Fact: I’ve been rollerblading for longer than half the time I’ve been on the planet. Lesser-known fact: Rollerblading as an extreme sport still exists. No longer the popular phenomenon it was in the ‘90s, rollerblading has become a tightly knit subculture of people from all walks of life and all ages, doing what they love in the shadow of more mainstream extreme sports. While skateboarding, BMX’ing, snowboarding, and other sports get the spotlight in huge televised events like the X Games, we quietly thrive underground, producing video content, magazines and big annual events. One of these events is called the Colorado Road Trip, and it brings bladers from all over the country to a swath of land up in the mountains for a week of camping and skating the skateparks in the surrounding towns. This year, I got to take a break from my Senior Designer duties at Banowetz + Company and go to this awesome event, where I documented a bit of the scenery and did some tricks with my friends. Check out the video above to see what the trip was all about, and take in the beauty of the Rockies in the pictures below. (Be aware: The video contains rollerblading, lots and lots of rollerblading. And some cool music.)
– Wes Phelan, Banowetz Senior Designer