Roller Derby Queen. Born Joan Evelyn Weston she joined the Roller Derby League in 1954 out of Mount St. Mary's College in Southern California, where she excelled as an all-around athlete. At 5'10" and 150 pounds she was known as the Blonde Bomber. As a measure of her performance, Weston yearly made the I.R.D.L. All-Star roster from 1956 until the end of her career, an unmatched record and was voted "Roller Derby Queen" four times. Additionally she won Hawaii's outrigger race championship in 1962. She received the Derby women's Most Valuable Player award in 1968, and in five seasons she coached three Rookies-of-the-Year and elevated five skaters to the league's All-Star rosters. She was herself named to the Roller Derby All-Star team 19 consecutive times. When the league folded in 1973 Weston kept skating, training new talent, and holding exhibitions in the Bay Area in an attempt to revive the sport. Weston was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome, a rare brain disorder in November 1996. Her health rapidly deteriorated and she died six months later. Over 200 people attended her funeral in Hayward, California. As per her wishes, her cremated remains were then scattered in Hawaii. After reading Weston's obituary, TV executive Stephen Land created ESPN's Classic Sports Network show, Roller Super Stars, which featured old tapes of the golden years of the Blonde Bomber and her teammates.
Roller Derby Queen. Born Joan Evelyn Weston she joined the Roller Derby League in 1954 out of Mount St. Mary's College in Southern California, where she excelled as an all-around athlete. At 5'10" and 150 pounds she was known as the Blonde Bomber. As a measure of her performance, Weston yearly made the I.R.D.L. All-Star roster from 1956 until the end of her career, an unmatched record and was voted "Roller Derby Queen" four times. Additionally she won Hawaii's outrigger race championship in 1962. She received the Derby women's Most Valuable Player award in 1968, and in five seasons she coached three Rookies-of-the-Year and elevated five skaters to the league's All-Star rosters. She was herself named to the Roller Derby All-Star team 19 consecutive times. When the league folded in 1973 Weston kept skating, training new talent, and holding exhibitions in the Bay Area in an attempt to revive the sport. Weston was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome, a rare brain disorder in November 1996. Her health rapidly deteriorated and she died six months later. Over 200 people attended her funeral in Hayward, California. As per her wishes, her cremated remains were then scattered in Hawaii. After reading Weston's obituary, TV executive Stephen Land created ESPN's Classic Sports Network show, Roller Super Stars, which featured old tapes of the golden years of the Blonde Bomber and her teammates.
Bio by: Iola
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