I’m Getting in Shape This Month Like It’s 1991

Is something that was once cool so quickly become less cool than roller skates? Back in the early 1990s, in the wake of the 80s fitness boom , Americans were still desperately trying to get carried away by whatever fitness craze that emerged, spurred on by these two pillars of capitalism – consumption and the feeling that something was wrong with your body, which can only be fixed by throwing money at it. And when everyone finally realized that tracksuits look stupid and jazzerism is as awkward as it sounds , they thought, “What if roller skates, but futuristic?” there was definitely a way. Then came the 2000s, and with them a complete rejection of the optimism and energy of the 90s – or maybe we just realized that the belt bags are deeply dumb. But oh, obviously, waist packs are back in fashion, so why not roller skate? That’s why this month, for the Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, I’m buckling on my wheels and training like it’s 1991. The history of roller skating (which I would informally call “roller skating,” but technically Rollerblade is still a trademark of the brand) goes back a long way back than the heady days of neon and belt backpacks. Legend (and a Google search) tells me that skates with wheels in a line were invented in the 1700s, well before the 2×2 clamshell, which are traditional roller skates that debuted in 1863 (inviting you to introduce Abraham Lincoln and Roberta E. Lee settling the War between the States with an epic roller-skating duel.) Inline skating did not come into practice in the United States until the 1980s, when some Minnesota hockey players revived the design to help them train outside the ice during the warmer months . Within ten years, it became the next fitness fashion, growing in popularity regionally and then skyrocketing across the country; It’s hard not to link this in my mind with the nationwide obsession at that time with “California cool”: high technology, long hair, strange slang, Beverly Hills, 90210 , surfing and, of course, ice skating. I was born and raised from the Midwest, which means I was never cool (the fact that I lived in Brooklyn for seven years only emphasizes), but even I could not escape the dream of living in a land of sun and surf, where they all had a car like Dylan McKay and spoke like Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . For these and many other reasons, roller skating was a radical definition for the little idiot living in the Chicago suburbs in the early 90s. In elementary, middle, and high school, I owned roller skates and used them regularly, changing to more expensive ones along the way. I’ve never done anything really cool (no tricks other than rolling backwards), but I’ve always felt super cool while riding. And almost no one else either. The last time I put on my skates was around the time I graduated from college in early August, and by that time I was already a rare person to skate around campus. Skating has finally become not cool, admits Arnav “Sonic” Shah. He is a Certified Skating Instructor and owner of the Kinetic Expression Skate Shop in Queens, the only specialty inline skate shop in New York City. He started playing sports in 1997, but unlike almost everyone else, he never stopped.

“I lived in college skating,” Shah says, “and in New York it’s easy to skate and skate everywhere.” But while he was active in local skating groups like the Empire Skate Club , it was hard not to notice that he was part of an aging demographic. “I showed up in figure skating groups and everyone was in their 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s. There weren’t any young [figure skating] people at that time.”

It’s hard to say why roller skates fell out of fashion so quickly. “If you ask 10 different people why, you get 10 reasons why the accident happened,” says Shah. “It got too popular, too fast, and everyone moved on to the next case.” He notes that the problems were compounded by people adopting this habit because it was a whim that prevented them from being successful. “You had running shoe stores that sold skates, so they just put people in whatever and set them up wrong – they were the wrong size, they didn’t know where to go next, and if they had one bad experience, they were ready, they don’t ride anymore. “

It’s crazy that a city as big as New York didn’t have skate shops before Shah opened his business last year as a kind of “pandemic project.” Although on that revival of roller derby has become something of a spiritual movement, and skateboarding was revived , roller skating lagged – but it looks like it’s finally changing. In isolation, people were looking for more reasons to get out, Shah notes, and at least some of them started to go out in the high-90s style.

“Everything seems to have a 30-year popularity cycle,” says Shah, so inline definitely has a retro appeal. “Plus people forgot, ice skating is cool. They had an image of waist packs, knee pads, silly movements and awkwardness. But skating movements have evolved. ” Yes, there are new forms – magical ice skating , for example, which he describes as a mixture of artistry and aggressive movement, reminiscent of parkour – but another important reason is that 30 years later the equipment is much better. “As with skis,” says Shah. “Once the skis are easier to use, you can do a lot more with them without having to be in good shape right away.” “Every piece of equipment is much better,” he says. “The boots are much more comfortable, the shell is much lighter, the frames are almost entirely made of aluminum, the wheel technology has improved so they last longer and are easier to turn.” The wheels are also bigger , “which is why some people choose three wheels instead of four, so you get more speed and maintain maneuverability. They are a little more difficult to deal with, but the pleasure factor is really high. All by all rules: you put on [skates], and it’s nice. “

“Beautiful” is not how I would describe my memories of mid-range skates from the 90s, so when I wanted to get back into the sport, I asked Shah exactly how to buy roller skates in 2021.

How to find the right roller skates for you

Browsing skate shops online, I was intrigued by the new technology, but didn’t know if it was right for me. Tricycles are generally recommended for intermediate skaters. But is it me? I haven’t skated regularly in almost two decades. I used to be good enough to quickly skate around town without even falling, but I had no intention of skating in parks or doing stunts.

Three wheels or four?

Unsurprisingly for the guy who runs a skate shop that runs by appointment only, Shah prefers one-on-one consultations with his clients to see what they’re looking for – aggressive skiing, treadmills, commuting, fitness, speed? But generally for people who are skating for the first time or want to return to them again, he recommends a smaller four-wheel setup. “It’s much easier to learn everything, much easier to control, and it’s still much faster than the settings before,” he says. “Power transfer is better, skates are lighter, wheels are better, so my general rule of thumb is to put people on a four-wheel set.” If people seem to be really into sports or very athletic and want speed and cruising, he’ll let them try the three-wheeled option, but for the average skater who wants to move or commute to work, four wheels are the way to go. However, the path remains – they are more stable, stop easier and do not go too fast.

What kind of protective gear do you really need?

Nothing is less cool than safety gear, but I’m old enough to seriously injure myself if I fall, and my sense of self-preservation has only intensified over the years. So what kind of protective gear does a beginner in roller skating really need these days? “This is a tricky question because people have many different opinions about security,” Shah says. “I remind them that the most important thing is to ride in a controlled environment.” But from most important to least important, he recommends:

• Helmet: “The likelihood that you will need a helmet for skating is much less than for cycling, but you need a helmet to save your life.” (For all his experience, Shah still wears a helmet when skating on city streets, or maybe not in a park.)
• Wrist protection: People often fall onto their hands, and wrist fractures are the most common injury.
• Knee pads and elbow pads: “These are the same pads, the same pads are sold.”
• Thigh / Buttock Pads : If you want to go the extra mile, you can also protect your thighs or tailbone.

Overall, Shah says, you should consider your risk profile: How comfortable are you on wheels? What do you want to do? How fast will you go? Where are you going to ride? How big are you as a kid with scratched knees? (I added the last one.) Equip yourself appropriately.

After consulting with Shah, I decided to stay with the traditional four-wheeled skates and helmet – both Lifehacker greens naturally (they are really pretty good). Next week I’ll let you know how my first few weeks went after getting back on the wheels. Hopefully I’ll move on.