To watch evolution is amazing. Since I started skating, I have been lucky enough to watch and be part of one of the most progressive and innovative ‘sports’ that the world has to offer. During this period of time, rollerblading as we know it went through a vast change, going through innovations in skate technology and trends. Skates were getting better, and skaters were becoming more aware of how they presented themselves. What was once an entire group of guys skating Tarmacs, wearing wide-legged jeans with chain wallets, became something more. The stereotypical ideal of what a skater was supposed to look like became harder to pinpoint. These trends transitioned through a few different phases, and some of your favorite skaters grew into their present day personas before our eyes. Today, I look at what rollerblading has become and I am amazed. There’s more style and diversity than I’ve ever seen. We as a community should be celebrating these things and being proud of rollerblading and how far it’s come and will continue to grow. In my eyes, we are at our peak and continuing to mature and present ourselves better as a community, year by year. We are all a part of that evolution.

Sometimes, it’s hard to be a rollerblader. You have to deal with bullshit from ignorant skateboarders and other people who don’t have the mental capacity to even attempt to think outside the box and accept something other than what the masses tell them is cool. Being a rollerblader today in society means you are doing something that’s not ‘cool.’ You’re putting yourself in a position where you are going to be judged by those people who carry misconceptions of who we are now because of what we were 15 years ago. The bottom line is, they just don’t know what’s up… but we do. We’re on the inside, and we are a part of something that is still going through massive amounts of progression. It’s a very exciting time, and we should all be proud. Be proud of something that’s one of the greatest things in the world, but still underground. Be proud to not be a part of a fad. Be proud of what everyone before us in skating has done to bring it to where it is today. What we do is truly great and nobody can tell us otherwise and being a real individual and staying true to yourself is what it really means to be “cool”. Keep skating. — Fish

Ryan Jacklone Rocket Air by Stickman