Skater of the Month March: Octane Jane
We're all about spreading the stoke and this month, we're stoking hard on none other than Octane Jane, a flipping radical roller skater hailing from the sunny shores of Los Angeles! If you haven't seen her vibrant style and contagious style on quad skates then head to Instagram to get your fix!
Name: Kristal Kamholz
Skater Alias: Octane Jane
Instagram: @octanejane94
Photos by FX Mixer / @fxmixer
How did you come into roller skating?
I'm a baby of the '80s (did I just date myself?!?) and back then the cool thing to do in elementary school was to have birthdays parties at a skating rink, so we learned to skate young. My mom and sisters all had their own pair of skates and when my feet got big enough, I commandeered my sister's pair of light blue suede quads with huge, blue pom poms. On warm summer days, I would skate up and down my driveway trying to be fancy doing spins and dancing. After that, I didn't really skate much for about 20 years but picked rollerblading up in 2010 when I started work in Los Angeles, California. A year later in 2011, I joined Angel City Derby and was back on quads again. I started out as a jammer for the first year, mostly known to be a bulldozer and big hitter, but was switched over to blocking and fostered those skills.
What transitioned you to skateparks?
My son was getting into skateboarding when he was 7 years old and I'd go with him so he had a buddy to roll within the park. The young kids would always ask me what was on my feet since most of them had never seen quad skates LOL! I only leisurely puttered around there for a couple of years until Enzo, who I'd had played roller derby with, added me to a Los Angeles skate group. I was suddenly exposed to this amazing skate community and I officially dropped in for the first time in November of 2017!
You have a gymnastic background, what moves do you think transitioned to parks easily because of this?
You have a gymnastic background, what moves do you think transitioned to parks easily because of this?
Coming from a gymnastics background, the coping was a lot like the beam to me initially. A beam is the width of your hand and about chest height, so it felt natural to pop up onto the coping and balance. That opened up a whole bunch of ways to relate skateparks to my previous muscle memory and familiarity of gymnastic events. A handstand is similar to doing a front handspring vault or even doing a cast handstands on the bars. Cartwheels, aerials, flips, spins on my toe stops, tuck and straddle jumps all translated directly from the floor exercise.
What does ‘Spread the stoke’ mean to you?
Spreading the stoke to me means spreading positivity and being a great skating ambassador. Cheering people on at the skatepark and growing positive relationships, which includes bladers, skateboarders, bikes & scooters! Answering questions anytime about tricks, gear, skateparks, and personal experiences. Taking the time to coach, teach and give advice. Donating to skate causes when people or groups in the skate or derby community need help with gear, personal causes, and events that impact derby leagues.
If you had one piece of advice to new skaters what would it be?
Control before speed. I teach this in roller derby and it absolutely applies when learning anything new with a physical sport. When starting a new trick or taking any trick faster or higher, make sure you can perform it first with control and stability. You can set yourself up for success and minimize injury in two ways when using this approach. Doing progressions or drills that lead up to the actual trick help your body get familiar with the movements gradually and having the proper physical strength help your body withstand the forces exerted on it. Skating stability and strength all starts with your core, then the legs and arms. When your core and body are strong and you have practiced that muscle memory in your progressions, you have the best chance of staying safe and taking your skating to the next level.
Describe your skating in three words!
Sporty, gymnastics & explosive
Fun fact!
I can pop small candy and snack food items into my mouth from off my hand like a cannon. It almost got me an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I was picked up in a limo that day for the show and had my own green room with my name it. Unfortunately, I got bumped off last minute by a guy who was doing a surprise proposal to his girlfriend live on the show. I still got to sit in the audience behind him and wave at the camera for my 5 seconds of fame. I still do the trick at social gatherings and get paid in candy, small pretzels, and goldfish crackers. ;) Ask me and I'll teach you.