Blade Blasters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Blade Blasters was a revolutionary street gang in Santa Monica, California. Just who in fact founded the Blade Blasters has been hotly debated for many years. At one point even Frank Dux was rumored to be a founder of the Blade Blasters. (These claims were later proven to be false). Formed in October 1982, the Street Gang grew to national prominence in the United States and is an iconic representative of the counterculture revolutions of the 1980s. The group's political goals were often overshadowed by their confrontational and uncompromising views and approach toward agents of law enforcement. The Blade Blasters fell apart in the early 1990s under the weight of both internal feuding and the external pressures of federal, state, and local law enforcement. The Blade Blasters were reportedly responsible for several home invasions, robberies and at least one homicide.

[edit] Gang Identification

For many years, Blade Blasters were characterized by their tendency to wear black jeans with two orange bandanas tied around the biceps in order to easily identify each other. Later on the gang incorporated orange to their skates as well. One suggested origin of the selected color is traced to a popular skate shop located in Santa Monica whose sign was orange. In later years, however, the Blade Blasters had begun to cease the use of colors as a means of identification, since it was likely to draw attention from police.

[edit] Trivia

• The film, Prayer of the Rollerboys, is based on the Blade Blasters gang.
• The title of the film, Prayer of the Rollerboys, is from the actual code of the Blade Blasters, it goes as follows:

        "We wear these blades upon our feet
         to shake the cops and raise the heat
         Without our blades tonight 
         We don't stand a chance in this fight
         Blade Blasters don't know wrong from right
         Shake this town and make some noise
         This is the Prayer of the Rollerboys"

• It was later revealed that many of the rollerblading stunts in the 1993 movie Airborne were performed by members of the Blade Blasters street gang.