Roller competition videos from the 70s

[skateboy]

I thought y'all might find these roller competition videos interesting. The user has uploaded a number of them.

This one is from 1976, starts with Senior Dance (Viennese Waltz and Pacifica Foxtrot), followed by Joann Young, Senior Ladies Singles champion. Interesting that in 1976, when Dorothy Hamill won the Olympic gold without a triple, Joann does three triples here. (And bear in mind that a pair of roller skates is about 10 lbs. heavier than a pair of ice skates.)

1976 US Sr American Dance Final - Ft Worth, Texas

www.youtube.com

 

[skateboy]

Just bumping this up in case anyone missed seeing compulsory dances and triple jumps (in 1976!) or roller skates.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I will also put a link to "Ladies Senior Int'l" singles event. Thank you for the original like to this youtube site!

International Sr Ladies 1975

Watch April Allen, Natalie Dunn, Donna LaBriola, and more.

www.youtube.com

 

[Tinami Amori]

Did you ever see this site? It has Jim Pringle listed as a Coach of the Year 1986.

They also have Donna Labriola's father listed, Robert, as Coach of the Year 1968 (towards the end)...

Coaches - Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past

 

[SCeline]

This is so awesome. It has always fascinated me how developed the sport of roller figure skating has been in Italy actually. The axel jump take offs always look scary LOL

 

[skateboy]

Did you ever see this site? It has Jim Pringle listed as a Coach of the Year 1986.

They also have Donna Labriola's father listed, Robert, as Coach of the Year 1968 (towards the end)...

Coaches - Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past

Thanks!

 

[skateboy]

Did you ever see this site? It has Jim Pringle listed as a Coach of the Year 1986.

They also have Donna Labriola's father listed, Robert, as Coach of the Year 1968 (towards the end)...

Coaches - Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past

Nice to see Jim Pringle listed (he's still teaching, I keep up with him on FB). Also, Paul McNeil (RIP), who I trained with for two years in Boston. Wow, I trained with two "Coaches of the Year" ...I really should have worked harder, lol!

 

[Tinami Amori]

Also, Paul McNeil (RIP), who I trained with for two years in Boston.

So you skated at Norwood's Roll-Land!!! I skated there a few times (public sessions, but my skates) when visiting friends in this city in the 80's...

Believe it or not - that rollarena is still open (same friends went there for recreation with their teen age kids).

Roll Land

On Thanksgiving Day in 1938, Charles, John and Peter Santoro opened Roll-Land roller skating rink at 942 Providence Highway, close to the corner of Dean street. It was the first business built in t…

norwoodhistoricalsociety.org

here is a photo with some old timers...

https://i.imgur.com/ixeIqyS.jpg

 

[skateboy]

So you skated at Norwood's Roll-Land!!! I skated there a few times (public sessions, but my skates) when visiting friends in this city in the 80's...

I did! While I was living in Boston for just two years. Thanks for the pic.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Wow. Roller skating was really popular in the United States back then. If the clips I have found on YouTube are any indication, in the early 80s it even got Wide World of Sports television coverage.

I'd never heard of or seen Joanne Young. She was amazing.

Speaking of Hamill, there is a skater, Natalie Dunn, who was often compared to her (along with Linda Fratianne).

She was very good, too.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I always wondered how judges could actually mark figures in roller skating with any real success. Especially since they would have to judge in real time, as the skaters traced against patterns marked on the floor surface.

Unless their figures were video taped, it would be impossible to argue any results as there would be no evidence of what the skater had done afterwards.

 

[Tinami Amori]

there is a skater, Natalie Dunn

Natalie Dunn was a star of California's Ladies skating (Senior Int'l level) middle to end of 1970's. Her parents owned a roller rink in Bakersfield, she had unlimited access to the rink to practice, i don't remember all her placements but she won a lot of local competitions, medaled at Regionals and went on to Nationals. Bakersfield hosted several annual competitions, including a show-skating one - Gold Skate Classic, which was pretty much an event that was Artistic Skating - the routines were allowed to use fancy, sometimes extremely weird or extremely sexy, costumes and music pieces with voice were allowed. If i remember correctly Bakersfield Arena was often used for Regionals. Dunn Family's rink was used as an official practice rink, so a double whammy for Natalie. She was a very strong skater, more athletic than artistic, in her body built and in skating style, but for several years she dominated Ladies Senior Int'l in California.

Natalie Dunn USA, 1975 World roller skating championships

Natalie Dunn from the USA is one of the greatest all round skaters of our time, and was at the forefront of ladies singles in the 70's pre the explosion of g...

www.youtube.com

Yes, roller skating was popular into the mid 1980's, Nationals were even shown on CBS.... with top commentators covering it.

1980 U.S. ROLLER SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS on CBS SPORTS

CBS Sports televised the 1979 and 1980 U.S. Roller Skating Championships. The 1980 Championships were held in Pershing Arena. Commentators were Gary Bender a...

www.youtube.com

I always wondered how judges could actually mark figures in roller skating with any real success. Especially since they would have to judge in real time, as the skaters traced against patterns marked on the floor surface.

Unless their figures were video taped, it would be impossible to argue any results as there would be no evidence of what the skater had done afterwards.

yes, the patterns where painted on the surface. there were two sizes of patterns:
smaller

https://i.imgur.com/X956NhS.png

and larger

https://i.imgur.com/vugpRPN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YRuEyto.jpg

I have no idea how they judge school figures now (skaters still do them). But if i remember correctly, back in the 70's during competitions there was a light layer of white chalk powder sprinkled on patters. You can't see the powder on this video it's black and white and the exposure is not right, but you can see the skaters' ability to trace and what judges would be seeing.

1973 Freshman B/G Figures - Freshman Dance

www.youtube.com

This is 2015 - school figures skated by a group of skater, with voice over instructions and explanations.

Figures

Instructional video with Don Gates

www.youtube.com

In more recent competitions, i don't see any powder..... here is a video of a judged competition clips.

2011 roller skating nationals JWC women figures

no negative comments.....sorry if its really long i couldn't upload each figure one at a time

www.youtube.com

I think @skateboy might remember how the figures were judges a lot better than me (he was younger and skated through the 80's.)

 

[skateboy]

I always wondered how judges could actually mark figures in roller skating with any real success. Especially since they would have to judge in real time, as the skaters traced against patterns marked on the floor surface.

Unless their figures were video taped, it would be impossible to argue any results as there would be no evidence of what the skater had done afterwards.

No, you couldn't argue figure results. On the other hand, since the circles (and loops) are painted perfectly, you can tell very easily when a skater is not perfectly on the line, as well as placement and precision of turns. I eventually did some judging and most judges were pretty much in sync with one another. Body position and form are also a judging factor, much more than in ice skating.

And yes, @Tinami Amori , I went to Gold Skate Classic a few times (group numbers, there were no boys/mens singles at that event, just pairs, girls/ladies, and large groups). I remember seeing Natalie Dunn my very first time, she was close to retirement and I was pretty young.