Inline skates have wheels in one line, unlike quad skates or roller skates, which have wheels in two lines. Inline skates lend themselves to a variety of kinds of skating, including recreational skating, speed skating and roller hockey. In the 1980s, inline skaters began to perform tricks on streets, curbs, half-pipes and rails, inspired by other action sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding. These skaters soon began developing specialized skates and wheels, and this type of skating became known as aggressive skating.
Beginnings
Aggressive skating emerged relatively late in the history of inline skating. Inline skating has its roots in 18th century Belgium, where John Joseph Merlin invented a pair of skates with metal wheels in a single line in 1740.
Free Skating
In the 1980s, inline skaters took to the streets and began attempting tricks, inspired by skateboarders and other extreme sports athletes. This new genre of skating became known as free skating. By the early 1990s, many skaters were grinding on half-pipes and rails. Ordinary inline skates weren't well suited to these tricks, however. Skater Jess Dyenforth altered his skates to improve their use on half-pipes. Soon skate manufacturers, including Hyper, Cozmo and Kryptonics, introduced skates with smaller, harder wheels better suited to skating tricks.
Anti Rocker Wheels
The development of anti-rocker wheels represented one of the best technological improvements to aggressive skates. Skaters began replacing their skates' two center wheels with smaller wheels, known as anti-rocker wheels, which would not roll on the ground but would provide a landing platform for tricks instead. In 1993, a company named Senate became the first to mass-produce anti-rocker wheels. In 1995, companies began producing split-frame skates with a space between the two anti-rocker wheels, providing an even better landing platform.
ASA
The Aggressive Skaters Association was established in 1994 in the United States. The ASA standardized aggressive skating rules for competitions and set equipment rules and safety standards. The association holds the professional competition known as the Action Sports World Tour, featuring extreme sports such as BMX, FMX, skateboarding and rollerblading.
X-Games
The X-Games, a yearly extreme sports competition, added aggressive skating to its program in 1995. Aggressive skating events became divided into two categories, including vertical ramp competitions and street course competitions. Declining interest in aggressive skating led to the sport's removal from the X-Games in 2005.
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