Back in the 1950s, ’60s and even into the ’70s, roller skating was a low-intensity, leisurely affair. Roller rinks weren’t athletic arenas so much as social gathering places. You might meet your sweetheart during a roller skating session, but you weren’t likely to find much in the way of spirited competition. In fact, my own parents met and bonded for the first time at their local VFW hall, which was transformed into a makeshift rink on the weekends.
More recently, quad roller skates have made way for inline skates. Aggressive skating is one of the most popular extreme sports, and it’s probably the easiest to pick up. In street-style aggressive skating, participants use whatever structures might be lying around to make an impromptu obstacle course. Rails, benches, walls, curbs and stairs are all fair game. Vert competitions are held on half-pipes where skaters try to get big air even as they bust out tricks.
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