Just A Thought

[KYSkater]

To each his own…
My thoughts are scattered. I am not really sure what I hope to accomplish by this article. Maybe I’m just bored. I suppose really upon the release of ‘Bang!’ I have seen a lot of talk about ‘creative’ skating. We seem to be a divided sport on this topic. Many believe Latimer type tricks are no more part of the act of rollerblading than ballet dancing. It has no place in rollerblading. Ironic really that our sport doesn’t really have a place in the extreme sports industry. We are shunned and yet we shun an aspect of our sport.
But I also acknowledge that all have a right to their opinion so be that as it may it would be an exercise in futility to try to suede you to open your minds. So I hope to just find out why we have the urge to shun an aspect of our sport that could very well be the defining element that differentiates us from other ‘Extreme’ sports. Or it could be in itself a corner in rollerblading. I mean this as a metaphor for something that cannot progress. I mean how do we know it is possible to do a 540 vertical makio tap for example. I hate referencing, people always nit-pick. But just bear with me. I mean what’s the point of rollerblading if you’re uncertain if you will progress or not? How can sheep move from one field to the next without the shepherd to guide them? But ten years ago, Weren’t we all shepherds? We took aspects from other sports and fused it into this new hybrid. Then we started improvising. We started playing jazz. Seems to me that people have just forgotten how to play….
Now that conventional tricks have been set by the shepherds of back in the day, we as sheep follow, of course we evolve and go bigger and more technical but it still hinges on the foundation of basic grinds, airs and switches. So why not make new foundations? Wouldn’t it be that much more fun to be closer to this essence of rollerblading? The essence being when it all started and people were inventing. Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable if we as the new wave (if you like) took it up a notch? Of course I know we can’t take it up a notch by being less extreme. I mean a 360 tree tap isn’t nearly as dangerous as a 540 kind-grind for example. But why do we have this desire to be extreme? Why not a desire to create? I suppose this is where rolling is divided once again.
The essence of extreme sports is to give you a thrill of doing something crazy. So why don’t we get the same thrill by doing something new? Why must we be an extreme sport for that matter? We can’t we just be roller-bladers and not be tied to the culture of extreme sports if there is such a thing? Why do we even have to be a sport? Who makes these conventions and who will finally say fuck it and break them? I don’t pretend to have answers, I’m just a little lost. I am a thrill seeker or I wouldn’t be rolling but in essence thrill seems to be divided into two parts. The thrill of doing something dangerous, and the thrill of accomplishing something new. I feel our sport is a blend of this. But people just seem to go for the first one now. We seem to lean to the most appealing appearance when the form its self of creativity is in my eyes much more rewarding. Why are we shackled by such appearances? We seem to accept that the foundation was laid long ago by the pros of back in the day and we are to just build on it. I mean NYC would be a pretty boring place if there was just one foundation and one mammoth building towering over empty land.
Variety seems to be lost in a repetitive array of switch-ups conveyed on some of today’s videos. I seem to look at DB a lot nowadays and a trick seems to impress me if I have to literally stare at it to see what’s going on. That’s what gives me a thrill. But the more I seem to think about why we have an urge to be dangerous instead of creative the more I seem to get confused. I suppose you could be both. But how do you define the essence of dangerous? Or creative for that matter? I suppose the whole thing is a paradox. I just wanted to voice my opinion on something and I just hope that things change and we are a more tolerant and open sport on different kinds of tricks. Even if their not extreme as the tricks on handrails that ironically skateboarders inspired us to do. I’d rather be creative than dangerous. Shouldn’t we be judged by creativity or for want for a better word intelligence in the obstacles we skate rather than brute courage? Would you rather be a world famous philosopher or a world famous stunt man? That wasn’t a rhetorical question, there is no answer and I suppose our love will always be divided into two parts. To conclude I think rolling itself is submissive. But then again it’s all personal preference…

(from toxboe.net)

[10]

to be honest, i really dont get any thrills from doing switches on ledges or grinds on rails. with that said, i dont classify rolling as an extreme sport--nothing really extreme about it. if anything, bullriding should be more of an extreme sport, because there is the constant danger of being thrown off the bull, and/or the bull attacking.

[sam]

i dont call them extreme sports, cause that sounds kinda gay, but still. what i love about skating is the freedom- no one tells you what to do and you can be as creative or dangerous as you want. and in my view, as long as its on skates, skateboard, bike or whatnot (I like all of them, theyre all good) its worthwile. something might not look amazing or impossible, but if it takes a lot of skill and determination, its still a good trick, as true skaters will know

[10]

my bad, i didnt read the whole thing, but i feel you on the lack of creativity. back in the day, i used to try royales between the 1st & 2nd wheels, just to see if it could be done. if anybody takes wushu, or martial arts, i'm working on throwing a butterfly (btwist) /butterfly kick out of 540/ AO miszou; the setup for the btwist is perfect comming out of an AO miszou. I experimenting with cartwheels/no-handed cartwheels out of makios. Most of my experimental tricks i've never landed, but i'm sure someone else is just as creative...but the vertical grind is beyond me.

Right now i'm working on the moonwalk switch. just picture a bunch of AO X grinds in a row...simulating a moonwalk down a rail. Methinks it would be insta-gangster/pimp/ill/sick/hot/(insert adjective here) if somebody does it in a video or in a comp, or wherever. I have the AOX down, i just dont have switches dont--yet.

[sam]

you got some intresting ideas there. they would be fun to see

[Rich Parker]

what u were saying about "sheep and sheapherds" in my opinion is not true. as yeah, back in the day they were inventing completely new grinds, but that was because it was just the begining, and now, there arnt too many more possitions we can put out feet in to to get a totally new grind, so people have started spinning in and out of grinds, u cant say doing a 540 kindgrind is being a sheep, as they were certainly not doing that in the begining, even if they did do normal kindagrinds, otherwise u could say they were all being "sheep" in the begining, e.g someone does a frontside, next person thinks i will do that, but turn one foot 90 degrees (making it a soul). and take a look at vert... people first inverted backflips or whatever ages ago, those people would never have even considered doing a double backflip or a double flatspin, (especially as flatspins wernt even invented then!) Just because the idea of a new trick is easy (like, oh a couple of people can do 1260s, i will do a 1440) it doesnt make it any less creative or difficult to actually do. And besides all that, people can still be very creative with the lines that they do.

rich

[10]

i noticed that most people grind with arms outstretched. you never see anybody grinding with their hands in their pockets. how many people still grab while grinding?

[sam]

yea i noticed that, cause people concentrate on their feet and dont notice there arms are stretched out. i suck at grinding and i cant do any of the grab grinds so i dont have to worry about it :mrgreen:

[theboringlife]

i always stick my tongue out and pull stupid face's when i grind 8)

[10]

now, whenever i do royales...back royales in particular, i pretend i'm dry humping a girl. perverted, yet stylish.

[sam]

not a bad techinique... :P

[Rolla Mag]

year ago, in a vid called No more Mr nice guy, Tim Ward spun a sideways (flat) 360 over a hip on a 4 four concrete bowl... he went about four feet above the lip too... anyways, we just had to see if it could be done on vert. We tried for days, coming to the conclusion that to spin that way (flat) would be impossible on vert.

Ahh how I wish we didn't try harder. Look at us now. Tim Ward was one of the biggest innovators the sport has ever seen. I've seen him hit up comp runs made up entirely of tricks no ones ever seen before. Once, he came to our local ramp, and just for fun invented about 5 new grabs right in front of our eyes. In a few months I saw like 4 people doing them at the X-games (some of them, the "flying fish" and the "unity grab" or I think you guys call it an "indian air" or something like that).

We should all be more like Tim Ward, not just because he tried crazy new and wierd stuff ALL the time, but because he took them and added to them the element of danger that makes rollerblading so thrilling. (The next run after doing all these grabs, he did them in 6ft high 540s.)

I think there has to be a balance between danger and creativity. Somewhere inbetween the two is where the good stuff happens.