International Skating Conference

On the morning of Sunday, December 9, 1973, the New York Times printed the above advertisement of a Roller Derby doubleheader at Madison Square Garden.  There would be two games that day.

 

However, word got around prior to the event that there would be a major change.  Fliers were passed out to fans that either had tickets or were about to purchase them.  There would be two games but they would find out who the match ups were that are listed below.

 

Pioneers vs. Warriors (1st game)

Chiefs vs. T-Birds (2nd game)

 

It would turn out to be two inter-league match ups between Roller Derby and Roller Games.  It turned out to be the last time two Roller Derby teams of the IRDL would skate.  This ended up as a transition and a merger from two roller skating leagues to one.

 

Bill Griffiths was running the show now and was at Madison Square Garden for both games.  It was reported that the games were skated much more of a Roller Derby style.

 

After the first game between the Pioneers and Chiefs, it was reported, though no fans knew of this, the Pioneers were disbanded.  A number of their star players (Charlie O'Connell, Joan Weston, Ronnie Robinson, etc.) would be placed on the Los Angeles T-Birds.  Some other skaters were placed on other teams or ended up unemployed.  

 

O'Connell was reported doing commercials for upcoming T-Birds games while the second game of the doubleheader was going on.

 

Following the second game between the Chiefs and T-Birds, Griffiths decided that both teams would remain in a new merged league.  It would be called the International Skating Conference.

 

The only team remaining from Roller Derby was the New York Chiefs at this point.  Gone were the Midwest Pioneers, Ohio Jolters and the San Francisco Bay Bombers.

 

This fan knew nothing about Roller Derby folding nor a merger, until reading an Oakland Tribune article in mid February 1974.  It was stunning to find out that Roller Derby was gone!  However, I was willing to go see an ISC game between the Los Angeles T-Birds and the Baltimore Cats at the Oakland Arena on February 24th.

 

The game was a disaster.  Possibly three to four thousand fans were there for a Sunday afternoon game.  The group of fans I was with left after the sixth period of play.  Charlie O'Connell was mentioned in the articles, but was not in action and had an arm sling.  Joan Weston was not the Joan Weston that I was used to seeing.  It was boring to say the least.  It wouldn't be for three years before attending another game, at Kezar!   

 

Following the first of two International Skating Derby Championships, the San Francisco Bay Bombers would return for the remainder of the ISC on June 7, 1975.  The ISC was history following the second Championship Series between the Warriors and T-Birds which the T-Birds won.  

 

Eventually, what remained of the ISC would become Roller Superstars.

 

Regarding the Bay Bombers, they would be part of an outlaw league with teams such as the Pioneers and Raiders.  It was called the American Skating Derby.  The league would last until late 1975.  Then, that would be history.

 

By 1977, Roller Derby would return and would last roughly ten seasons.  More on what happened in a future post.

Joan Weston

This fan didn't know much about Joan Weston prior to the 1965 season.  Being a fan for two years and watching on television only up to that point, she was hardly ever on television.  My vision back then was the Bay Bombers.  Charlie O'Connell was the coach and Annis Jensen was the women's team captain.

 

In early 1965, things totally changed!  O'Connell was still the coach, but there was a different woman skater wearing number '38'.  When Walt Harris, the trackside announcer mentioned Joan Weston, it was like "what?"

 

I remembered her skating with the Westerners and the Chiefs for brief periods the previous two years.  My questions were why was she the women's captain and where was Annis Jensen?

 

This blog post is not to slam Joannie.  She is definitely a great women's skater, Hall Of Famer, etc.  However, Annis Jensen was the one I admired growing up as a youngster and she was my favorite of all time!

 

This fan found out a few years later that Jensen was replaced following the 1964 season.  Annis chose not to skate with the Bombers following the Western season because she wanted to spend more time with her family.  She had a very young daughter, Barbara at the time.  Roller Derby management decided to make a change of women's captains.

 

Back to Weston, she was definitely part of numerous championships with the Bay Bombers (1965-1968, 1970-1971).  She led women's teams that were often not the strongest teams in the league.  She would find a way to rally the troops together and would do well.

 

After the 1971 IRDL Western season, Joannie, after a year of injuries, was placed on the Chicago "Midwest" Pioneers team.  Up until the end of the IRDL in December 1973, Weston was a big spark for the Pioneers.

 

In the two years of the International Skating Conference, Weston skated for the Los Angeles T-Birds in the first few months of 1974.  After the August 1974 ISC Championships, Weston ended up back with the expansion Bombers team for the fall season.

 

Then, when the International Roller Skating League began (1977-1987), she was placed on the Bay Bombers.  She would retire a few years later.

 

On May 10, 1997, Joan Weston died of Jacob-Kruetzfeld disease in California, but her sudden death inspires a renewed interest in the game.

The 1973 Season

Joan Weston, one of the great women's captains in Roller Derby skating history.
 

The 1973 Western Season would be a redemption as far as the San Francisco Bay Bombers were concerned.

 

The men's field was bolstered with the addition of Pete Boyd.  He had skated on various teams prior such as the Red Devils, Braves and Chiefs.  To Charlie O'Connell, he was definitely a welcome addition on a team that needed another big skater.

 

The Bombers, as well as the IRDL, was definitely a rougher league in 1973 than in the past.  Sometimes, fans were wondering if there would be more skaters in the penalty box than on the track.

 

The Bay Bombers lost in the first round of the Eastern season Gold Cup in May.  However, they rolled during the Western season.  According to historians, they did not lose a series that was over two games.  They would win both the Founder's Cup and the Western Championship over the Chicago Pioneers.  It looked like the Bay Bombers were back for good.

 

However, the 1973-1974 Eastern season turned out to be a disaster.  There would be inter league play between the Pioneers and T-Birds.  

 

However, because of the gas crisis, there were eventual cutbacks and cancellations.  After two games involving the Bombers and Jolters on November 25, both teams, with no explanation, were told that their season was over.  This was unheard of.  That left the New York Chiefs and Chicago Pioneers as the only two Roller Derby teams remaining.  Interestingly, Charlie O'Connell, known as "Mr. Roller Derby," was placed on the Chicago Pioneer team and not as a coach.

 

On December 7, Jerry Seltzer and his attorney spoke with the Chiefs and Pioneers' skaters after a game.  It was mentioned that December 8th would be the final IRDL game.  The league would be sold to Bill Griffiths and Roller Games.  No other explanation was apparently given. 

 

On December 8, 1973, word that Roller Derby would fold, got out to the fans happened prior to a game at the Long Island Arena in Commack, NY.  Skaters were already devastated by the news and wouldn't know if their careers ended after the game.

 

The next day, December 9th, which also happens to be this blogger's birthday, a makeshift set of games took place.  There was the T-Birds taking on the New York Chiefs and the Eastern Warriors taking on the Chicago Pioneers.

 

Fans in the New York area were confused when they made their way to Madison Square Garden that day.  Originally, the doubleheader was to have the Chiefs facing the Jolters and the Bombers facing the Pioneers.   

 

This was the start of what was known as the International Skating Conference.  Soon afterwards, the Chicago Pioneers were history and only, the New York Chiefs were left.  More on that in a future post.  

The Return Of The Bombers!

May 27th of 1972 was the biggest day in Bay Area Roller Derby.  It was the return of the San Francisco Bay Bombers.  Many fans including myself were happy to see this!

 

The Chronicle, Examiner and Oakland Tribune had some type of news article throughout the week (around May 23-24.).  Prior to the Bay Bombers returning, the Bay Area Chiefs were skating in the Bay Area going back to April 29th.  The team skated two series against the Red Devils and the Pioneers.

 

What was interesting was the fan reaction in each series.  In the Red Devils series, it was definitely pro-Chiefs.  In the Pioneers series, it was definitely a mixed bag.  The game I witnessed on May 21st at Kezar Pavilion was the most bizarre ever.  It sounded as though more people were rooting for the Pioneers.  Between this, and a schedule that had the Bombers skating in Northern California in early May, the handwriting was on the wall for both the Chiefs and Bombers.

 

You could say on May 27, 1972, the Bay Area fans were happy to see the Orange and Brown back where they should have been in the first place.  This was in spite of this fan running in a marathon the day before and feeling very sore and stiff.