1. What is your real name?
Tia, short simple and sweet ☺ although I do get Tina a lot2. What is your derby name and what’s the story behind it?
Alexa SkarsHard. I wanted to have a connection to my Scandinavian (Finnish) background and liked the idea of altering an existing “celebrity” name. So I chose to alter the actor Alexander Skarsgard’s name. He is Scandinavian (Swedish) and bonus he plays a sexy vampire on TV.

3. What is your number and what’s the story behind it?
My number is 3. I’m the first of three children and things just tend to happen to me in three’s.

4. How long have you been playing derby?
The end of August will mark my first year playing derby ☺ I’ll officially be a yearling on August 24th

5. What position do you normally play?
Blocker

6. What attracted you to the sport of roller derby?
Roller Derby is a bad ass sport and I needed to let off a little aggression stemming from a break up and now I’m hooked

7. How did you first hear about or go about joining NCRD?
I had seen a booth at the New Sudbury Mall and it had sparked my interest then but at the time I didn’t pursue it. Then last year I found out a friend of mine was playing (Smashley) and she convinced me to start playing….the rest is as they say history

8. How do you support your derby habit? ( job description)
I am employed fulltime at Keaney Interiors as a Commercial Interiors Consultant. I also have a part time position at Barrydowne Paint as an in-store colour consultant

9. Is there someone in the world of derby that you idolize or admire and why?
Outside of the fantastic skaters, I play and practice with every week. One of my favorite players is Smack Daddy from the New Skids on the Block team in Montreal. I first saw her at the Roller Derby World Cup. She was great at getting the crowd involved, leading her team and employing her signature move of using her torso to hit the opposing blockers or jammer

10. Have you ever met your derby idol?
I was able to get her signature in my program and she encouraged me to get the other Canadian team players, which I ended up only missing a couple

11. What has been one of your most memorable experiences in roller derby?
Making the Sister Slag team and having my first time playing with them be in a tournament

12. Is there anything that you aspire to do as a skater or referee in general?
Along with being a blocker, I would also like to become a Pivot

13. What goes through your mind before you play in a bout?
I have to pee followed by don’t mess up, don’t mess up

14. Do you have a special signature move or play?
I’ve been told I’m a “Chatty Chaser” does that count… I have even won an award for it

15. What is the hardest part of being a derby girl or referee?
Transitions!!!

 

16. Does anyone come out and watch you play?
For my first official game I had quite an audience ☺ My mom, grandma, aunt, a couple cousins and a few friends came to watch. My cousins even made a likeness of me with my Viking horns using paper plates.

17. Does your family support your derby career?
My mom is my biggest supporter. She helped me get my gear, has come to events and games and even watched online when Sister Slag played their first tournament in Guelph.

18. Who is your derby wife?
I’m derby single

19. How did you feel the first time someone came up and asked for your autograph or picture?
I’ll be ecstatic and flattered when it happens

20. Give one reason why someone should join roller derby?
It’s an exhilarating sport to play with plenty of action and where your teammates are not only your friends but your family too

21. Give us one word to describe roller derby.
Mahtava (Finnish for awesome, spectacular, tremendous, epic, out of this world…)