Skip to main content

The Future of Roller Skating

This past week I was doing a bit of research to prepare for this blog post. What stood out to me was an article by The Atlantic written in 2014 titled “Whatever Happened to Roller Skating?” The title of this article stood out to me because I often get asked that same question. I don't know if it’s just me, but that question sounds condescending. 

The very first paragraph began with words like old fashioned, outdated, not-glitzy, and retro. Retro sounds like a good thing, but in the context of this question all it means is holding on to the past. I almost scrapped this blog post all together because I was so discouraged. I continued reading though, and I am glad I did.

The author of “Whatever Happened to Roller Skating?”, Tonya Basu, took the time to ask her question to some of our own. She highlighted Jim McMahon, the executive director of the RSA, who went into detail about how our industry is not outdated or in decline. Tonya also interviewed James Vannurden from the National Museum of Roller Skating. James shared the history of roller skating and how roller skating has always adapted to the needs of the market. “Whatever Happened to Roller Skating?” ends on a positive note with a quote from McMahon that says, “We are at levels like we were 20 years ago.” 

It seems to me that Tonya was asking not to be disrespectful, but to get an honest answer from those within the roller-skating community.

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments bellow.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The History of Roller Hockey

I remember asking my parents to let me play hockey when I was little but they told me "there wasn't a team near by" so I never got into it. Because of that, I will let someone else tell the story this week. Here is the, link https://thehockeynews.com/all-access/article/roller-hockey-international-an-oral-history  I hope y'all have a great weekend!
Post a Comment
Read more

Science Technology Engineering and Math

For the readers who have been to an RSA meeting of some kind or another you have heard of the STEM Program. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you something you've already heard. However I would like to talk about why it is important for the kids.

When I was growing up there wasn't any push for a STEM based education. Most of the focus was on literature, vocabulary, and writing. Not that those are unimportant, but I feel my time would have been better spent in a physics class or a engineering class. I felt like the whole goal of the school system was to push me into college and that was all.

My senior year of high school I met my all time favorite teacher Mr. Smith. He saw the need for engineering and technology classes and made it happen. He bought a 3D printer and a subscription to a Computer Aided Design program called SolidWorks and got to work. His class quickly became my favorite. I spent the majority of my lunches in the computer lab designing a hydraulic crane…
Post a Comment
Read more

The 2019 Trade Show Is Here!

I've been waiting for this since last October! This is probably my favorite time of year, because everyone is gathered in one place. We get to see old friends and meet new ones. The trade show isn't just about selling lots of skates, but its about the skating community. The skating community is special because when we are all together we seem to get a long well. I'm sure someone is reading this thinking "are you kidding me this person or that person is such a pain". Maybe you think I'm a pain, who knows. Anyway for the most part we really get a long. I feel like the 2019 trade show is really about all of us getting together under one roof. Oh and don't forget the barbecue. I hope to see you next week!
Post a Comment
Read more