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  Japan's Bomber Franchise

Flat Track Roller Derby is invented in the late 1980's

Watch this amazing video:

 

 

 

The Bay City Bomber franchise reaches across the globe. Tokyo is the home of famed Tokyo Bombers, who played live banked track bouts and broadcast TV games on a network similar to ESPN in Japan through  the 1960s all until the late 1990s.

 

ABOVE: The original (60s - 70s) old-school banked track Tokyo Bombers

 

The Bay City Bombers drew 80 million weekly viewers for decades. The Bombers trademark in Tokyo drew record breaking viewers to it's TV broadcasts and live bouts too. 

 

In the early days, a fifteen year old, Hiroshi Koizumi was Japan's top jammer and most recognizable roller derby name in Japan and honored in the USA.

 

Hiroshi, at a sold out outdoor stadium - banked track event.

 

Hiroshi Today

 

 

FLAT TRACK DERBY IS INVENTED:

 

Japan is an innovator and more advanced than the U.S.A. in many areas such as cellular and satellite technology. It's no surprise that Japan should not be ahead of the new-age movement in roller derby flat track too.

 

Above: Late 1980s and Early 1990s Japan's All Men's Flat Track Roller Game

 

In the late 1980's, the banked track bouts had to be changed. Real estate and space in Tokyo became costly so a new flat track form of roller derby was formulated by Hiroshi Koizumi at local roller rink within the Tokyo Dome. 

 

Hiroshi wanted his skaters to skate the game legitimate. Yes, really use offensive and defensive body blocking to get the opponent before they got you!

 

Above: Legitimate Flat Track Derby, complete with full battle gear

 

 

A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL:

 

Hiroshi Koizumi's budding Flat Track league took one hell of a PR battle after taking the traditional banked track game into the world of flat track. 

 

Everyone thought Hiroshi's flat track idea would go BUST!

 

"It's impossible," they said.

 

"You can't do roller derby at a roller rink, how foolish," the banked track skaters said. Even fans disapproved of the flat track idea.

 

The players will get hurt without the skater safety values that go into a banked track. "The skaters will get killed, maybe disfigured for life!"

 

Hiroshi knew that was true. He needed to make sure bouts would be as safe. Even then, people will still suffer injury.

 

 

NEW RULES FOR FLAT TRACK COMPETITION:

 

The rules were changed to simplify the object to the game. There would be ONE jammer each jam, placing one team 100% on offense and the other 100% on defense for 60 seconds.

 

The teams switched jammers for the next minute play.

 

Finally, jammers were started from a designated starting location in the infield, not in the pack as all other roller derby games still do. 

 

The rule changes made flat track easy to follow, legitimized the sport as real and it became popular.

 

The new flat track idea utilized hard hitting body contact. Blocking the offending opposition with hockey styled body checks or crushing football like moves were part of the training and game.

 

It is the most rugged roller derby EVER seen in the games long history!

 

 

FLAT TRACK PROTECTIONS:

 

As a veteran of the banked track game, Hiroshi knew the serious danger of flat track bouts. He cultivated the best all-male speed athletes, innovated wrist, knee, and elbow guards.

 

He made skaters wear body armor similar to professional hockey players and American football athletes. The body armor helped avoid cracked vertebra, ribs, hips and destroyed collar bones. All these injuries were seen in the banked track world and increase with attempts to play on flat track, especially when the sport is legitimate.

 

Flat track would multiply skater damages by at least 800%. Some of the injuries would be life threatening without protection. He didn't want to see a young skater end up on permanent disability for the rest of their life because they fell on the hard roller rink floor.

 

Hiroshi's last idea for protecting the jammers head and neck was a full neck and face helmet, much like those worn by professional  motorcycle racers.

 

 

THE ROLLER GAME BECOMES A JAPAN SUCCESS:

 

Watch this video clip from Japan. There are English titles. Check out the rules of Japan Flat Track Roller Game. This video shows plenty of game action and team standings. The voice work is in Japanese. See how many bouts our Japan counterpart have put on!

 

Enjoy the Bay City Bombers Global TV Entertainment Network Direct From Japan to you   High speed, broadband and DSL users only

 

Double Click: the start button above to watch Flat Track derby's origins.

 

 

WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

 

At first Japanese women did NOT want anything to do with this reckless sport idea. Even veteran speed, hockey and derby skaters shied away from the idea. 

 

 

By 1993 women began to train and were integrated onto the teams. As with all roller derby organizations, things evolved.

 

In the late 1990s, inline skaters were allowed to compete alongside traditional quad skaters. Men, women, quads and inlines became one team. That is the future.

 

 

 Watch more flat track roller derby from Hiroshi's Roller Game.

Here, Japan integrates women and inline skaters with men and quad skaters.

Double Click on the start button above

 

 

THE JAPAN VS. USA WORD CUP BANKED TRACK BOUT:

 

 

The Japan league, in early 1993, searched the USA for the best skaters available. Hundreds of skaters were looked at. Finally the USA team was jetted off to Tokyo for the worlds first INTERNATIONAL ROLLER GAME WORLD CUP.

 

The American Roller Derby League's trainer, Jim Fitzpatrick was one of the select skaters to represent America. What an honor to perform in international bouts.

 

The INTERNATIONAL CUP WOULD BE A BANKED TRACK GAME.

 

Throngs of Tokyo citizens had in store a wonderful treat. They showed great appreciation and love for the athletes from USA. In return, each interview the American skaters gave for Japanese Television demonstrated how our two cultures respected for one another.

 

"It was an honor and humbling experience," Jim Fitzpatrick said. "Skating in Japan and representing the United States was truly the highlight of my career.  Skating for the Bomber's in Buenos Aires also ranks up there as one of my happiest memories.  The Japanese skaters were incredibly fast and improved each game.  Hiroshi would even keep them long after the games were over, drilling them until they got it right.  You could tell they all had a passion and desire to be the best skaters they could be."

 

Enjoy the Bay City Bombers Global TV Entertainment Network Direct From Japan to you   High speed, broadband and DSL users only

 

Double Click the start button above to watch Jim Fitzpatrick.

 The International Roller Game World Cup: U.S.A.  vs.  JAPAN

 

Jim Fitzpatrick in Japan's World Cup International

 

 

There is never ending hopes for the globalization of roller game and roller derby sports. The Global TV Network is proud to bring the best flat track and banked track skating to the rest of the world.

 

Japan's vision with so much integration of athletes, equipment and types of skating surfaces places them as the world leader in the roller game's vision. Even though this is costly, we know roller derby will continue to grow. There are plenty of leader's with business acumen to accomplish international goals.

 

2006-2007   JAPAN NEWS UPDATE

There are plenty of closed door meetings lately. Hiroshi is a determined leader and astute businessman of Japan's derby movement and will keep ROLLER GAME rolling for a long time.

 

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