Video gets going around the 4 minute mark…
Rollerblading is not dead just deep underground. Bearly Dead looks at the rise and fall for the fasting growing action sport of all time.
Rollerblading Facts
- 18th Century: The first “rollerblade” was invented.
- 1991: Rollerblading becomes a $200 million industry.
- 1997: 29.1 million rollerbladers.
- Senate, a rollerblading company, sold 750,000 T-shirts in one year during the late 90′s
- “We are the skateboarders of 20 years ago.” Arlo Eisenberg
Rollerblading was originally known as aggressive inline skating. This documentary[4], contains a short history of the inline skate, the rollerskate and the skateboard. It also covers the use of the inline skate as a training tool and the boom of companies like Senate. For the rest the documentary is a compilation of a lot of skating footage and chronicles skating from the time it became popular in the nineties to around 2005. Rollerblading had a tremendous impact as a result of the exposure of the X games. The sport had to fight for a place between BMX (which was dwindling at that time) and skateboarding. The popularity of rollerblading dwindled after that, the documentary tries to explain why. Critics will say that the documentary is more like a rock video promoting inline skating. The video contains many shots of professional skaters doing what they are best at. The documentary also contains old footage and TV broadcasts. There is also mention of the IMYTA (I match your trick association), an informal competition among skaters.
Because rollerblading has now, more or less, gone underground, it no longer appears alive, hence the title “Barely Dead”.
There have been a number of “skate documentaries”, Black Market being one of them. Before that there were “Hoax” and “Hoax 2″. The skaters that made these “documentaries” claim that they were actually performing professionally, while claiming that they were making a documentary. Hence the name hoax. And because the first video was successful, another was made: Hoax
its coming back, look up powerblading on youtube, its a new type of rollerblade that allows for easier grinds. some of the stuff is sick
i used to pretend i hated rollerblading but secretly i was pretty damn good at it.
Powerblading doesn’t allowed for easier grinds, it’s the exact opposite. Powerblading is putting regular recreational frames (huge wheels, NO space for grinding) on an aggressive boot.
please disregard this post as it it totally false. “a person” is not informed enough to comment on this topic that is obvious.
I’m confused…is this a documentary on the LGBT rights movement?
You’re trying to knock rollerblading by comparing it to gay rights… that’s incredibly insensitive and homophobic. Join us in 2013, please. Thanks.
Dude I blade, and skateboard, and that’s a good one…generic as all hell, but well placed…
still as gay as when people forgot about it
Fruitbooters
I still have my old ROCES. That shit was cray.
Majestic 12
People will always hate on things they cant do.
rollerblading!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32t-LyBrd34
I still have my rollerblades.
damn mad props for real
keep in mind this is from 2006. heres some 2012 blading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izNZj5OFMN0
damn, I didnt know where the evolution of skates was at. those things look more comfy then my old aggressive inlines
WOW total badasses for sticking with it when no one thought it was cool.
This whole video is a good reason why “Aggressive inline rollerbladers” get hated on. It’s laboriously defensive, and focuses on trying to legitimize itself through comparison.
It’ll be hard to delete the feminine ‘fruitboot’ image when compared to BMX and skateboarding because rollerblading looks a lot like dancing. Sway your hips back-n-forth, do some spins, stand on your tippy toe wheels, cross your legs as your sliding/grinding/stalling, and grab your skate/ankle.
This video is not a full representation of blading, and the sentiment is quite dated, so don’t get it twisted. I think you would find yourself quite in tune with the modern sentiments shared in the sport. The only reason you know the word fruitboot, is because skateboarding’s campaign to dethrone blading as it’s main competition was successful. You seem like a bright dude, do the math.
Comeon…Lets compare apples to apples. Rollerbladings real main competition was rollerskating, which it blew away hands down, no contest.
Oh, wait…skateboardings main competition. Um, drugs?
You can’t really consider something defensive when it doesn’t even match the offensive.
This doesn’t even make sense.
If 1000 soldiers are shooting at 50 soldiers, and the 50 shoot back it’s not defensive?
You are saying dance is only for girls? Cause you are extremely mistaken.
I was going to say that this comment doesn’t make sense, but it kinda does.
Of course dancing isn’t for girls. But this is a stereotype that exists in America , and to understand you have to look at American culture which has a very masculine overtone. Cowboys, Trucks and God (and god don’t like no queers, ya hear!). I didn’t make this happen, it’s just part of the underlying obstacles for rollerbladers. To blame this on squarely on skateboarding and ignore the larger undercurrent of prejudice in American culture is “Fucking Dumb”.
Europe and other countries don’t have this in their culture, which is why dance music, and of course rollerblading, is more accepted and the culture thrives more.
sounds like your trying to back yourself up for skateboarding
Another comment that doesn’t make sense.
The original comment compare rollerblading to it’s 2 main rivals in “extreme sports”. At no time does the commenter allude to even being into either of them.
your view of the sport is completely misguided, uninformed, and childish. skateboarding was once thought to be a dead stupid child sport. you guys were treated with the same disrespect and hatred that you dish out to rollerbladers today; and if theres one thing I learned from the sport of skating and rolling is that what doesnt kill you makes you stronger
I was going to formulate a reasonable response here, but I believe Craig’s cognitive dissonance here may be too great.
Another defensive (count them…5) comment trying to undermine that there is some legitimacy to the original comment.
Not really anything misguided, uninformed, or childish about the original comment, but if it makes you feel like you’re winning to say so… well, okay.
try bailing and having wheels stuck to your feet. One of the most hardcore sports there has ever been.
“the skateboarders of 20 years ago?” come the F on. Skating was too hard and you went the easier route. Just like stand up paddlers.
I would like to see you stand up skates and drop into a mini, then tell me it’s easier. FACT: Rollerblading’s immense growth 20 years ago was the MAIN REASON the X-Games were created. That is documented, go ask your boys at ESPN.
Yeah, Laird, that guy sucks.
The hardest thing about rollerblading..
.. telling your parents that you are gay.
And, coming up with a original joke, apparently…
The hardest thing about being Gay..
..telling your parents you rollerblade.
Hahahahshshs I can understand where the hate on bladers comes from, it looks weird to some. I feel the same about skiing, I mean with the gay guy poles. Your the fruitbooters in the snow world to me. Snowboardings dope its got style, skiers just look Fucking stupid when grinding to me personally. Bit what it all comes down to, as long as you put in work in your sport weather its socially accepted or not that will mad respect weather its wanted or not.
I am surprised more skiers don’t blade in the summer. seems to be a similar activity. based on technical style.
Absolute best off-season sport for skiing. I downhill blade whenever I’m not skiing. Would love to join any of you skater haters for a 50+mph DH run sometime to see if I might earn a little respect for the sport!
Boarding is for people who can’t be bothered to learn how to ski. Lazy asses. There’s a reason boarding fashion trends toward slacker douche bag looks, most of the people who practice the sport are such.
Funny cuz i see more skiers infected with pant sag than boarders.
Being a person who has spent most of their life skiing and then transitioned to boarding, I would completely disagree with you. I feel like it was at least twice as hard to learn the basics of boarding than it was learning the basics of skiing. It requires you to move your body in a completely different way.
I will admit this though, I grew up rollerblading, ice skating and water skiing, so I’m sure that’s one reason why I was able to pick up skiing easier. If I grew up surfing and wake boarding, I have a feeling that my muscle memory would have been more geared toward snowboarding.
Listen, if you’re a skier and you’re looking for a new challenge, rent a board sometime and try it out. It is a tough learning curve, but it is fantastic once your brain starts to make those connections. Wear a helmet though, I got a pretty bad concussion the second time out.
From experience, learning to ski is MUCH easier than learning to snowboard. I pretty much picked up skiing immediately, and I imagine that anyone with at least a basic knowledge of ice skating had a similar experience. Learning to snowboard was a much more difficult and painful process, but more enjoyable and rewarding for me personally in the end.
The bottom line here is, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Besides, the animosity between skiers and boarders is petty and childish. Generalizing millions of people “lazy asses” because they prefer to stand on one board instead of two is beyond ridiculous.
We are defensive because so many of you are offensive. For all haters thanks for spreading our name and giving us a social bar so low an idiot could make himself a hero with it. As for popularity, you think Nancy boy Ryan scheckler isn’t? Waaah mommy! I got second place! Or possibly any of the douches at the local high school sitting around calling us fruitbooters but still can’t Ollie up a curb at speed ( yes I rollerblade, skate board, and bmx! None of them are any easier than the other. Also many of you skateboarders apparently have not read your sports own reasoning against inline (thrasher, I think it came out in 95). Or what the games wanted to do to rolling. Don’t forget for the first two years of games, there was no skateboarding! Okay enough is vs. Them. Rollerblading is still around. I’ve met kids that didn’t even know it existed. Granted they don’t remember the ninja turtles on old fish boards yelling “radical” or “cowabunga” as they poorly attempt to not kill themselves in giant suits. Powerblading is a bit of a joke and I feel is an initial attempt to break back into marketing to the public instead of just ourselves. I could say many of the same things about skateboarders as they’ve said about me. Hell I know more gay men and women on some form of skateboard than rollerblades. I try to see it as each sport has something the other could use ( atool, concept, part, or design.) and all of us are fools for fighting instead of advancing.out of energy. Bicker amongst yourselves and understand rollerblading is not going anywhere. Let the bad mouthing begin! *(ding ding)*
I don’t think rollerblading is at all like skiing… the style and the way you move is way more like snowboarding than skiing. Actually, blading is more like snowboarding than skateboarding is.
Are you retarted I have no problem with frootbooters several of my friends are frootbooters but frootbooting is nothing like snowboarding
This is a great film, and it’s cool to see blading on your site. I wish this was a more accurate account of blading’s history & woes, but it is really skewed by the writer and leaves out a massive amount of information. All you guys need to know is that the blading industry may be small, but the products are amazing, and so are the people, style, and energy. For skiers, it’s like second nature after a couple hours on blades, you can deny the similarities but it does not make them any less true. Pity that most skiers prefer to ride a skateboard because it’s “cool”, when everyone knows skateboarders and snowboarders are synonymous. Out here in California, as a skier you get the same amount of love from snowboarders on the hill, as a blader in the skatepark gets from woodpushers (none). Skiing has even adapted board sports terms like “switch” (it’s called fakie, retards) trying to relate so desparately to our boardriding brethren. Call it how it is guys, a spade is a spade. I get shit talked to me about being a blader on the daily. Hint to the haters, it’s not working. Those who can, shred. Those who can’t, sit and talk shit like whiny bitches.
Still not understand the hate that Skateboarder bikers and even skiiers have vs us. Rolling has helped every single one of you out since we came around. Xgames wouldnt be here unless there was rolling. Mainstream “Extreme” Sports wouldnt be around unless there was rolling. I know skateboarding had its huge time before the 90s but not everyone knew about it. Now look at all our sports, Or just the Genre all together. Its huge and growing so much every year.
Skiiers wouldnt have the tricks today unless it came from rolling. ( sorry it is true we invented them). Your sport used to be so hated on tell one day it blew up. People hated on you called you “FAGS” and you could do is just say one day itll be big again. Now that it is big you think you have the right to down other sports. Sorry you dont.
Rolling is here to stay and getting bigger and better each passing day. with people like we have now showing it right and showing everyone on what rolling can do.
Haters gonna hate Trolls going to troll but at the end of the day we are still here standing with your heads held high telling the world you cant knock us down
I remember rollerblading being pretty prevalent in the 1990s among kids and adults (you never caught parents skateboarding around the greenbelt with their kids) so 750,000 shirts doesn’t surprise me. Where are they all now though?
The hardest thing about being a skateboarder? telling your sister you ripped her jeans
It’s weird, I honestly never had any hostility from skateboarders or bikers since I’ve been rolling. Growing up, we all hung out, skated, bladed, biked, all together. Sure there was, ‘fruitbooter! woodpusher!, etc’ good fun riffing but no one seriously ever hassled anyone for being one or the other (maybe once or twice in 15+years) but still, I hear of all this hostility and think, “Damm, I’ve been lucky”.
Oh and also I have seen a resurgence (all be it small) in rolling, at least where I live. I think it’s more or less a lot of older guys (like my self) that re think ‘Why did I stop?’. It’s probably cause we all grew up and got jobs and now we remember what a great outlet rollerblading was when we were younger: a great stress buster. But also a few younger kids. Oh and also What’s that hardest thing about being a skateboarder? telling your little sister you ripped her jeans. (You can use that with rollerbladers & bikers now too. Go ‘head go for it, I don’t care).
Blading is dope, this films dialogue is questionable. Listening to people bitch and moan about the big mean skateboarders who stole our thunder is fucking horrid. It would be rad if more people tried skating but why would they when they could get a hip new deck from Girl and Sanrio! Long story short, skating is fucking dope and we have a really solid culture which enhances individuals lives. Skateboarders hating us for skating isnt offensive, it is pathetic.
I produced this short film which won a contest presented by Olympus cameras. Jadakiss likes rollerblading and that is all that really matters.
http://youtu.be/HHD_Lsu2Tjs
As a blader that watched the dramatic rise, economic fall, and now subsequent incremental increase in popularity of rollerblading, I personally see the iconic hate of any sport as a failure of being taught tolerance and respect. Being shown how to hate is easy. The riders that are great at what they do usually show the greatest esteem for other sports. These people are normally doing what they love. The marketing by companies (those looking to make a buck), and hence, the consumer base is shown how they should feel. Advertised to, to tell them how they should react to a sport that is different than what the company is selling. The big companies, where by the way the money is, are fighting for your cash. The parent’s cash. The child’s allowance. And when your market share is liquid and evolving, that monetary resource could be lost unless it’s being made to be fearful of something that’s different. No one wants to be called names for something they like to do, but that is exactly how the other action sports have countered their participant loss. Through hate. It’s sad to see riders from skate, bike, snowboard, and ski discriminate against each other’s sports.
Blading is still growing, still expanding, still pushing its personal limits. And we survived the onslaught. The rancor that the companies and bandwagon media have espoused among a generation of youth who have become adults that have moved on from their products. Bladers are going into their 30s and still love and engage in rollerblading. They are buying skates with their own funds and are getting their children into blading. And I, I like the fact that the people who are in the scene now love what they do. And that’s the main reason why they skate. There is no money. No fame. No recognition. There is only a small fraction of people who know what that means and how it feels to not care about what other people think of you. Those people make up the scene of rollerblading. Those people are who I’ve grown up with, learned from, and look up to.
So if hating is all you can do, then enjoy your small world. Your adverts. Your low expectations of how a sport community should be. Your feeling of camaraderie. It’s false. You won’t ever know what it’s like to be apart of a culture that always has your back, and has never stopped moving forward. No matter how “underground” we are from the main sport media.
I too have been here since the beginning. I was riding BMX flatland in the late 80′s reading Go magazine when Jess Dyrenforth made the switch. I have 3 children and they all rollerblade. I rip my local park 4 times a week and show the kids whats up with rollerblading. All of the good skateboarders watch to make sure Im not dropping in before they go. Earned respect. Anyone still dissing on rollerblading is just recycling old propaganda from the various other action sports. Chris Haffey (Nitro circus)is the herald of rollerblades return to mainstream awareness. The amplitude of what is being done on rollerblades has surpassed skateboarding regardless of the masses brainwashed perceptions. Rollerblades return is inevitable.
Bumbs me out when I hear people say rollerblading is “easier.” What you are referencing to is 2 things. It is “easier” to jump onto a rail, and to jump period. After those 2 things are learned however that does not mean the progression stops. We don’t all just jump up and lock onto rails or jump over sidewalks. Rollerblading is constantly being pushed with variations of grinds and bigger stunts. Just because those 2 things you mentioned are easier does NOT mean that skateboarding is more difficult. Do you think rollerbladers get sponsored because they can just jump and lock onto something?
The only reason there is so much referencing towards skateboarding is because the skateboard community treated us like shit and pushed us down to where we are now. When individuals who hated our sport were elevated to a status that they had a say as to what went on in the public eye, they let their opinion be known which was a HUGE part of rollerblading being kicked out of the Xgames.
It doesn’t matter WHAT you do, as long as you love what you are doing and are passionate about it, than it deserves respect. Stop hating on individuals just because they scooter, rollerblade, BMX or whatever. And is this a skiing website? I am shocked that we are getting hate from you guys because snowboarders hate the fuck out of you guys! I can’t tell you how many fights between snowboarders and skiers I have seen, so pretty damn hypocritical for you guys to be saying anything when you are subject to the exact same scrutiny.
I think it’s funny that people still hate on skating. I took a leave of absence after shattering my ankle on a bad flip landing. After eleven years I got back into it and people still hate. They use the excuse because it is “easier,” but the real hate comes from those who hate things that are different. People fear change, competition, and anything that can steal their thunder. Get over it. Freestyle Rolling/Aggressive Inline Skating is just as technical and difficult as BMX and Skateboarding, just in its own way. And, people seem to forget that if it wasn’t for Ryan Jacklone, most of the inverts in Freeskiing wouldn’t exist. Rollerblading also helped give way to skiboarding/skiblading (you all can start hating on that too, now), which helped pave the way for Freeskiing/Twin Twips as well as the basis for what snowbikes could be based on.
Get over the hate. We’re all just out doing our thing.
Blading is coming back. In some areas more than others. Like in central virginia, (where I live) its 99% dead. I’ve seen 2 bladers at the skatepark in 4 years. But in places like california or NYC, its growing. Personaly, I say we get rid of powerblading and keep it like it is. Once people start seeing it, like they see skateboarding or BMX, it will grow more. But for right now a sub-culrture is good. BLADE FOR LIFE.
The fact that rollerblading got a lot of stick when it became mainstream is hardly surprising. Whenever you do anything differently they’ll always be those who want to criticize and put you down. I don’t doubt that every sport goes through this to some extent in its early days.
What is more surprising to me is that you still get people hating on rollerblading today. The thing to keep in mind is that this is not a reflection on other sports such as skateboarding or BMXing, it is simply down to immature individuals acting, well, immature.
I’m 27 now and have been rollerblading since I was 13 (off and on). When I first started I was the only rollerblader in my school. Most of my friends were skateboarders. Sure there were those who used to give me stick (fruit booters, bin liners, cheesy blader) but there was always a direct correlation between the people that made fun of rollerblading and their own ability. It was always the crap skateboarders who gave me grief.
I’m actually glad that rollerblading went the direction it did, disappearing from the limelight. As a result the community is stronger than ever, something that I don’t see in a lot of other sports. It’s as if rollerbladers are aware of their need to get behind their sport .
I have the upmost respect for people who actually *try* at their sport. If I see a skateboarder or BMXer do something good then I’ll give them props for it. What I don’t like to see is people just doing something because its the latest craze, but you can normally spot these people a mile off – mostly because they don’t try and spend more time bitching about other sports than actually riding.
As for the comments about snowboarding and skiing, any seasonairre will tell you there is absolutely no beef between the two sports. I’ve just finished by first season (snowboarding for the first half, then switching to skiing because I found it more in tune to rollerblading). I rode every day with snowboarders and skiers. Yet again, the only time you got any beef was from 1 week punters who thought it was cool to hate.
So if you believe in something then do it. If you don’t, then don’t criticize people who do. Haters *are* going to hate and kids are going to be kids. You ‘ll know which category you fit into.
Fruit booters!
I go to school. Get called a froot booter. But who gives a crap. Most people who say things like that cant skateboard or bike for crap anyways and sit on the couch all day and worry about being popular.
WHO CARES
Wah wah wah wah. I really have no negative opinion of rollerbladers. But I hate whiners. And this movie is an hour long + of whining. STFU and just go do what you love to do. No one cares that you aren’t “getting the respect you deserve”.
Really? I cant believe how much crap you guys give each other. I am 54 years old and started on skates that used a key to lock onto my sneakers, We learned on the crummy sidewalks with the cracks and roots growing up thru them. Busted elbows, wrists, banged up knees…heck, my home girl knocked out her front teeth. Try explaining that to someones mom. Finally someone took us to a rollerskating rink…ya know a big oval where ya go one way…round & round. No fun there. We ice skated in winter and roller skated in summer…..man I would not part with my blades,,best of both worlds…I dont grind or jump around on rails. i just love to roll and get away from the world. Stop putting each other down…just love what you do. hey if ya see me skatin’ around the park, try not to run me over.
I’m confused….is this a documentary on the LGBT civil rights movement?
Rollerblading is no joke here in Ft. Lauderdale, it’s making a serious comback but the cops are heavy on the trail. Last month my cousin got a DUI after blading home with his girlfriend from the bars. Not fun.
I’m not into rollerblading for the “fun” but I do keep abreast of the headlines because rollerblading is the single most important topic for reducing global warming. But to get Americans out of their cars we need to have a serious dialogue on the subject so I wrote up a few tips for my friends on how to avoid the snarky comments that “blogs” and other throw at us ro-bladders.
First, be very cool and professional, wear a suit and portray yourself as someone with responsibility. Indicate that you are not a “kid” using “toys” but an adult with a mission to commute from Point A to Point B. Tell them that you were using your skates as one might use a bicycle, something that is recognized in the State of California as having due rights to the road. You are not in the same class as skateboarders, ou travel with and in the same places as bikes, at the same speed and use similar protective gear (I hope). Demonstrate your ability to stop, accelerate and maneuver. Show them who is in the right!
Anyone remember soap shoes?
It sounds like the man wanted skating to be popular.
Absolute best off-season sport for skiing. Especially on 6 wheel frames with really good brakes. I downhill blade whenever I’m not skiing. I compete side by side with boarders at IGSA events, and we all get along fine with great respect for each others’ skills and sport.
I just cleaned out my shop and found my bag signed by B hardin, Arlo, Dave Koolash and a few others. Inside were the love of my life when I was 16 – my beat up old ROCES. I can’t think of more good memories of high school that didn’t include my skates and my boys, hang in out skating and raising hell. It was definitely cool then and it’s just as bad ass now. I’m 30 now and definitely going to put those ROCES on again, but I’ll be a little more careful this time. Thanks for the memories!
I’ve been a rollerblader since pretty much day one.
Started on Bauer FX3s, took out the middle wheels and shifted the frames a few millimeters inwards to create the most minute soul space that, if your reeeeally boned over, just about made it possible to soul a rail. Then Tarmac CEs, and yadda yadda, you know the rest. Anyway, I still roll today. So I’ve seen it all.
Yet, I agree with Socratic Oaf. Rollerblading has been (and this video is a horrible example of it) far too self-pitying and whiny. I read about this video (Barely Dead) and remember the anticipation before seeing it. But even more, I remember cringing nearly all the way through. It’s just far too pompous and earnest and completely lacking in self-awareness.
Beau Cottington is also correct; this is not a full and accurate representation of rolling, especially in 2012. (Still got mad love for the Hoax 2 crew but that’s not the point.)
I come from a town in Scotland called Livingston. You may or may not have heard of it but we have a world-renowned outdoor concrete park built in 1980. A who’s who of skateboarding has come through our park since then. Santa Cruz, Bones Brigade, Osiris Team, DC Team to name but a few. And this has developed as strong a skateboarding culture as you will find anywhere in the world.
So when a few of us strapped on blades back in ’93 and went down there we got dog’s abuse. But we never, ever stopped going back. Over the years, we’ve had parties and punch-ups with the skateboarders. They ragged on us for years. Then one day I remember popping out the ramp and one of the skateboarders banging his board on the coping in appreciation and shouting “That’s how rollerblading should be done!!” Such instances became more frequent and whether it was by getting better at rolling or maybe just by sheer bloody-mindedness and stubbornness, we won their respect and now count our local skateboarders as friends. (We even converted current Creature Skateboards pro rider Stu Graham to blading for a period in the 90s. He’ll deny it but he used to ride K2 Fatty Pros and he was sick as fuck.)
So my point is: Just shut up and get on with skating. Let folk say what they will. “Real recognise real” as the saying goes.
I honestly believe rollerblading is healthier now than it was back then. Fair enough, we’ve been booted out the X-Games but so what? The progress I see is that there are now inline-only sessions at all the best indoor skateparks in Scotland. That would have been unthinkable in the past, even at rollerblading’s so-called peak in the 90s. Furthermore, the standard of rollerblading has increased to a level that demands respect from all but the most bitter and narrow-minded of people. Rollerblading was immature back then and yes, Socratic Oaf, it can look a bit twee (or gay for you homophobes) when not done in a balls-to-the-wall manner. But that was the sport in its infancy. I believe that was largely ironed out by the end of the last decade.
From 2008 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8dU2GDWSyw
For a look at where rollerblading is in Scotland in 2012 have a look at these two clips. The skating is of mixed levels, pros and ams, but this is not a dead or dying scene.
The track on the second vid is Scottish hip-hop which will possibly sound bizarre to your ears but we understand every word. And for you real rollerblading nerds, the rapper is Gasp who was born Brian Adams and who got to the finals of IMYTA Liverpool 2002 (available on youtube) along with Brandon Campbell, Wilfred Rossignol, Richard Taylor (RIP) and Al Hooi before retiring due to knackered knees. Gasp is now a respected UK rap battler and hip-hop artist.
Scottish Pro Chaz Sands at East Kilbride skatepark Dec 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWVcU6ZNrrs
This Is Scotland 2011/2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyYxhCDjkz8
Ive been bladeing for 10 years, been skateboarding for 5 and been snowboarding for 8 years. Iam pretty good at all 3 been hated on by those who ride wood. Till I drop my skates off and hand them thier assess in a game of skate. What iam trying to say is ive dont loom down on my sport till you can best me in it. Because I dont you can. And I know I can hand boarders thier owen assess no sweat. Shut pussies its cooler then soccer
I was an aggressive skater back in the early days and confusingly experienced it’s decline. In retrospect I now recognize that rollerblading was blowing up ma$$ively and it was the biggest threat to the skateboarding/bmx industries (who were actually losing money and interest as a result). It’s not surprising now that blading was being attacked, suppressed, and also booted from the X-Games, because at the rate it’s popularity was growing it would inevitably become the #1 aggressive sport. The old money and older generation of skateboarding and bmx was not just gonna let that happen quietly. I’m confident blading will make it’s comeback in a big way.
i dont see any hate between skateboarders or bmx ers. i met 10 year old kids that rant and hate rollerbladers and think its gay and it reminds me of hiphoppers thinking rockmusic is gay and rockers thinking hiphop is retarded. any way, a common enemy creates patriotism, wich i dont fall for personaly because i am not a republican
i think its sad they took rollerblading off the sports channel events. it could of came different and chris haffey could be toney hawk with a video game and toney hawk could be ranting about how unfair it was that skateboarding got taken off the sports channel. i really dont care what you do. we all need skateparks, rails and gaps and shops to buy our stuff. no one makes compares speed bikers with bmxers and no one compares longboarders to skateboarders, so comparing fitness rollerbladers on the beach of miami with spandex shorts with rollerbladers doing a desaster bio 540 topside switch soul on a handrail is just silly point blank.
i live in frankfurt germany, and the only pair of aggressive skates you can buy is a k2 fatty re-make. and all the sports stores used to sell usd, salomons, roces and razors.
i think the reason why the industry of aggressive rollerblading got small is just because people stopped skating from reaching a sertan level of skillz and to push the skillz further ment braking ribbs on handrails cause 360 hurricane grinds are just tough and just a couple stay to put up the show.
i will end on this: the last rollerblading contest i saw, got franky morales 25 000 dollars for insane rollerblading. a resent skateboard contest got a mexican kid 150 000 dollars for a kickflip to bluntslide 360 shuve it off…
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all i have to say is the white Fifth Element by Roces. best skate ever made.