Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels

€œThrill-seeking women leading double lives€"accountant by day, hell on wheels by night€"will find a great introduction to derby history here, from its early days to the €70s RollerJam heights to its new punk-queer aesthetic in the modern revival. There are also player vignettes, rule breakdowns, definitions of derby slang and lots of pictures to accompany Mabe€s semi-fanatical text.€€"Curve

Scores of American women are leading double lives. By day they are librarians, financial analysts, bartenders, teachers, and even mothers; by night their athletic alter egos assume their authority with monikers such as Helen Wheels, Dirty Britches, Anna Mosity, and Assaultin€ Pepa. They lace up their skates, slide into racy racing uniforms, and adorn a full set of protective gear. One of America€s greatest sports is back€"roller derby.
 
In Roller Derby, readers will encounter roller derby in its various incarnations, from the original Depression-era games through the days of Roller Jam to its current revival.
 
What started as a dance-a-thon-style test of endurance has evolved into a unique sport that exemplifies point-scoring, body-checking, speed, blood, punches, and miles and miles of personality and style. Punctuated throughout the book are derby vignettes: stories from old-school and new-school girls, the process of selecting a derby name and style, the artistic element to logos and uniforms, so-gruesome-you-just-have-to-look injuries, what€s legal during a bout and€"more importantly€"what€s not, and much more.
 
Encircling the story of roller derby are vintage promo paraphernalia and histori-cal photographs, as well as stunning, full-color and black-and-white, modern-day shots of the women, the bouts, and the sport.