Bladers vs. Boarders

Since the beginning of aggressive inline skating, there has been quite a lot of tension between skateboarders and us. Skateboarders have not been to kind to us, giving us nicknames like "fruit-booters" or "gaybladers" and making jokes like "What is the hardest part of rollerblading? ... telling your parents you are gay." So why is this? Here are a few reasons I could come up with:

We're Traitors

Most of us who started blading way back when, used to skateboard at one time or another (some still do). The problem may have started us abandoning skateboarding for something different, and a common reaction to that is to make fun of what they are now doing. Maybe trying to pressure the ones who switched back into skateboarding, or trying to make themselves feel better about why they aren't switching too.

Copycats by CatComixzStudios @ DeviantArt

We're Copycats

Some of our terminology has come from skateboarding terms like fakie, backside, frontside, etc. Some boarders look at it as though we are trying to copy what they were doing. When really, since most of us had been skateboarders, it only made sense to use the same terminology for like tricks.

Also, when we say we "skate," most people assume we mean skateboarding. This too may contribute to the issue, since we too consider ourselves as skaters. It's just that "inliner" sounds funny, and "aggressive inline skater" is too long, and the term rollerblader isn't great since it stems from the name of the Rollerblade company and doesn't really encompass the whole sport.

Everyone Picks on the Little Guy

Our sport is very small compared to skateboarding (about 100:1 in my estimates). It is easy to for them to pick on us since we're in the minority. Another good reason for us to keep doing what we are doing and work hard at growing the sport.

Rollerblading is Easy

This is one misconception that many skateboarders have about rollerblading. If you were to take someone who has never skateboarded, snowboarded, surfed, skied, rollerbladed, ice skated, or roller skated. I am pretty sure it would be just as difficult for them to learn either.

Yeah, rollerblades are attached to your feet which means they can't get away from you like a skateboard can, but having them strapped to your feet also means you can't just hop off and bail when you know you aren't going to land a trick. When you mess up, you are most likely going to fall.

I will say though, that skateboarding is more technical than rollerblading. There are so many combinations on a skateboard that make for a ton of tricks, although as our sport is progressing, we are definitely catching up.

Our Disfunctional Family Tree

Sibling Rivalry

Both of our sports share one parent: roller skating.

Roller Skating + Surfing = Skateboarding
Roller Skating + Ice Skating = Inline Skating

The first skateboards were no more than a flat piece of wood with the trucks and wheels from a pair of rollerskates attached to the bottom. Inline skates are also a derivation of the old quad skates. Somebody just had an idea to make a pair of skates with wheels that were more like ice skates and put the wheels in a row. When you look at it this way, skateboarding and rollerblading are really just feuding siblings.

What can we do?

Well, for starters, we can be mature and show some respect to our sister sport. No name-calling, not matter what. If we consistently show them respect, it will eventually become mutual. Treat others how you want to be treated, regardless of who they are or what they do.

Remember that both sports have the same goals in mind. If you look at any interview of a rollerblader or a skateboarder where they are asked why they skate, you'll hear identical reasons in either case. For me, it is because I enjoy it. It gives me a means of self-expression that I otherwise would not have. I get to push my own limits and challenge myself.

Is there really a problem?

Maybe not. When I go skating, I am typically the only inline skater at the park, and I rarely have any trouble with any of the 50 or more skateboarders there. Sure, they aren't overly friendly to me, but I think that is because of the stigma of this whole conflict. I think most skateboarders don't mind us at all, and understand we do what we do for the same reasons they do what they do.

I do think the ones who do have a problem with us are typically the ones who do not truly skateboard for the love of skating, but do it to be "cool" (aka posers). I think they are the insecure ones who are concerned about how they look to the others and will do whatever they can to make themselves feel better. Since we are sort of an easy target, they typically choose to make fun of us.

Coexistence

I have a ton of respect for skateboarding. As I have said before, I used to skateboard before I started rollerblading, so I understand a little bit about where they are coming from. The reason I don't skateboard is because I suck at it. Not that I am amazing at rollerblading, but inlines just feel more natural to me. So essentially it boils down to: "to each their own."

The way I see it, in any situation, tolerance is key to peaceful coexistence. For example, my wife tolerates me, and we coexist peacefully, so I know it can be done.