Sports Based on Roller skating

Roller skating is the act of using roller skates for various purposes.  It can be used for sport, for recreation, and even as a means to travel or to commute.  Roller skates can be either of two varieties: the original “quad” roller skates which had 4 wheels arranged in the same way as a car’s wheels are arranged, and the newer, more modern “inline” skates which also have 4 wheels but these are arranged in a straight line.

There are many sports based on roller skating.  The most popular of which is roller hockey.  Roller hockey is very much like ice hockey except that it is played on a hard, dry surface instead of on ice, and the players use roller skates instead of ice skates. 

Because there are two types of roller skates, there are also two types of roller hockey: Quad roller hockey and inline roller hockey.  Quad roller hockey, as its name implies, is played using quad roller skates.  This gives the players more maneuverability during the course of the game.  Thus, quad roller hockey games are usually filled with a lot of different and unique footwork and very sharp and exciting maneuvers.  Inline roller hockey on the other hand is much more similar to the traditional ice hockey game.  This type of roller hockey involves more racing action that goes up and down the hockey rink because the players do not have as much maneuverability as the players in quad roller hockey. 

In terms of the goalie, quad roller hockey goalies use a bating glove to block shots and prevent the opposing team from scoring.  Inline roller hockey goalies on the other hand use a glove and a mit.  The glove is called the “catcher” because it is used by the goalie to catch some shots while the mit is called the “blocker” because it is used to deflect the shots made toward the goal.

Roller hockey reached its high point of popularity in 1992, when it was demonstrated in front of a world wide audience during the 1992 summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona, Spain.

Another sport based on roller skating is called the roller derby.  This sport uses quad roller blades and not inline roller blades because it requires the players to change directions frequently and also because the players need to have as much balance and stability as they can.  A game of roller derby is played by two teams on an oval shaped track.  Each team has 5 players on the track: 3 blockers, 1 pivot, and 1 jammer.  The jammer is the designated scorer of the team.  A score is made when the jammer is able to lap all of the members of the opposing team.

Roller skating has also been regarded as a form of aerobic fitness sport.  Some studies have calculated that roller skating at a speed of 6 miles per hour can burn up to 350 calories in a span of 60 minutes, thus providing a very substantial aerobic workout.    The number of calories burned can even jump up to 600 calories if the speed of roller skating is increased to 10 miles per hour.