As I turned the corner onto my street, I slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting any of three figures who were rollerblading. This instance is probably not foreign to you.
Not a day passes that we don't see, dodge or almost crash into an in-line skater in Ann Arbor. In-line skating - popularly referred to by one brand name, Rollerblading - has become one of the most prolific sports at the University. Perhaps that is because our cement- and street-infested campus is a perfect area for the sport.
In-line skating has evolved into many forms ranging from roller hockey to extreme skating. All forms exist on campus in varying degrees. Jon McPartlin, manager of State Street Sports, said most people buy or rent skates for basic recreation and fitness.
"We do get a fair amount of kids here that are interested in the aggressive line of skates for jumps and things, but it seems like these are mostly high school kids," McPartlin said. "The majority of our customers get their skates for fitness, as they are tired of the traditional style of exercise."
Ray Borduin, LSA senior and certified in-line instructor, agrees that the in-line scene at the University is mostly recreational.
"There are hockey players that meet at Elbel, there are the punk high school ex-skater kids that do the tricks, but most people are just getting to class or getting exercise," Borduin said. "Although I don't see much trick skating here, I can see that a lot more people are getting into the trick aspect of it. I know my freshman year there were barely any extreme skaters on the streets, so it has become a little more popular and I don't know if that's good or bad."
Many community colleges have programs that teach in-line skating. Borduin teaches skating at Schoolcraft college in Livonia. Borduin said most of his students are adults.
"The crowds we teach are usually middle-aged. This is mainly because young people are just a lot more daring so they don't need lessons. If you're comfortable and confident on them, then you're not going to fall. You just have to get over the fear."
Many in-line skaters are not content to just skate around. These skaters frequently visit Elbel Field to play roller hockey. Elbel is crowded with rollerbladers and their hockey sticks nearly all the time, especially in summer. These roller hockey players usually don't play in a traditional fashion. The game is quite similar to "pick up" basketball.
Jeremy Zivitz, a University graduate and resident of Ann Arbor, said he never dug the rollerblade thing because it was too trendy. He did, however, develop an affinity for roller hockey over the summer.
"There's a parking lot at Elbel Field where everyone goes and plays roller hockey. Its like a trashy kind of hockey, but it's fun. I used to play IM ice hockey which was much more organized and incorporates a much higher level of skill," Zivitz said. "I played with a lot of local kids all summer and now the band practices in the lot, which makes it pretty difficult."
Zivitz said he loves playing roller hockey and skating all over town with his friends. However, he does not have a high tolerance for trick skating.
"What I don't like about all of the trick rollerbladers is that they pay no attention to form and how they skate, as opposed to power skaters like me."
As a result of the explosion of in-line skating all over campus, one would think that Ann Arbor skate stores would be making a profit. However, Steve Painter, a salesman at College Shoe Repair and Hockey Equipment, said the widespread popularity of in-line skating has actually taken away some business.
"The market for rollerblades is so saturated at this point, that you could probably buy a pair of skates at the Hop In. The demand for in-line skates caused so many stores such as Meijer to sell them, that we actually have made less (average) sales as the craze gets bigger."
Stores such as Meijer sell in-line skates for as little as $40. Other stores that carry higher-quality skates offer prices ranging from $150 to $300, for the Rollerblade brand. In addition to the cost of the skates, many people buy safety equipment, including helmets and knee pads to protect themselves from the dangers of the high- risk sport.
Although the sport does entail a rather large investment, in-line skating equipment is much cheaper than that of many other sports.
LSA Junior Dave Hiemstra said the cost was one reason he decided to start skating. "I bought my skates in early June. I mostly got them to go to work and back because I didn't have enough money to get a bike. But I ended up skating more for fun than to get around."
While purchasing a pair of rollerblades at College Shoe, Engineering junior Kelly LaDuke explained why she enjoys in-line skating.
"Sometimes I try to jump over things, but I mostly go around with other people, not doing anything in particular, just having a good time."
As fall nears, the number of in-line skaters we run into on campus will most likely diminish. While the warm weather lasts, however, in-line skating seems to be a great option for fitness, transportation, competition and enjoyment.