Chicago Rink Rats: The Roller Capital in Its Heyday

By Tom Russo

By 1950, roller skating had emerged as the number-one participatory sport in America. Ironically, the war years launched the Golden Age of Roller Skating. Soldiers serving overseas pleaded for skates along with their usual requests for cigarettes and letters from home. Stateside, skating uplifted morale and kept war factory workers exercising. By the end of the decade, five thousand rinks operated across the country. Its epicenter: Chicago! And no one was left behind! The Blink Bats, a group of Braille Center skaters, held their own at the huge Broadway Armory rink. Meanwhile, the Swank drew South Side crowds to its knee-action floor and stocked jukebox. Eighteen celebrated rinks are now gone, but rinks that remain honor the traditions of the sport's glory years. Author Tom Russo scoured newspaper archives and interviewed skaters of the roller capital's heyday to reveal the enduring legacy of Chicago's rink rats.
The Feathered Quill's book review awarded Russo's book the 2019 Gold/1st Place in the Historical category. The program recognizes the most distinguished independent authors whose works represents professionalism and high standards of writing. The Feathered Quill program is recognized as one of the best awards program for independent authors by the Association of Independent Authors. Click FQ's Gold Seal to read its review.
Impactful writing characterizes Tom Russo's newly released book, Chicago Rink Rats: The Roller Capital in Its Heyday....This book is not just for industry insiders, but for a larger American audience. Anyone interested in American studies and culture would find this forgotten information insightful. The histories of common pastimes such as bicycles and baseball are somewhat well known, but roller skating doesn't enjoy the same common background knowledge. This book is a great addition to that lost history. Readers will be astounded to learn the impact roller skating played in the war effort, to women's and African-American's rights, and even to the post-war baby boom.

The National Museum of Roller Skating

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