Visit MeTee.com The place for publishing and printing t-shirts & always free shipping. - The history of roller derby traces the evolution of roller skating races into a unique sport which has undergone several boom-and-bust cycles throughout most of the 20th century. Although it was a form of sports entertainment for much of its existence, a grassroots, early 21st century revival spearheaded by women has restored an emphasis on athleticism. The growing popularity of roller skating in the United States led to the formation of organized endurance races as early as 1884, when skater Victor W. Clough skated 100 miles over the course of nearly ten hours in Geneseo, Illinois. In 1885, a six-day 'go-as-you-please' competition was staged at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with 36 skaters competing for $500 in prize money. Two deaths resulted from the six-day race: both the winner, William Donovan, and skater Joseph Cohen died shortly after the race was completed. Though the inquest that resulted from Cohen's death led to a recommendation for a law prohibiting roller skating activities exceeding four hours in length, a second six-day race was announced in May 1885. - Subscribe for Breaking News. Like/Dislike, Comment, Favorite and share on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to get the word out on this video. Become a channel sponsor for 30 days for $1/day and send me a private message. Have any ad you want to play at the end of each video (any one video can go viral with tens ...