The Inline Skaters' Disappearing Act
Tuesday November 13, 2007
This is in response to an inquiry about the decline in inline skaters... In 1996 there were over 25 million people inline skating, and now there are only about 10.5 million participants. Many have been lured away by various forms of armchair activities that are available today – which leaves less time and desire for hands-on or feet-on sports and recreation. And with so many relatively inexpensive things to choose from, others are doing a little bit of a lot of things rather than committing to a specific sport. There is probably less extra income in some households for skating... and in others less is allocated for skating. Many places that used to allow outdoor skating now restrict inline skating for safety and liability reasons. So a person who is not willing to go to a park or trail may feel it is a limited activity. Many neighborhood roller rinks are closing, and there are fewer recreational centers with skating programs for indoor skaters. And there are those with safety concerns, in spite of all of the safety gear available, who are so afraid of injury that they choose not to skate.
I’m sure there are many other reasons that less people are skating. If you have any ideas on where the skaters are going, or even more important, if you have great ideas on how to get them back, feel free to share your thoughts. Anything we can do to grow our sport is a good thing.
Photo © Steffen Berk, iStockphoto.com
Reasons to Start or Return to Inline Skating: More Information on Participants
Comments
Argh, this is terrible! >O I just realised after scouring the internet for skating rinks in Sydney; there are none! Well, one I think. The skating rink I went to for a friend’s birthday party has closed, and with growing horror I realise they’ve ALL closed, in only the last few years I think!
I’ve just become interested in the sport, and now I fear there may be not be a sport in the future. With the rising price of petrol you see people going back to the more traditional forms of transport; bikes, scooters, skateboards. I even saw a group of roller skaters go by through the Central tunnel late one night and I was excited to see such a sight! I feel there is hope for the skaters. And I feel it will make a triumphant return and come back into popularity, as all things do. Let’s hope for the future of skaters!!
Inline skating is considered a roller sport and roller skating in general has historically always had rises and falls in popularity and participation. Inline came in to everyone’s lives in such a big way that this decrease in skaters seems worse than it is. There are still a lot more skaters that some activities attract. Maybe I’ll do a blog “part two” to explain the waves of skating….
If inline skaters were “been lured away by various forms of armchair activities that are available today” and There is probably less extra income in some households for skating”, then bicycling and skateboarding would be seeing similar reductions.
They aren’t, so it must be that something else is happening.
My guess is that inline skating was in a fad mode where everyone bought a pair and claimed to use them and is now in a mature sport where only those who are actually active claim it.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of a source that can give us actual answers on how many skaters there have been at various levels of activity over the years.
If my hypothesis is correct, the large decrease is in the lower frequency of activity people and a slow increase in the people who have a large amount of activity.