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Roller Blades vs Roller Skates

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Dartful Dodger:
I went to a roller rink last weekend.
The last time I went to a roller rink I was in college.  The rink was empty, a year later that roller rink closed down.   I figured roller rinks died with arcades.  I was surprised there were still roller rinks left, and when we got there it was packed, packed with kids.

At the door they asked me if I wanted to rent rollerblades or skates.  I figured no one used skates anymore so I rented blades.

When we got in the rink, everybody had skates.  Not rented ones, they had their own skates, some with wheels that lit up and others with ground effects.  The lights were low, so it looked like a night club.

Everybody was doing tricks, synchronized skating, and break dancing on skates.  It was really bizarre, It was like a cross from a beach movie from the 70s and some 90s style rave.

I thought blades replaced skates, but everybody who had any talent was on skates.

When did skates make a come back?

Why were skates preferred over blades?

ChadTower:

Blades are often harder to use on laquered wood surfaces.  I used to play a lot of indoor roller hockey and the guys with skates were a little more agile because of the base the skates provided them on that slick floor.  Outdoors, no contest, rollerblades are going to be more effective, but you were indoors where skates are the tradition.

boykster:
I dunno bout recreational skating (don't think there are any left around these parts), but chad's right on with respect to hockey.  I used to play pretty competitive roller hockey, and we'd split between indoor rinks and outdoor ones (either concrete or asphalt).  For indoor matches, I'd totally swap out my wheels for super soft ones because the surface was WAY too smooth.

Then I blew my hamstring and thus ended my hockey career  :banghead:

ChadTower:

You can let roller skates guide your direction more than blades, too, which is how the lighter guys on skates used to pull off freaky little twist moves you couldn't do on rollerblades or on ice.  Made it all the more frustrating, as a Canadain born physical player, that I couldn't knock their heads off when they shot by within reach.

boykster:
our "club" league didnt' allow parallel skates, or roller skates.  you could modify your inline skates -> ie change wheels, wheel size, angle of wheels, etc, but they had to be in a single line or no less that 4 wheels.

I think I still have my hockey skates around here somewhere.....

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