Inline skating is an aerobic and cardiovascular workout. They are also an amazing sport for off-season hockey and skiing. You can refer to inline skating as any activity that involves the use of inline skates and it is often called rollerblading. Inline skating has always been a popular sport that people enjoy partaking in and watching. But this entertaining and thrilling sport is also a major exercise routine that can burn as many calories as cycling or running; it is also a dangerous sport that has been tagged as being responsible for the injuries of over 61,000 cause in the USA alone.
These injuries included fractures, sprains and head injuries. While injuries in extreme sports are to be expected from time to time, most of the injuries were as a result of the bulkiness of the sport. This was because people used heavy inline skates and don’t get the necessary flexibility to do tricks. Authorities advised that people should wear protective gear, wrist guards, elbow pads, and helmets and work within their skill level. This was helpful to an extent except that the gear on the bulky boots don’t feel light enough and people always wanted to try new tricks and improve on their current level.
The Slow End Of Inline Skating
Between the year 1996 – 1998 inline skating became a very popular sport, quite coincidentally at the same period young folks were grinding with Soap sneakers. There were so many more bladers compared to skateboarders and snowboarders. Inline skating was so popular it had four major events in the X-games. An inline world cup along with three other sports.
However, in the early 2000s, aggressive inline skating started to drop in popularity, apart from the fact that they were very similar to skateboarding, rollerbladering as a sport didn’t progress creatively as much as other sports. So the fans felt like they were seeing the same thing four different times a year. After a while, the X-games halved its events, and between 2000 and 2010 the numbers of professional rollerbladers dropped by over 64%, even hockey games that involved roller blades were no exception as they dropped by more than 65% too.
What Happened To Inline Skating
Just like Soap shoes, people started to see aggressive skates as uncool, dangerous, and part of the 90s. The lack of big-screen coverage also affected the sport. The bulkiness of the game and resistance to being flexible with the new generation also affected its popularity.
Is Inline Skating Back?
If inline skating were an animal, I would describe it as a cat. This is because the sport has more than one life. Everyone expected the sports to fade away with the memories of the 90s and only pop up when we had conversations about Bobby Brown music or music of the Backstreet Boys, and I don’t mean “I want it that way”. This was a sport that was so popular in the 90s that it had more events in the X-games than any other sport. The next thing you know, it lost over 60% of its relevance.
But like the popular saying “it’s hard to kill greatness” the inline sport has been gaining its old popularity back. Currently, with events like FASU, motor town Classic, and the On a Roll, the inline sports are starting to look promising. Also, with the styles of the 90s and 80s resurfacing, we might just be seeing a new inline sporting trend again among the young folks. But what is really amazing is the invention of Skidz Grindplates, a shoe accessory that has redefined rollerblading to a more friendly and flexible sport.
The Introduction of Skidz Grindplates to the world of Inline Skating
They don’t call inline skating ‘aggressive’ for nothing. The aggressive inline skating involves a lot of grinding and jumping, and most times it’s normal to expect some injuries. Aggressive inline skating is less inclusive as not everyone could afford to join the game. However, the invention of the Skidz Grindplates has changed all that, and it is also timely with the rebirth of the sport of inline skating.
Unlike the world famous Soap Sneakers used in the 90s that are using for grinding, Skidz Grindplates are not shoes but are shoe accessories that make it possible for anyone to practice their grinds, appealing to a wider range of people and giving people a taste of inline sports. Skidz Grindplates were just the innovation inline sports needed to get back and better because it is more affordable, light, and safer than special grind shoes, ensuring that injuries from the sport is reduced significantly.
In the 90s, people described the inline sport as a game that lacked flexibility and culture because the game shared similarities with the skateboarding event. However, with Skidz Grindplates, the inline game can boast of its own culture and appeal to more people.
