These Vintage Photos Prove That Roller Derby Has Always Been Cool

Building the Industry

Seltzer began to hold his own dance marathons, dubbed "walkathons" due to the fact that contestants would usually just shuffle around for the duration of the contests. Seltzer's walkathons could last as long as 40 days with hundreds of unemployed contestants hoping to win cash prizes.

Walkathon

The walkathons were emceed by celebrities like Frankie Laine and Red Skelton, grossing $6 million in only three years. Seltzer's first commercial walkathon was held in Denver, Colorado. He then moved to Chicago, Illinois and began booking events at the Chicago Coliseum...

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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.