Alright, let’s start this conversation by breaking down a few barriers. It’s a fact that many of you NASTAR racers were living in your athletic prime during the rollerblade craze. Yes, you know what I’m talking about. It was the late ‘80s, early ‘90s and everybody was doing it. If you didn’t, you weren’t rollin’ with the cool crowd rockin’ out to The Commodores, Gap Band and eventually Michael Jackson. I will admit, I was not there. I’m much younger than most of you, but I’m here to tell you that rollerblading is back, better than ever, and it’s going to help you lay down sharper turns than you ever have in a ski course.

 

The barriers I want to break down? Reputation and technology. Forget about that atrocious (yet admittedly incredible movie with Patrick Swayze) Skatetown USA, and try to drop the false perceptions of rollerblading that you’ve linked to roller disco and ridiculous neon suits for so long. Maybe you were even guilty of a little boogie on skates every now and then?

 

Now let’s talk technological advancements. The mechanics on inline skates have advanced tenfold since rollerblading was first a fad. No longer are the blades clunky hunks of black plastic with some wheels attached to the bottom that wobble. The blades of 2018 are no joke, and I can tell you from experience, they can crank a turn, soak up a bump and keep you coming back for more.

 

Rollerblade, a division of the Tecnica Group, has been studying the similarities between skiing and blading and the results are shockingly similar. Inline skating is the only athletic performance you can do on dry ground that simulates the muscle movement and balance that you perform when skiing on snow. Those little fore-aft balance movements you’ve been working on all season? Well, you can simulate that same feeling but on blades this summer. I’ve even seen people set up cones on concrete and skate them like they might in a slalom course. The sport works your glutes, your quads, your six pack, and dials in your balance.

 

It also works the inverse way. If you’ve never skied before, try inline skating this summer and then get out on the snow next season. Send me a message when you’re pleased with the similarities.

 

New blades are not like the old ones with low-quality wheels, bearings, and a shell and liner that leave your feet floating in space. Today, it’s all about comfortable liner fit, larger wheels, better bearings and ultimately advanced edge angles leaving you less likely to slide out sideways. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.

 

 

Rollerblade has developed a campaign in partnership with U.S. Ski and Snowboard, PSIA, and National Ski Patrol that reflects what they’re calling “Phase One”. In other words, the first step to keeping your edge during the offseason is linking your winters by blading in the summer. Not bad Rollerblade. I can definitely attest to its cardiovascular benefits with minimal impact on my crunchy weary knees from seasons of bone on bone ski racing. My blades are my secret weapon and it’s time you dip your toe in the blading waters.


If you’re ready to invest in your summer, get on over to the Rollerblade site!

To view more of Rollerblade's statistics about the correlation between blading and skiing, go here.