About Powerjam
A PROJECT OF THE HEART
Powerjam started in 2020 as a heart project of two longtime skaters Riannon (Moloko) & Eva (Bitchy) and is now a non-profit with over 100 members. The main goal of Powerjam is to cultivate a local quad roller skating community and continually create new opportunities to skate together, share knowledge and skills, and share the love of roller skating with as many people as possible. Since 2022, the two founding members have been supported by an energetic board of directors. Here you can get to know us a little:
The Board
Isabel “Cuqui” Espinoza
As a child, Cuqui used to roller skate in front of the supermarket. After a few falls and with no other skaters to share her passion with, her roller skates sadly ended up in the closet. Between COVID waves, she discovered a colorful group of skaters at Schwarzenbergerplatz—and was immediately hooked on power jam. It wasn't until 2022 that she joined Powerjam and fulfilled her childhood dream of learning how to roller skate properly. Today, she is not only active at Powerjam, but also as an Amazona Prime referee and C-Horse at Roller Derby Vienna. She designs stickers and posters, organizes performance training, and supports the board. In her spare time, she works as an architect and spatial planner.
Amanda Bonner
Amanda has been an active Powerjam member since 2021. Her journey into quad skating began in 2010 when she joined Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby. After one and half years on the team, she took a long break and began skating again in 2020 with an interest in both park and jam skating. She is now a regular Powerjam trainer, focusing on beginner courses and teaching fundamental rhythm and jam skating moves. She also contributes behind the scenes as the website administrator and an extended board member.
MAREN “MOVES & FORMATION MANAGER” RIEBE
Communications pro by day, glittery skatie by night. Maren started skating during Corona lockdowns in her living room and now brings her love of mainstream pop music to choreographies on skates. A little glitter, a little shine and Maren is happy and satisfied!
Kathi Schönfleder
A wobbly meet-up to test the waters, and she was hooked: Kathi's love for skating began in spring 2022 and hasn’t faded since. On eight wheels, Kathi not only discovered their passion for dancing but also started playing Roller Derby as "Zerotonin" with Vienna Roller Derby. At Powerjam, Kathi, along with Tini, is part of the community and organizational team.
Verena "VENUE GENIUS" KLÖCKL
Powerjam's smooth operator! Skate love at first sight: from the first Meetup in fall 2020 to total quad skate love was only a short slide for Verena. Together with the Powerjam community not only her enthusiasm and skills grew during this time: also the typical skater*s view on smooth floors became a symptom of her new passion. For the Viennese rollerskate community she is always on the lookout for new rideable locations.
RIANNON "MOLOKO VIOLET" CLARKE
Moloko is an energetic fitness trainer and certified personal fitness coach with a focus on strength and functional training. She has been skating on quad roller skates since early childhood and has spent many Saturdays at the roller rink (the rink!). She has traveled all over Europe with Vienna Roller Derby and has trained many new skaters. She has also participated in dance, twirling (baton) and marching band competitions for many years. In everything she does, the joy of passing on knowledge is an important element. When she's not busy out-working many clients at John Harris clubs or doing personal training, she brings her enthusiasm and joy for skating and teaching to Powerjam. @molokoviolet
EVA "BITCH BUCHANNON" BAUMGARTNER
Bitchy has been skating on quad skates since 2013 and discovered her passion for skating through roller derby. After 10 years as a player with Vienna Roller Derby, she moved to the coaching bench, where she loudly supports the Austrian national team, Team Austria Roller Derby. In her main job, everything revolves around communication and marketing, and she also offers personal training as a certified fitness, health, and mental coach. Sitting still is not necessarily her forte, so you’ll usually find her on the move: on her bike, in nature, at altitude, or in the water. She attaches particular importance to an inclusive sports culture free of discrimination - in line with the motto “sports for all.” @bitch_buchannonCoaches
Moloko
I love setting beginner hearts on fire for skating and challenging intermediate with new approaches to their skills. ✨ Recipe for Coach Moloko’s Session Soup: One part mobilize your bones warm-ups, two parts drilling technique, two parts love of music whipped up with your soul‘s expression. Your training recipe is always finished off with your one and only secret sauce, because each skater is a one of one! ✨
Claudia
I turn inspiring and complex skate choreos into fun, learnable sessions - one move at a time.Bitchy
Inclusive skate coaching with a focus on proper technique and proper fun. Specializing in beginners and determined to leave no one behind. For a sustainable, fulfilling, and long-lasting enjoyment of skating.Amanda
I love helping beginner skaters feel confident and have fun on their skates.Maren
Choreography to all of your favourite songs for all levels (as long as you're a millennial 😀).
Jess
From beginners to advanced, technique to choreos, my goal is to make skating fun and accessible to you.Kathi
*coming soon*
Tini
I bring calmness, a sense of rhythm, and lots of enthusiasm. In the Beginner Sessions and Workshops, I help you feel confident on skates and enjoy learning the basics. In Basic Figure Skating, I can show you elegant moves at your own pace. I love training together – that’s why “Train Together” is my favorite style to teach and learn from each other.TRAINING / MEETUPS / EVENTS / PERFORMANCES
Our club is currently organized on the basis of a monthly membership. We offer our members several open sessions per week, which are open to all skate levels. In addition, there is one slot per week dedicated entirely to beginners. There, we focus on skate basics, coordination, and control, and teach initial rhythm & jam skate choreography. In general, all of our training sessions also focus on the balance and strength skills necessary for lifelong, injury-free skating. Our coaches ensure varied sessions depending on personal preferences in music selection and move combinations.
In addition to our training sessions, we try to expand and promote the community through all kinds of roller skating events. We offer open, free meetups in public spaces, organize roller discos and workshops, and also perform at various events. We also welcome inquiries about private events! When we're not dancing, you'll find many of us at the city's skate parks or at Vienna Roller Derby, where we passionately pursue other types of skating and network with other groups.
VALUES
Powerjam feels strongly about important principles and philosophies related to roller skating, training and community building. We believe in an open community that welcomes all people regardless of national, cultural, personal (including gender and sexual) identity and orientation. We would even go so far as to say that the beauty and vitality of rollerskating is inseparable from diversity and free expression. Powerjam is therefore dedicated to building a local community that is also absolutely aware of the essential role of Black and BIPOC roller skating culture and its influence on rhythm and jam skating in the past and present. All our trainers are constantly educating themselves when it comes to knowledge transfer and the correct technique of skating. The focus is always on avoiding poor posture and form to prevent wear and injury. So that the joy of skating lasts long!