procure a new pair of skates. And then it occurred to me. This person thought I was Axles. Conversely, Axles would do a mean snowplow at practice and Blade would say, “Nice snowplow, Suzy!” Things like this started happening with so much frequency that Axles and I decided to dub ourselves the Tiny Twins of Terror.

We sent an email declaring such, and proceeded to point out the similarities and, indeed, the differences between us. We hoped that would clear everything up. People still managed to mix us up for months afterward.

When we split up into teams and it came time for me to choose a co-captain for the team I would be captaining, it seemed only fitting that I should pair up with my Tiny Twin of Terror and work together to wreak havoc on the other teams. And it was only then when I truly discovered what Axles would come to mean to me. I had never been on a sports team in my life, much less been the captain of one.

This venture was frightening and, at times, overwhelming. In those months when we first formed the team, started bonding and finding our personality and fit amongst each other and the other teams, Axles was right there helping me along in the process. She kept me organized, which is an epic task and anyone who has seen the state of my bedroom can attest to that. She kept me on task. And most importantly, she kept me sane. There’s little wonder why she won the “Voice of Reason Award” at the Derby Dolls Prom. Because she didn’t just do that for me – she did it for everyone.

I’ve been the captain of the Tough Cookies for a while now, and lately I’ve become more far more confident in my role. Little wonder that even that has occurred thanks to Axles’ help and guidance. But as Axles of Evil prepares for her new adventure in Austin, Texas, I can’t help but wonder what it’ll feel like without her around. It’s weird. Axles and I never knew each other until November 6, 2003. But I very much expect that, after she moves, I’ll feel like a part of me will be missing.

It must be a twin thing.

-Suzy Snakeyes