Driggs roller derby team is making room for everyone, one jean vest at a time

DRIGGS — The roller derby track is loud when the Big Hole Brawlers show up.

Not just because their roller skates are heavy as they glide and shove each other around the rink, but also because of the roar of positive affirmations.

“Yes, Sharkpit!” “You got it, Damage Patch Kid!”

The yells of support look drastically different from the aggressiveness of the sport, which, from an outsider’s perspective, looks like a lot of pushing and chaos. For the players, that’s what they like about it.

Roller derby is an intense, full-contact sport where players are on quad-roller skates. Two teams of five skaters compete on the rink using the power and strength of their bodies, passing each other on an oval track to score points.

What has typically been considered a women’s sport has evolved to include all types of players.

According to many of them, players seem to find the sport when they need it the most. Some through social media, some through mutual friends, and others by luck.

“I was five months postpartum when I joined, so my body was still changing,” says Jeanah Roberson, known by her teammates as ‘Damage Patch Kid.’ “A lot of people join postpartum for friends, or something to do, for community.”

The team consists of 22 players ages 18 to 55, and each member is assigned a derby name, usually related to their backgrounds, names, or play styles.

Roberson, originally from Belize, says her Central American heritage is the reason behind her derby name.

“‘Damage Patch Kid’ comes from the Cabbage Patch Dolls,” says Roberson. “When we first moved to America, my dad bought me one for our first ‘American Christmas.’”

Haley Walker, a retired player who was known as ‘OSHA Violation,’ gets her name from her former career, which is nearly the complete opposite of the sport she loves.

“I was in HR for like nine years,” says Walker. “It’s so funny when you retire, and you have to let people know your real name; it’s like, okay, what name do I call you?”

Sharkpit, known by the government as Elyse Archer, is the team’s president and social media manager and has a very literal reason for her name – she has shark tattoos on her armpits.

According to Sam Johnson Reiss, known to the team as Spider-Sam, the chaos of the sport is infectious.

“It’s like organized chaos,” says Reiss. “It looks like it’s crazy and not organized at all, but it’s so meticulous, and every move is planned… there’s a system to it.”

No matter your size, experience, or athletic ability, the Big Hole Brawlers say they always find a spot on the team for those who want to join.

“One of the coolest things about derby is that if you look at everyone out there, everyone is super different,” says Walker. “In some sports, you have to be in certain conditions, you have to be a certain shape, but in this one, you can be tall, short, big, little; you’ve got players that are fast, you’ve got players that are slow, but are just solid walls.”

For many of the players, it didn’t take long before they found their spot on the team, whether they were “jammers” or “blockers.” Many started within the last year when the Big Hole Brawlers were officially formed.

“I like to call derby’ the island of misfit toys’,” says Carly Hill, known by the team as ‘Immodest Mouse’. “It’s just like the misfit sport where everyone who couldn’t play team sports in high school gets to come play as adults.”

The team is based in Driggs, but has players coming to practice from all around eastern Idaho. If you’ve been to the Teton Valley within the last few years, you’ll know that it has become home to many wealthy residents with expensive sporting habits.

This roller derby community believes everyone should be able to participate in a fun way to exercise, regardless of financial status.

“In Teton Valley, there’s skiing, hockey, mountain biking, there’s really expensive sports,” says Walker. “Skates are kind of expensive, but it’s pretty cheap and we have loaner gear to start, to make sure you like it before you do it… It’s one of the only accessible sports for adults in Teton Valley.”

The Big Hole Brawlers is also a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, and will participate in the annual Tin Cup challenge, which raises money for nonprofits in Teton Valley.

According to the fundraiser website, during 6-week charitable giving period, donors give to their favorite local nonprofits, “knowing their gifts will be partially matched by a grant from the Community Foundation of Teton Valley’s Challenger Fund for all gifts received between 9 a.m. on June 13th and 5 p.m. July 25, 2025.”

“It’s about more than just derby,” says Archer. “We’re building a space where people of all backgrounds can learn to skate, grow their confidence, and become part of a team that empowers, uplifts, and strengthens women and gender-diverse individuals in our community.”

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