Why Rollerblading Was Dropped From The X Games 

I would love to see in-line skating back. I am 40 now, but I grew up in that era. I remember always getting the t.v guide and highlighting the time and dates of my favorite shows [N.I.S.S (National Inline Skate Series), A.S.A (Aggressive Skaters Associate) and 720. I would record the shows on VHS and watch it over and over to learn new tricks. It was a huge shame X-games removed in-line.

As a new skater, I really appreciate learning the history of this sport. I've always been fascinated by skating but I never learned how. Seeing how the scene has struggled against the odds so long makes me want to get better so I can do my part and help spread the word.

The biggest reason why blading is no longer with Xgames or other big events is not flagged in this video… blading brands were not able to match the budgets coming from the skating and bmx brands anymore… it sadly makes a lot of sense if you think about it from a business investment perspective.. another angle you can see this from would be the fact that blading companies didn’t sell footwear (like skating and bmx) and that’s exactly where the big cash was coming from for these events.

I was an street skater in NYC from 1993-1997. Some reflections from that period: 1. Inline street skating came on fast and furious, and blew up big quickly. It didn’t have the many years of maturation that skateboarding had by that period. For many inline skaters, the experience was a head-spinning whirlwind, and there wasn’t much time to stop, relax, and take the growing sport at your own pace. You had to be badass, land crazy jumps and big rail grinds, and get onto a video, or you weren’t doing it right. The skateboarders, by comparison could just chill and be happy with a small bag of tricks at their own pace. 2. InLine skating got extremely competitive quickly. In those days, it was all about being sponsored and getting free stuff. Almost every skater I would meet at Union Square Park or Central Park would quickly ask “are you sponsored” or “can you get me free stuff”. I did graphic design for a skate wear company, and by that alone, I had kids throwing themselves at me for free stuff or to be sponsored. It was kind of crazy, especially for those of us that just wanted to skate. 3. Inline skating failed to attach itself to the larger inline, ice, and roller skating community, whom would have given inline street a lot of support. I got into inline street through speedskating, and wished that the inline street scene would have spent less time trying to attach itself to skateboarding and BMX, and more time to general skating community.

Arlo isn't responsible for inline's downfall. That's absurd. He did a lot to advance the sport.

I was part of the rise of aggressive skating in the 90s. I was living for it and I was 12h each day Vert and Street-skating. It was a life style. I didnt know about the story why it was dropped from x-games and from mainstream. Its heartbreaking. We had no chance to react or to even understand whats going on and that we would have had to fight, run protests etc.. we were too young and all we were interested in was to finally land the trick we were tryn and tryn and then the next one. How high can you push your air? How to grow the balls for a backflip etc... We never thought that there were politics in the background.

I don't think we need to go back. I think there is a great argument for a contest circuit, but it should be done in house in the blading community IMO. It would be rad for us to have street and park style and vert in a blading only environment, but that would take a TON of money. Until then I think there are several amazing contests and we should focus on documenting those even better with live coverage and detailed professional style edits after events. Just my thoughts.

As someone who grew up skateboarding, doing Rail 360 flips and going to skate parts and crap like that; ironically I only ever watched the X Games for Aggressive Inline Vert. Because it was something I just couldn't do myself, and the tricks were so much cooler than what I could do with a skateboard. Triple Vert with the breakdancing medalists and Matt Lindy throwing out Triple Backflip attempts are so memorable and symbolic moments that defined what the sport was for me. It's really tragic how it evolved and we lost that kind of spirit that it had. All the Inline Medalists deserve to be listed and remembered on the X-Games site. ESPN to me only even blew up because of the X-Games, so it's just so weird to see this was the future of it all.

I just bought a pair the other week only to learn that it's not like riding a bike. The amount of shit I've gotten from people when I'm in the parking lot next to my studio is crazy.

We don't need the x-games. I think the culture is better off with out that. Thanks for sharing this amazing content 👏

Skateboarders in the 90s: we just want to be accepted into the mainstream as a sport and not just a toy little kids ride Rollerbladers: we want the same thing Skateboarders: your gay you can’t skate with us

The year before tony did the 900, cesar mora landed a 1080

I really would like to see a comeback...but more than that...the aggressive sports holding hands together. I wish we could all go to the same skate park and really, cheer, support and celebrate each other's achievements independently of the sport. Skateboard, inline, roller skates, BMX, scooter, parkour...whatever. Stop the hating and together make the aggressive sport grow BIG.

I started inline skating toward the end of the skating phenomenon. Around 2000, i was broke and could only afford Roces, but i do rememebr being in awe of the two japaense brothers.

We definitely need blading back into a multisport, televised event. I think we'd all prefer it be skater ran, so the representation of each sport could truly be accurate. Obviously, the exposure would be great as well, but it also will connect people with themselves again. Blading helps me focus on myself and clear my head of the current issues. It makes us all happy, it definitely could make a lot more people happy as well. Let's encourage each other to pursue the things that are good for our health and accept all who want to do the same. Plus the hype of a competition is always fun

It’s ironic seeing as how the only reason the x games was invented was because of inline skating

Awesome video, bro! I started skating in the Aggresive in-line/X-games era and it was fenomenal, not only for that contest, ASA, X-Trials, Gravity Games, MSS, B3... all that TV exposure we had a the time was massive, and that made lot of people get to know the sport, brands and stuff. I hope we get back not only in the X-games, also in the spotlight again now that we grew more and the foundation is stronger than those days.

Nice work Dave. Ultimately It seems like just a lack of solid foundations. We’ve now laid those over the last 15 years, so my guess is we are here to stay and the only way is up. We will witness some amazing things in the years to come.

Hey I just wanted to say that I absolutely Love these essay Videos. Especialy because i just startet skating last year and dont have any idea about the overall culture and history of Blading. so for example Names like Jon Bolino, Brian Shima etc. dont really evoke a response in me because I wasnt there back then and dont have a connection. These Videos help to loose up that Gap and i start to relate more to the History and the overall Community.

Nice work fella- really enjoyed this one 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Really enjoyed this one. One of the few times this story has been told where it’s recognised that rollerblading was probably a bit immature to be on the pedestal so early among all the other stuff. No ones fault really, it is what it is. Personally i think if the x games happen with skating in the future there are a crop of elite skaters who could rip it and i think that would be cool to see but it’s also not important at all for skating. Great production and research on this one Dave. Great soundtrack as well 😉

Nowadays what we need is some sort of Jet Set Radio

Rollerblading is where it’s at

Another great video my dude 🙌 I sure would love to see rollerblading return to the xGames… I think it would be all positives if it came back!

I remember I was the last of my friends to transition from inline to skateboarding as a young teenager and it hurt. I do not know how much the sport has progressed since it was last aired on X-games but they should bring back one event as a fan service.

In the days of Shaun White and 12-year-old skateboarders in the Olympics. I think Inline had it's run there are no big companies behind the sport and all the sponsorship dried up. 8 year olds don't want to be Chris Edawrds they want to be Tony Hawk Shaun White Nigel Houston Sky Brown or Sakura Yosozumi. Also, I think practicality killed inline a place that says no skating you can easily step off a board grab it and walk through with inline you have to unstrap pop on shoes. Longboarding took over fitness skating as well. I do think rink skating and summer hockey is the future and survival of the sport go back to what the sport was designed for a way for ice skaters to keep their skills fresh in the summer months. Leave it for roller rinks and hocky courts and let skateboarding be skateboarding X-Games are for boards bikes and E-Sports.

We used to ditch high school in the 90s to go blade downtown. Fun times. I really miss it now.

IMYTA is all the proof that we don't need X Games. It's so out of touch with our sport as it these days. Events like the Boschi Pope jam, Winterclash, Blading Cup and the Franky Morales invitational are better than the X Games could ever be. Keep it in the community and do it ourselves.

never understood how people get so upset over some boots with wheels...

I miss watching the Yasutoko brothers so much.

Great vid! Was pretty lonely skating in the early 00s

I didn't know this, thanks for the video. At the same time going back to the event will make the sport grow again, the culture held it without participating. So I think it's important to know that the X games will be just a plus

I demand and claim for Aggressive rolling blading to comeback to the X Games, I still rolling blading with 39 years old 🤘🏻

Eito and Takeshi Yasutoko were doing tricks that were unimaginable on very. Chris Haffey showed street skater could slay in the park (and big air later with nitro circus). Brian Aragon was the pretty boy mogul just like Ryan Sheckler. Anyone that says blading didn’t bring enough just simply never watched blading. Great video but makes me very sad…

X games as a whole is a shell of what it used to be, the removed so much sports which were pillard of "Xtreme" sports, extreme sport culture changed, they started placing too much focus on sports using cars, and ended with four sports and different categories of those sports, i was a skateboarder in late 2000's and saw how sad the event was vs what we used to see, every skateboarder looked the same, no more unique skaters, it was all technical flashy moves, everything was to appeal to the crowd and what the corporate overlords, basically they degraded what the Xgames used to be, to just have events that would sell the most tickets, and as we saw people started pulling away and we have what we have now.

Awesome video! I remember i didn't know about all that crap around the aggressive blading. We shreded together, bladers and skateboarders, with no issues! It's sad that one discipline could be pushed away because some influential people didn't like. fuckin' hate it.. I was around 13 or something when i saw aggressive blading. i watched some xgames comps on vhs tape recorded from eurosport by my friend. i didn't even have satelite tv back then haha. So that (and Airborne of course;) got me into the sport. So i think putting back aggressive blading on xgames could be good for young blood;)

There is a big reason why Inline rollerblading should be back to the XGAMES, and that is there are now days too much talented rollerbladers out there, they can create a massive impact for this sport, and another positive point is that the new generations are more mentaly open now days all around the world and that can facilitate a cultural impact in the society.

Great work as always

Skateboarders have always snubbed inline skaters. I skated in the 90s and 2000s, when I traveled in Italy they treated us like shit. They took a long time to land a trick, we landed many tricks in a short time and flew over their heads, we annoyed them because ordinary people were more interested in watching rollerblading.

i find it interesting ppl want skating in the olympics and back in the xgames..... i wouldnt want us anywhere near that. currently think skating in a good spot and i want skaters to have the reigns to the big comps. if the xgames announced skating back in, id actively protest it.

parabens pelo video, vale muito apena assiste e ver toda evolução.

The darker side again, great work, keep it up ! I don't think blading went down because of X-games or mock campaigns, shops and businesses already noticed decreased sales in 2002-2003. If I would have to guess, then rollerblading and aggressive rollerblading had a... I hate the word, but a fad phase, the time when it was cool and when everyone was doing , it came on with a boom and it really had to went into somewhat of a bust . About the stigma: I never ever really cared if people hate me for it or wish that I would fall. I see how a lot of people make it look really awkward and lame, but there are also so many more who make it look like the coolest and most badass thing ever. The people who matter don't care about X-games, everyone cares about social media and the people we need to get to blade are the gen-z kids on tiktok and other social media.

"Demographic of the on site fans." Is like when the lady tried to say the bmxers and skateboarders were more professional. We were too young, too hood, too unwilling to compromise for them. Corps always soften, and undermine what they can't control.

I remember, for me, my best friend and I just started skateboarding again and stopped blading. I think we hit our personal ability ceiling and wanted to try for something else. Also the peer pressure for a teen was insane. I was a skateboarder until late 6th grade. I remember blading up to school and all the kids I was hanging out with for a year were all of the sudden calling me gay. You brush it off but after a long time, it gets most people. I stuck in there despite this but at first, I really did feel the pressure but at least thought "well fuck them. They weren't real friends anyways."

They polled and still didn’t bring it back. What does that tell you

Fuck x games I wanna see rollerblading in the Olympics now bmx and skateboard are....

Skateboarding started out as a fad, it died and became the target of mockery and ridicule - but it had been this time which laid the foundation of modern skateboarding and its culture. And then it died again. And rose again. And died again. It's easy to get used to it when you start out as a fad and experience any decline as some sort of conspiracy especially when your measure of comparison is skateboarding - but that's how things are going, after all it took skateboarding decades with _and against_ the mainstream to make it what it is. I don't mean to say skateboarding would be somehow superior, just that it went to the same.

I don't see how Arlo could've done much to change the decision with regard to inline being removed from the X Games.

I remember this time in rollerblading history where everyone wanted a piece of the pie, it was an exciting time.

The first X Games I watched i was fascinated. It looked like the inline skaters were flying. I hope every year for it to be brought back

Thanks for video.

This was was good and the most balanced telling of this tale, but I can’t help but feel that rollerbladers need to let this go now. It’s been almost 20 years. Rollerblading is far from the only sport the X-Games has dropped over the years. Loads of sports have been included, enjoyed a brief 15 minutes of fame and then dropped a few years later. It’s the nature of business, especially as far as TV is concerned. I just can’t imagine any of them rehashing the same story as much as rollerblading has over the years. As good as this was, and went further than before to tell the story (hearing Jason Hines was really interesting), I’d be more than happy to not see any more ‘Why rollerblading got kicked out of the Xgames’ pieces for a long time.

No way going back to the X-Games, once bitten twice shy. Blading should naturally on its own accord grow- whether it takes 10 years or 100. Big companies will just use blading and then spit it out when they no longer need it.

Hopefully we may see the olympics in our various forms sometime soon.. I’m sure x games may be having the same idea in the near future .. either way it’s good publicity for the sport 👍👍

I'm 45 I started freestyling in the 90s and I'm back doin it in my 40s after time off for a decade . I sure hope they bring it back. Just picked up a new pair of razors shima 3s remastered in 2023. I snowboard in the winter but skate in the non winter months.bring it back. I hate how slow skateboarding is and how much wasted energy u have for a few tricks . Bring back aggressive inline please!!

Personally I don’t think rollerblading really worked on the courses as everything is too far apart and is mainly ramp based. How relevant is the x games anymore?

If rollerblading came back to the X Games, it wouldn’t be the same. Nobody is dropping hammers anymore other than Nils Jansons and a few others. It’s not like there’s 100 bladers who are well known that drop hammers. Also, most records have been set already so it’s not like there would be any first time tricks done if the sport came back to the X Games. But hey, it would be cool, though, to see the sport back in the X Games.

You asked for the comments but you didn’t ask me to like and subscribe so I don’t know what to do?

I don’t feel like the marketing development was sufficient to build it up like skateboarding had with Tony Hawk. There was a lack of marketable personalities in aggressive inline, you clearly see that the best guys were super rebellious and anti establishment whereas skateboarding were able to mesh their personalities with being marketable.

Because the Skateboarders cried and went out of their way to absolutely destroy the Blading market. They got their wish. Now we’re all friends but the damage has been done.

Blading should come back to the x games period. Some of you forgot where you come from and why you picked up the sport.

ONLY reason this a discussion is because in the 80's you had to remove your skates to fight for space & skate boarders could hop into fight mode faster. Honestly toe to toe bladers are better athletes, and top end speed difference is not even close...

Very interesting vid 👌 👍 +1 for rollerblading at the x game again

4:11 I imagine if you want to motivate a group of people to compete, you would make a division for them so they can compete in smaller pool therefore more chance to win prizes.

X games exists because of rollerblading. AMA was popping up everywhere and they wanted in on it

Awesome video. I don't think the X games should get blading back. there are other great events like the Worls Skate Games or FISE championship that are as good and have always supported inline.

I hope this comes back.

Oh yeah!!!

I believe it’s a good thing that rollerblading was dropped. Like Arlo was saying “it wasn’t a good representation of the sport” I love that contests are held within the blading community. Of course the publicity of rollerblading being in the XGames is a good thing but it has to be done right. I think blading contests like Blade Cup should be live streamed on a somewhat professional level. With good quality cameras and multiple angles and maybe even some editing with a “HUD” display. Nothing crazy but enough to look proper

We don't need x games to justify our existence In fact, it is because of us that espn is able to succeed I'm glad I left skateboarding to be aggressive I will always have only one opinion on skate culture Sad bunch of people! ! ! Nothing has changed from 1997 to 2022 I believe it won't change until I die

The best crashes were the downhill races

I competed in the ASA world vert in 2008, I think. There were only 2 competitors including myself. There were no cameras or TV coverage. I thought ASA and roller blading has died. I regret not going to Asian xgames. I went to Woodward one more time to practice my double backflip and put down my blades after that for nearly a decade before attempting it again in Dallas, tx. Video of my skating experience can be found if you search my old RU-vid name supahman009. It would be great if xgames brought back aggressive inline, I think a lot of people want it back.

Nothing on xgames is as spectacular as rollerblades. It should be back.

Skateboarding has been overrated for over 17 years and still marketing to young kids, just got boring to me and won't buy no more gear and shoes every 1-2 months rediculous (griptape). will join aggressive inline soon.

My humble opinion would be a yes. I also feel like only way it would be shown is on the mega ramp.

we need a new jet set radio. i always mocked the bladers, but its a cool sport

Bring roller blading back it might just revive the xgames

Inline Skating events R.I.P. (sniff)

Never go back to something that ended badly, x-games in-line is on the books, it’s time to move forward and make things properly, if there are enough people blading then the events will come naturally

Rollerblading has gotten sooo much more technical, bring it back, we need to get more kids skating. Between the x games and woodward both pulling in-line it’s fucking depressing

That 1995 comp ❤️

I would love to see blading back

Bring it back to X Games and to the streets. Aggressive Inline is missing from the Australian skate parks and ramps, I still have my skates at the age of 40 and still skate so why doesn't the world see us bladers tearing it up.

true legends ...

Let’s run it back. In-line park/street for sure not sure anything else is needed I don’t think the vert talent exists anymore.

It’s so crazy how we used to use the word gay in the 90-00 to mean bad and also insult ppl bc homosexuality wasn’t accepted then.

If N-line wants to grow, and be more than a soulful hobby, it must be on the main stage, or else those kids will be discouraged and chose something else with the promise of success, and not end up like me poor, broken, and crazy.

Also the same time I stopped watching bc they screwed us over after everyone in the rollerblading community built the X games to what it is and then they dropped us

Hoje temos a internet a nosso favor tem que brigar para que o Inline volte o quanto antes ao Xgames, nosso esporte evoluiu muito como todos os outros nosso esporte é lindo.

There is no doubt that rollerblading will return to the Xgames. I’d like to see aggressive inline vert as well as aggressive inline street events at the X games.

I don’t blame Arlo.

yes

Here’s a take - no one on a skateboard ever dressed in bright Lycra and decided to go in and out of f****ng cones. Maybe that’s why it stayed cool??

ESPN dropped it because it lost NHL rights. Losing NHL rights and their decision to remove inline skating from XGames happened in the same year. Since inline skating was also used for street hockey, aggressive inline had to go too.

Bring inline skating back!!

This is sad 😔

Xgames is declining for years, it's not as big as it was 20 years ago. About olympics, I don't want us to be part of it. It's one of the most corrupted organisation ever. Just need to stay away from this nonsense. FISE is looking bigger than xgames now (at least from my europpean point of view).

Im rollernlading and i understan. This not personal its only for money, prestige and viewers. I don't care what they have to say

would you like to see inline in xgames... absolutely

Its 2024, time for a comeback!