The term Rollerblading comes from the trademark Rollerblade® and has always (as far back as I can remember) been incorrectly used to describe using a pair of skates where all four wheels are in a straight line, as opposed to being side by side like quad skates.

Rollerblade® is not a verb, so to say you are Rollerblading is incorrect. Rollerblade®, Salomon and K2 are all examples of company / brand names that manufacture Inline Skates. You wouldn’t say you were K2ing, or Salomoning would you? You might own a pair of Rollerblades® but when you’re wearing them you are Inline Skating, not Rollerblading!

In short: When all four wheels are in a straight line, regardless of which brand you own, you should call them Inline Skates, and when you wear them you should say that you are Inline Skating.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 at 4:40 am
and is filed under FAQs.