The whistle blows and Kristina "Ragin' Redhead" Owens Hawkins, a jammer for the Yokosuka Sushi Rollers roller derby team, darts quickly as she approaches an aggressive pack of blockers. She scans for a weak spot between two ladies in the back. She spots a gap. It's not too big, but it's large enough for Hawkins to get through. Without pause she breaks through the wall of women onto her right skate, before she pulls her entire body through she quickly searches for a another breach and a teammate to help her. Six women stand between her and lead jammer status — seven if you include the jammer for the Yokota Scary Blossoms team. Four of them are allies, but the other two have a mission to take Hawkins down. She bounces back and forth between skaters, hip checked from the left, shouldered from the right, but manages to stay on her skates. As she catches up with the last blocker, she's delivered a hard bump to her hip that sends her flying out of bounds. The check costs her lead jammer status and her Scary Blossoms opponent skates past. It's not over, though, she still has a chance to redeem herself in later jams.
Hawkins says being a jammer in roller derby is a lot of pressure. Not only does she have to score points, she does so with a huge target on her back.
"You know they're all out to stop you from getting through," she says of the sport, noting that there's nothing better than earning the title of "lead jammer" and preventing the opposing team from scoring any points. "It's just an amazing feeling."
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