Skateboarding Versus Rollerblading - Discrimination Reversed

by Adam Cece

You'd think skateboarders and rollerbladers would share a certain connection to the streets, a common link with each other. For aren't they both wheel sports, street sports, ramp sports, aren't they both played on the same field with the same rules. The reality is skateboarders do not signal rollerbladers as their street cousins, welcome them to the urban youth family with open arms, they see them as a trendy new age annoyance that clogs their ramps, and pollutes their streets. Perhaps it is because skateboarding comes from a much more underground background, a street kid sport, which fought for respect throughout the eighties, whilst rollerblading has often been more mainstream.

But frankly this is all a load of bulls**t. The same skaters I see whining about rollerbladers on their ramps are the same skaters who only last week whined about the lack of acceptance for skateboarding, equality for all members of society, a desire for councils to stop banning skating in public places in lieu of badly erected skate parks. Can't these skaters see that the discrimination they are fighting against in their local areas is the same discrimination they are turning around and dumping on rollerbladers? And why? Because they feel they are justified, because rollerblading is not trendy, surely the politicians who pass anti-skateboarding laws feel justified also.

I feel that before a skater can fight discrimination, and anti skating community sentiment, they need to make sure they are not beyond discrimination themselves, see the point of view of the council members, and the rollerbladers and everyone else, for should it not be those who are fighting against discrimination who should be the least discriminating themselves? We need to share the streets, that is a fact.

And before you say anything no I am not a rollerblader, I am a skateboarder first and foremost, I have never even tried on a set of rollerblades, and I am annoyingly pulled over whilst skating every night by the police and questioned as to my reason for being on the streets whilst ten people go past walking dogs and riding bikes. But I do not get bitter, instead I can see their point of view, they are just doing their job, and I realise that we will not truly make progress in shortening the gap between the views of the young and the views of the older, until we stop petty bickering, sit down and discuss our differences. It's time to stop whining and make some real progress, accept rollerblading, accept the views of others, and sort out our differences.

Just something to think about.

Contact Adam Cece adamcece@hotmail.com