Roller derby ready to jam on 82nd anniversary of Chicago-born sport
Athletes zipped through Coliseum Park on roller skates Wednesday morning to warm up for the 82nd birthday of roller derby, the high-contact sport born in Chicago.
World Roller Derby Week begins Sunday with a birthday party at 12:30 p.m. in the park, 1466 S. Wabash Ave.
Sunday also is the anniversary of the sport's debut - Aug. 13, 1935, at the Chicago Coliseum, which once stood at the site of Coliseum Park.
Chicagoan Leo Seltzer is credited with creating the sport. At one point, its weekly broadcasts were seen coast-to-coast, and a 1972 Comiskey Park match drew a crowd of about 50,000.
The week also includes a blood drive, and will culminate in a retro-style roller derby match in which teams wear classic jerseys from the sport's heyday. It will be Aug. 19 at the Fleetwood Roller Rink, 7231 W. Archer Ave., Summit.
For the full story, click here.