One of the more interesting aspects of inline vert skating is that people who may know little about inline skating will know what it is, but not know that it is called vert skating. Vert skating is the half-pipe skating that is so common to see in popular culture. Vert is short for vertical and most know the winter variation with snowboards. The skaters go up the ramp and do tricks, trying to get as much air as possible. There are many positives and negatives of the sport. Any person considering doing this for fun or competition should know them.
Competition Availability
One way that the sport can be viewed as either positive or negative is that there are no major competitions, which means there are few top level competitors to go against. People getting into this area of inline skating will find that the X-Games no longer has this on their roster and the number of people considered the best number around 15. This can allow new blood to bring new fire into the sport or the newer people can just keep the old traditions by keeping it underground. A resurgence could mean the need for new popular cultural icons.
Injury Issues
Vert skating is considered one of the sports that can cause the most injuries and lead to long term joint pain issues. This is less common in the skateboard variation of the sport, which has more of the public eye at this time. This means that a person needs to make sure they have all the safety equipment they can when they strap on inline skates. The same goes for all variations of any of the sports that either uses the half-pipe or vert ramp, but it is the inline form that needs the extra padding the most.
Equipment Wear
When talking with people that take regular roller skates to a vert ramp, they will brag about how their wheels last longer and there are more chances to customize their skates. That does not mean that inline skaters have not worked on these challenges, just that it is not a fully solved issue. Someone wanting to get into the sport can take up the challenge and make bank from their passion off the ramps. This would mean they have a career making a passion better and not getting stuck with jobs that will take them away from the competition.
Combined Training
Inline skating has been introduced into many sports and vert skating can be added into a training regimen to make a person better at any of them. A person that learns all they can about how to handle themselves the best on skates will win more. Being able to gain speed faster to get higher air will work to help someone racing in a sport like alpine skating. Controlling how one maneuver can be good for inline soccer. This allows someone to get better in a way that will get a person thinking in different ways that help.
Exercise Fun
It is well known that inline skating allows a person to burn more calories and work more muscles than some other activities. Throwing in some vertical fun can allow someone to add a little more difficulty to an otherwise mundane routine. This takes planning, as the person needs to know where ramps are in relation to their normal course. This can mean they can bring friends along, even if they use bikes or skateboards. Thinking outside the box in one area will lead to further ideas in other areas. Mental and physical combine for a better overall person.
Inline vert skating may not have as many fans and practitioners as it did in the early days, but this does not mean that there are not reasons to enjoy it. There are some positives and negatives, but this just means a person needs to figure out what they need to do to make the positives outweigh all other issues. There is a reason that the sport was part of popular culture in many ways. Any negatives could be a good way for someone to look at what they can do to remove them. Getting good air is never a bad idea to clear the head.
