Airborne Review from "That Guy with the Glasses"

This is a hilarious video that all skaters should watch. If you haven't seen Airborne, there is a link to download it in .avi or .m4v right here at Skate Sessions. It is a cheesy 90's skate flick, but it does a bit to show how far rolling has come. This is a funny review, check it out.

Respect Earns Respect (by: Nikki Elliott)

Skate Sessions wants to thank Nikki Elliott (Nin ~Freestyle Roller~ on Aggressive.com) for her submission to the site.

So before I start ranting, I know of our sports history. If you do not know then please check out this documentary called Barely Dead. (note: Barely Dead is available for download right here at Skate Sessions)

There are many types of rollerblading, but most people only recognize two which are Recreational skating and Aggressive skating. Personally I do something called Freeskating/Freeriding.

Free skating: Also known as urban skating or free riding. Includes many tricks such as jumps, slides, and grinds. The emphasis of free skating is getting from A to B by the fastest possible route, by skating quickly through city streets and negotiating all obstacles.

Here are a few examples of freeskating:




Nicolas COLLIAUX Skatepark de Rouen, Freeskate Edit 2011 from SEBASKATES on Vimeo.


Now I noticed a lot of people who I showed what freeskating was trashed it completely. They would say things like "gay" and "stupid", etc. But isn't that what a lot of people think about rolling in general?

A lot of people ask me why rollerblading is not respected amongst others.

You want to know part of the reason why people can’t respect our sport? It's because we cannot respect ourselves. You hate on anything and everything that isn’t on a aggressive skate. People need to open their eyes and get their heads out your asses. We are all in it for the love of rollin and yet you want to trash other’s style?

Until we learn to respect each other and the skill and hard work it takes to do what we do whether on aggressive skates or slalom/freeride skates, we will remain underground.

It wouldn’t fix all our problems as far as the underground issue, but I’m tellin you it would make things a hell of a lot better for us rollers.
Roll 4 life.

Recon Missions: Willington Rest Area, I-84 CT

Located about 20 miles off of I-90 (the Mass Pike), the Willington Rest Area on I-84 in Connecticut offers a hidden jewel for those of you making trips between Mass. and Conn. or New York.

I happen to make the trip to New York a couple times a year, to visit my wife’s grandmother in Westchester County, and we always make a stop at this rest area, to use the facilities and stretch. Since the first time we stopped here, I couldn’t help but notice a sweet kinked rail tucked nicely on the right side of the rest area’s main building.

The right-sided thin-brown rail is metal with little to no rusting. It travels down three six-sets, kinking twice, before letting off on a little grassy patch behind the building. The launch is smooth cement, devoid of cracks; the landing is the only thing that isn’t top-notch about this spot, but it’s nothing that a nice piece of plywood couldn’t fix.

This rail makes this rest stop a lot more than a bathroom break for all of you rollers who like to do travelling. I recommend you check this out the next time you are out on I-84, and I assure you will find it as solid as I do.

Park Profiles: Beverly MA (with Skatepark Tours video)

The Beverly skate park, at the McPherson YMCA youth center, is a nice little concrete park. It is a skateboard/scooter dominated park, but a booter can have a decent session here.

Entering from the parking lot, the first object you encounter is the 6-6 ½’ mini ramp. This is well built and under used so it is in great condition; it has round metal copings.

In the back right corner of the park is a long-banked wall mainly used by boarders for stalls, but it does have a waxed lop edge that could be used for grinds.

Next to this is a metal picnic table. This is an interesting object because it is meant to be grinded not just turned into a grinding object. The benches are different heights, about 1’ and 2’, and the table top is about 3’ high. Perpendicular to the table, and parallel to the mini, is a long metal bench that is about 1- 1 ½’ high. This is great for long grinds and switch-ups.

In the center of the lot is the park’s main attractions; a small box line with bookend-ramps. The box is low, about 2’ high, with a flat rail running two-thirds of the ramp, splitting it into two sections. There are walls on either side, running the down-third, which have metal edges for grinds. The ramps are all flat; while one of the sides has a small 3-set for gaps instead of a ramp.

On the back side of the park is a 4’ flat roll-in which leads onto the box. This box rolls into a 3-piece quarter pipe. This pipe is made up of two banked ramps and a flat roll-in in the middle, making a nice small channel gap. The ramps are small, about 2- 3’ high, and the banked ones have round metal coping.

Overall this is a nice park, even though it is built quite small with mostly boarder friendly objects. I usually have short sessions here, but they are still a good time.