Author Topic: Women's racing in the 19th Century  (Read 2248 times)

Women's racing in the 19th Century
« on: 12 October, 2018, 05:22:49 am »

Re: Women's racing in the 19th Century
« Reply #1 on: 12 October, 2018, 10:43:54 am »
That's a really interesting article, and it sounds like a fascinating book. The article isn't clear where exactly these events are taking place - I couldn't work out if it was in the 6 day heartland of Benelux or in the US.

Re: Women's racing in the 19th Century
« Reply #2 on: 12 October, 2018, 12:56:24 pm »
It seems to be about the US Mid-West mainly.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv4ncnrh

Re: Women's racing in the 19th Century
« Reply #3 on: 12 October, 2018, 03:12:40 pm »
That's a really interesting article, and it sounds like a fascinating book. The article isn't clear where exactly these events are taking place - I couldn't work out if it was in the 6 day heartland of Benelux or in the US.

6 day Cycle Racing started mainly in the USA. - famous venue Madison square Gardens, hence relay race called “ Madison”.
Originally one rider had to be on the track throughout every 24 hours. Hence photos of riders reading the paper, shaving etc.
It went along with the 6 day dance marathons etc. ( racing on the Sabbath out of the question of course). Tales abound of dancer/ cyclists using various methods to stay awake!!

Re: Women's racing in the 19th Century
« Reply #4 on: 12 October, 2018, 04:52:36 pm »
Coincidentally I believe that the women’s Madison National Championships is at Derby this weekend. That there are not only sufficient teams to run the event, but that qualification is a necessity, says a lot about the vibrant state of women’s racing at the moment.


Re: Women's racing in the 19th Century
« Reply #5 on: 12 October, 2018, 07:42:09 pm »
That's a really interesting article, and it sounds like a fascinating book. The article isn't clear where exactly these events are taking place - I couldn't work out if it was in the 6 day heartland of Benelux or in the US.

6 day Cycle Racing started mainly in the USA. - famous venue Madison square Gardens, hence relay race called “ Madison”.
Originally one rider had to be on the track throughout every 24 hours. Hence photos of riders reading the paper, shaving etc.
It went along with the 6 day dance marathons etc. ( racing on the Sabbath out of the question of course). Tales abound of dancer/ cyclists using various methods to stay awake!!

Roller Derby is another survivor of that culture. I hadn't appreciated that the rules of that 'Sport' were formulated by Damon Runyon, who inspired my own name.

Quote
Another major change occurred in 1936, when skater Joe Laurey claimed, “I threw a couple of guys over the railing. They fined me $25 and disqualified me, so I threw my skates on the track and left. Everyone else was pushing, so I thought, ‘What the hell?’ People loved it.” Although roller derby eventually became known for its brutal hits, contact between skaters continued to be illegal until 1937, when during a particularly heated bout, Seltzer instructed the referees to stop penalizing pushing and hitting, to see what happened.

Damon Runyon, a popular sportswriter and essayist for the New Yorker, whose stories formed the basis for the musical Guys and Dolls, happened to be sitting in the crowd that night. Enthralled by the rough-and-tumble action on the track, Runyon later sat with Seltzer and helped create the rules that have, with some minor changes, continued to govern the sport ever since.


http://www.derbylife.com/2015/08/a-brief-history-of-roller-derby/