Strapping on some roller skates or a roller board to move around on wheels under your own power is a hobby that is growing in interest. There are many new – and not so new – sports on wheels. Partly this is due to young people wanting to find new and interesting ways to try different things out and their inventions become the latest new thing. Other times, it’s about combining motion with speed to create a visually interesting and adrenalin-pulsating ride. Take your pick!
Let’s look at just three of the ways that wheels and movement are being combined to expand interest in roller everything!
Roller Skating Sports
Roller skating sports keep growing. The sport overall is so popular now that it’s splintered off into both different categories of roller skating as well as new sports that revolve around using wheels for faster movement.
Roller skating now includes group skating for fun, Roll-ball which is akin to playing softball, and artistic roller skating. Artistic roller skating can be figure roller skating, freestyling, dance routines, and precision teams (a bit like synchronized swimming). Because of the various ways that roller skating has evolved, roller skaters can now pick what type of skating they wish to do and find partners to go enjoy it with.
Roller Hockey and Roller Derby
Roller Derby is on the fast track. Regular roller skates are usually worn when playing this sport on wheels. Either you own a pair of snazzy Riedell Roller Skates full of color and with a cool design, or you’re using an older pair of roller skates trying to keep up. It’s considered a contact sport as teams get a little rough with it at times. It’s certainly a game where balance is key to avoid going down. There are over 4,500 clubs active in the U.S. that regularly play games in this sport.
Roller Hockey works similarly to regular hockey except instead of running around, you’re on skates. You might be wearing some quad skates or otherwise some inline skates as an alternative. The action is fast, the hockey sticks move towards the fast-moving puck with aggression, and you must be on your A-game to win.
Mountainboarding
Mountainboarding is quite new. You’ll need the balance of a roller skater or skateboarder, and the deft movement of a snowboarder. Anyone who likes being on wheels will take to this sport quickly and easily.
Going mountainboarding involves riding down mountainsides and rougher terrain that would normally throw you off a skateboard or have you tripping when trying to do it with a pair of roller skates strapped on. Wearing heavy protective gear including wrist protectors, knee and elbow pads, and a solid helmet are essentials in this sport. You’ll probably want to take some lessons before finding a great place to get on a new mountainboard.
Even sports like speed skating which use inline skates (narrow roller skates, effectively) now have inline speed skating which incorporates speed and tricks to vary things up. For anyone who loves getting on some wheels and rolling around, the great news is that there’s an infinite number of ways to enjoy that pastime now.
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