Harbor City Roller Derby Offers Intense Action and Inclusive Environment

Hosted first home bout since 2019

SUPERIOR, Wis.- For the first time in five years, Harbor City Roller Derby welcomed fans to a home bout, taking on Northern Star at Wessman Arena.

“I describe it as a NASCAR plus hockey,” says Harbor City member and captain Abby Jean Goodell. “You’re playing offensive defense at the same time. And it’s a little bit of a race.”

Not only was this a first-time experience for many in attendance, but it was also the first time several skaters had competed in a bout. “We have a lot of very new people,” Goodell said before the bout. “And a lot of people that have never skated in a home bout mixed with several people that have skated many, many bouts.”

When breaking down the rules of roller derby, it all starts with each team’s jammer, which can be identified by the star on their helmets. “One person from each team is the jammer and they’re the person that scores the points,” Goodell explained. “They have to pass all of the other players on the other team and make one lap before they start scoring.”

Meanwhile, the other skaters on the rink will block for their jammer while attempting to stop the opposing team’s jammer. As you can imagine, it can result in some bodies hitting the concrete floor. “It’s a full contact sport. All of its real,” Goodell smiled. “We make big hits; we shut people down a lot. Knock people to the ground. We’re on the floor a lot.”

“I feel like you can get some like rage out without really raging,” says Marisa Stevens, who was one of Harbor City’s newest skaters competing in her first bout.

“One of the skaters that I used to skate with would tell me ‘When you get on the track, you’ve got to be the baddest person you can be,'” explained Jen Kopischke, who goes by her rink name “Cupcake Chaos”.

Harbor City ultimately lost the bout to Northern Star, but the event in total was a success for the team, which puts community and inclusivity above all else. “Roller derby in general is very inclusive, especially with gender and sexuality and that kind of stuff,” says Goodell. “We fully support our non-binary and trans friends. They’re our family and our teammates, and we love them.”

“I just love the community that roller derby brings,” smiled Kopischke. “We really support each other. Even after bouts, we typically have an after party. And afterwards, we are complimenting players on the other team for moves they’ve made and are giving feedback or just saying ‘Thanks for playing. It was great, and it was a lot of fun.'”

Meanwhile, Harbor City Roller Derby is always ready to welcome new skaters to their regimen. “Come learn, come play with us!” says Goodell. “If you don’t know how to skate, we’ll teach you how to all the basics. And all you gotta do is keep showing up and we’ll get there.”

To learn more about Harbor City Roller Derby, go to their website with this link.