Sport
and Sweet
Vintage games are in vogue,
especially among women
ROLLER DERBY hit its TV peak in
the ’60s, but it’s finding new fans in
women, including those 50 and older.
The sport has grown from fewer than
10 teams in 2004 to more than 500
worldwide; leagues are in big cities
and small towns. Players say the mix
of rough skating and campy costumes
is empowering: “It’s cool there’s an
opportunity that women never had as
girls, to participate in a full-body con-
tact sport,” says Seattle skater Donna
Kay, 54—known as The Hot Flash.
CURLING has long been popular
in Canada and the colder parts of
Europe. But the 2010 Vancouver
Olympics encouraged thousands
of Americans to try curling clinics
across the country. (We also presume
the Fire on Ice calendar, featuring
scantily clad female curlers, helped
spark love for the sport.)
ARM WRESTLING isn’t just for set-
tling bar bets. The Charlottesville
Lady Arm Wrestlers formed in 2008
in Virginia, spurring the start of more
leagues. Women donate proceeds to
nonprofits—and get fierce. Take Molly
Bearden, 59, of Taos, New Mexico. A
dietitian by day, she competes as Flor-
ence NightinHELL. —Audrey Goodson
SCHOOL
OF ROCK
So you became a dentist
instead of a drummer. Or
a baker instead of a bass
player. No problem: You
can still pursue your
dreams. Music teachers
across the country are
reporting a surge in adult
clients; one nationwide
network—takelessons
.com—has seen a 25 percent jump in students 50
and up in the past year.
But class benefits go beyond learning “Stairway
to Heaven.” Studies show
that playing music may
lower your blood pressure and improve your
attitude. Ready to jam?
Find a teacher at a local
studio or via networks
such as takelessons.com
and privatelessons.com.
—Nancy Comiskey
