The Styles of Inline Skating
Recreational
Recreational skaters represent the vast majority of inline participants. Recreational skaters frequently share pathways with joggers or bicyclists, so skating under control and observing the Rules of the Road are particularly important. The IISA used to work to open and protect inline skating access. Skaters are asked to do their part by wearing protective gear and respecting others while skating. After skating for some time, many recreational skaters move on to more specialized facets of the sport.
Inline Hockey
With new leagues, clubs, and teams forming around the world, it’s no surprise that inline hockey is one of the fastest-growing segments of inline skating. What is surprising is many inline hockey players have never played on ice, but that’s because, unlike ice hockey, inline hockey is played everywhere from parking lots to professional arenas. Most communities now offer organized amateur inline hockey leagues which offer non-contact, recreational play for a variety of ages and skill levels. See the resources section of this guide for contact information.
Fitness/Cross Training
Modern inline skating developed as cross-training for ice hockey players. Since then, skaters have been skating for fitness in a variety of ways. Interval training, long distance, sprints, skate-to-ski and even hill climbing are all part of a good cardiovascular inline fitness program. Recent studies have shown that inline skating can burn as many calories as running. In addition, as a low-impact activity inline skating is easier on the joints.
Aggressive
Aggressive skating, with its gravity-defying flips and challenging stunts, may be the most diverse and individualistic aspect of inline skating. Skates, wheels and protective gear must be extra heavy-duty to withstand the rigors of aggressive skating, whether it’s practiced on streets, ramps, or half-pipes. Some street skaters specifically modify their equipment for rail sliding, grinding or ramp skating. Because it is very often spectacular, aggressive skating has received much media attention and impacted fashion and music trends among its teen practitioners.
Racing
Inline racers usually skate on five-wheel skates with high grade wheels and precision bearings for maximum speed. As in cycling or ice speed skating, advanced racers work in teams and implement cunning race strategies which require a high degree of proficiency.
Anson
My name is Anson Nakamura and I have been inline skating for fun for 18 years. My friends and I skate at our local skate park and we just love to skate. I have been a big fan of the sport since I was a little kid. I started with a pair of Rollerblades that I got from a garage sale. I was terrible at first, but I kept at it and eventually I got pretty good. Now, I can do all sorts of tricks and I love skating more than ever. There's nothing quite like the feeling of cruising around on your skates, wind in your hair. f you've never tried skating, I urge you to give it a go. It's an incredible feeling and you might just get hooked like I did.