What caused the huge decline in rollerblading?

I loved rollerblades! I keep saying I will get a new pair and single-handedly bring them back as soon as I'm injured again an need to cross-train, but so far that hasn't happened. I think they are still big in Europe(?) They have serious races there.

funny thread. I was just cleaning out the garage and donated my a pair... it's probably been 15+ years since I've worn them.

I stopped when I was out w/ a friend and she broke her wrist on some pretty smooth pavement (not wearing wrist guards). I went out and bought all the protective gear after that, but hated the look of it, and when donating my rollerblades, I donated some unopened elbowpads as well...

I think you're right... it just started seeming too easy to get injured.

Too many douchebag cyclists taking up their lanes.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

I think they are still big in Europe(?) They have serious races there.

Yeah when I lived in Germany a lot of road races had a pretty big roller blading division. It looked fun.

I always see a few rollerbladers when out on the Canal Path in Cape Cod during the summer.

All the hipsters decided it was much cooler to injure themselves on "fixie" bikes with inadequate brakes than on inline skates.

How is stopping hard? All you need to do is drag the inside of the toe wheel to slow or stop. It wears out your wheels super fast but it's a way more effective way to stop the using the brake. I always removed my break as it was a tripping hazard when using fancy footwork.

I never used the breaks and never got injured, so I guess that makes me a pro. I stopped the same way you stop yourself on skis.

I've got a pair. There's no level pathways nearby, so they never get used. I'm hoping it makes a comeback someday.

A lot of talk about breaks. Obviously a dangerous sport.

They skate the Berlin Marathon course the day before the race...I saw the winner do it in an hour. That's 26.2 miles per hour! Faster than most people could do it on a bike...

-_- wrote:

They skate the Berlin Marathon course the day before the race...I saw the winner do it in an hour. That's 26.2 miles per hour! Faster than most people could do it on a bike...

Brian Williams did it in about 47 minutes, in the dark.

Diet Dew wrote:

lol.

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

I'm pretty sure I'm a "millenniall" (nice spelling btw) and was born in the early 80s, so yes I do remember how big it was.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

I never used the breaks and never got injured, so I guess that makes me a pro. I stopped the same way you stop yourself on skis.

Brakes.

I inline skate every day from 3 to 7 miles with my dog since she runs 5:00 to 5:30 pace, and skating is the only way I can keep up. It's a nice complement to my running and cycling, and the balance and endurance it gives you for downhill skiing is amazing. I also run with my dog with a waist leash, but I know she's holding back based on how fast she runs when I skate with her.

Why the decline? I think it was just one of those fads that died out for most people who tried it.

bwil wrote:

-_- wrote:

They skate the Berlin Marathon course the day before the race...I saw the winner do it in an hour. That's 26.2 miles per hour! Faster than most people could do it on a bike...

Brian Williams did it in about 47 minutes, in the dark.

Paul Ryan did it in about 33 minutes.

There was a natural limitation on where you could go with the. Running and mountain biking suit going "off-road" more and became more popular.

Art Vandelay wrote:

bwil wrote:

Brian Williams did it in about 47 minutes, in the dark.

Paul Ryan did it in about 33 minutes.

Dayum! That's badass!

Thanks to this kid, rollerblading may be on the rise.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/zoeys43f8ee028/rollerblading-jesus-1h1su

Turns out, he's also a runner as well.