Sports & Leisure

Tennis Racket

The nation's passion for sports is obvious every day—at NASCAR races, kiddie soccer matches, and countless other contests. From a handball used by Abraham Lincoln to Chris Evert's tennis racket to a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, the roughly 6.000 objects in the Museum's sports collections bear witness to the vital place of sports in the nation's history. Paper sports objects in the collections, such as souvenir programs and baseball cards, number in the hundreds of thousands.

Leisure collections encompass a different range of objects, including camping vehicles and gear, video games, playing cards, sportswear, exercise equipment, and Currier and Ives prints of fishing, hunting, and horseracing. Some 4,000 toys dating from the colonial period to the present are a special strength of the collections.

Topic: Professional

Backpack used by professional skateboarder Leo Baker

White canvas backpack with a black leather bottom and a red embroidered rose on the back. Baker began skating at an early age, winning bronze at the 2006 X-Games at 15. It took 8 years to finally win gold but when they did, it was on their own terms, as a queer skater.
Description (Brief)
White canvas backpack with a black leather bottom and a red embroidered rose on the back. Baker began skating at an early age, winning bronze at the 2006 X-Games at 15. It took 8 years to finally win gold but when they did, it was on their own terms, as a queer skater. Baker went on to win the Street League Skateboarding Super Crown World Championship in 2016 but it was 2017 that proved to be a pivotal year for Baker. Earning a spot on the Nike team, creating the first women’s skate shoe for Nike SB, quitting their day job as a graphic designer and moving to New York City whose ‘melting pot of communities feels like the right fit,’ are just a few changes they made once they dedicated themself, full time, to skate. They are sponsored by Meow Skateboards, a company owned by women, representing women skaters which Baker hopes is a growing entity in the sport.
Baker is also involved with Brian Anderson and his Cave Homo zine which they say, “helped me feel validated and seen for who I am beyond my skateboarding identity. That’s really important for me, because for a long time the industry wanted to shape me in a way that wasn’t me.” Wanting to keeptheir long blonde hair and be ‘more feminine’ were the stereotypes Baker could not represent as a queer skater and while leaving sponsors could be devastating to skaters, they refused to compromise their integrity and it has paid off immensely. Baker relates, “To be unapologetic about my image and who I am and then to have people acknowledge how important that is in the skate industry… I can’t even describe how that feels. To bring together girls who skate, queers who skate… and let those worlds collide. I’m lucky to be here.”
Skate is still working on its acceptance of gay or queer skaters but many of the girls who Baker skates with are queer or gay and her guy friends didn’t care if they were gay, so they felt accepted although their male counterparts deal with a “toxic masculinity” where there is a greater need to be masculine. Their hope for inclusion is contagious, “I would love to just carve out a bigger space for women who skate, and queer people who skate and gender non-conforming people… and just like, really open up that space for people like me, and people that understand what it’s like to experience life this way.”
Location
Currently not on view
user
Baker, Leo
ID Number
2018.0276.04
accession number
2018.0276
catalog number
2018.0276.04

Skatedeck used by professional skateboarder Leo Baker

Lacey (Leo) Baker pro model skate deck through Meow Skateboards. Baker began skating at an early age, winning bronze at the 2006 X-Games at 15. It took 8 years to finally win gold but when they did, it was on their own terms, as a queer skater.
Description (Brief)
Lacey (Leo) Baker pro model skate deck through Meow Skateboards. Baker began skating at an early age, winning bronze at the 2006 X-Games at 15. It took 8 years to finally win gold but when they did, it was on their own terms, as a queer skater. Baker went on to win the Street League Skateboarding Super Crown World Championship in 2016 but it was 2017 that proved to be a pivotal year for Baker. Earning a spot on the Nike team, creating the first women’s skate shoe for Nike SB, quitting their day job as a graphic designer and moving to New York City whose ‘melting pot of communities feels like the right fit,’ are just a few changes they made once they dedicated themself, full time, to skate. They are sponsored by Meow Skateboards, a company owned by women, representing women skaters which Baker hopes is a growing entity in the sport.
Baker is also involved with Brian Anderson and his Cave Homo zine which they say, “helped me feel validated and seen for who I am beyond my skateboarding identity. That’s really important for me, because for a long time the industry wanted to shape me in a way that wasn’t me.” Wanting to keeptheir long blonde hair and be ‘more feminine’ were the stereotypes Baker could not represent as a queer skater and while leaving sponsors could be devastating to skaters, they refused to compromise their integrity and it has paid off immensely. Baker relates, “To be unapologetic about my image and who I am and then to have people acknowledge how important that is in the skate industry… I can’t even describe how that feels. To bring together girls who skate, queers who skate… and let those worlds collide. I’m lucky to be here.”
Skate is still working on its acceptance of gay or queer skaters but many of the girls who Baker skates with are queer or gay and her guy friends didn’t care if they were gay, so they felt accepted although their male counterparts deal with a “toxic masculinity” where there is a greater need to be masculine. Their hope for inclusion is contagious, “I would love to just carve out a bigger space for women who skate, and queer people who skate and gender non-conforming people… and just like, really open up that space for people like me, and people that understand what it’s like to experience life this way.”
Location
Currently not on view
user
Baker, Leo
ID Number
2018.0276.02
accession number
2018.0276
catalog number
2018.0276.02

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.27
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.27

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Barbie doll

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Barbie doll is a blond, caucasian and is dressed in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader outfit and is holding pom poms.
Description (Brief)
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Barbie doll is a blond, caucasian and is dressed in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader outfit and is holding pom poms. Originally designed by Leslie Van Wagoner of the Lester Melnick store in Dallas, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders signature uniform is a carefully guarded trademark. Specifically tailored to fit each individual cheerleader, the signature blouse, vest and shorts were hand made by Leveta Crager until the mid-1990s and are now made by Lisa Dobson.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have been cheering the team on since the Cowboys football team’s inception in 1961 but it wasn’t until 1972 that the iconic uniforms were created. With the distinctive uniforms and specialized dance moves, the cheerleaders soon became icons of popular culture producing the first poster to feature cheerleaders in 1977 and appearing in three television shows that same year. They began their international activities in 1978 when the NFL wanted to promote American football abroad and they chose the cheerleaders as their ambassadors. Their show group travels the world demonstrating their Texas spirit and pride in their football team and their country.
A decidedly American invention, cheerleading has its origins in sports and education. Beginning as early as 1877, fans organized cheers in the stands at Princeton football games but it was not until the 1930s when Gussie Nell Davis, a physical education teacher at Greenville High in Texas, saw the need to involve girls in physical activity. Participation in organized sports was not readily available to girls at this time - the Flaming Flashes and later, the Kilgore Rangerettes of Kilgore College in Texas, both organized by Davis, provided a sense of unity and empowerment through athleticism. Until Title IX, cheerleading was among the few sports available at the high school and collegiate levels that provided opportunities for women.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2017.0042.11
accession number
2017.0042
catalog number
2017.0042.11

Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger pattern bat for McGee

date made
1921 - 1929
maker
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
ID Number
2016.0369.01
accession number
2016.0369
catalog number
2016.0369.01

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.13
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.13

Goggles worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games

Goggles worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games. Mike Schultz is an extreme sports athlete who in 2008, was involved in a snowmobiling accident which fractured his knee and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg above the knee.
Description (Brief)
Goggles worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games. Mike Schultz is an extreme sports athlete who in 2008, was involved in a snowmobiling accident which fractured his knee and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg above the knee. Schultz soon developed a special prosthetic that allowed him to continue to participate in extreme sports. The Moto Knee was designed and developed by Schultz in 2009 and a year later he had founded the company BioDapt, Inc. which specializes in producing high impact adaptive sports prosthetics. In 2013 the Versa foot was developed and named one of the ten best inventions of that year. Schultz continues to compete as a three-sport X Games athlete with the most adaptive gold medals in XG history; he has 6 between Moto X Racing Adaptive and SnoCross Adaptive. Schultz competed in his first Paralympic Games in 2018 earning a gold medal in snowboard cross and a silver in banked slalom. He also won the ESPY award for best male athlete with a disability.
user
Schultz, Mike
ID Number
2016.0060.04
accession number
2016.0060
catalog number
2016.0060.04

Hard Knocks: Rolling with the Derby Girls

Autographed copy of "Hard Knocks: Rolling with the Derby Girls" by Shelley Calton. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions name.
Description (Brief)
Autographed copy of "Hard Knocks: Rolling with the Derby Girls" by Shelley Calton. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3108.09
nonaccession number
2016.3108
catalog number
2016.3108.09

Jay Adams Model Z-Flex skateboard autographed by Jay Adams

Jay Adams model, Z-Flex skateboard deck made of green fiberglass with red and dark green swirls in the fiberglass throughout, a small kicktail and is signed by Jay Adams.
Description (Brief)
Jay Adams model, Z-Flex skateboard deck made of green fiberglass with red and dark green swirls in the fiberglass throughout, a small kicktail and is signed by Jay Adams. Adams (1961-2014) began his career as a surfer on the Zephyr surf team which was based out of Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions, created by Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk. In 1975, the second wave of skateboarding was well under way and when the Z-Boys heard about the Bahne-Cadillac Del Mar Nationals skateboard contest, they switched to skating. Adams brought the fluid and assertive moves of a surfer to the sport of skateboarding and became one of the original innovators of the sport. The Z-Boys became known for their aggressive style of skating which contrasted wildly from the freestyle moves of the 1960s skate scene. It helped that the new urethane wheels made skating smoother and the California drought emptied swimming pools across southern California. Adam’s and the Z-Boys spent the better part of two years ‘breaking in’ to people’s yards and skating their empty pools which the state of California had mandated to by empty due to the severe drought of the mid-1970s. Adam’s was one of the true pioneers of “pool” skating which would usher in a new generation of vert skaters.
The history of Z-Flex Skateboards also begins with Jay Adams and the Z-Boys of Dogtown. Once the Z-Boys were firmly established in the skateboarding scene the Zephyr owners approached Adam’s stepdad, Kent Sherwood to produce a new kind of skateboard. Sherwood worked with fiberglass in Dave Sweet’s Surf Shop and was more than willing to take on the challenge. After six months, problems arose and Sherwood took Adam’s and a few of the other Z-Boys and founded EZ-Ryder Skateboards. Within six months the name was change to Z-Flex and the company has been an innovator ever since. They were the first to use a concave on the board’s topside and developed a smoother type of wheel which most of the modern wheels of today are based.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970s
1975
ID Number
2014.0022.02
accession number
2014.0022
catalog number
2014.0022.02

Black American Racers Association membership t-shirt

Black American Racers Association membership t-shirt was issued to thousands of BARA members across America. The logo was designed as an embroidered patch for members too.
Description (Brief)
Black American Racers Association membership t-shirt was issued to thousands of BARA members across America. The logo was designed as an embroidered patch for members too. BARA was the support group and a national networking association for the Black American Racers Formula Super Vee and Formula 5000 endeavors on the race track and other African American auto racing campaigns in various classes throughout America.
In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1975
user
Miller, Leonard W.
ID Number
2016.0359.19
accession number
2016.0359
catalog number
2016.0359.19

Laura Thornhill model skateboard used by Laura Thornhill

The wooden skateboard shown here is a Logan Earth Ski, Laura Thornhill model from the 1970s and is autographed by Laura Thornhill. Thornhill used this board during her career as a freestyle skater in the mid to late 1970s.
Description (Brief)
The wooden skateboard shown here is a Logan Earth Ski, Laura Thornhill model from the 1970s and is autographed by Laura Thornhill. Thornhill used this board during her career as a freestyle skater in the mid to late 1970s. Thornhill began competing at age 13 and won or placed in nearly every women’s competition organized and sometimes even competed against and beat the boys during the 1970s. She became a member of the Logan Earth Ski team in 1975 and began a run of “firsts”; she was the first female skater to get her own signature model skateboard, the first female to have a “Who’s Hot” in the newly revived Skateboarder Magazine, the first female interview and the first female centerfold in Skateboarder Magazine. Thornhill continued to compete but also traveled around the country doing demonstrations, television sports specials, film and stunt work. After an injury in 1979, Thornhill retired from skating but continues to be active in the sport having been inducted into the Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2013.
date made
1970s
user
Caswell, Laura Thornhill
ID Number
2013.0162.01
accession number
2013.0162
catalog number
2013.0162.01

2001 Iditarod poster

This is the official poster for the 2001 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog cu
Description (Brief)
This is the official poster for the 2001 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2001
artist
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.24
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.25

Bat used by Hank Aaron in the 1957 All-Star Game

This bat was used by Hank Aaron in the 1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held at Busch Stadium in St.
Description
This bat was used by Hank Aaron in the 1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (b.1934) first began playing professional baseball as a teenage shortstop for the Negro League's Indianapolis Clowns.
Aaron joined Major League Baseball in 1952, signing a contract with the National League's Milwaukee Braves. Aaron played right-field for the Braves for almost the entirety of major league tenure, following the club in its move to Atlanta in 1966. In 1975 he returned to Milwaukee as a member of the city's new team, the Brewers, for his final season.
On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his record setting 715th home run, besting the mark set by Babe Ruth, who last set the record in 1935. Finishing his career with 755, "The Hammer" was baseball's home run king until 2007, when he was overtaken by Barry Bonds.
Aaron's on-field exploits fill baseball's record books. Finishing his career with a .305 batting average, the 25 time all-star still holds records for most total bases (6,856) and RBI (2,297.) Besides being second in all-time home runs, Aaron is currently third all-time in hits (3,771) and in games played (3,298.)
Aaron dealt with racism throughout his career. As he neared Ruth's mark, he received thousands of letters daily, much of it hate mail, including threats to his life. In 1976, Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by an African American. Inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, Aaron was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 2002.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1957
user
Aaron, Hank
maker
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
ID Number
2017.0084.06
model number
A93
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.06

Patti McGee skate deck commemorating her 2010 induction into the Skateboard Hall of Fame

Wooden laminated skateboard deck with a black and white photo montage of the first Betty of skate, Patti McGee, skateboarding and making public appearances and a large image of Patti's Life Magazine cover are reproduced on both sides of the deck.
Description (Brief)
Wooden laminated skateboard deck with a black and white photo montage of the first Betty of skate, Patti McGee, skateboarding and making public appearances and a large image of Patti's Life Magazine cover are reproduced on both sides of the deck. This deck was created to commemorate McGee's 2010 induction into the Skateboard Hall of Fame. In 1964, Patti became the first female to win the National Skateboard Championships and achieved another first in 1965 as she became the first female pro skateboarder. Patti went on to appear on the television show “What’s My Line” and “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson after being featured on the cover of Life magazine in May of 1965. She was also the only woman to be featured on a skateboard magazine cover when she appeared on the May 1965 issue of Skateboarder Magazine. Patti was a worldwide ambassador for the skateboarding world in the 1960s and continues in that role today with her induction into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, the first female to hold that honor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2010
depicted
McGee, Patti Villa
ID Number
2013.0130.02
accession number
2013.0130
catalog number
2013.0130.02

The John Curry Skating Company program, 1983

Color program from the 1983 John Curry Skating Company.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Color program from the 1983 John Curry Skating Company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1983
ID Number
2017.3021.098
nonaccession number
2017.3021
catalog number
2017.3021.098

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.31
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.31

St. Louis Cardinals Jersey, worn by Ozzie Smith

Osborne Ozzie Smith (b. 1954) played shortstop in the Major Leagues for the San Diego Padres (1978-1981,) before joining the St.
Description
Osborne Ozzie Smith (b. 1954) played shortstop in the Major Leagues for the San Diego Padres (1978-1981,) before joining the St. Louis Cardinals (1982-1996.) Beloved player by fans who delighted in his exuberance, Smith was a rarity who attained stardom primarily due to his defensive abilities.
One of the best fielding shortstops in history, Smith's amazing glove work led him to be known as The Wizard of Oz. Setting Major League records for assists and double plays at his position, the reliable Smith earned 13 gold glove recognitions and made 15 National League All Star Teams.
With Smith anchoring the infield, the Cardinals reached the World Series three times, winning in 1982. After retirement Smith has remained active in baseball and had been a television host, author and entrepreneur. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986
user
Smith, Ozzie
maker
Rawlings
ID Number
2017.0084.09
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.09

The Leonhard Seppala Award for Humanitarian Treatment of Dogs during the 2012 Iditarod

This is the Leonhard Seppala Award for Humanitarian Treatment of Dogs awarded to Dee Dee Jonrowe after the 2012 Iditarod Sled Dog race.
Description (Brief)
This is the Leonhard Seppala Award for Humanitarian Treatment of Dogs awarded to Dee Dee Jonrowe after the 2012 Iditarod Sled Dog race. This award is given by the race veterinarians, to the musher who takes the best care of their dog team during the Iditarod race and is highly prized by the mushers. Seppala was the celebrated musher, who, with his sled team and lead dog Togo ran the longest leg of the famed Serum Run from Nenana to Nome. In 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria hit Nome and although air travel was becoming more widespread in the Alaskan wilderness, the only plane available at the time had a frozen engine and was unable to fly. The Alaska Railroad was used to bring the needed anti-diphtheria serum north from Anchorage to Nenana; it traveled the last 700 miles to Nome through a chain of twenty sled dog teams in just over five days. Seppala ran the longest and most treacherous leg of the run although most remember the musher to finish the serum run, Gunnar Kassen with the most famous sled dog of all time, Balto.
DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978. She ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and consistently finishes in the top 10 or 20, winning both the Copper Basin 300 and Klondike 300 races. She is most proud of the awards she has won for dog care including the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award given by the veterinarians of the Iditarod for the musher who has provided the best care and treatment to their dogs. She is the founder of M.U.S.H. with Pride, an organization that assists with training kennel owners on the fair treatment of dogs. Her public battle with breast cancer in 2002 has cast Jonrowe as the inspirational role model for many and in 2003 she became an honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Jonrowe lost her home and kennel in 2015 during the Sockeye Wildfire but managed to save all of her dogs and is currently rebuilding.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
depicted
Jonrowe, DeeDee
ID Number
2013.0054.02.2
accession number
2013.0054
catalog number
2013.0054.02.2

Ticket for the Dust Devil National Flat Track Derby Tournament, 2006

Ticket for the Dust Devil National Flat Track Derby Tournament is green and dated February 26, 2006. This was the first WFTDA Tournament. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name.
Description (Brief)
Ticket for the Dust Devil National Flat Track Derby Tournament is green and dated February 26, 2006. This was the first WFTDA Tournament. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.0189.04
accession number
2016.0189
catalog number
2016.0189.04

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.09
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.09

Baseball card album from the Cuban Leagues, 1945

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945-1946
ID Number
2016.0369.04
accession number
2016.0369
catalog number
2016.0369.04

Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard

Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard. The top graphic is a yellow and black sunflower with a green stem. "Shannon Dunn [/] Sims," is printed stylistically in yellow above and below the sunflower.
Description (Brief)
Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard. The top graphic is a yellow and black sunflower with a green stem. "Shannon Dunn [/] Sims," is printed stylistically in yellow above and below the sunflower. Dunn drew this graphic which was to be the first snowboard made with input from a woman snowboarder. Male industry leaders were skeptical that there would be a market for a femaled based board although it the most popular selling model on 1994.
Shannon Dunn (Downing) began snowboarding in 1988 at age 16, in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado when the sport was just gaining traction on an international level. In 1985, snowboarding became more relevant as a competitive sport with the arrival of sport specific magazines and videos, the introduction of international snowboard competitions and the acceptance of snowboarding in more resorts throughout the United States. By the late 1980s, women were beginning to enter contests hoping to spark a desire in younger girls to participate. Dunn began competing a year after she started snowboarding and took first in the 1989 Halfpipe Rocky Mountain Amateur Series and second place overall. By 1990 she was competing in the pro circuit and won third in the 1990 Body Glove Snowbout. From 1991 through 1997, Dunn was a consistent first place finisher at the pro contests and won gold in halfpipe at the first ever Winter X Games in 1997. She went on to earn a spot on the inaugural Olympic snowboarding team and became the first American athlete to medal in snowboarding winning the Bronze medal in half pipe at Nagano. Dunn continued her domination of the medal stand on the pro circuit until the 2002 Salt Lake City games where she came in fifth as American Kelly Clark to gold. After the 2002 Games Dunn retired in order to concentrate on her family. Dunn co-founded “Boarding for Breast Cancer” in 1996 and continues her philanthropic work.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
maker
Downing, Shannon
ID Number
2021.0071.07.2
accession number
2021.0071
catalog number
2021.0071.07.2

Jersey worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games

Jersey worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games. Mike Schultz is an extreme sports athlete who in 2008, was involved in a snowmobiling accident which fractured his knee and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg above the knee.
Description (Brief)
Jersey worn by Mike Schultz in the MotoCross event at the Adaptive X-Games. Mike Schultz is an extreme sports athlete who in 2008, was involved in a snowmobiling accident which fractured his knee and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg above the knee. Schultz soon developed a special prosthetic that allowed him to continue to participate in extreme sports. The Moto Knee was designed and developed by Schultz in 2009 and a year later he had founded the company BioDapt, Inc. which specializes in producing high impact adaptive sports prosthetics. In 2013 the Versa foot was developed and named one of the ten best inventions of that year. Schultz continues to compete as a three-sport X Games athlete with the most adaptive gold medals in XG history; he has 6 between Moto X Racing Adaptive and SnoCross Adaptive. Schultz competed in his first Paralympic Games in 2018 earning a gold medal in snowboard cross and a silver in banked slalom. He also won the ESPY award for best male athlete with a disability.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Schultz, Mike
ID Number
2016.0060.06
accession number
2016.0060
catalog number
2016.0060.06

Magazine proof featuring Jaime Reyes, professional skater for Rookie Skateboards

Magazine proof featuring Jaime Reyes, professional skater for Rookie Skateboards. Reyes is one of the pioneering women of 90s street skating and only one of three women ever to appear on the cover of Thrasher magazine.
Description (Brief)
Magazine proof featuring Jaime Reyes, professional skater for Rookie Skateboards. Reyes is one of the pioneering women of 90s street skating and only one of three women ever to appear on the cover of Thrasher magazine. She grew up in Hawaii skating A’Ala Park, an old roller derby rink before skateboarders showed up. Skating in the X-Games in the mid-90s she was one of three women competitors earning only a portion of what the male skaters were taking home. She turned pro in 1993 skating for Real but moved to New York City and began skating for Rookie Skateboards in the late 90s. Reyes has had her own shoe line and many different sponsors over the years but after 9/11, skating in New York City was suffering and Reyes lost many of her sponsors. She quit skating in 2009 after her father passed away although she has picked it back up in the last few years and is skating everyday.
Rookie skateboards, a company owned and operated by women was founded in New York City in 1996 by Jung Kwan, Elska Sandor and Catherine Lyons supplying skate gear and fashion specifically to women. The entrepreneurial skaters were tired of wearing clothes designed for women by men. Sandor explained, ''All the designs made for girls were being made by guys, so you either end up with something that was either porn or really cutesy.'' Skirts, form fitted pants and comfortable shirts became Rookies signature look along with the ‘no pink’ mantra. Rookie was often heralded for having both their boards and apparel manufactured in the United States but after 911 they struggled, due to their close proximity to ground zero, and began manufacturing their goods in Canada. Catering to street skaters in their urban New York City setting, Rookie sponsored some of the best pro street skaters of the era - Sean Kelling, Tino Razo and Jamie Reyes to name a few. No longer in business, Rookie left their mark on the NYC skate scene and continue to influence the skate market which has fostered its relationship with the growing number of female skaters.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
ID Number
2018.0271.15
accession number
2018.0271
catalog number
2018.0271.15

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