Neo began roller skating in late 2011 when his wife, Ima Hotmess, began playing roller derby. Having over 20 years of skateboarding experience, the transition from four wheels to eight came naturally. Wanting to ensure that derby was a family affair, Neo began officiating for the Monterey Bay Derby Dames along with his junior ref son while Ima got her skate on. They skated their first bout together for Monterey in June of 2012 and have not looked back since. The entire family transferred to the Santa Cruz Derby Girls in late 2013, where Neo became the Head Coach of the Junior Ref program. Not to be outdone by his skating parents, Neo and Ima’s son, Killa Kee, began reffing in 2012 and after 6 seasons as a junior ref has recently graduated from the Groms program to become a Groms Squad member.
During Neo's time as a referee, with the influence of derby ref greats like Fresh Step and Hue Refner, Neo worked his way up to become a certified referee for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Neo has an appreciation for strong and clean roller derby play and a keen interest in derby strategy having officiated all skill levels of roller derby over the years.
In 2016, Neo began coaching the Gromshells along side Coach Ima helping lead the team to a 5th place finish at JRDA Championships and a then Groms best 3rd place in the JRDA rankings. Since then the Gromshells have continuously improved, winning the NW Regional Championship in 2017, taking Silver at the JRDA World Championship in 2017, 2019, 2022 and winning the JRDA National Championships in 2018 and 2023.
During Neo's time as a referee, with the influence of derby ref greats like Fresh Step and Hue Refner, Neo worked his way up to become a certified referee for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Neo has an appreciation for strong and clean roller derby play and a keen interest in derby strategy having officiated all skill levels of roller derby over the years.
In 2016, Neo began coaching the Gromshells along side Coach Ima helping lead the team to a 5th place finish at JRDA Championships and a then Groms best 3rd place in the JRDA rankings. Since then the Gromshells have continuously improved, winning the NW Regional Championship in 2017, taking Silver at the JRDA World Championship in 2017, 2019, 2022 and winning the JRDA National Championships in 2018 and 2023.
