There’s no better music to soothe the ears while pecking out a blog (or RANT in this case) than The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits, Rotten Apples. I personally have no qualms with your opinion of my musical taste, nor do I give a shit if you care or agree with anything I have to say from here on out. So either continue on or click the “X” in the top right corner if you have already had enough.

Okay? Here goes…

Do I happen to be the only one that pulls up Rollernews.com every other day or so in wild hopes of discovering something really refreshing and inspirational? Come on now, don’t lie to yourself, much less me, about your daily habit of ‘trolling’ the interwebz in search of the dopest edit of the day. That magical HD capsule that relentlessly begs for another play. But, what you really find on your screen is utter disappointment. Yes, I have a certain standard by which I place edits and other rollerblading related media. My opinion suggests that sites showcasing rollerblading should publish content consistent with their own high standards as opposed to littering cyberspace and my head with complete, time wasting garbage. There should be some sort of filter that catches even the smallest granules of SHIT. Don’t point your hating finger at me calling me the HATER. I’m just the vehicle for that hating voice of yours. I LOVE everyone that rollerblades, regardless of how they do it. If you play hockey, ice skate, speed skate, bomb hills, exercise blade, etc. But if you display our grand ole ART in a forum that is seen around the globe, then I believe, in MY opinion, that it should be broadcast with some amount of quality assurance. Nothing more. Simple. Set a quality standard and abide by it. Rollerblading will be better because of it.

This Asian X-Games business is cool, especially with the prospect of having numerous global cities feature “Aggressive Inline” events. BCN for example! How rad would that be to see some of our favorite blading icons destroying some course or some street spot LIVE on your 720p HD television. Yeah, you couldn’t afford the 1080p on your rollerblading budget. Sorry, NO money here. Just passionate beings shredding the crust of Earth with no worries or illusions of being FAMOUS and filthy RICH! Just your odd, quirky, highly-creative souls sacrificing things we’re not even sure we’re sacrificing. We’re a hard old bunch of blokes aren’t we? Swallowing all sorts of cuisine. Not all food per se, either. But, do we REALLY want ESPN holding the reins of our ART? After all, they tossed us to the curb in ’03 and ‘curbed’ our perfect grills into oblivion. Yeah, it’s some foreign ESPN affiliate or what have you, and they might mean well, but, I mean shit, they have been throwing us across the televisions of the eastern world and apparently collecting the ratings they had hoped for. (Ed’s Note: Not really. Word is 2012 was last year for blading at Asian X.) Will they give up on us again and instead ‘curb’ our faces for the glory of Citroens* and beefed up Ford Focuses racing around in circles like rats searching for that next meal? Can we trust them?

What will all these words I’m writing even amount to though, really? Maybe provide nutrients to that seed I’ve planted in your dome? To maybe help you help me and everyone else that weilds a sword of protection? To protect our ART, our life, our blood. We should spill it only when we feel the need. Not on other corporate hands. Not on their fucking time! Yes, we need mainstream exposure like nobody’s business, but it must be the RIGHT exposure. The RIGHT time. Things are boiling up, the whitehead is almost ready to explode! Quality. That is what we should STAND for. We need hard asses out there taking chances and being badass motherfuckers. But do it RIGHT — as if there is a RIGHT way. Quality, damnit! Show the mainstream we’re worthy of being in their house without coming across like ass kissers. Do it our way, on our terms, and take them for everything we’re owed!

Rollerbladers are capable of some very serious shit! Mind blowing manuevers that’ll cause DVRs across the land to go into rewind mode. That’s how sick we are! Things are beginning to happen below the surface… and I know you all feel it too! I just don’t want to see myself sobbing at the sight of rollerblading being done up American History X-style anymore. We deserve the big screen. The big deals. We have the BIG tricks. Bring our BIG personalities to the front line. Allow them to STRIKE the heartstrings of the public and lure them inside the beautiful hell that is Rollerblading LIFE/CULTURE. We’re no doubt cooler than the rest without being cooler. Crack that PBR, CHUG, SMASH! We’re Bad Ass Motherfuckers whether you like it or not. Face it. Show everyone what we are. Don’t apologize. They Day of The Rope is near…