VINTAGE ROLLER DERBY BAD GIRLS | SASS ON WHEELS!

As a kid I recall catching glimpses  of old Roller Derby matches on t.v. and being absolutely fascinated by what I saw. Tough as nails gals, some pretty and some just pretty rough– speeding around the track pulling hair, throwing elbows, and sending each other flying around, and even off the track. All I know is I wanted more. The sport is still alive and well today, but these vintage skaters possess a magical naivete and quality that just can’t be replicated. Count me as a fan.

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Midge Brasuhn of the Brooklynites.

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ca. 1950– Roller derby scene.  –Image by © Bettmann/Corbis

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6/24/1947, Chicago, IL– Gerry Murray (left), Captain of the Chicago team, and Midge Brasuhn of the Brooklynites, fight for the lead position during the roller derby finale in Chicago June 22nd. –Image by © Bettmann/Corbis

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From the 1948 Life Magazine article–

To the 17 million Americans who occasionally clamp on a pair of skates, the sport means nothing more than a casual evening at the local rink, gliding along to easy organ rhythms and perhaps taking a harmless pratfall when jounced by an exhibitionist.  To the husky young men (and women) pictured here, however, it is a highly professional undertaking.  They belong to a traveling show called the Roller Derby, and for 11 months a year they and 31 other men and women in the troupe make a living by racing each other around a portable Masonite track in tights and football helmets for 30 miles every night.

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Life Magazine article on Roller Derby –1948.

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The Roller Derby is a teeth-jarring contest, with enough spills and body contact to gratify even an ice hockey fan.  Men’s and women’s teams (five skaters constitute a team) race for alternate 15-minute periods.  Although its current promoter formerly staged dance marathons and Walkathons, the rules of this spectacle appear to have been cribbed from six-day bike racing (in which points are awarded for laps stolen during sudden sprints or “jams”) and professional wrestling (in which a contestant is allowed to commit almost any violence that will give him an advantage over his opponent).  Audiences have already learned to hiss the sports more clumsy villains, but lady skaters are not ostracized when they kick one another in the face.  The hair-pulling that follows provides entertainment even when it appears to have been well-rehearsed.

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“A skillful shoulder thrown by ‘Fuzzy’ Buchek foils an attempt by Vivian Johnson (center) to slip between two skaters and start a jam.   Roller Derby girls in Life Magazine –1948.

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Last week after a 31-day run in Chicago, where the stroboscopic pictures were taken by Life photographer George Skadding, the Roller Derby moved into a Manhattan armory. New York sports fans were delighted with it: during the first five nights of racing, three of the contestants wound up in the hospital.

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Roller Derby featured Life Magazine –1948.

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Roller Derby story in Life Magazine –1948.

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Roller Skating Derby, American team vs phony “European” team, also American, Roger Schroeder gets elbowing by Americans for carrying Swedish flag. Paris, France –1953.

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The Anti-American Roller Derby –Paris, 1953.

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Travelling roller derby show of professional skaters shown in Chicago’s Coliseum with skater Vivian Johnson (R) blocking and knocking another skater over the railing. –Chicago, IL. 1948.

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Travelling roller derby show of professional skaters shown in Chicago’s Coliseum with skater “Toughie” Brashun (L) fighting with opposing team member Gerry Murray (R) while another steps into the middle at an attempt to mediate. Chicago, IL. 1948.

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Travelling roller derby show of professional skaters shown in Chicago’s Coliseum with skater Vivian Johnson falling after losing control on a corner. Chicago, IL. 1948.

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Travelling roller derby show of professional skaters shown in Chicago’s Coliseum with skater at left holding another so that her team mate can pass on the right. Chicago, IL. 1948.

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Vintage Roller Derby girls.