Most recognizable now as a predominately female driven contact sport with an edge, roller derby started as a co-ed marathon race during the Great Depression. The sport’s strange and delightfully history is filled with odd twists and turns and some serious bumps and bruises.
In this class, we’ll explore the history of roller derby, including:
– More crashes, more cheers, more money! How a crafty promoter turned a marathon race into a full contact sport on 8 wheels.
– Co-ed, campy, and selling out Madison Square Garden, the golden years of roller derby.
– Did roller derby ever really die, or what do alligator pits have to do with it?
– From down in the heart of Texas comes a rock n’ roll, beer soaked, DIY revival.
– From the style pages to the sports section, a backlash against the fishnets.
– Isn’t that a women’s sport? What happened when the boys wanted to play, too.
– Do they allow stage names in the Olympics? The future of roller derby.