Rolling Thunder: The Golden Age of Roller Derby & the Rise and Fall of the L.A. T-Birds

by Scott Stephens

Scott Stephens received his first set of roller skates at age six in 1966 – and soon he was staging Roller Derby games in his backyard.Growing up in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, it was impossible not to have heard about Roller Derby and the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, whose games were televised. In fact, many of the T-Birds were just as popular as those on traditional sports teams such as the Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams.When Stephens started training at the new T-Bird Rollerdrome in Pico Rivera, it was mainly because he loved roller skating on a banked track. He had no idea that the Roller Games league was low on skaters.From 1978 to 1981, from his seat on the infield of the track and on the track itself, Stephens was part of everything the games had to offer, including its underground scene of shadowy characters and venues, adrenalin seekers, and alternative lifestyles. He loved it!Trace the history of Roller Derby and Los Angeles’ flagship team, the T-Birds, with this brilliant account highlighting the sport’s booms and busts.

Genres: Roller Derby

382 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2019

Reviews

[Scott Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong Los Angeles Thunderbirds fan, this book had everything that I hoped for and more. When reading about my favorite skaters—Debbie McCorkell and Ralphie Valladares—it was like I was watching them compete for the T-Birds all over again. I especially enjoyed the chronological layout of this non-fiction book.

[I.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of interesting stuff in here but there are a few issues that hold it back:
-it assumes that you’re already a fan and knowledgeable of how the game worked.
-it has lots of recaps which in you don’t need in a book.
-the writing is a touch clunky and basic. An editor would have helped
-it tends to have extremely short chapters that say very little or long ones that go on too far
-lots of repetition
In the end, this reads like a protect that didn’t have an editor (or a good one) that could have tightened it up in places and helped the language rise up
That all said, this is a fun and enlightening read and worth checking out. It may even make you track down some old games on YouTube !
An added bonus is how much the story of derby parallels pro wrestling and you’ll see many possibilities for that sport’s future inside.

[Karl Freitag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of the LA T-Birds

Great read. The rise and fall of the much beloved roller games. Full of anecdotes and inside information. Hard to believe that a major pro sport like this (at least equal to pro wrestling in the 60s and early 70s) would be totally extinct 50 years later. This book tells how it happened.

[Sally Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched and well written. This author knows the sport inside and out. A must-have for roller derby fans!

[Robertgravlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3&1/2 Stars