Sleepy UP Gets Feisty, Toxic

By most measures, University Place is an otherwise sleepy suburban city.

But behind its gated communities and three-car garages are some closet hell-raisers and ruffians. And those are just the women.

The proof of the community's rough side emerges regularly at Wheelz Skate Arena, where the homeground Toxic 253 Roller Derby team has not only established a reputation, but the team has become one of the largest attractions in town.

Over the weekend, hundreds of spectators parked their Volvos and Saabs along Mildred to see elbows fly and ladies tumble as the team took on the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Bettie Brigade Team Bravo, another start-up team with a large following.

The success of Toxic 253 even took the team by surprise, considering that it's made up of some 30 housewives and working moms from University Place and Fircrest, as well as another two dozen girls in the junior league.

“We expected a much slower start with our fans,” said Toxic 253 player and organizer Shauna Fossum. “We were surprised to see such a great turnout for our last bout. Roller derby is so much fun, and the people really want to see it. The fans we have are a good crowd too, there are kids and families, women and guys.”

While the derby bouts have beer gardens and its share of innuendos, the Toxic 253 events also have demonstrations, children dance-offs and even a “junior league” called the Poison Ivy’s.

But all the kiddo-friendly attractions don’t hide the basic draw of the bouts. The action is fast. The falls are violent and the rink is solid.

Make no mistake.

Roller derby is fun, but the skaters take it seriously. And unlike televised wrestling, these games are real.

“Roller Derby is pretty painful,” Fossum said. “The pain is not from hair-pulling or face punches, but the hits are real. There are tons of injuries, and there have been horrible bruises that last for days. I got kicked in the shin a month ago and the knot is just now starting to go down!”

The Saturday bout did not disappoint in action and in drama. The Bettie Brigade had a slow start with the score at half time hovering around 30 to 130. The official score often conflicts with the scoreboard because the action happens quickly. But the lop-sided bout didn’t last.

“The first half was dominated by Toxics, and Betties made a big comeback, I think, mostly in the second half of the second half,” Toxic announcer Alicia Manley Lawver said. “I know it was a 100-plus-point score gap after the first half, and first half of the second it still was pretty lopsided, but then they started to close it at the end."

"We were getting sent to the penalty box more, and a few girls did penalty out of the game. So there were a couple one-jammer opportunities to rack up the points right at the end.”

The final score was 132 to 187, with the Toxics holding onto their early edge long enough to thwart a Betties charge. The Toxic 253's will skate again on July 9 against the Port Angeles Port Scandalous.