Fashions always come and go, but they generally roll around again. This time, it’s roller skating using quad skates – the kind with two wheels at the front and two at the back, rather than all in a line. First popularised in the 1970s and 80s, second-hand vintage roller skates are selling like hot cakes on sites like eBay, which shows just how sought after they still are today.
So what’s the appeal? Well, quad skates offer more stability and less speed than their inline counterparts, requiring less balance to stay upright. For these reasons, they are a great option for children, in order to minimise the cuts and scrapes that they will inevitably face when placed on wheels for the first few times. Regardless of which option you choose, however, investing in some protective skate equipment is always a good idea!
And not just for children – nine-time British roller skating champion Jocelyn Taylor has wheeled back onto our screens recently in the latest Bupa TV advertising campaign, where she shows off her skills on a pair of vintage roller skates. At 83, she is a great advert for the sport and its virtues.
For serious skaters, quad skates had never really gone out of fashion. Many indoor skaters prefer to use them to inlines, and they are great for roller dancing and other forms of artistic roller skating due to their increased manoeuvrability.
And whichever kind of skating you pick, the fun and exercise it brings are always in fashion!