Back into subject, leave to one side for a moment the decline in popularity of the sport and the leisure industry´s ups and downs. Think about producing your own goods. I feel if people like Randy Spizer could have had access to maintaining a simple wood pressing machine, make decks with it and sel them without having to deal with a man on a suit, things would have been quite different. If Randy and Louie could have produced their own goods, imagine what more business minded brains like Hyser and cobun would have been.

I also feel I need to adress the “Rabbit Hole” issue.
(Ref. the apple series)

Dedication has so many different levels, and it is up to oneself to sacrifice a lifetime dedicated to something with a passion. Categorizing rollerbading as a first priority is such a syndrome among us. Queens city grandpa knows the down sides of the Rabbit Hole, and has chosen to get a family member and fishing back into routine. Such good and benevolent piece of advice, I cherish these type of posts because they really are talking what matters. The Rabbit Hole can be such a cold place, with injuries not being backed up by anything but other skate-friends, and yet, there are usually much happier lives to be lived with just a bit of judgment on how much balance is put into activities.
Some of us have not happened to be the formula that can live off it, but the ones that are that formula need our understanding of the bigger picture so that they are backed up by us.
Long process.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but how about some debate?

couldn’t be said better. not to mention that once you hit 25-26 you realize how much damage you’ve done to your knees. some days I can hardly walk, but I still roll when I can.

these guys had money coming in back then, but never skateboard money. I remember Matt Mantz and Randy Spizer (my two heroes at the time) in an ad in Inline Magazine advertising pocket protectors, even back then (1998 or something) I remember thinking: our sport is a joke because of this kind of shit.

the people running companies were kids and people with no business sense. no management for the skater’s interests. I wonder how much cash some people pocketed that had little or nothing to do with the athletes or the sports progression?

cool thing about spizer is that he still loves the sport. I’ll always remember him as a huge influence on me and that era of rollerblading changed my life completely, and I’m happy and successful now partially because of it’s influences, I just don’t get to skate as much as I like.

A blader from Canada

I wanna say to the youngsters that you better start building your bloody life when you are 22-24 and put rollerblading to the 2nd, 3rd most important thing in your life or one day you will wake up in a party full with 16-17 years old kids and realize that its not your world anymore and you are an old yerk.

Randy said he was too busy to think of who he had looked up to those days. That happens to all fanatics. You can’t see how many other things you can enjoy in life. I still love rollerblading, but i really hate myself that i missed the born of my nice and some nice fishing with my brother and sister:) Cause i prefered to go out filming and blading on every sunny day. I made a rollerblade video called Awakening, and i said the meaning of it is that rollerblading could be a way out from this material world so you better wake up and finish hunting for money. Now 3 years after the video i realized that it’s better to find the balance in your life and not to be so fanatic in things like rollerblading. Use it as a hobby, a nice part of your life but don’t let rollerblading rule your life. Go to work, than go home to your family or friends and spend only a few days a week with blading.

About rollerbladers making money: I think they weren’t smart enough 10 years ago to get a good manager and sign some worthfull contracts with companies like Rollerblade and Roces who made huge money out of aggressive rollerbladers back in late 90s. Now freestyle rolling is less powerful, but i can’t belive that Powerslide,Remz or Razors not making a good profit of it. I say you better start thinking about your future before you sell your soul2roll. If you will be a bitch of the industry and get a sponzor, at least be an elite, expensive bitch. Rollerbladers like Haffey, Aragon, Morales, etc. could kill themselfs anytime, cause what they are doing is insane. They should get paid for that well, like fuckin skateborders. Its time to milk these bloody companies, who make a living out of these guys, out of us rollerbladers. We should organize a Fundation for Professional Aggressive Rollerbladers and force the companies to pay a fee after every rollerblades sold on the market. This fund could pay for the professional bladers at least when they get injured.
Thats what i think, and i respect any others opinions so tell me your ideas guys.

A blader from Hungary

“Even if I stop getting paid to skate I will never stop pushing myself. That is just what I do. I skate and I love it. I suppose I can’t speak for everyone, but I think most people would agree.” – Chris Haffey SHOCK interview

One of the most influential skaters in several generations. Mature enough to understand how to roll with the punches and pursue something outside of skating in order to enjoy life.

Maybe build the first aquatic skatepark so theres no time wasted in between skating and bass slaying? Awesome.

if rollerblading was as good organized like skateboarding… guys like Spizer whoud be to rollerblading what guys like tony hawk are for skateboarding…

he whoud be rich and famous.

the roots are forgoten…

verry verry sad !

still have his 3 piece poster on the wall… kindgrind, almoust true size ! from the crazyroller magazine back in 97 :oD

to bad that the kids of theze days don’t realize that guys like julio & roadhouse are the true rollerbladers !

“Even if I stop getting paid to skate I will never stop pushing myself. That is just what I do. I skate and I love it. I suppose I can’t speak for everyone, but I think most people would agree.” – Chris Haffey SHOCK interview