Santas vs. Elves double-header

Jane Sidewinder of the Elves team, left, is pushed out of bounds by Jack Scratch Fever of the Santas team, right, during the Santas vs. Elves Roller Derby scrimmage at Skate Mania in Ocala, Fla. on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. This year was the 14th year that Skate Mania held their Santas vs. Elves Roller Derby scrimmage. The Roller Derby scrimmages were held as a fundraiser for Veterans Helping Veterans USA and skaters from numerous Roller Derby teams from around Florida came together to compete. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

Skate Mania echoed with jingle bells and hard-hitting blocks on Dec. 14 as Ocala Roller Derby hosted its beloved Santas vs. Elves double-header scrimmage, uniting Florida skaters for festive fun and a heartfelt cause.

The holiday event mixed skaters from across Florida for thrilling action and to support local food insecurity efforts. The league continued its longstanding holiday tradition by inviting skaters statewide for mixed-team scrimmages themed Santas vs. Elves, primarily to collect food donations and door proceeds. The donations and proceeds will go to Veterans Helping Veterans, a local nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to anyone facing hunger or hardship.

More than a typical bout, the event mixed players from Ocala, Gainesville, Jacksonville, DeLand, Lakeland and other leagues onto two themed rosters: Team Santa and Team Elves.

According to the league’s Director of Training, Jackie Korpela, the event was still a regular roller derby game.

“It’s just that the teams are made up of skaters from all over, which is a lot of fun because you get the opportunity to play with other skaters, and it levels up your own gameplay. And, you get to build better relationships within your derby community by playing with skaters on other teams,” Korpela said.

The doors opened at 3:45 p.m., the first whistle blew at 4 p.m., and families poured in wearing ugly Christmas sweaters for a $10 admission fee.

“Both scrimmages were full of action. There were no injuries, and everyone had a fun time,” Korpela said.

This marked another chapter in the league’s 15-year history, minus a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the annual holiday scrimmage being a staple from the beginning and this year continuing the Santas vs. Elves theme.

It also was a full-circle moment returning to Skate Mania, the group’s original home rink.

“This team started in 2010, and Skate Mania was our first home. About five years ago, we left Skate Mania because of issues with the new management that has since left. We made Skate A Way South our home for the next four years. Then, the news came out early this year that the co-owner of Skate A Way South was arrested,” Korpela said.

According to the Ocala Police Department, Richard Hawkins, 62, co-owner of Skate A Way South, was arrested on Feb. 23 on charges of indecent, lewd or lascivious touching of a minor; false imprisonment; and open carry of a firearm following allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with a 16-year-old boy and preventing the teen from leaving an apartment. In April, OPD announced an additional charge against Hawkins of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor after another person came forward with similar allegations. According to Marion County Jail records, Hawkins remains incarcerated. The Marion County Clerk of Courts website indicates that the case remains open as of Dec. 16.

“I assured my league mates that we could do this and would look back at season’s end and be amazed with our own resilience and pride for sticking to our values. We walked away from our home rink, put our things in storage and began the search for a new home. We practiced in parking lots and at trailheads until we found the Ocala Downtown Market. It wasn’t easy, we practiced outside in the elements, even in the dead of summer. We had a game when it was raining and had to keep drying our track to continue gameplay. But we kept pressing through it all,” she stated.

“We learned, on the fly, how to set up a vendor market during our games. We faced each new challenge as best as we could. Right at the end of our season, ODM wasn’t available for use for our double-header scrimmage. It was a real full-circle moment to end up back in our original home, Skate Mania,” Korpela added.

Korpela said what she looked forward to the most was reminding her league mates what they had pulled off.

“We didn’t cancel a single game or scrimmage day of our pre-planned 2025 season. We stood up for what we felt was right, kept working and believing and we did it. We played the game we love, and we gave back to our community all without sacrificing our values,” she said.

Community giving remains central. Nearly every event benefits a local cause, from the PACE Center for Girls to the Humane Society of Marion County. For years, the holiday event served as a Toys for Tots drive, but late-December timing complicated deliveries. This year the league pivoted to food insecurity.

“Food banks are overwhelmed right now. There are more people, and there’s more of a need right now for that, and it’s an ongoing need. It’s not just a seasonal need,” Korpela said. “We just really felt led to fill that need this year.”

Event attendees filled collection bins with nonperishable food items, plus a food donation required for visiting skaters, while the door ticket proceeds supported Veterans Helping Veterans of Ocala.

“Despite the name, Veterans Helping Veterans actually offers help to all sorts of people. You don’t actually have to be a veteran to receive help from them,” Korpela noted.

Charlotte “Charlie” Petersen, a longtime skater, said they are still working on getting their pre-COVID crowd back.

“We’ve had a great turn out in our last few games, and we are so grateful for our fans,” Petersen said.

Petersen jokingly described the Dec. 14 event for newcomers as being like “holiday football on skates, minus the ball.”

“Our annual Santas vs. Elves scrimmage is a fun, family friendly, action-packed event where the local community gets to witness live roller derby in a fun and safe environment. And I always tell people the only thing better than playing roller derby is watching it,” she said.

Petersen’s personal highlight was the support and love from her teammates.

“I needed it a little extra that day, and they never fail to carry me through,” she said.

Petersen said she has been hooked on derby after watching the movie “Whip It,” and she encourages others to give roller derby a try.

“If you want to do it, even a little bit, then you absolutely can do it. And we will teach you and support you, even if you’ve never put on a pair of skates before. Everyone starts at a different level. If you have the drive to show up and participate, then this team is going to be there to support you all the way to your goals. And you might even make some friends for life along the way,” she said.

“Roller derby is not just a sport; it’s a community filled with love and acceptance. We prioritize being a safe and inclusive environment, and everyone can use a little of that in their life,” she continued.

“I truly love the environment we have created. I love the inclusivity, the mutual love and the passionate support everyone receives along their derby journey. I have friends for life because of this community who I never would have found without joining,” Petersen said.

To learn more, go to fb.com/ocalacannibalderby

Santas vs. Elves Roller Derby Scrimmage

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