Annis Jensen

Beginning with this post, and with every other post, following a yearly highlight, this blogger will share a profile of a Roller Derby/Games skater.  This won't be in order from the top elite skaters.  It will be regarding someone that helped make this blogger and fans enjoy the years of the banked track.

 

My first profile will be on Annis Jensen, one of my all time favorites.

 

In my early memories of Roller Derby going back to 1963, I will admit that Annis Jensen was my idol growing up.  Known for her red hair and her fiery personality, Annis was the first women's captain of the San Francisco (California) Bombers when the team was formed in 1954.  She was married to Russ "Rosie" Baker, the Bombers' first coach.  They had a daughter by the name of Barbara Baker who skated early in her career with the same franchise.

 

Annis was born in San Francisco.  Early in her skating career in the late 1930s, she was part of Leo Seltzer's endurance races.  

 

In 1948, when the National Roller Derby League formed, she was a women's captain for the New York franchise.

 

The following four years, she moved on to Chicago to become the women's captain for the Chicago Westerners (1949-1952).  The Westerners would skate their games at the Chicago Coliseum.  The team would be very close to winning the NRDL Championship but fell short twice to the New York Chiefs.

 

When Roller Derby moved its headquarters to the West Coast beginning in 1954, the California Bombers were born.  From that time to the end of the 1964 season, Jensen was the Bombers' women's captain.  From 1959-1964, the team won four championships out of the six years and missed a fifth when the Mexico City Cardenales won the IRDL crown in the first overtime.

 

Because Jensen didn't want to continue traveling in the off season of 1964, Annis continued her career in the National Skating Derby (Roller Games).  Annis would become the women's captain of the newly formed San Francisco Shamrocks for the 1965 season.  The team did well.  However, due to what Roller Games felt of disappointing attendance, the Shamrocks folded.

 

Annis would be back in the IRDL by August 1965 and skating for the Midwest Pioneers.  She would be there for a short time and would finish the season with the California Cardinals.

 

My first Roller Derby game ever was the Bombers and Pioneers in August 1965 at Castro Valley High School.  This fan had a lot of mixed emotions.  I wanted to see Annis do really well.  Scoring points and her clearing the way for Pioneer jammers to score points was something I wanted to see.  At the same time, I wanted to see a Bombers victory. 

 

Someplace up at my sister's house, there lies an autographed copy of the program bought with Annis' signature on it.  I will remember this night the rest of my life!  The good news was Jensen was a factor for her team and the Bombers won that night, 40-38!  

 

After one more season in 1966 with the Pioneers, she would spend two years with the Northwest Cardinals (1967-1968) before skating with the newly formed Southern Mustangs in 1969.  Jensen would be captain for all the teams mentioned.  Jensen would, temporarily, retire after the 1969 season.

 

In 1974, she would come out of retirement to skate with the Bombers, now of the International Skating Conference.  On that team, she would team with fellow Hall Of Famers, Joan Weston and Ann Calvello.  The three would be teammates as well as rivals during their careers.

 

Annis Jensen passed away at the age of 93 on January 16. 2015.  Along with her husband, Russ, both were elected to the Roller Derby Hall Of Fame in 1960 by the Roller Derby News.