Weston was born in
Huntington Beach, California, in 1935, and grew up in nearby
Downey. and 1970s. Joan usually skated as the distaff heroine of the sport, no matter what team she appeared with. She remains the most beloved of all historical Roller Derby stars. Her long-time rivals on the track included
Ann Calvello (August 1, 1929 – March 14, 2006), Cathie Read (August 17, 1940-September 26, 2024), Sandy Dunn (b. January 8, 1945), Jan Vallow (September 21, 1940-October 24, 2024), and Margie Laszlo (November 8, 1942-March 15, 2025). The 1972 film
Kansas City Bomber, starring
Raquel Welch, was supposedly inspired by (but not based on) Weston. Weston was a mentor to many professional Roller Derby skaters that made it on a team. She was said to take rookies under her wing. Roller Derby was not Weston's only sport. While a student at
Mount St. Mary's College, Weston played
softball. She was also involved in
surfing and
canoeing. In 1962 she won the
Hawaii canoe
outrigger championship. Weston later married Nick Scopas (b. June 3, 1938) who was also a professional Roller Derby Skater. After her Roller Derby career, she regularly played softball in
San Francisco Bay Area leagues. In 1997, at age 62, Weston succumbed to
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in
Hayward, California. In 1999, her life story was sold to
Goldie Hawn Productions. Roller Derby ceased operations in 1973 and as a result the most famous female skater in the sport was never inducted into its Hall of Fame. In 2004, the skater/fan based
Roller Derby Hall of Fame based in Brooklyn, New York, corrected this oversight. ==References==