The Fastest Woman on Earth Screens Free Friday in Lead
The Homestake Opera House will show The Fastest Woman on Earth, the seven-year documentary following the Black Hills native’s pursuit of the women’s land-speed record.
Motorcycle parking will be set aside directly in front of the Historic Homestake Opera House Friday night when the Jessi Combs Foundation brings The Fastest Woman on Earth to Lead for a free public screening.
The film begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Admission is free and the organizers say all are welcome, but advance registration is required so the theater can plan for seating.
The screening brings Combs’ story back to the Black Hills almost exactly seven years after her final land-speed run. Combs died on Aug. 27, 2019, while attempting to break the women’s land-speed record in Oregon’s Alvord Desert. Guinness World Records later recognized her speed of 522.783 mph, breaking a record set by stuntwoman Kitty O’Neil in 1976.
A Black Hills racer, fabricator and television host
Combs was born in Rockerville, moved to Piedmont as a young child and graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City in 1998.
She graduated from WyoTech in 2004 after studying collision and refinishing, street-rod fabrication, custom fabrication and high-performance powertrains. Her ability to build and work on vehicles led to a television career that included Overhaulin’, Xtreme 4×4, MythBusters and All Girls Garage.
Combs also raced in the Baja 1000, King of the Hammers and the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. In 2017, she became the first woman selected as grand marshal of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Her pursuit of land-speed records began with the North American Eagle, a jet-powered vehicle built from a repurposed fighter jet. In 2013, Combs drove it to an official speed of 398 mph, earning recognition as the fastest woman on four wheels.
The larger goal was the women’s overall land-speed record.
Seven years inside the record attempt
Directed by Chris Otwell and Graham Suorsa, The Fastest Woman on Earth began filming in 2013. The filmmakers stayed with Combs and the North American Eagle team through years of testing, setbacks and attempts at the record.
The 104-minute documentary follows the technical demands of operating the jet-powered vehicle as well as the physical and personal costs of the pursuit. It continues through the 2019 attempt that claimed Combs’ life and ultimately secured the record she had been chasing.
The film was released on HBO Max in October 2022. Suorsa, who became embedded with the racing crew while making the film, is also a co-founder and board chairman of the Jessi Combs Foundation.
Continuing her work in the skilled trades
The Jessi Combs Foundation was founded in 2019 to support women pursuing careers in skilled trades. Its scholarship recipients have studied welding, diesel technology, automotive restoration, collision repair, motorcycle maintenance, aviation maintenance, construction and engineering.
The foundation currently reports that it has awarded more than $250,000 to more than 64 scholarship recipients over six years.
Jessi Combs bandanas will be available for purchase at Friday’s screening. Proceeds will go to the foundation and its work supporting women entering the trades.
The screening also coincides with Babes Ride Out x Deadwood, a women’s motorcycle gathering taking place Aug. 27 through 30 and based in Lead. Babes Ride Out participants can add free transportation to and from the Homestake Opera House. The movie screening remains open to the general public, whether attendees ride motorcycles or not.
The Historic Homestake Opera House is located at 313 W. Main St. in Lead. The film begins at 7 p.m., and free seats must be reserved in advance.
At 7 p.m. Friday, seven years of footage will fill the Homestake screen in the same Black Hills where Combs grew up.
Know Before You Go
What: Free screening of The Fastest Woman on Earth
When: Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
Where: Historic Homestake Opera House, 313 W. Main St., Lead
Admission: Free, but advance registration is required
Runtime: Approximately 104 minutes
Parking: Motorcycle parking will be available directly in front of the theater
Babes Ride Out: Participants can add free transportation to and from the theater
Fundraiser: Jessi Combs bandanas will be available, with proceeds supporting the Jessi Combs Foundation’s skilled-trades scholarships