Like many athletes, aggressive in-line skaters love what they do. For some
pros, the experiences that come with being a professional in this sport make
up for the tough times.
"I really can't put into words how much all the things I have experienced
through skating mean so much more to me than money ever could," says Chris
Haffey. He's one of the top pros in the sport today.
"At the end of the day, you do need money to survive, but to me, skating
is a hustle. If I need money bad enough, I can find a way to make it through
skating, whether it be at a contest, or finding a commercial shoot that needs
a rollerblader.
"There is always a way to make it happen," he continues, "but if you aren't
prepared to really work for it, even once you make it to the top, then I would
recommend keeping it on the hobby side of things in your life."
It's tough to become a pro in this sport. Most people simply skate for
fun because they love it. But some feel this shouldn't stop people from following
their dreams of becoming professional.
"Personally, I think it gives these kids dreams to strive for," says Layla
Quinones. She is the co-owner of Art of Rolling Magazine and a skater herself.
"Some people go through their entire lives without knowing what they wanted
to do, but if you're passionate enough about it and you're willing to put
the work in, you can do anything. I feel like if a young one is passionate
enough to skate hard and make it pro, then so be it."
For Quinones, skating is more than a sport. She loves the adrenaline rush
and uses skating as a way to blow off steam.
"It's like therapy," she says, adding that it takes "all the excess energy
that you build up during your everyday life and applies it to a skill."
Nick D'Amico is an aggressive in-line skater and the editor of the Canadian
Roll website. He says that skating (or "rolling," as it is often called) brings
a feeling of accomplishment.
"Rolling is like many other sports or activities out there in the sense
that people get a feeling of accomplishment when they learn something new,
especially if they have to overcome a fear to do so," he says. "These accomplishments
and learning to confront your fears becomes empowering, and, over time, a
sense of passion is obtained."
Passion and a sense of accomplishment are their own rewards. D'Amico is
cautious about financial rewards.
"Unfortunately, the industry is too small for me to recommend this as a
career path," he says. "However, I don't think that should be a motivating
factor for anyone to get into any sport. I think the youth should get into
rolling because they want to learn something new or they like the experience
it gives them, not because they see dollar signs in their future."
And getting into rolling can be kind of intimidating when you see those
older skaters shredding it up in the skate park. But it doesn't have to be.
Buy some skates and get out there!
Victor Arias is a professional aggressive in-line skater. He says that
for him, skating was a pretty natural thing.
"I had been interested in rollerblading since the early '90s," he says,
"but it was around the mid-'90s when I got into playing hockey with all my
[friends] from the neighborhood. Right around that time is when aggressive
in-line skating popped out in the scene, so it caught me and my friends' eyes!
So I guess I owe it to hockey and my friends for constantly pushing ourselves
to jumping off curbs and whatnot!"
"Most people get started when they are a lot younger and just looking for
a good way to get the adrenaline pumping or to have fun with their friends,"
says Haffey. "For most pros, I think it's just something they fell into because
they were getting really good at something they had a lot of fun doing. Especially
with the state of the industry at this point in time, I don't think there
are many people that get into it solely to become a pro rollerblader as a
career."
Once drawn into the sport, many find a very strong sense of community.
"Rolling is a lot different from a lot of other sports out there," says
D'Amico. "Because it is such a small subculture, other factors come into play
that other sports don't experience.
"For instance, because there is such a limited amount of people rolling,
it adds to the sense of camaraderie, to the point where you can meet someone
for the first time, and because they rollerblade, an instant friendship is
formed. Or you can stay at someone's house in another country that you have
never met before, but they will put you up on the sole fact that you both
rollerblade. Meeting these amazing people and forming friendships is a factor
that keeps people rolling."
But even with these close ties, what this sport comes down to is an amazing
sense of personal accomplishment. That's why the few pros who are out there
keep doing it, and why countless others take every crash -- and accompanying
bruise and scrape -- with a smile on their face (and an appreciation for their
helmet)!
Asked what he gets out of skating, Arias has one word.
"Satisfaction!" he says. "Really, there's nothing better than thinking
of something you want to do on your skates and there being a little piece
of you that doesn't think you can do it... then you land the trick!"
Haffey shares Arias' enthusiasm. He wouldn't trade his job for anything.
"What my job lacks in things people usually look for in a career, it makes
up for tenfold in experiences," he says. "I love it and wouldn't change what
I am doing for all the money and stability you could ever offer me."