What caused the huge decline in rollerblading?

Kids realized it was very similar to exercise.

What is the hardest thing about rollerblading?

Telling your parents you're gay

lol.

You Millennialls don't know how big bladin' was back in the 90s!

Rollerblading is illegal in all parks near to where I live.

I wish it weren't so taboo, because it's actually a fun, productive way to exercise.

All of the roller blade douchebags took up running and immediately began posting on LetsRun.

Diet Dew, King of Pop wrote:

?

There were several factors responsible for the decline of rollerblading. One was that too many manufacturers entered the market place with their own skates. The quality of their assembly widely varied. Also people did not necessarily feel comfortable with a single brake on the rollerblade versus having brakes on both feet on quad skates. People broke wrists rollerblading due to not being able to stop. If you came to a downhill grade, you were taking your life in your hands on rollerblades. Third, while indoor roller blade hockey was popular in the 1990s, it was challenging to try to get up off the ground on them when knocked over during play. Many of those people who once played indoor roller hockey migrated towards lacrosse.

During my run yesterday I saw a woman rollerblading. I was shocked. They are so rare now.

This is probably the best rollerblader of all time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw7HU4V61fw

Here is another masterful performance of his:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I53c2Jbpkuk

I have to admit that I was an avid rollerblader until the middle of the last decade. At that time I was able to rollerblade 25 miles or so and figured "heck if I can do that I can run a marathon".

I switched and never looked back. I still have my rollerblades in a bag in the closet but I haven't taken them out in years. There's just too many little contingencies necessary for rollerblading. You have to have perfectly smooth pavement, you have to have almost flat topography and also relatively few points where you have to stop. In contrast, running gives you much greater flexibility as to where you can go.

I still have rollerblade. I use them to walk my dog and he pulls me around like im waterskiing. Neighborhood children love it and their parents look at me like I'm a wierdo (which I am).

Fruit booters.

brogan1 wrote:

During my run yesterday I saw a woman rollerblading. I was shocked. They are so rare now.

I saw two people wearing rollerblades last week as well. Very rare sighting, indeed!

Diet Dew, King of Pop wrote:

brogan1 wrote:

During my run yesterday I saw a woman rollerblading. I was shocked. They are so rare now.

I saw two people wearing rollerblades last week as well. Very rare sighting, indeed!

Funny thread.

Rollerblades were popular when my 2 sons were young. My wife and I and both kids had roller blades. Our fun family activity was playing hockey in the driveway. I had never played hockey in my life but we always had a blast. Several neighborhood kids would join in and everyone loved it.

A buddy and I would occasionally go out for a 3 miler on our blades and it was a good workout.

I kinda miss roller blading. A very good aerobic workout without the pounding (as long as you stayed on your feet).

#BRINGBACKROLLERBLADING

joho wrote:

Diet Dew, King of Pop wrote:

I saw two people wearing rollerblades last week as well. Very rare sighting, indeed!

Funny thread.

Rollerblades were popular when my 2 sons were young. My wife and I and both kids had roller blades. Our fun family activity was playing hockey in the driveway. I had never played hockey in my life but we always had a blast. Several neighborhood kids would join in and everyone loved it.

A buddy and I would occasionally go out for a 3 miler on our blades and it was a good workout.

I kinda miss roller blading. A very good aerobic workout without the pounding (as long as you stayed on your feet).

#BRINGBACKROLLERBLADING

Come to Duluth, MN to do a full 26.2 on blades! Pretty much the same course as Grandma's Marathon.

The Flaming Homo Juan Carlos on Americas Got Talent finished off any hope of rollerblades ever being used again.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1XziVubaDI

Rollerblades th brand was probably sued a whole bunch.

Skateboarders also were notorious for converting in-liners into skateboarders; Most young men didn't want to be called "fruit-booters" past grade seven so they stopped the activity. The next generation to perhaps take up bladin' did not though because of a video game called Tony Hawk. All the energy went into that activity, albeit virtual. The actually talented youth did however continue skateboarding.

Another contributing factor in the decline of rollerblading was the western (state) acceptance of ice hockey as a sport to watch, play and fund on the youth level. Before hockey was accessible, inline skating - roller hockey, was more popular.