‘Carquinez Quad Squad’ begins roller derby boot camp Sunday at Solano Fairgrounds

VALLEJO — The Carquinez Quad Squad hosted their second annual roller derby tournament at the Solano County Fairgrounds earlier this month. They’re now offering a six-week long roller skate boot camp to people of all abilities and interest levels, from prospective roller derby athletes to people who simply want to learn how to roller skate.

Naomi “GNARLY” Stein Cooper has been with the league since its inception. “It's something really special, and we want people to join us,” Cooper said. “That's why we're spreading the word, and that's why we're having a boot camp.”

The Carquinez Quad Squad league was formed in January 2019 by coaches Shana “Hittsburgh” Krallman, Corby “Madeya Ink” Selzer and Leslie “Duchess of Death” Crismore. The league joined the California Derby Galaxy — a coalition of greater Bay Area roller derby leagues — in 2021.

“We do all have derby names, which is another layer of fun to the whole thing,” Cooper  said. “People really love to make puns and elicit terror with their names.”

The California Derby Galaxy plays flat-track roller derby in line with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association rules and regulations.

Roller derby is a human obstacle course race between two teams. “Bouts,” as the matches are called, are played in two 30-minute halves composed of two minute “jams.” Each team has one “jammer,” who scores points by passing players on the opposing team, and four “blockers,” who try to stop the other team’s jammer while defending their own. There are a lot of rules about the type of physical contact allowed: no tripping, no hitting, and no contact with another player’s head, back or feet.

New York Times writer Jennifer Harlan described roller derby as a “feminist punk fever dream.” It is the only popular contact sport for women, which was highly unusual when it was introduced in the 1930s. It went through a theatrical phase of choreographed fights and predetermined winners in the 1980s and 90s, similar to professional wrestling. It was revived as a serious sport in 2001 by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association with new gender guidelines.

Meg "Luce Cannon" Luce is on the squad’s board of directors. She summarized the gender guidelines: “Essentially, they're defining women as anyone who identifies as female or non-binary or gender expansive. So we do have people that we play with who are trans, we have people who identify as he/him, but are still allowed to play,” Luce said. “I think that's important because it lends itself to the kind of organization that we are, and the level of welcomeness that we are putting forth.”

“We say roller derby is for all bodies,” Luce said. “I think unlike other sports, really there's a role for everybody in roller derby.”

Luce said that training and skill level — not biology — are what make a formidable player. “I have seen people who are born female, and looked like tiny little things, take out people who are much larger than them,” Luce said. “There's so much skill that goes into playing the sport, as well as strategy, that I don't think that people who are born biologically male, when they're participating in roller derby, have a clear advantage.”

Luce said she was attracted to roller derby because it gave her an opportunity to do something fun, stay fit, network and meet new people. “It meets a lot of needs that we have in our adult life, that we don't have as many opportunities to do once you're not in high school or college anymore,” Luce said.

“We sometimes hear a narrative like, ‘Oh, no, by day they're a teacher and by night they're a totally crazy roller derby person,’” Luce said. “There is some fun with the alter ego with the names and being able to be creative in that part, but we also want the sport to be seen as a serious sport. There's a lot of dedication, passion and commitment and work that goes into running a team producing events.”

The California Derby Galaxy season runs from March through July. Santa Cruz Roller Derby won this year’s trophy in a close bout against Bay Area Derby from Oakland. The next big Carquinez Quad Squad event will be the second annual Tomato Jam in January.

The six-week long boot camp begins this Sunday at the Solano County Fairgrounds and will meet twice a week, on Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings in the Sheep Barn. The boot camp is open to people 18 and older of all skill levels. Participants will first be introduced to the safety gear they’ll need to obtain, though some loaners may be available. Then they’ll learn how to skate, stop, and fall safely.

Those interested in playing roller derby will continue practicing with the team. They'll progress to learning blocking techniques when the coaches feel they are ready to engage in physical contact.

“It's a very teachable sport. Somebody can come with years of skating experience, and someone can come with zero roller skating experience, and really find a home within the league and within the sport,” Luce said. “I think that sets us apart from other sports.”

Cooper said there are opportunities for non-skaters to participate. “We need non-skating officials. We need volunteers when we put on events, and we need fans,” Cooper said. “So we'd really love for people to come out.”

Even though it is a competitive sport, Cooper said they are friends with their competitors. The Carquinez squad lost to Santa Cruz the first day of the last tournament. When Santa Cruz was short on their roster for the following game, they invited members of the Carquinez squad to join them.

“We all want to lift each other up and see everyone succeed in whatever they're trying to do,” Cooper said. “I've never been part of anything like it. It's just truly amazing and wonderful for me.”