Larry Smith

Larry Smith got some strange looks as a boy when he told everyone he wanted to join the Roller Derby, but he’d go on to have the time of his life living out his dream. As a member of the International Roller Derby League, he engaged in a style of play that gave the fans what they wanted: fights, hard skating, and great athletic ability combined with a fast-paced game. As a member of Roller Derby, he and his teammates welcomed minorities in the 1960s when racial tension was at its peak. Whites and blacks skated together, roomed together, and stuck together like brothers and sisters. Smith and his teammates sold out everywhere they played: Madison Square Garden, the Chicago Coliseum, San Francisco’s Cow Palace, White Sox Park, the Montreal Forum, and hundreds of smaller venues. While the quality of the game ultimately declined, Smith was there for its glory years, and he remembers it all as if it were yesterday. He looks back on his many adventures—some of them almost unbelievable—in The Last “True” Roller Derby.

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