Here is the film that this clip came from -https://youtu.be/k_wwtwKLm-A
The answer to my question in the title, based on my work, is clearly, rollerbladers. Back in the late 1990s, the heyday of the sport of aggressive in-line rollerblading, I was making this documentary feature-length film titled It's All Good. In order to capture what was happening across the American landscape, where 29 million Americans had taken up rollerblading in some form, my team placed radio advertisements around the country in small towns, asking rollerbladers to send us their videos. Hundreds did, and several of the best of them were used in my film.
Aggressive in-line skating, known simply as rollerblading, experienced a major surge in popularity in the late 1990s when this film was made. This sport involves skaters performing various tricks, jumps, and stunts on specially designed inline skates.
Aggressive in-line skating was characterized by its high-energy, acrobatic maneuvers, which included grinding on rails and ledges, jumping gaps, and performing spins and flips. The skates used for aggressive inline are reinforced to withstand the impacts and have smaller wheels arranged to facilitate tricks and provide stability.
The sport gained significant exposure through media, particularly with ESPN’s broadcasting of the X Games. In-line skating was one of the cornerstone events when the X Games started in 1995, highlighting the sport's excitement and appeal to a youthful audience. ESPN's coverage was instrumental in bringing the sport to a broader audience, showcasing its athleticism and subcultural style.
The inclusion of aggressive in-line skating in the X Games helped boost its viewership significantly. The X Games were quite popular in the late 1990s, attracting large numbers of viewers, especially among younger demographics who were drawn to the edgy, alternative vibe of the sports featured. Aggressive in-line skating benefited from this exposure, enjoying a period of mainstream popularity.
I chose to film two aggressive in-line skating teams separated by 3000 miles in America. FR in New York City and Senate in LA.
National and international competitions were common during this period. Besides the X Games, other competitions like the ASA (Aggressive Skaters Association) Pro Tour shown in my film and various local and regional events provided platforms for skaters to compete. These competitions were crucial in developing the sport and provided a professional pathway for the top skaters.
The decline of the sport in the early 2000s can be attributed to several factors, including market saturation, the rise of other action sports, and a decrease in media coverage as ESPN and other outlets shifted focus to sports like skateboarding and BMX, which were seeing increased popularity. Despite this decline, aggressive in-line skating has maintained a dedicated core of enthusiasts and has seen some resurgence in interest in recent years.