The Wreckers of the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon, faced the Sweets of Walla Walla, Washington, in a hard-fought roller derby game on Saturday, Sept. 12. After trading leads multiple times, Walla Walla ended up winning by a single point.
“Durwood” and “Macy DC” reflected after the game about the sport of roller derby.
Durwood
I’ve been playing derby for about two years. It was the community that drew me in. I felt like I found a place where I belonged and was supported. I came through the Boot Camp 101 [introduction] program. I had moved to Portland in 2020, Covid hit, and when everything was lifted I started coming and I loved the atmosphere and I wanted to be a part of it. I came from Yakima, Washington.
Macy DC
I’ve been playing derby for ten years. I started with a league in northern California and transferred here in 2019. I started skating because I was looking for a recreational sport to do that wasn’t softball! I liked to skate and roller derby looked really fun. I had a roommate that had done it so I was like, okay, I’m gonna try. I grew up in the San Luis Obispo, California, area, but when I started roller derby I was in Chico, California. I had been there for about ten years.
Durwood
I think roller derby gives people an opportunity to go ahead and exercise their bodies while exploring the strength that they have. A lot of people come here not knowing that they’re capable of doing this sport and not only do they find similar people who like the same sport, but other hobbies as well.
Macy DC
I really like that no matter what’s your body type there’s a spot for you in this sport, and it just felt right because personally, I’m not a super athletic person. I didn’t grow up playing a lot of sports but when I came into roller derby it was the first time I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m strong. I can do this. I’m helping my team.’
Durwood
I feel like the Wreckers are evolving too and really trying to stake their place as a very inclusive place to be. We have the BIPoc Diversity Discovery Day for skaters to come and try this out and be mentored and ask questions. We also started a deaf and hard-of-hearing program where we go ahead and we learn sign language and everything to help those that are hard of hearing or deaf and try to get those individuals through the door if they really are interested in roller derby.
Macy DC
I didn’t feel out of place joining. I felt that there was somebody within the team, even the team that I started with, that I could connect with right away. That was super nice. And I feel that the cool thing about roller derby is that whenever you travel places, it’s a small and a big community at the same time, so you’ll meet people traveling to games and then you’ll see them later and everybody just kind of knows each other — it’s fun.
Durwood
We have skaters here that have just been here for a few months versus a couple of decades. And so a lot of the Wreckers who have been here for years really mentor and support those [newcomers]. Macy was actually one of the skaters who really helped me come up. I’m a co-captain and when I went out for captain I did ask Macy if she thought that I could do it. It’s nice to come into this league and feel a place where I belong and be able to have the confidence grow with the support of these skaters.
Any overall advice?
Join! Come and play! It’s fun!
