Local women turned roller derby girls

Day job
Melissa Brower and Marie Lopez take a break from their jobs at a local mortuary. Both of the roller derby athletes are also mothers.

Anderson resident Marie Lopez and Melissa Brower of Cottonwood are, in many ways, your typical local women. They stay busy with their careers and have families they love. But Brower has had a fractured hip, a blown disc in her back and currently, her knee is hurting, ‘very, very badly.’ Meanwhile, Lopez is feeling the effects of an ‘extremely’ injured tailbone.

These local woman are roller derby girls.

They said their sport is fun, fast-paced and addicting.

“It’s all females skating fast, bashing one another. But we all have our feminine side, and all go back to our day jobs,” Lopez said.

“It’s an activity with girls - something we can all do together. It’s a good time,” Brower added.

The women on the Angry Beavers team come from all backgrounds.

“We have school teachers, we have nurses, we have daycare providers, we have funeral arrangers. So we have women from a wide range of careers - and almost every one of us are mothers,” Lopez said.

The sports team the women have given so much to just had its first local event.

The Redding Angry Beavers played the Chico Rough Riders on Saturday, June 28 at the Redding Convention Center.

“When the Beavers were introduced the crowd went crazy,” Lopez said. “There were signs waiving, whistles and screams.”

The Beavers held their own against the seasoned Chico team.

“Our gals held it and gave them a run for their money,” Lopez said. “Although we didn’t win in numbers, we won in our hearts.”

After a rough and tumble game, the Angry Beavers held no grudge against their oppenent.

“We’re hardcore competitors during the game, but no matter who rolls around and has a conflict during the bout, afterward we all shake hands and celebrate,” Lopez said.

The Redding Angry Beavers would like to have local ‘bouts more often.

“This is our first debut as the Redding roller girls. But we are going to try our hardest to have one event locally every two to three months,” Lopez said.

The team also travels, playing venues against other roller girls throughout the state.

Even though Lopez, Brower and their teammates have been hurt participating in the sport, they say it’s all worth it.

“Part of the risk is getting injuries,” Lopez said. “But it is very difficult seeing one of your players get injured. Especially when they put their heart into it and they want to win.”

The derby girls said it isn’t necessarily toughness that allows them to sustain injuries, and yet stay committed to the sport.

“You have to have the heart. We hurt just like anyone else,” Lopez said. “It’s not like we are superwomen that fall and roll and shoot bullets out, or anything.”

“We utilize our safety gear, and we are very careful - and learning how to fall will save you,” she she said.

To become a roller derby girl, you don’t necessarily have to be big, brawny, or a great skater. To become a roller girl, it’s more about a commitment to work hard, Lopez and Brower said.

“We have girls that are tiny as tiny can be, who barely weigh 100 pounds who are just ferocious,” Lopez said.

The women said their friends and family have been extremely supportive, in spite of the risks of the sport. Friends traveled from hours away to watch them play, and their families came to the event. A role reversal phenomenon has occurred with the all-girl derby teams male counterparts.

“Even though it’s all girls, all the guys come out and help set up the track,” Brower said.

“And the men are our cheerleaders in the stands,” Lopez said.

One of the biggest things the roller girls would like is to enhance recognition from the community in the form of new fans, more roller girls, a permanent place to call home and business sponsorships.

“Our girls really need the community support,” Lopez said. “They put so much of their time and effort into this, and it’s so much fun to watch. It’s excitement from start to finish.”