Starbuck (on right) pushes her way past Mid-State Roller Derby’s Lolly PopYa in the bout on Saturday, July 13, at the Calumet Colosseum. (Kent Kraft/For the Gazette)

When you walk into a roller derby bout, there is a frenetic buzz in the air. Sporting events often have a pre-game build-up of energy, but a rhythm ensues after the game starts allowing fans to settle in. Derby has a jam at least every two minutes with nearly non-stop action taking place throughout the bout. The pacing feels relentless, even from a spectator viewpoint.

So, what drives a person to want to be a competitor in such a sport?

Hoping to learn more from some of those who skate with Keweenaw Roller Derby (KRD), the Daily Mining Gazette asked the team if anyone would be willing to chat about their experience. Several enthusiastically volunteered their time, and it was quickly clear there is no standard answer to what drives someone to join roller derby. Here is one story:

Back in 2016, a bartender happened to serve members of the KRD board who were having a meeting in the lounge. One of them mentioned to the bartender, “you look like you could play roller derby.” While there was a little more to the conversation, little more was needed as the seed was planted. That fall, the bartender signed up for the new skater program without ever having seen a bout before. She went in oblivious to the game, but now, a mere six seasons later, is the team’s alternate captain and on the board of directors.

A rite of passage in roller derby is figuring out what to choose for your derby name and number. Inspiration for derby names comes from a vast array of sources, but for this player, it came from her favorite show at the time. Some may have already guessed, but “Battlestar Galactica” was the show and Kara “Starbuck” Thrace was a powerful and strong character she wanted to emulate on the track. As for her number, 13, it’s a callback to her jersey number in high school sports.

After completing the new skater program, Starbuck took to the track.

Skating was nothing new to her. Growing up, she always had an ice rink in her back yard every winter and would take to the ice seemingly endlessly. She started figure skating at the age of 5 and continued for eleven years. Even though skating was in her blood, skills from ice skating aren’t all immediately transferable to roller skates and there are very few times other skaters are intentionally blocking your path on the ice.

The competition of roller derby was something new to adjust to, but Starbuck is a quick learner. In 2018, she was selected to represent KRD in the Michigan All-Stars game in Lansing. Starbuck relished the chance to skate with the best-of-the-best Michigan had to offer and, proving her moxie, even earned the MVP jammer award at that bout.

Starbuck enjoys spending time with her family who, she says, help keep her grounded.

If you were someone contemplating joining roller derby and talked to Starbuck, you’d hear nothing but support and encouragement from her. In fact, you’d hear that from the entire team who are described by Starbuck as a very welcoming group of people who only ask that you’re willing to not be afraid to be bad at something new.

Roller derby in the Keweenaw means a lot to Starbuck, well beyond the skating on track. She highlighted that KRD strives to provide affordable, family friendly events for everyone to enjoy. Furthermore, she stressed how involved in the community the league is. Members, including Starbuck herself, are seen at many of the community events in the area throughout the year and give money back to the community as well, particularly through the audience-supported Whip-a-Wheel.

Competing with the rest of the KRD team is something Starbuck relishes. Serving on the KRD board, participating in league business and becoming a more active part of the community at large are what she’s proud of.

You can cheer on Starbuck and the rest of KRD at the last home bout against the Kingsford Krush on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. in the Calumet Colosseum, with doors opening at 5 p.m.

If you want to know more about supporting Starbuck and the team, you can visit their website at https://keweenawrollerderby.com/ and you can even be a part of the action by volunteering to help at a bout.