What is roller derby?

It’s a full-contact sport.

An all-inclusive community.

A tension-relieving activity.

An extreme way to exercise.

“It’s fun, hard and you can hit people,” said Jessica Dickerson. “It’s chaotic, and when you can get on the same level with your team, it’s the best feeling.”

Known simply as “Jess” in the roller-derby community, she is September’s “skater of the month” for Kitsap County’s Northwest Derby Company.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the company is home to the only adult roller derby league in the county. Nearing the end of its fifth season, co-captain of the team Aimee Durgan (also known as Brawlyanna) said it got its start as a co-ed recreation team based in Port Orchard called Skate Club. When that ended, they developed Northwest Derby Company in January 2012, part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

Roller derby is an athletic competition that has five players from each team on the rink at a time: three blockers, one pivot and one jammer. The jammer is the point scorer, who has to break through the enemy blockers and pivot to lap around, scoring points. The blockers and pivot not only have to block the enemy jammer, but also have to clear the way for their own jammer.

“I really like blocking because not only is it more physical in terms of getting to hit,” Durgan said, “but it’s also a little more mental than being a jammer. Jammers have to be smart … but as a blocker, you’re trying to work in tandem with four other people. When you’re a jammer, you’re just kind of on your own and hoping your team is going to help you.”

Dickerson said the challenge of being a blocker is working with her teammates and switching between offense and defense at the right time.

Sol Zamora, another member of NDC and sometimes called “Damage,” is a jammer.

“I’m completely in love with being a jammer,” she said. “I have dreams about nailing new moves all the time. Jamming is about patience, persistence and creativity. I’m constantly watching other jammers and trying to mimic and combine different styles.”

NDC isn’t just a competitive roller derby team. They also offer a three-month internship that will teach newcomers to the sport how to skate and derby safety skills.

“You work on your form and strike so that you’re comfortable on your skates,” said Durgan, the intern coordinator. “How to hit, how to take a hit, rules of the game … There’s a non-skating component to the class, where you do some homework … learn about the organization and business, so when the class ends and you have the decision, ‘Do I want to join?’ you know what you’re getting into and there’s no surprises.”

Better yet, anyone can participate. The internship program is coed, and accepts all skill levels.

“I would say, show up, give it the three months,” Durgan said. “In the three months, you’re not going to be ever asked to do anything you’re super uncomfortable with. You will push yourself. If you have any question in your mind, if you’ve ever thought, ‘Maybe I’d like to try that,’ definitely try it.”

For Durgan, roller derby being a full-contact sport is highly appealing.

“It’s a full-contact sport for women, which is not a super common activity,” she said. “As women in our society … you’re taught your whole life not to be loud or take up space, or (you’re) chastised for not being delicate or feminine. (As a woman who is) naturally muscular and strong, you feel a little bit out of place sometimes.

“In roller derby, what’s so fantastic about it is it’s all inclusive, and everyone is welcome. It doesn’t matter if you’re big, small, skinny, fat, brown, orange. None of that matters in roller derby. All that matters is if you want to skate, you want to play.”

Dickerson got involved in the sport through a friend who one day invited her to practice.

“I went, and loved it,” Dickerson said. “I’ve been playing ever since.”

She added that roller derby is the first organized sport she’s ever played.

“So derby has had a big impact on me,” she said. “I am stronger and much more athletic, and I am more confident in my leadership abilities.”

She added that “We have a great group of intelligent, hardworking women, and it’s just terrific to be a part of this league.”

Leya Besaw, another member of the team, known as “Roxie Rabelrouser,” said she likes roller derby “because it’s a way to relieve tension.”

“It’s my best form of exercise, too,” she added. “When you start derby, it turns into a whole life thing. It’s pretty much affected all of my life, but it’s definitely helped me get out of my shell and find people with similar personalities.”

Durgan said roller derby, as a sport, can change lives.

“It’s so positive for your self-esteem and your body image,” she said. “I’ve seen it change so many lives.”

She said she’s witnessed women escape abusive relationships and conquer personal demons like substance abuse through the sport.

“It’s so empowering. And on top of that, you’re part of this community,” she said. “This whole group of friends and sisters, and you have events and you go places together.”

Durgan said that if she wanted to, she could practically pack up her skates and travel anywhere in the country, staying with any roller derby player.

“When you’re part of a group that’s really inclusive, it’s just really welcoming.”

Zamora said roller derby is a tough, full contact sport played by strong, athletic people.

“But roller derby is so much more than a sport for me. You inherit the welcoming and inclusive community that comes with it. It’s not just about the skaters — the coaches, announcers, NSOs and everyone in between make it all happen for the love of derby.”

Zamora got involved in the sport after seeing a flier while she lived in New York, but couldn’t make the commitment. When she moved to Washington, she Googled the local team and has “been glued to it since.”

“Mental toughness has been my biggest personal improvement both on and off the track,” Zamora said. “‘Fall seven times, stand up eight’ cannot hold any truer to this sport. I’ve replaced ‘I can’t’ with ‘not yet.’ I focus on my personal goals and refrain from comparing myself to others. I acknowledge that I’m on my path, going at my own pace. I push myself to be a better skater, friend, wife, student and person because I genuinely and finally believe in myself. I’m going places.”

Northwest Derby Company has a final fifth season bout at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Skateland, 1740 NE Fuson Road in Bremerton. The NDC internship program started Sept. 11. The next three-month internship program will start in January 2017. The cost is $40 a month, the same as NDC membership fees. Learn more at www.northwestderbycompany.com.