Local teen rolling in the fast track

Less than a year after her La Conner High graduation, Amber Drye is content skating through life.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

The 19-year-old daughter of Bobby and Laraine Drye works hard and plays hard, almost always while wearing roller skates.

When not rolling out orders to Sonic customers during fast-paced work shifts in Ferndale, Amber logs equally fast-paced shifts with the Skagit Valley Roller Derby club in Burlington.

In between, she skates – figuratively, at least – to and from classes at Skagit Valley College, where Amber is studying to be a medical assistant.

A former State-caliber Lady Braves wrestler, she didn’t grapple long with the decision to add roller derby to an already busy schedule.

It combines camaraderie with her love of sports.

“I’ve met some really awesome people,” Amber said. “Everyone you meet becomes like family.”

For Amber, that’s the case in the truest sense of the word.

Last spring she recruited her mom to join the Skagit Valley Roller Derby family. The Dryes are among a growing number of parent and child duos, with skaters now ranging in age from their teens to late 40s.

“She loves roller derby,” Amber says of Laraine, a La Conner High assistant wrestling coach.

As with any venture based on love, roller derby requires serious commitment. Thrice weekly practices and regular road trips are part of the deal.

Novice players are taught the sport, undergo endurance tests, and fine tune their skating skills before advancing to the club’s travel squad.

A major milestone is completion of the “25-in-5” challenge, which requires skaters to complete 25 rink laps in just five minutes.

Modern roller derby is far different from the brand televised a generation ago, when matches were hyped with theatrical gimmicks akin to those in pro wrestling.

Athleticism now trumps the show biz antics. Ditto public service.

Skagit Valley Roller Derby founder Shannon Tolbert, known locally for her previous tour with Everett’s Jet City Roller Girls, is committed to growing the club to a point where it can regularly donate portions of receipts to local charities.

That only seems fitting, given roller derby’s origins during the mid-1930s. It was designed as a relatively inexpensive escape from the hardships of the Great Depression.

Fast forward to 2015 and Amber pinpoints two major Skagit Valley Roller Derby goals for the new year. One is to develop a larger fan base. The second is to attract more candidates for the club’s training program.

Once introduced to roller derby, she said, many find its combination of speed, strength, and agility the ultimate fitness option.

The sport features two teams of five players each, one of which is a scorer, or jammer, who tries lapping opponents.

The remaining players are blockers, one of whom is designated as a pivot, able to convert to the jammer spot.

In essence, all skaters can be on offense and defense at the same time, calling upon different skills during each bout.

And that’s just part of what keeps roller derby enthusiasts on track. The promise of increased strength and stamina also comes into play.

Little wonder, then, that the Dryes are on a roll these days.