How a Joke Changed Rollerblading. What's the Hardest Thing About Rollerblading…?

Summary

The video script explores the rise and fall of rollerblading in the '90s, highlighting its peak as the fastest growing participation sport with 29.1 million enthusiasts. It delves into the impact of a homophobic joke on rollerblading's image and how it was overshadowed by skateboarding and snowboarding. The script discusses the evolution of rollerblading from its yuppie roots to an aggressive, risk-taking sport, and the eventual backlash it faced from societal attitudes and media portrayals, leading to its decline in popularity.

Takeaways

• 🛹 In the '90s, rollerblading experienced a rapid surge in popularity, becoming a fast-growing participation sport and cultural phenomenon.
• 🎥 The rise of rollerblading was closely followed by its depiction in movies, TV shows, and competitions like the X Games, which further boosted its mainstream success.
• 💡 Rollerblading's initial image was associated with wealthy yuppies and a fitness trend, but it later evolved into an aggressive, extreme sport aimed at the youth market.
• 🤸‍♂️ The sport's growth was fueled by a shift in marketing策略, with a focus on risk-taking, danger, and a rebellious attitude that resonated with teenagers.
• 🏆 Despite its initial success, rollerblading eventually lost traction due to a variety of factors, including a homophobic joke that became widely associated with the sport.
• 🎽 The joke 'What's the hardest thing about rollerblading? Telling your parents you're gay' significantly impacted rollerblading's image and deterred many from participating.
• 🚴‍♂️ Skateboarding and snowboarding, which also had aggressive marketing strategies, managed to maintain their popularity and even achieved mainstream success in the Olympics.
• 🤔 The stigmatization of rollerblading was partly due to its association with a lack of authenticity and a superficial image, in contrast to the DIY, punk roots of skateboarding.
• 📉 The decline of rollerblading was also influenced by a lack of a deep historical or cultural foundation, making it vulnerable to negative perceptions and stereotypes.
• 🤼‍♂️ Rollerblading's focus on hyper-masculinity and extreme stunts alienated some participants and contributed to its eventual decline in popularity.
• 🌐 Despite the decline, a dedicated rollerblading community remains, and the sport continues to evolve and find new directions.

Q & A

In the '90s, which sport was overshadowed by rollerblading in terms of participation numbers?

Skateboarding was overshadowed by rollerblading in terms of participation numbers, with rollerblading having 29.1 million participants compared to skateboarding's 4.5 million.

What was the impact of a homophobic joke on rollerblading's image and societal perception?

The homophobic joke that关联 to rollerblading significantly tarnished the sport's image, making it less appealing and leading to a decline in its popularity. It also affected attitudes within the rollerblading community and perpetuated a stigma that still has lasting effects today.

How did the Olsen brothers contribute to the early development of inline skating?

The Olsen brothers, Scott and Brennan, were hockey enthusiasts who wanted to do ice hockey training out of season. They discovered the Chicago inline skate from the 1960s, modified it, and came up with a modernized solution, which eventually led to the creation of the popular brand Rollerblade.

What was the role of Rob Dyrdek in the promotion of aggressive inline skating?

Rob Dyrdek played a significant role in the promotion of aggressive inline skating by targeting the carefree yuppies in California and effectively marketing the sport to a broader audience, leading to a boom in inline skating in the second half of the 1980s.

What was the significance of the video 'Dare to Wear' in the evolution of rollerblading?

The video 'Dare to Wear' was significant because it mocked the previous image of rollerblading as a trend for wealthy yuppies and showcased a new lifestyle and attitude. It marked a clear departure from the past and was one of the first prop skate videos, helping to define a new culture around aggressive inline skating.

How did the media and popular culture contribute to the decline of rollerblading?

Media and popular culture, including movies, songs, advertisements, and TV shows, often portrayed rollerblading in a negative light, using it as the punchline of jokes and reinforcing stereotypes. This widespread negative portrayal made rollerblading less appealing to the youth, leading to a decline in its popularity.

What was the role of the X Games in the growth of extreme sports, including rollerblading?

The X Games played a crucial role in the growth of extreme sports by providing a high-profile platform for athletes to showcase their skills. The success of inline skating at the X Games was a driving force behind the inclusion of skateboarding and BMXing, further capitalizing on the popularity of these sports.

How did the brand Senate influence the perception of rollerblading?

Senate, founded by Arlo Eisenberg and Brook Howard Smith, marketed itself with an edgy and rebellious image. Their controversial campaigns and slogans, such as 'destroy all girls,' attracted media attention and resonated with the angry youth culture, making Senate a symbol of aggressive inline skating and contributing to the sport's image.

What was the impact of the homophobic joke on the marketing strategies of skateboarding and rollerblading?

The homophobic joke negatively impacted the marketing strategies of rollerblading by associating the sport with homosexuality, which was seen as uncool and not masculine. This led to a decline in rollerblading's popularity, while skateboarding, which also used aggressive marketing, managed to distance itself from the joke and continued to grow.

How did the perception of masculinity in extreme sports affect rollerblading?

The perception of masculinity in extreme sports, which valued danger and risk-taking, led rollerblading to focus heavily on aggressive, high-amplitude stunts to prove its worth. This hyper-masculine approach alienated some participants and contributed to the sport's decline in popularity.

What are some ways the rollerblading community has evolved since the '90s?

Since the '90s, the rollerblading community has become more diverse, with a broader focus on different styles of skating, and has developed a tight-knit, supportive culture where members come together to support one another. The community has also progressed in different directions, with remnants of the aggressive skating style still present but not dominating the scene.

Outlines

00:00

🛼 The Rise and Fall of Rollerblading

This paragraph discusses the rapid rise of rollerblading in the '90s as the fastest growing participation sport, with over 29.1 million participants. It highlights the excitement around rollerblading, its peak during the X Games, and its overshadowing of skateboarding and snowboarding. However, it notes that despite the initial success, it was skateboarding and snowboarding that achieved mainstream success and recognition in the Olympics, leaving rollerblading behind. The paragraph sets the stage for exploring the factors that changed rollerblading's trajectory, including the impact of a homophobic joke on the sport's image and attitudes within the rollerblading community.

05:02

🎮 From Fitness Fad to Extreme Sport

This paragraph delves into the origins of rollerblading, tracing its momentum back to hockey enthusiasts in the '80s and the marketing strategies that transformed it into a fitness trend among yuppies. It then describes the shift in the '90s when rollerblading became associated with a more aggressive, rebellious image, driven by a desire to differentiate from the previous decade's trends. The paragraph also touches on the impact of media and pop culture, including movies and TV shows, on the popularity of rollerblading and its eventual association with a counterculture of young, risk-taking individuals.

10:04

🏳️‍🌈 The Phobic Joke That Changed Everything

This paragraph examines the homophobic joke that became synonymous with rollerblading and its damaging effects on the sport's image and community. It provides context on the targeted audience of aggressive inline skating and skateboarding, which were primarily teenage boys seeking to assert their masculinity. The paragraph discusses how the joke played into broader societal attitudes towards homosexuality in sports and how it contributed to the stigmatization and decline of rollerblading. It also reflects on the regret expressed by some within the skateboarding community for their role in perpetuating this harmful stereotype.

15:05

📉 The Shift in Extreme Sports Culture

This paragraph explores the cultural shift within extreme sports, particularly the rise of skateboarding and the decline of rollerblading. It discusses how skateboarding's deep-rooted, authentic culture and its connection to surfing and punk scenes gave it an edge over rollerblading. The paragraph also speculates on the reasons behind rollerblading's drop in popularity, including the impact of homophobia, the association with negative stereotypes, and the eventual exclusion from the X Games. It concludes by noting the resilience of the rollerblading community and the sport's evolution into more diverse directions.

20:05

🌐 The Lasting Impact of Prejudice

The final paragraph reflects on the long-term effects of the homophobic joke on rollerblading's perception and the broader societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals in sports. It acknowledges the progress society has made since the '90s and the diminishing relevance of homophobic internet warriors. The paragraph ends by expressing gratitude to the video creator's supporters and promoting other related content for viewers to explore.

Keywords

💡Rollerblading

Rollerblading, also known as inline skating, is the focus of the video. It is a sport that involves riding on special shoes with single rows of wheels, allowing for smooth movement on flat surfaces. In the '90s, it experienced a surge in popularity, becoming a fast-growing participation sport and a part of pop culture, as seen in movies, TV shows, and the X Games. However, it faced a decline due to various factors, including societal attitudes and the emergence of skateboarding and snowboarding.

💡Homophobic Joke

A homophobic joke is a derogatory remark or humor that targets or discriminates against people who identify as LGBTQ+. In the context of the video, a joke asking 'What's the hardest thing about rollerblading? Telling your parents you're gay' negatively impacted the perception of rollerblading, associating it with homosexuality in a derogatory manner. This stereotype was perpetuated in popular culture, leading to a decline in the sport's popularity among youth who sought to maintain a certain image of masculinity.

💡Skateboarding

Skateboarding is a sport and lifestyle that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. It has deep roots in DIY culture, punk, and surf, and has been associated with an anti-establishment attitude. In the '90s, skateboarding experienced a resurgence in popularity, partly due to its distinct identity and authenticity compared to rollerblading. The sport eventually found mainstream success and was included in the Olympics.

💡Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a winter sport that involves descending a snow-covered slope while standing on a board attached to a rider's feet. It gained mainstream popularity in the '90s and became an Olympic sport, similar to skateboarding. The rise of snowboarding, along with skateboarding, contributed to the decline in rollerblading's popularity as they both offered alternative extreme sports that were seen as more authentic and less associated with the negative stereotypes that affected rollerblading.

💡X Games

The X Games is an annual extreme sports event hosted and broadcast by ESPN, showcasing various disciplines such as skateboarding, BMX, and snowboarding. The event played a significant role in popularizing extreme sports, including rollerblading, in the '90s. However, as societal attitudes and sports preferences shifted, rollerblading was eventually removed from the X Games, further contributing to its decline in popularity.

💡Aggressive Inline Skating

Aggressive inline skating is a style of inline skating characterized by high-risk tricks, jumps, and grinds. It emerged as a response to the stigmatization of rollerblading and sought to redefine the sport as dangerous, risky, and hypermasculine. This approach aimed to reclaim rollerblading's image and distance it from the negative stereotypes associated with homosexuality.

💡Yuppies

Yuppies, short for 'young urban professionals,' are individuals who are young, urban, and professionals with higher incomes and a taste for upscale products and lifestyles. In the context of the video, yuppies were initially targeted as a market for rollerblading equipment in the '80s, contributing to the sport's early popularity. However, the association with yuppies and the neon spandex fashion of the time later became a source of ridicule and contributed to the decline in rollerblading's appeal.

💡Counterculture

Counterculture refers to the values, beliefs, and practices that oppose mainstream culture. In the '90s, skateboarding was associated with a countercultural movement that embraced anti-establishment attitudes, DIY ethics, and a punk aesthetic. This countercultural appeal helped skateboarding gain a distinct identity and contributed to its rise in popularity, in contrast to rollerblading, which was seen as more commercial and mainstream.

💡Marketing

Marketing is the process of promoting and selling products or services, including creating a brand image and targeting specific demographics. In the video, marketing strategies played a crucial role in shaping the public's perception of rollerblading and skateboarding. The aggressive marketing of rollerblading as a trendy, mainstream sport initially boosted its popularity but later contributed to its decline when the sport became associated with negative stereotypes.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine, original, and true to one's own character or identity. In the context of the video, the authenticity of skateboarding and its roots in DIY culture, surfing, and punk helped it maintain a strong following and eventually surpass rollerblading in popularity. Rollerblading, on the other hand, struggled with authenticity due to its initial association with yuppies and the commercialization of the sport.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes are widely held but oversimplified and often prejudiced ideas about a particular group or thing. In the video, the stereotype of rollerblading being associated with homosexuality due to a homophobic joke had a lasting negative impact on the sport's image. This stereotype was perpetuated by popular culture and contributed to the decline in rollerblading's popularity among youth seeking to project a certain image of masculinity.

Highlights

In the '90s, rollerblading was the fastest growing participation sport, with 29.1 million participants.

Rollerblading's popularity was overshadowed by skateboarding and snowboarding, which achieved mainstream success and made it to the Olympics.

A homophobic joke changed society's view of rollerblading and affected attitudes within the sport, leading to its decline in popularity.

The Olsen brothers, who were hockey enthusiasts, modernized inline skating by creating the brand Rollerblade.

Inline skating boomed in the '80s, becoming synonymous with the trends of the time, including bright colors, tight spandex, and neon.

The youth wanted to take rollerblading in a different direction, focusing on tricks and a more aggressive style.

The video 'Dare to Wear' marked a shift in rollerblading culture, showcasing a new lifestyle and attitude.

The '90s saw the rise of aggressive inline skating, with a focus on risk-taking and a masculine image.

Skateboarding and rollerblading had a tense relationship, with skateboarders viewing rollerblading as inauthentic and tied to yuppie culture.

The homophobic joke 'What's the hardest thing about rollerblading? Telling your parents you're gay' became widespread and damaging to rollerblading's image.

The stigma around gay athletes in sports made the homophobic joke particularly harmful and long-lasting.

Rollerblading's rapid rise to mainstream attention meant it lacked a deep history or culture to fall back on when targeted by jokes and stereotypes.

As rollerblading's popularity declined, skateboarding saw significant growth, becoming the fastest growing participation sport.

The X Games removed rollerblading from their competition lineup in 2005, dealing a significant blow to the sport.

Despite the decline, rollerblading has continued to progress in various directions and maintained a tight-knit community.

The legacy of the homophobic joke still persists, with remnants of that time period affecting current rollerblading culture.

Society has largely moved on from the homophobic attitudes of the '90s, but the impact on rollerblading remains.

Rollerblading's focus on being tough, risky, and hyper-masculine has shaped its current state and community.

Transcripts

in the '90s rollerblading was the

fastest growing participation sport

there was loads of excitement around it

movies TV shows the X Games at its peak

there were 29.1 million participants

overshadowing skateboarding with 4.5

million and snowboarding with 3.8

million it looked like it was on course

to dominate extreme sports for years to

come but it was actually skateboarding

and snowboarding that went on to

mainstream success in the Olympics while

rollerblading was left behind now

there's many factors that altered its

trajectory and in today's video we're

going to have a look at how a homophobic

joke not only changed society's view of

rollerblading but also affected

attitudes within rollerblading and how

it still rears its ugly head today

almost 30 years later what's the hardest

thing about rollerblading telling your

parents you're gay one little homophobic

joke killed that entire F all the stunts

are performed by professionals do not

attempt this yourself to get the full

picture and understand where the joke

came from and how it had such an effect

it's back to the 80s Pac-Man was

munching pills Michael Jordan was named

NBA Rookie of the Year disco was

replaced with new wave leg warmers were

in spandex was bright hair was big and

inline skating was picking up pace

momentum started with hockey enthusiasts

Scott and Brennan olssen wanting to do

ice hockey training out of season they

discovered the Chicago an inline skatee

from the 60s tinkered about a bit with

it and came up with a modernized

solution and everything's the same

except for the ice

surface plus a handy brand name

rollerblade nice name marketing to

hockey players went pretty well and by'

86 the industry was bringing in $7

million pretty decent but there was a

bigger Market out there insteps robing

the agley with his Colgate smile and

plan of action let's get down to

California and Target the Carefree

yuppies they love a slice of any old

Trend and it worked an absolute treat

inline skating boomed in the second half

of the 80s it was everywhere Nagi and

the boys did so well with rollerblade

everyone started calling inline skating

rollerblading roller the Creator not the

imit with these homeboy you're going to

skate it became synonymous with all the

other trends at the time any bit of

flatland looked like an 80s mobile disco

and some of the inline skating fits

seamlessly transitioned from a cruise

down the broadwalk to the nightclub

there was lots of bright colors a fair

bit of tight spandex flying about a drop

of neon it was all fun happy gol lucky

but it was a little bit driving there

was absolutely zero Edge it was more for

wealthy yuppies with enormous mobile

phones who wanted to be a part of the

latest Fitness Trend or people who just

fancy the dance around you know when you

got to blow out some steam just going

invert it like bam but the youth had

other ideas and wanted to take it in a

different direction people started doing

tricks and when Chris Edwards did the

first grind on a rail in 1991 things

really kicked off individual Agra Rebel

Sport at its finest you know a new side

of inline skating was trying to make a

name for itself and they wanted nothing

to do with the ler and the dancing of

the80s they made a very clear point of

this by mocking it in 1993 in a video

called dare to wear which people site as

one of the first prop escate

videos the ad for it even said burn the

spandex sell the cones along with the

obvious dig at the past the video

showcased a different lifestyle and

attitude than what had been seen before

a whole new skill level was bursting

through it was far more risky and

dangerous and it actually had like a

little bit of

edge the same year Daily Bread magazine

started to come out it became the voice

of this new movement and a source of

information on this new culture which

was now commercially branded aggressive

in mind skating things continued to go

turbo the ' 80s provided the platform

while the '90s hoofed it out the parth

Hollywood Came Calling at the start of

the decade you had prayer for the roller

boys with Cory ha and Patricia aret then

there was Airborne which actually had

Chris Edwards as part of it hackers with

Angelina Jolie and Johnny Lee Min and of

course Brink when you woke up this

morning did you say to yourself today

I'm going to talk or today I'm going to

skate pop culture Hub MTV was all over

it there was televised competitions with

the N National inline skating seral in

1994 being a particularly pivotal one

the whole event was aired on ESPN and

was a huge success and what many people

don't know is the inline skating success

here was the driving force behind the X

Games this was all backed up with

participation numbers and the revenue

being generated according to National

Sporting Goods Association statistics

inline skating had 24 million

participants skateboarding had 4.5

million snowboarding 3.8 there was no

argument and that year inline skating

was pulling in six $50 million Q the X

Games in 1995 to capitalize off inline

skating success bringing skateboarding

BMXing with it the Staple Center is

going ballistic it was another stage for

skating a step further away from the

neon spandex of the80s and present

itself in this cool exciting

counterculture full of young kids that

can make a name for themselves oh my

goodness well over 10 ft High during

these years iconic skate videos mad beef

and the hoax and inline crime were

released which made up the birth of real

Street skating and propelled Arlo

Eisenberg and Brook Howard Smith into

notoriety these were followed by hoax to

Anarchy Across America which gave a

glimpse into roller blad's lifestyle and

showed the reach of skating as they met

fans touring from City to City at the

same time came one of the most iconic

brands in rollerblading Senate obviously

the reason we have the name Senate is

because we wanted a name it sounded

powerful but also that was corrupt and

also we want The Color of Money the

company was started by Arlo And Brook

with the help of Mark heiniken and they

were motivated by their anger towards

rollerblade and their poor quality

products they not making stuff that can

take what we dish out they presented

themselves as rebellious leaning into

the angry youth appeal which was

captured in their edgy and controversial

marketing campaigns the company's ads

often featured evocative images and

slogans and it was this angsty approach

that b the media retention but the motto

for this company has people saying

they've gone too far they slipped in a

slogan on their clothes that reads

destroy all girls so here's what all the

excitement's about they were tapped into

exactly what the youth wanted the more

parents and Authority heighted it the

more kids absolutely loved it and they

continued to feed off that when's the

last time when your mom said hey you

cannot buy this shirt anymore the kids

like yes Mom you are right this is

really ridiculous I don't want this

shirt no more it it just doesn't happen

the brand was shot into the stratosphere

it transcended rollerblading into

mainstream culture and once Bravo got

involved with their financial backing

they took Senate to cult-like status if

you walked into school in some Senate

gear everybody knew what you were about

Senate and rollerblading was a symbol of

angry youth they were selling an

attitude and a lifestyle and they were

doing well off it in 1996 97 we made

13.5 million at this point inline

skating was the fastest growing Sport

with 29.1 million participants it had

everything going for it videos magazines

competition stars and Brands all telling

the youth they can skate fast jump high

grind this SC that be extreme be

aggressive they were dealing boisterous

masculinity to a market absolutely

gagging for it doing dangerous stuff

maybe a little stupid but that was seen

as cool and as a kid in the '90s that

was a measure of success and

status not everyone was best pleased

about this this was skate

skateboarding's marketing strategy and

appeal as well but they had struggled to

get where they were by the ' 90s

skateboarding had been through the

ringer a fair few times its Origins can

be traced back to the late 40s 1950s

when Surfers in Southern California

wanted something for when the surf was

flat it was all very DIY to begin with

and this became ingrained in their

culture from the GetGo early Pioneer

Bill Richards was one of the first

people to attach roller skates to a

wooden board you remember the Chicago

skate that inspired the Olsen Brothers

it was the same Chicago skate company

that supplied bill with the axle holding

trucks and the wheels it got big but

crashed out in 1965 it rose again in

the' 70s which was popularized in 2005

film Lords of Dogtown yeah nice T nice

it saw another dip towards the80s but

this only hardened its core becoming

underground pushed its DIY routs it

became intertwined with the punk scene

and was the calling card of

anti-establishment culture frasher was

born and skateboarding developed a

really strong sense of style and image

really h on what it was authentically

all about a nightmare for parents and

corporations an absolute dream for

angsty kids if developing authentic you

appe and culture was a group project

skateboarding had put in all the hard

graph rollerblade and Cara came along

signed its name at the bottom and took

half the glory I'll take that

skateboarding didn't see rollerblading

as authentic to them rollerblading had

come from yupp clad and neon and was

gifted its place the whole hockey thing

was kind of forgotten about whereas

skateboarding came from from a DIY

mentality with connections to Surfin and

the punk scene they were very proud of

their roots and their underground

culture so a big part of what had push

rollerblading into the mainstream had

become a Target and as we've seen

rollerblading was already aware of this

insecurity it's for hard SK right like

me like me then came the joke what's the

hardest thing about rollerblading

telling your parents that you're gay

that one little joke the whole thing

went away I never understood it now that

Clips Bill Burr reflecting on his effect

prior to that you had aiz and zar take

on the joke on MTV's human giant in 2007

they say the hardest part of

rollerblading is telling your parents

you're gay and um I got to say I found

that to be true today there's examples

of it in chat forums way before this and

although it's hard to Source the origins

of it I remember it being thrown around

in the '90s and then from then on it was

just synonymous with rollerblading and

he's he's got roller blades on and just

a thorn he just rollerblading

like and I actually had to stop jogging

cuz I needed my whole body to [ __ ]

hate this guy with to understand why it

had such an impact and why it was even

considered an insult in the first place

needs a little bit more context the

target audience were both aggressive in

mind skating and skateboarding was

primarily teenage boys at that stage

you're trying to find yourself maybe a

little bit insecure and high school was

a Battleground it was your personal

1066 among the phrases getting thrown

around in the 90s like talk to the hand

or your mom jokes your mother's no

the worst thing he could be called was a

total posers or lame and if boys were

being particularly vicious they might

call someone a [ __ ] or gay stop you

[ __ ] it wouldn't be uncommon to hear

some boys egging each other on by going

do this don't be a [ __ ] interchangeable

with do this don't be gay it was

homophobia under the guise of dismissing

someone or something as undesirable

uncool not tough and not masculine it

doesn't make it acceptable but that was

the mindset for some kids and teenagers

in the '90s masculinity was proven by

doing more dangerous stuff than your

friends skateboarding and rollerblading

were branded as ways to do this so when

the masculinity of that comes into

question that part of the marketing

takes a hit and some would argue that

was a whole of aggressive inline

skating's marketing a section of

skateboarding lent into the homophobia

infamously seen in Big Brother's

magazine issue 69 called the worst issue

ever editor Dave Carney went hunting for

a rollerblader and his the scene

parading the crocodile hunter while

wrestling Arlo Eisenberg Arlo sportingly

took place in the video and an interview

all Lan to ridicule him and

rollerblading they sold fruit Bo

stickers and t-shirts that intertwined

with the Gay Pride flag and a

rollerblade in an interview with ski mag

Dave Carney cringes looking back at what

they did we probably took it too far we

took everything too far that was the

point as a teenager it's a lot easier to

say what you hate than what you love and

what you're about and I think a lot of

skateboarders it's horrible to say it

wasn't right but it was homophobia and

that's why everyone called them gay and

fruit booies and I don't think it's

incorrect to say that skateboarding Mo

rollering out of existence outside of

skateboarding you had songs like Do the

Hustle from gut mouth with lyrics like

you stupid FG rollerbladers roller

Wonderland guzzling fruit cake I hope

you break your hands targeting roller

beading became part of American popular

culture in Big Daddy Adam Sanders

character trips up a rollerblader in

Central Park former pro skateboarder Rob

deck would show rollerblading Bales or

Screaming BL on his MTV show oh

god there was a Dos eest guy the most

interesting man in the world just saying

no to rollerblading in a national TV

advert no even Sex in the City played

Into The Stereotype how do you even know

he's gay I've seen him rollerblading on

Eighth Avenue oh and of course Jacka

a cultural phenomenon making multiple

jokes about rollering over the years

inline skating had become an easy target

people wanted no association with it

Mike hatri the resident extreme skater

on Skate to ski training videos that

rollerblade produced became an executive

at K2 and recalls a snowboarder standing

up in a meeting screaming what the [ __ ]

are we doing selling inline skates

raging that K2 was even in that field

rollerblading quick rise to mainstream

attention meant it didn't have a deep

history or culture it could fall back

onto when it was targeted it was still

young unrefined even its stars were

awkward teens the best rollerbladers in

the videos and magazines look confident

and stylish but that's hard to achieve

it requires controlled body movements

rollerblading is easy to make look

clumsy you end up looking like you're

half steaming arms flying about the

place like you're at some hardcore gig

legs going all over the shop and that

doesn't feel cool rollerbladers had been

sold this aggressive tough image but

doing it for the first few times you

feel insecure and a little bit silly I'm

not going to lie guys I'm struggling I

don't know if I can do this you know I

really don't know if I can do this on

top of that you got popular culture

making a joke of it and playing off

those insecurities just to reiterate

it's not a few local skateboarders

cracking jokes it's in movies songs

adverts and TV of course viewing any of

these attributes is bad or indicative of

a specific sexual preference is utterly

ridiculous but that's how skate culture

in the '90s was framing it being tough

and taking risks was presented as

masculine anything outside of that was

seen as feminine and homosexual which is

totally Bonkers as a sign of the stigma

around gay athletes in sports it was

considered historic when Michael Sam

announced he was gay in

2014 making him the first openly gay man

to be drafted into the NFL within

skateboarding specifically legendary

skater Brian Anderson didn't come out

publicly until

2016 hid in the fact he was gay a fear

it would end his pro career he was aware

skateboarding's history could be traced

with homophobia he remembers hearing

homophobic slurs I'm thinking at a young

age it was really dangerous to talk

about because I was pretty freaked out

you know what I mean I was really scared

and people would have perceived it a lot

differently I think had I said this 15

years ago a sad theme across the stories

of athletes announcing they are gay is

how massive a consideration it was how

they were scared how they were advised

not to and how a lot of them waited

until until they left the sport to avoid

scrutiny leaving the '90s and into the

2000s rollerblading started to drop and

skateboarding started to rise

skateboarding saw 60% growth between

1999 and 2001 in a roll reversal it

became the fastest growing participation

sport while overall participation for

rollerblading still had the edge it was

males in the youth where skateboarding

took over age ranges specifically 12 to

17 and 18 to 24 of course this is

speculative interpretation there are

many reasons why rollerblading dropped

and skateboarding Roose but this was the

age range and gender both were trying to

appeal to and also those who would be

more likely to react to being labeled

gang the youth would be the driving

force in any extreme sports and their

presence was an indication of a healthy

scene Brands knew this and started to

drop out of rollerblading as the youth

moved away and Other Extreme Sports

didn't need much of an excuse to shoe

rollerblading out of the X Games which

happened in 2005 and was a huge blow get

out of my Pub understandably people left

because of the homophobia because of the

jokes because of the hassle and some

people didn't even start of course

people stayed with it as well but at

auge change within rollerblading

rollerblading doubled down on being

tough risky dangerous and Hyper

masculine and for some people they took

it very serious every picture in the

magazine was jump on slide down we

always made the joke look at how

heterosexual rollerblading is of course

with any extreme sport driven by the

youth there's going to be one upmanship

there's going to be ego there's going to

be people pushing the boundaries to see

where they can go with it but roller

belly went particularly turbo in This

One Direction the jokes weren't just

brushed off it felt like rollerblading

was trying to prove a point as if it

agreed to the Absurd notion that if it

didn't look and feel masculine if it

wasn't dangerous then it wasn't of value

anything skateboarding can do it was

going to do bigger and better the

amplitude went off the charts and of

course roll B in benefited from some

insane footage 4x4s leading the blind is

a stuntfest it's absolutely mental

Legends were made during this time and

although other styles did exist

aggressive rollerblading had a blinkered

focus on hammers aggressive

rollerblading turned on itself somewhat

any form of rollerblading that wasn't

Street skain was seen as embarrassing

even within aggressive skain if it

wasn't massively de defying if it wasn't

a massive hammer it was seen as just

supporting skateboarding's claim you

then get a generation of skaters

emulating what they see thinking that's

all skating is or is allowed to be but

how could you become the cool Street

skater without first being allowed

months maybe even years of being clumsy

having a narrow range of what was

acceptable and promoted in roller

beading wasn't sustainable especially

when there was no Financial backing just

having a skateboard was edgy and cool

but even skateboarding seen a drop they

expanded beyond the anti-establishment

Punk attitude marketing to become more

commercial even making it to the

Olympics the hamerson approach a roller

blade and didn't stop the drop off and

amplitude was being rewarded less and

less but this did positively open things

up for a broader focus and approach to

rollerblading and the smaller Community

became tighter knit there really is no

other community like the rollerblading

community in terms of when we need to

come together to support one another we

do it rollerblading has continued to

progress but in Far More different

directions there's still remnants of

that time period anytime a rollerblading

video breaks a certain threshold in

views you start to get the comments and

the jokes and that sadly speaks to the

longlasting effect of a homophobic joke

and how synonymous it was even within

Rollin you still have people saying

where are the Hammers referring to any

other type of skating as tap dancing or

a feminite as if that's a bad thing

people see wizard skating as a threat to

aggressive skating and that he's gay

there's certain attitudes in society

that would never change even making

these jokes and claims in the '90s was

absolutely absurd but thankfully Society

has moved on a lot since then and these

homophobic internet Warriors are seen as

dinosaurs that Society is Left Behind

huge thank you to my patreons and my

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until I'm back spotty dog