Any Roller Derby Fans?

Tom S.

Tom S.

#1
#1
Does anyone remember seeing roller derby on TV back in the day? Teams would tear around banked track, bumping and slugging along the way. It's back, and a pretty big deal here in the northwest. My wife and I went to a match last weekend after the Star Trek event, and we saw Portland play Seattle. It was the first time we'd seen this live. They skate on a flat rack that looks very portable. The rules were pretty incomprehensible. I'm not sure how they kept score, but it looked like Portland won. It was a pretty small venue, and it sold out. The crowd was enthusiastic, and the players played hard. They didn't race around the track as much as I recall seeing on TV when I was a kid, but there was still lots of bumping and elbows being thrown around. It was pretty good fun. Here are some pics.






 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#4
#4
Growing up we had it on every Sunday morning WOR-TV Channel 9....seemed it was always the New York Chiefs vs. the SF Bay Bombers...like they were the only 2 teams in the league.

Scoring was always confusing....I think only one guy could score..he wore a specail helmet...as he passed members of the other team he would pick up points....the opposing team had a guy trying to do the same thing.
I remember they used to do this thing where they touched their hips to "call off the jam" after they scored...and before the other team scored....or something like that.

Inevitably the Bay Bombers would pull off the victory at the last second..after which chaos would ensue and most of the skaters would be folded over the railing while being bashed over the head with their own helmet.

One time I saw a guy pick up the penalty box..like an 8ft plywood bench...and hurl it at a whole row of skaters who were coming around at full tilt wiping them all out.

It was always filmed in some creepy looking dark warehouse with a lot of depraved looking characters in the audience. When it was over I couldn't wait to go outside in the sun and get that feeling off me that I had just watched something weird.


I had a friend John Basile who had an aunt back then that belived all that stuff was real...including wrestling...if he told her it was fake she would fly into a rage....hahahaha..good times.
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#5
#5
KustomKartKid said:
Growing up we had it on every Sunday morning WOR-TV Channel 9....seemed it was always the New York Chiefs vs. the SF Bay Bombers...like they were the only 2 teams in the league. .
Click to expand...
Yep me too. I remember the Bombers on TV. Scary women. It may have contributed to that tounge-tied fear I have of them. :laugh:
 
WrenchDad

WrenchDad

Active Member
#7
#7
I remember seeing it as a kid on TV. and then as I got older realized what I had been seeing was "entertainment" with very athletic people doing sports related things but having pre -determined results.It was cool to watch, I believe it is making quite a comeback as a legit sport.
Remember the Movie RollerBall-- Guys being pulled around the track by big minibikes.
 
Tom S.

Tom S.

#8
#8
KustomKartKid said:
...Scoring was always confusing....I think only one guy could score..he wore a specail helmet...as he passed members of the other team he would pick up points....the opposing team had a guy trying to do the same thing.....
Click to expand...
Yeah, the gal w/the star on her helmet is the jammer. They called that cloth cover the "pantie". She's supposed to try and lap the field, and then gets a point for every opposing team member she passes - I think. Problem is, they mostly just seem to stand in a crowd and slap at each other and don't skate a lot. They rarely got past the the first two turns before someone called a foul or time out. And it was very hard to see how many people the jammer actually passed.

WrenchDad said:
...Remember the Movie RollerBall-- Guys being pulled around the track by big minibikes.
Click to expand...
 
Neck

Neck

Growing up is optional
#9
#9
I can only remember the Bombers vs. the Thunderbirds, I also remember the women having a lot less tattoos, like none!
 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#11
#11
I rememebr seeing that movie in the theater.....only thing I remember about it was that James Cahn (sp?) was in it.....and it was a terrible movie.

I'll have to watch it again to see if my opinon changes....
 
Spyderdregg

Spyderdregg

Active Member
#12
#12
KustomKartKid said:
I rememebr seeing that movie in the theater.....only thing I remember about it was that James Cahn (sp?) was in it.....and it was a terrible movie.

I'll have to watch it again to see if my opinon changes....
Click to expand...
Typical 70's post apocolypic shlock,but alot of fun for those of us into exploitation cinema.
 
Mini Motors

Mini Motors

Member
#13
#13
Actually watched the movie a couple months ago.

But more to the original thread; My daughter is trying to get in a league here in D.C.. The track is laid out on a wood floor in an old venue, The D.C. Armory. The wife and I went to see a bout this year, and I don't quite understand the scoring either.

Here's one of the teams, "Scare Force One"

 
Last edited:
steven Durham

steven Durham

#14
#14
Well all you youngsters can't top the time I spent with my Grandma during a few weeks in the summertime. In Hawaiian Gardens, California there were only 6 channels on TV in Black and white.
My Grandma was a master at sewing and made well over 10,000 quilts of all sizes and that is how she made her living. Back when wrestling had BO BO Brazil, Haystack Calhoun the more the action the faster my Grandma Clare would crèche a pot holder something that she made shopping bags full of.
But when the roller derby came on with the both mens and women's teams were so combative it just got her fired up. Those were such great memories to wake up in a real feather bed to the sound of the morning Meadow larks.
To me if the same track shape was used it would be better.
Steve :scooter:
 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#15
#15
Yeah doesn't look the same without the banking and the railing.....

That banking used to let them really pick up some serious speed....some of those guys/girls would fly!



.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top