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Joan Weston or Joanie Weston (January 20, 1935 – May 10, 1997), known as the "Blonde Bomber",^[1] "Blonde Amazon",^[1] "Golden Girl", and "Roller Derby Queen",^[1] was a U.S. athlete and notable personality in the sport of roller derby.

[edit] Biography

Weston was born in Huntington Beach, California in 1935, and grew up in nearby Downey.^[1]

In 1954, Weston joined the original Roller Derby, the original troupe of traveling roller derby players headed by promoter Leo Seltzer, becoming a member and later captain of the San Francisco Bay Bombers. She appeared on 19 consecutive all-star teams in that sport, and was the highest-paid female athlete in the 1960s and 1970s.

Joan usually skated as the distaff hero of the sport, no matter what league or team she appeared with. She remains the most beloved of all historical roller derby stars. Her long-time rivals on the track included Ann Calvello (August 1, 1929 – March 14, 2006), Cathie Read (b. August 17, 1940), Sandy Dunn (b. January 8, 1945), Jan Vallow (b. September 21, 1940), and Margie Laszlo (b. November 8, 1942). The 1972 film Kansas City Bomber, starring Raquel Welch, was inspired by (but not based on) Weston.

Weston was a mentor to many professional roller derby skaters that made it on a team. She was considered to take rookies under her wing.

Roller derby was not Weston's only sport. While a student at Mount Saint Mary's College, Weston played softball.^[1] She was also involved in surfing and canoeing. In 1962 she won the Hawaii canoe outrigger championship.

Weston later married Nick Scopas (b. June 3, 1938) who was also a professional Roller Derby Skater.

After her roller derby career, she regularly played softball in San Francisco Bay Area leagues.^[1]

In 1997, at age 62, Weston succumbed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Hayward, California.^[1]

In 1999, her life story was sold to Goldie Hawn Productions.

In 2001, Joan was inducted into the WSL RollerJam Hall of Fame along with other legends such as Ralphie Valladares and Buddy Atkinson, Jr.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Joanie Weston obituary/biography in the New York Times
• Photos and footage of Joan