Joan Weston

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

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[edit] Early years

Weston was born in Huntington Beach, California in 1935. While playing softball for Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, California, Weston once hit eight home runs in a single game.

[edit] Personal life

Joanie Weston lived in Hayward, California, where she raised Cocker Spaniels and co-owned the legendary gay bar The Driftwood.[1]

[edit] The Bay Bomber years

In 1954, Weston joined Roller Derby, becoming a member and later captain of the San Francisco Bay Bombers. Known as "The Blonde Bomber", "the Blonde Amazon", and "the Roller Derby Queen", she appeared on 19 consecutive all-star teams in that sport, and was the highest-paid female athlete in the 1960s and 1970s.

Joan always 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).

Weston was also involved in surfing and canoeing. In 1962 she won the Hawaii canoe outrigger championship.

The 1972 film Kansas City Bomber, starring Raquel Welch, was inspired by (but not based on) Joanie Weston.

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

[edit] Later years

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

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

  1. ^ Hoke, Barbara (September 2006). Lesbian Bars in the San Francisco East Bay. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.

[edit] External links