People take up a new sport for all kinds of different reasons. I often wish inline skating entered my life in a more joyous parade but it did not. The spring of 2006 was the last spring of my 20’s but milestone birthday was the last thing on my mind. A string of partings from those close to me left me a little broken and I had my first taste of depression. It is true what they say: the world was grey everywhere I looked. My life was quickly spiralling out of control and not a day went by without tears. When the daily waterworks first started, I knew why I was crying. Eventually, I was simply sad for being overwhelmingly sad.
My only reprieve came when I rolled along the waterfront trails in my 4x80mm K2 Velocity. For a brief moment, my world consisted nothing but the sky, the wind, and the pavement. Sorrow, angst, and self-pity gave way to freedom of moving effortlessly through space. I indulged in the simple pleasure of taking deep breathes. I greedily extended my outings a little longer every time. When the skates came off, sadness returned.
I was convinced inline skating was a good kind of distraction and I was badly in need of more of those. Toronto Inline Skating Club was on my radar for some time but the mandatory helmet rule left me cold. That meant I needed to go to a store, try on helmets, buy a helmet, before showing up at club practice. So much for spontaneity!
Somehow, ugly helmet was finally acquired. It looked like a mushroom sprouting out of the top of my head. Since I was too far gone for any pretence of spontaneity, I showed up at club practice one April evening as an observer. I wondered if I was good enough to join the club? It was like auditing a course in university without officially enrolling, showing up to skating practice without skates on purpose. But then, I did things that made much less sense before.
When I arrived at the 200m track, the scene that greeted my eyes was nothing I could have imagined. People of all ages, shapes, and sizes were stripping down to their skivvies. Off went the shirts, trousers, and sensible glasses. Everyone wiggled into skin tight one piece jumpsuits in the brightest shades of blue, black, orange, red, and white. Sunglasses and helmets topped off the aerodynamic outfit. All they needed was a few phone booths and the superhero transformation would be complete.
But the skates! They looked nothing like mine. I always loved the aesthetics of short shorts, bare legs, and clunky footwear which was why I bought my first pair of skates. These people at Toronto Inline Skating Club certainly did not share the same image. Their skates looked sleek and fast, like race cars. They flew round and round the track much like race cars themselves. It was not skating as I knew it.
The way I felt when I first skated at the rollerdome....and then went upstairs...I was hooked! (in case you dont know..rollerdome, downstairs is rec, upstairs is SPEED)
Posted by: Rayna | August 19, 2012 at 22:31
And I'm glad you were! I can see how it can be a bit intimidating but for those who persist, it's a whole world of excitement.
Posted by: DessertByCandy | August 20, 2012 at 12:22
Hiya! Do you happen to own any blogging experience or this is just a natural talent of yours? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Posted by: Robert the writer | December 19, 2012 at 05:59
Hi Robert, blogging is only an interest I dabble occasionally.
Posted by: DessertByCandy | December 19, 2012 at 10:32