A Roller Skate Nation once again?

You wouldn't know it by looking at me today, but I was once an avid roller skater.  Many an afternoon and evening was spent with my buddies at the roller skating rink in town, and some of those visits spawned experiences and great memories that will last a lifetime.

I remember the "cool kids" bringing their own personal pairs of skates, as others who simply rented theirs from the rink looked on with envy.  But it was more than just looking cool.  I learned pretty quick as a kid that the type of roller skates strapped to my feet made all the difference in the world in regards to speed, maneuverability, and control.  When I was thirteen, I saved my money for what seemed like forever, and bought a high quality set of sleek black skates with red wheels.  I felt like a big shot, and my skating skills improved ten fold

Reminiscing about my adventures in roller skating got me wondering what its like to buy a pair of decent roller skates in this day and age.  I went to Roller Skate Nation online, and what I saw was quite surprising.  The options before me were absolutely mind boggling.  You can indeed find good old fashioned indoor skates, but the engineering design and style is light years ahead of where it was in recent decades.

Back when I was a kid, you were somewhat limited in regards to customization for your skates.  Today however, tons of options now exist for modifying and accessorizing skates with nothing more than a mouse click.

At first, I was dead set on researching a pairs of indoor skates made by a manufacturer like Riedell or Moxi, but I quickly found myself wowed by the sheer magnitude of different styles available.  I saw speed skates, derby skates, outdoor skates, indoor skates, kids skates, jam skates, and some wicked looking inline skates.

 Retro RW Volt Quad Speed Roller Skates

These remind me of the old school 70s / 80s sneaker skates!

After viewing dozens of skates on the site, I'm now rethinking my whole point of view about exactly what kind I might want to buy.  Skating at a rink is definitely fun, but now I'm thinking outdoor or inline skates might be more up my alley.  Biking down miles of paved bike trails or boardwalks is one of my favorite pastimes, but rollerblading or roller skating down those same trails sounds every bit as fun!

Alot different than the blades I had in 1995!

For many years since the 80's, roller skating had kind of fallen by the wayside, and it was something that never sat too well with me.  That being said, I've seen a recent resurgence in the hobby.  Skating rinks are being remodeled, new skating associations are being formed, and roller derby is coming back with a vengeance.

There's a cool retro vibe that comes along with roller skating, and while I've been toying with the idea of heading back to the rink, I at the very least would like to do some outdoor skating on bike trails and whatnot.  I'm comforted by the fact that when I decide to finally pull the trigger and buy myself a new set of skates or blades, the whole experience will be much more convenient, and will offer many more options than were available to skate enthusiasts back in the day!

Check out Roller Skate Nation online