Cal Poly Humboldt alumni and faculty slam the competition in derby

By Maranda Vargas

The Redwood Acres Fairgrounds buzzed with energy as the Humboldt Roller Derby League practiced for the Fall Brawl. The sound of skates clinking and rumbling on the smooth concrete floor echoed through the building while the team methodically zoomed around the track, suddenly screeching to a halt as they practiced braking and maneuvering. 

The Humboldt Roller Derby (HRD) is a flat-track roller derby competitive sports team founded in 2007. The league is composed of two teams that compete against other leagues and also operates a training camp for new skaters. There’s two different levels, level one and level two. The level one training camp is for beginner skaters needing to work on basic skills. Those in the level two training build upon maneuvering skills and stops needed to play derby competitively. The league provides a safe and empowering space for women and gender-expansive athletes and offers camaraderie, athleticism, and personal growth. 

On Saturday, Sept. 21, roller derby fans came out in full force for the doubleheader where they will go head to head against Southern Oregon and Monterey Bay Derby to cheer on the team. The crowd excitedly cheered for the skaters who have derby names, like Daddy Long Legs, Furious George, Slam Chowder, and Latinx Turner. 

The athletes seamlessly worked together to apply strategy along with brute force to weave past a barricade of bodies. Beyond the fierce, competitive nature of the full-contact sport lies a tight-knit community that provides each other with unwavering support, empowerment, and a sense of belonging. A group of Cal Poly Humboldt students and graduates united by their passion for the sport are making their mark on the derby track.

Cal Poly Humboldt Film Professor Michelle Cartier initially discovered Humboldt Roller Derby in 2009, while in post graduate school and working on a documentary about the sport. The documentary never came to fruition, however the encounter quickly evolved from working the camera at games to competing at a high level and coaching the team. 

“So, here I was, doing video, but then finally got on skates and started figuring it out myself,” Cartier said. “It was a wild experience. I had skateboarded all my life, but doing quad skates? That was a totally different learning of balance.”

Life quickly became a mixture of derby, finishing up grad school and beginning a career as a teacher, all at once. Cartier, whose derby name is Atreyu, became immersed in the sport. Within a few years, they were traveling with the team and playing at the higher level. 

“I’m a big fan of tenacity, so in terms of learning and getting to make things as an artist, as a filmmaker, then being on the track to use my body is just a nice collision of alignment,” Cartier said.

The name Atreyu was Cartier’s chosen derby name, however the name quickly became Tre to their fans. Now that Cartier was traveling to competitions with the team, an opportunity arose — they joined the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association broadcasting team and were flown to cover events around the world.

“We were reaching this peak of our league, and really, kind of, for a small town league, getting to compete with some higher end teams all over the world,” Cartier said. “And then, covid hit, and that was kind of like, ‘whoa, crash and burn.’ We’d like, built up. But it was fun; it was a fun ride.”

Humboldt County district supervisor Natalie Arroyo, who goes by Brawn Luc Picard in derby, is adjunct faculty teaching Environmental conflict resolution at Cal Poly Humboldt. 

“I love the physical activity, and the chance to come here and sweat, have some high octane fun with all of my friends,” Arroyo said. “It’s really nice when we have the rainy season and it’s cold to come indoors and skate with my friends. That is a huge part that I love.” 

Cassandra Johnson, known as Slam Chowder, a blocker and pivot in the roller derby league, has been an active member of the league for five years and graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English. 

“HRD is such a big part of my life,” Johnson said. “I’m the PR coordinator, so I do a lot of the social media. I feel like it’s super enriching. A lot of my best friends play roller derby. I have never felt tougher, which is not something that I think I was used to growing up, so it’s just a wonderful opportunity.”

Linette Cortes-Lorenzo, aka Latinx Turner, a cultural resources professional at Cal Poly Humboldt, discovered a second family in the Humboldt Roller Derby league. Cortes-Lorenzo has a BA in Anthropology and has helped with a roller derby ethnography, studying the subculture of HRD — one of the more long-standing subcultures in Humboldt. Cortes-Lorenzo said the sport has not only provided a physical outlet, but has also helped her forge deep, lasting connections with her teammates over the years.

“There’s not a ton of bonding outside of Derby,” Cortes-Lorenzo said. “The short moments that we do have here are just precious, and they’re unforgettable. You take them home with you on the car ride home, because you’re like, ‘How did I do?’ you know? You go through a lot mentally when you play a sport and you just want to, and hope, that you do good, because the people that you love are on the team.”

Maranda Vargas is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in journalism with a minor in film production. She is a visual storyteller with a passion for covering stories on lifestyle, the arts and nature.