Bringing Back the 90s'

Quimora Grant, staff writer

I am setting out on a mission to help today’s youth rediscover the sport that ruled the sidewalks of the 90s. Over the course of a week, I’ll be teaching an eager pupil the lost art of rollerblading in hopes that they love the sport as much as I (and millions of Americans 30 years ago) do. The first inline skate was patented in 1863 by a French Inventor with the surname Petitbled. Quad skating, rollerblading’s predecessor, was the first to experience a boom in popularity. During that time, however, American manufacturers were exploring new designs for the inline skate, making innovative improvements to the design that led to its surge in popularity. Inline skating boomed in popularity in the 1980s and reached its peak in the late 1990s with nearly 35 million skaters across the nation. 

The first step of learning how to rollerblade is losing the fear of falling. Most may prefer to find a way around it, but it's a lesson best learned through scraped knees and sore tail-bones. So, today, I’ll be putting Chris, our beginner rollerblader’s balance to the test. 

I had Alex helping me support Chris on his wobbly first glides in the courtyard. While standing up was easy, taking off proved to be a challenge.

I tell him you need to start with your feet in a V shape, and then begin shifting your weight to each foot while leaning forward. 

  Not as easy as it sounds! Apparently, coordination is not something that comes naturally to everyone.

Chris ended up making a few loops around the courtyard. After making more strides, his wobbliness started to fade, and confidence peeked through the initial nervousness. 

While I didn’t exactly turn Chris into a master blader, I think I’ve set him up with the skills to become one. I wanted to get a feel for how well my lessons helped.

To what extent do you feel like you’ve mastered the art of rollerblading? 

“I feel like for my first ever time rollerblading, I’ve made alot of progress.”

Are you still afraid to fall?

“Falling is apart of the learning curve. I’ve come to expect it!”

Will you continue to rollerblade in the future?

“Of course! I WILL BECOME THE ULTIMATE ROLLERBLADER! ”