Port Scandalous Scandals’ second bout narrows point gap

The Port Scandalous Roller Derby team the Scandals held their second bout of the season at the Sequim Boys and Girls Club last Saturday evening, ending a fiercely contested game against Tacoma’s Dockyard Roller Derby team Undertow with the visitors winning 158-132.

“In the first half we were doing really well holding back the jammers from getting points,” said Holly Botts, line coach, who used to play for Seattle’s Rat City before moving back to the Peninsula. “In the second we had penalty trouble.”

Botts said that Undertow’s blockers “were great.”

“It was a very close game,” said announcer Edwin Anderson III.

Anderson said he is impressed by the small local team, whose score gap is narrowing with each bout they play, despite having less opportunities to compete than bigger leagues as well as this being only the second season since their rebound from COVID, with last year being just a half-season.

“Their capacity for teamwork is really impressive,” Anderson said.

The team is still so small they must recruit pick-up players for their bouts.

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“We recruited from West Sound Roller Derby, our sister league in Port Orchard,” Botts said. “We’re hoping to get more skaters at the camp.”

Port Scandalous is holding a prospect camp for skaters and would-be skaters beginning on April 13 at the Sequim Boys and Girls Club, 400 W. Fir St.

The camp is open to women, transwomen and nonbinary people 18 and over who would like to learn to skate and/or learn the basics of roller derby. Registration is at https://brownpapertickets.com/event/6565171? .

“We are extremely welcoming,” Botts said. “The community is supportive on and off the track.”

Anderson said that his favorite part of the sport is the fun and the camaraderie. “Everyone is good sports,” he noted.

“It’s wonderful to see how much fun these skaters have with each other.”

For more information, contact portscandalousrollerderby@gmail.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Scandals’ second bout of the season, in Sequim against Tacoma’s Dockyard Roller Derby team Undertow, resulted in a 158-132 loss.