Crystal Rice, nail tech. In her other life: roller derby player.

Crystal Rice, nail tech. In her other life: roller derby player.

She’s been roller skating nearly all her life and she’s good at it. But for years when people asked if she was interested in roller derby, San Diego-based nail tech Crystal Rice didn’t give it a second thought. “Back in the day, roller derby was about beating each other up. Who would want to do that? I didn’t want to lose teeth or break something,” Rice says. Finally, a few years ago, at the repeated urging of friends, she decided to look into it. “The sport has changed. There are actually rules!” says Rice, who works at Minx Nails in San Diego and is a Minx educator.

“San Diego has a couple of leagues to choose from. I decided to go with the San Diego Derby Dolls because they offered a structured boot camp.” And she fell in love with the sport. “I just love to skate,” she says. “I like how roller derby is a high level contact sport. It makes tough physical demands.”

I nail people on and off the track.

I nail people on and off the track.

This year her focus in on blocking. “I came in knowing how to skate but was really overwhelmed with the game because it requires so much from you,” she says. “I started off as a jammer [the skater on the track who can score points]. I realized that position demanded a lot physically and I just wasn’t ready for that part of the game yet. I know in my future I will be a jammer again, but my goal this year is to master blocking.”

Rice began her derby career using the name Juwanna Asskikin, but later changed it when she discovered another player with the same name. Now she goes by the handle Juwanna GetNailed! “I figured I nail people on and off the track,” she says.

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