Joan Weston: Early life, Relationships & Net Worth
During the 1950s, the San Francisco Bay Bombers ruled the skating world. Interestingly, Joan Weston was the star of the Bay Bombers.
She was utterly authentic, sweet, healthy, vivacious, outgoing, smiling, and a good Catholic girl, and everybody loved her.
Likewise, she kept such meticulous records that her colleagues nicknamed her “Wanda Bond.” Joan was one of the fiercest competitors in the sport.
Evidently, Joan Weston is regarded as a gifted athlete and perhaps the best athletic of her era. Surprisingly, she once hit eight home runs in a softball game.
Similarly, she was as famous as Billie Jean King, retired tennis player, and Peggy Fleming, former skater, in the 60s.
However, sadly, the stigma attached to her assured her that she would never gain the fame and recognition she actually deserved.
So, how well do you know about her? In this article, you will find detailed information about Joan Weston.
Quick Facts
Here are some astonishing quick facts about Joan Weston:
| Full name | Joan Weston |
| Nick/Celebrated name | Blonde Bomber Blonde Amazon Golden Girl Roller Deby Queen |
| Date of birth | January 20, 1935 |
| Age | 89 Years Old |
| Birthplace | Huntington Beach, California, United States |
| Death Date | May 10, 1997 |
| Cause of death | Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease |
| Death Place | Hayward, California, United States |
| Parents | Father’s name- Not available Mother’s name- Not available |
| Siblings | Not available |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | 165 pound |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| High School | Not available |
| University | Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles |
| Husband | Nick Scopas |
| Children | Not available |
| Profession | Skating |
| Achievements and Titles | Most Valuable Player, National Roller Derby Hall of Fame, Roller Derby Queen (4×) |
| Year active | 1954-1973 |
| Roller Skating Merch | Helmets, Shoes, Skateboards |
| Last update | April, 2024 |
Joan Weston: Early Life, Education, and Parents
Sadly, her parents got divorced when she was a baby. However, she was raised by her maternal grandparents.
Fortunately, she was raised in a good loving environment by her grandparents.
Her grandparents used to work six days a week at the restaurant and a gas station they owned in Southern California.
Likewise, she used to idolize her father’s movie star looks, and she fondly remembered a summer spent with him before he got in a car accident.
Sadly, not knowing how to channel grief, she blamed her mother for her father’s death.
Similarly, despite the fact they were not Catholics, her grandfather enrolled her on a Mount St. Mary’s College Education.
Likewise, her grandmother was amenable to her grandfather’s decision to go to Mount St. Mary until Joan became a nun.
After that, she decided to take part in sports. Interestingly, she excelled in every sport she took part in.
However, this didn’t mean that her grandmother would let her participate in every sport.
Moreover, her grandmother even balked when she wanted to participate in horseriding back as it was too dangerous.
However, Softball seemed compromisable. Thus she played in the school and league ball.
Surprisingly, this proved to be a good match for her, and in one college game, she hit eight home runs.
Joan Weston: Body measurements
Joan has an athletic body type which was a kind of boon for her profession. Likewise, she stood 5 ft 20 inches tall and weighed around 165 pounds.
Similarly, she had bleached blonde hair. In addition, her eye color was black. Furthermore, January’s born athletic zodiac sign was Aquarius.
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Joan Weston: Relationship Status
Sadly, it is not easy to maintain your romantic relationships while traveling to different places due to your profession. Unfortunately, this was the reason behind her many engagements ending badly.
Surprisingly, she was just 20 years old when she was engaged to another skater. However, sadly, the relationships ended right after 18 months of togetherness.
In addition to this, her other two engagements also ended badly. Sadly, one of her suitors even asked her to give up her career. However, she chose a career over her love.
Moreover, Joan even decided that she would never marry due to so much heartbreak.
However, fortunately, she later was married to Nick Scopas, and the couple was together till she breathed her last breath.
Joan Weston: Professional Career
Sadly, there weren’t many opportunities and options for female athletes.
However, when she saw the Roller Derby, she saw herself on the platform and couldn’t resist taking part in the skating from the sidewalk to the inside banked track.
So, to enhance her abilities, she shifted to Northern California to learn the sport.
San Francisco Bay Bombers
Unfortunately, her dependent upbringing did not prepare her for professional behavior and the desecration of skaters. Sadly, she almost quit because of intimidation.
Moreover, the skater called her mother for encouragement as she was a truck stop waitress, and she thought that her mom might understand the difficulties.
Clearly, her mother advised that Roller Derby people were no different than anybody else. “People and sex are like franks and beans,” she said. “They go together.”
Evidently, Roller Derby people or the lifestyle was not the fact that attracted her to skate.
However, it was the fact that she loved skating at 30mph. Likewise, she has stated that this gave her a sense of freedom.
In addition, Weston has had to work out a lot to overcome her clumsiness.
Unfortunately, she slipped and fell in front of nine skaters, all of whom fell on top of her in her first outing skating.
Fortunately, she became famous in the San Francisco Bay Bombers only after playing on various teams for several years.
Similarly, the skater was 28 years old in 1963 when she started wearing orange and black.
Moreover, she is nicknamed the Blonde Bomber, Blonde Amazon, and the Golden Girl due to her appearance and playing style.
Furthermore, skating was part of her life. Surprisingly, she skated over 250 games each year for 18 years.
Similarly, she used to play the Pivot position. Moreover, her teams traveled to the different countryside to compete in the local arena.
Likewise, she was promoted to captain of the acclaimed Bay Bombers in 1965.
Joan Weston: Rivals
The rivalry blossomed between Joan Weston and Ann Calvello when she was promoted to captain in 1965. Clearly, Ann was another superstar who wore the red shirt of the rival’s team.
The rivalry between them is considered one of the biggest rivalries in the history of the sport.
Moreover, it became personal. Furthermore, Ann Calvello never missed a chance to provoke and kick Joan’s teammates. In addition, this triggered Joan to seek revenge.
However, Ann’s cheap act incensed the audience to throw stuff at her and even occasionally damage her car.
Joan Weston: Accidents and Injuries
The injuries and accidents are part of the Roller Derby. Therefore, many players like Weston have to be a part of this fact.
Sadly, she once had to undergo cartilage surgery and also suffered a dislocated collar bone.
Moreover, she had to visit the dentist often because her dentures often went missing.
Furthermore, unfortunately, her two teeth flew out right past her referee’s ear when she got into an argument with her referee.
Fortunately, apart from this, she has not been part of any severe case of injury.
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Joan Weston: Achievements and Titles
Sadly, Joan’s mother never accepted her daughter’s career and did not watch a Roller Derby. Finally, however, her grandmother summoned the courage to watch only one of her performances.
However, despite all of these facts, she managed to accomplish and achieve many achievements and titles.
Interestingly, she was voted for the Roller Derby Queen four times. In addition, she also received the Most Valuable Player Award in 1968.
Likewise, she was also inducted into the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame.
Likewise, she also won the 1962 outrigger championship on a canoe called Malia.
Joan Weston: Retirement
Due to her several injuries, her body could not bounce back quickly so, and she announced her retirement when she was 38 years old.
However, despite her retirement, she channeled her experience into training young skaters. Furthermore, she also performed part-time even after retirement.
Joan Weston: Death
Despite being the fiercest competitor, she met an opponent she could not beat, a rare, incurable brain disease. Sadly, this impacted her writing skills.
Unfortunately, the hip-bumping golden girl of Roller Derby passed away on May 10, 1997, at her home in Hayward, Calif, near San Francisco. Sadly, she was just 62.
Likewise, her last performance was in an exhibition game in 1996.
Similarly, the cause of her death was Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is a rare brain disorder.
Sadly, this disease is similar to mad cow disease. This disease invades the brain and kills its victims months after the first symptoms surface.
Joan Weston: Net worth
Sadly, there is no information about the net worth of Joan Weston and how much she made throughout her career.
However, it is estimated that she accumulated adequate net worth during her era.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who was the highest-paid athlete during the 60s and 70s?
Surprisingly, Joan Weston was the highest-paid athlete during the 60s and 70s.
Although she earned less than her male counterparts, her earning was expected to be around $20,000.
When was Joan Weston’s life story sold to Goldie Hawan?
Joan Weston’s life story was sold to Goldie Hawan in 1999.
When did Roller Derby debut on television?
Roller Debhy debuted on New York television on November 29, 1948, a 13-week run on the CBS-TV Network.
