Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

What killed aggressive inline skating?

profile picture
evaroni
Posts: 3895 - Karma: 3,781
After dudes thread about what to wear skating I went down a wormhole of vids watching guys shred the gnar on blades. I remember in the early 00’s when the sport was peaking (and all things “extreme” i.e. Surge soda) it got lots of heat from skateboarers and often heard the term “fruitboot”. Then I remember the x games dropped all inline events and that was about it.

So what was the root for the demise of the boot? With the style of swerv skiing looking almost exactly like inline will new wave cause skiing to follow the same downfall?
6 years ago
5 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52624 - Karma: 174,603
I miss that chick. Fabiola de silva? is that right? that would compete with the dudes. Also there was that one guy that would flip out about the judging and almost cry when he didn't get his way.
6 years ago
3 0
profile picture
GayWolf420
Posts: 38097 - Karma: 129,727
Skating being like 100x more culturally impactful than blading sadly. Shit like kids wearing Thrasher shirts without even stepping foot on a board.
6 years ago
4 0
profile picture
GayWolf420
Posts: 38097 - Karma: 129,727
not to mention, i felt like the prime of blading was also caught up in the mid to late 90s bullshit of "This is cool, That isnt" and people trying too hard to be cool and skating was "cool" whereas BMX and blading were for homos or something, kinda like the skier vs. boarder rift
6 years ago
7 0
profile picture
270on420out
Posts: 7524 - Karma: 51,324
Action sports in general took a nose dive after the 2000s. Aggressive skating probably just suffered a lot more compared to other sports because of its niche market.
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9244 - Karma: 5,692
Also skateboarding sells shoes. My local skateshop easily makes most of its money selling ultra swag kids shoes rather than hardgoods.
6 years ago
2 0
profile picture
ALMIGHTYSOSA
Posts: 2800 - Karma: 2,102
bruh reel sacred skreet ridas kno dat fruitbootin was neva positive n waz derogatori... inline Neva been poppin brotha da reel culta iz n rollaskatin. roll thru on soul nite mane get yo groove on.

**This post was edited on Mar 28th 2019 at 10:18:10pm
6 years ago
8 1
profile picture
DirtYStylE
Posts: 3652 - Karma: 8,892
Easy. The kids found something more popular. Like...




6 years ago
9 0
profile picture
skierman
Posts: 8600 - Karma: 9,520
DIRTYBUBBLEAction sports in general took a nose dive after the 2000s. Aggressive skating probably just suffered a lot more compared to other sports because of its niche market.


You're a fucking moron. Freeride and slope MTBing, street skating and park skiing are just a few examples of action sports that were going strong after the 2000s.
6 years ago
0 8
profile picture
GrandThings
Posts: 3305 - Karma: 34,129
skiermanYou're a fucking moron. Freeride and slope MTBing, street skating and park skiing are just a few examples of action sports that were going strong after the 2000s.


You should change your name to MountainBikeBoy instead of skierman. It'd be more representative of both your actual interests and maturity level.

Also action sports 100% went into a lull in the late 90s early 2000's. Even Tony Hawk was having trouble getting paid. Pretty much every action sports star that was around then talks about it in articles/interviews/podcasts. If you had even two brain cells to learn or do a bit of research you'd probably realize there's more to this than "huurrr durr moutain-biking is still around"
6 years ago
4 0
profile picture
skierman
Posts: 8600 - Karma: 9,520
GrandThingsYou should change your name to MountainBikeBoy instead of skierman. It'd be more representative of both your actual interests and maturity level.

Also action sports 100% went into a lull in the late 90s early 2000's. Even Tony Hawk was having trouble getting paid. Pretty much every action sports star that was around then talks about it in articles/interviews/podcasts. If you had even two brain cells to learn or do a bit of research you'd probably realize there's more to this than "huurrr durr moutain-biking is still around"


Skate pipe declined in that time because of the rise in popularity of street skating, you fucking moron. Hurrr durr I guess I should change my name to "skaterboy" because I know more about skateboarding than your ignorant ass.
6 years ago
5 5
profile picture
Demillsta
Posts: 395 - Karma: 1,214
skiermanSkate pipe declined in that time because of the rise in popularity of street skating, you fucking moron. Hurrr durr I guess I should change my name to "skaterboy" because I know more about skateboarding than your ignorant ass.

Damn really had to do him like that
6 years ago
4 1
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52624 - Karma: 174,603
DIRTYBUBBLEAction sports in general took a nose dive after the 2000s. Aggressive skating probably just suffered a lot more compared to other sports because of its niche market.


I think the 90s kind of worked with it. Not all the sports were new but it was sort of new to the mainstream. Everything was at it's peak in a sense. The music, the culture, the action sports. It all kind of meshed. early 90s- early 2000s was the top. Everything kind of fell off after that at least in quality if nothing else.

Maybe it was technology, maybe it was just the end of an era, but 2000s seemed like the death of that counterculture vibe.
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
GrandThings
Posts: 3305 - Karma: 34,129
skiermanSkate pipe declined in that time because of the rise in popularity of street skating, you fucking moron. Hurrr durr I guess I should change my name to "skaterboy" because I know more about skateboarding than your ignorant ass.


Soo it got less popular....because it got more popular? I bet you ripped it up in the Rye "skate pipe"
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
skierman
Posts: 8600 - Karma: 9,520
GrandThingsSoo it got less popular....because it got more popular? I bet you ripped it up in the Rye "skate pipe"


You're a fucking idiot if you don't understand that.
6 years ago
1 5
profile picture
270on420out
Posts: 7524 - Karma: 51,324
skiermanYou're a fucking moron. Freeride and slope MTBing, street skating and park skiing are just a few examples of action sports that were going strong after the 2000s.


No one cares about mountain biking
6 years ago
7 4
profile picture
iH8pow
Posts: 1887 - Karma: 8,500
I wanna know why the same thing can’t happen to skiing. Except way more corporate influence. If competitions on TV can just get one kid into park skiing, then his whole family might start dropping big $$ to travel to a Vail resort, stay at a pricey hotel, eat overpriced foods... street skating just costed communities $$ needing to build skate parks.
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
FruitBootPro
Posts: 3176 - Karma: 14,528
Yay a blading thread!

Honestly idk tho, and I don’t care that much bc there are tons of good products still coming out and pros still doing crazy shit. The scene, albeit small, is alive. It’s fucking fun and I like doing it, and that’s most of what matters to me.

Sometimes it gets me heated that the top bladers get like barely paid (see Joe Atkinson) compared to the top skateboarders, but then I remind myself that there are tons of super skilled skateboarders (probably the majority) that also don’t make shit. Same principle applies to even the most popular sports.

Maybe it died bc of skateboarding clowning it, but skateboarders also tend to clown scootering rn and it’s still super popular so honestly idk. Again I don’t really care that much anyway.

P.S. don’t engage skierman
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
labubu-craze
Posts: 849 - Karma: 2,989
Just because something isn't seen on the telly all the time doesn't mean it's dead. You hardly see shit about Figure skating for example yet it is a huge sport!
6 years ago
1 1
profile picture
FruitBootPro
Posts: 3176 - Karma: 14,528
GRaboneSnowJust because something isn't seen on the telly all the time doesn't mean it's dead. You hardly see shit about Figure skating for example yet it is a huge sport!


Figure skating is super hyped in the Olympics lmao. Even other niche sports get tons of views on YouTube and shit while the best new blading edits get like less than 10k...
6 years ago
2 0
profile picture
labubu-craze
Posts: 849 - Karma: 2,989
buyfulltiltsFigure skating is super hyped in the Olympics lmao. Even other niche sports get tons of views on YouTube and shit while the best new blading edits get like less than 10k...


Oh dang
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
snowmosexual
Posts: 1941 - Karma: 10,085
DIRTYBUBBLENo one cares about mountain biking

I feel like mountain biking is starting to make a comback, mainly in the skiing community, because the equipment is a lot better than it was in the 2000s. Of course it will never be as popular as skiing or skateboarding because it's expensive as fuck. I think a big reason why skateboarding took off so easily is because the cheapest complete boards are around $50 new and a good board is less than $200. Even aggressive blades were at least 120 if I remember correctly. Also skateboarding is a much more practical mode of transportation if you are just trying to get around town.
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Demillsta
Posts: 395 - Karma: 1,214
If yall wanna see some sick clips look at Duran and harbor bickmore on the gram
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
FruitBootPro
Posts: 3176 - Karma: 14,528
snowmosexualI feel like mountain biking is starting to make a comback, mainly in the skiing community, because the equipment is a lot better than it was in the 2000s. Of course it will never be as popular as skiing or skateboarding because it's expensive as fuck. I think a big reason why skateboarding took off so easily is because the cheapest complete boards are around $50 new and a good board is less than $200. Even aggressive blades were at least 120 if I remember correctly. Also skateboarding is a much more practical mode of transportation if you are just trying to get around town.


Dude blades will cost you like 200 minimum for only the boot lol

That being said, BMX is bikes so it’s even more expensive, and despite that it’s way more popular than blading
6 years ago
1 1
profile picture
ChadThundercock
Posts: 3071 - Karma: 835
It's not as accessible as skateboarding and honestly I'd say its a bit harder to be a poser in the aggressive inline world.

You gotta have a set of nuts on you to be able to throw down much of anything in the park on inline skates
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
WhiteShepherd
Posts: 85 - Karma: 474
Aggressive Inline was killed by Skateboarding and by itself.

It was big in the early 90s till 96.
The X Games were invented because of Rollerblading. It was so big, that there were also held downhill racing competitions with Blades.
Around 99 Skateboarding became bigger (i guess because of tony hawk and his game).
Honestly rollerblading was a trendy sport at that time. Families were doing it, so there came a stunt part of recreational blading.

I bet, Rollerblading were kicked out of X Games because of the Skateboarding Industry and Skateboarding was the newest trend in sports.

Next thing what i mean with killing itself is that in the bladung community was always a hate between styles, people etc.

Some years ago, travis pastrana came up with the nitro games. Rollerblading had his own competition in it (thanks to chris haffey). Sadly for only one year
According to Dave Lang (competitor of nitro Games) it was like: the competition was over and all we got was hate from the blading community and we decided that blading will be no longer a part of the nitro games (if i remember correctly)

Personally i would say, it will not happen to freestyle skiing. As long families and other people are skiing, there will always be a freestyle skiing. Skiing is too old to be trendy...

And of course you can get cheaper skates. 200 is a joke. The USD sway is a cheap entry level skate as well as the realm! It is around 120...
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
WhiteShepherd
Posts: 85 - Karma: 474
evaroniAfter dudes thread about what to wear skating I went down a wormhole of vids watching guys shred the gnar on blades. I remember in the early 00’s when the sport was peaking (and all things “extreme” i.e. Surge soda) it got lots of heat from skateboarers and often heard the term “fruitboot”. Then I remember the x games dropped all inline events and that was about it.

So what was the root for the demise of the boot? With the style of swerv skiing looking almost exactly like inline will new wave cause skiing to follow the same downfall?

Barely dead is a great rollerblading documentary myabe it helps. .
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781
what killed vert skateboarding?
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9244 - Karma: 5,692
first_rodeowhat killed vert skateboarding?


Giant half pipes aren't so common so little kids don't have anywhere to practice and become good and get spansorized. Only little kids of rich parents who grow up near woodward or some other huge skate complex have a chance.
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
skierman
Posts: 8600 - Karma: 9,520
WhiteShepherdAggressive Inline was killed by Skateboarding and by itself.

It was big in the early 90s till 96.
The X Games were invented because of Rollerblading.


Yeah, that's a blatant lie. ESPN execs invented the X-Games because there was no big gathering of ALL the action sports and they saw earning potential. Rollerblading was one of only 9 sports involved in the original games, you dumb fuck.
6 years ago
0 1
profile picture
WhiteShepherd
Posts: 85 - Karma: 474
skiermanYeah, that's a blatant lie. ESPN execs invented the X-Games because there was no big gathering of ALL the action sports and they saw earning potential. Rollerblading was one of only 9 sports involved in the original games, you dumb fuck.


I am honored that the "skierman" replies.

I know what you mean. But have you ever heard what the biggest "extreme" sport was in 1995? Yeah Rollerblading, with lots of money flying in.
Do you really think they would come up with the X-Games with all the "underground" sports like Speed Climbing, Street Ludge, Skateboarding, BMX? (no offense)

Are you really that stupid? Yoe weren't even born in 1995...
But yeah, a kid like you, whose parents were siblings would say that Rollerblading has nothing to do with it.
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
hemlockjibber8
Posts: 6003 - Karma: 3,694
skiermanYou're a fucking moron. Freeride and slope MTBing, street skating and park skiing are just a few examples of action sports that were going strong after the 2000s.



haha. you're fucking kidding right? MTB tanked from around 2000 to 2010. Don't you remember when everyone and their dog didn't buy mountain bikes like they do now?
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
skierman
Posts: 8600 - Karma: 9,520
hemlockjibber8haha. you're fucking kidding right? MTB tanked from around 2000 to 2010. Don't you remember when everyone and their dog didn't buy mountain bikes like they do now?


"durr I dunt kno what MTB freeride or slopestylez iz"
6 years ago
0 2
profile picture
ChadThundercock
Posts: 3071 - Karma: 835
skierman"durr I dunt kno what MTB freeride or slopestylez iz"


fuck you
6 years ago
2 0
profile picture
Casey
Posts: 8017 - Karma: 26,918
I graduated from high school in 2003 and was super into rollerblading at that time. My take was that the entire rejection of rollerblading by skateboarding, bmx, etc really hurt the comp scene and wider appeal more than anything else.

Imagine if at the absolute peak of X Games popularity the were zero relevant athletes in the biggest skiing comps of the year and literally everyone worth a shit only did film segments. Not only that but there was pretty much an outright boycott of all things corporate in rollerblading. And then the internet happened and DVD sales tanked... skating was core AF back then and everyone had a chip on their shoulder about being called gay at skateparks- especially the pros they were all scene kids that were eccentric weirdos it’s not super surprising that big companies said goodbye eventually.
6 years ago
4 0
profile picture
everlast
Posts: 1130 - Karma: 1,272
Fruit booting
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Mr.noodle
Posts: 1361 - Karma: 4,655
blading has a very small audience, the average person can't appreciate a Royale on a fat down rail
6 years ago
0 1
profile picture
Jems
Posts: 7737 - Karma: 101,232
Tried blading once and completely raped my tailbone and wrists. I’ve stuck to skating instead just for that reason and because of foot pain.
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52624 - Karma: 174,603
Mr.noodleblading has a very small audience, the average person can't appreciate a Royale on a fat down rail


Lol wut, blading was fucking huge in the 90s
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
everlast
Posts: 1130 - Karma: 1,272
this killed fruit booting

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/861625/Fruit-Booting
6 years ago
2 0
profile picture
a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9244 - Karma: 5,692
CosmoDuffthis killed fruit booting

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/861625/Fruit-Booting


I mean thats hardly different than the million vids of 12 year olds trying to ollie in their driveways.
6 years ago
1 0
profile picture
FruitBootPro
Posts: 3176 - Karma: 14,528
Mr.noodleblading has a very small audience, the average person can't appreciate a Royale on a fat down rail


Lmao dude if the average person can appreciate sliding a rail on skis then the average person can appreciate a royale lol
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
BrawnTrends
Posts: 1102 - Karma: 2,440
theabortionatorI miss that chick. Fabiola de silva? is that right? that would compete with the dudes. .


Aah...Fabiola.. She was like the Tara Dakides of rollerblading.
6 years ago
0 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52624 - Karma: 174,603
BrawnTrendsAah...Fabiola.. She was like the Tara Dakides of rollerblading.


Woah, there's a name I haven't heard in a few years. Fuck I miss the glory days of xgames.
6 years ago
1 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 4:47AM