Official review of the Victorian Rollerblading Titles 2014 at Prahran Skate Park

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_video link=”http://vimeo.com/114543732″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”true” color=”#393836″ size=”24″ font_weight=”bold” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”25″ font_family=”none” align=”left”]Victorian Rollerblading Titles 2014[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Melbourne Rollerblading’s Simon Kelly gives us the official low-down on the Victorian Rollerblading Titles 2014 at Prahran Skate Park.

The Victorian Titles has always been a battle for state supremacy and the competition is drawing more and more of a crowd each year as the Melbourne rollerblading scene continues to grow.

For 2014’s competition Prahran Skate Park was transformed into what some described as a ‘magical wonderland’, with coping being built on to the top of almost every edge box and square rail.

Huge props go to Danny Hawkins, Paul and JC for leading the charge in the preparation and building these extra obstacles to make this event truly unique.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victorian-Inline-Titles-2014_5240-rs.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” custom_lightbox=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkaDAT6PROw” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The mercury was rising at the time the event was due to kick off and the first competition spot, the miniramp, was hot enough to fry eggs.

All competitors got straight into it with wall-rides, tech switch ups and spins, showing that there’s more that can be done on the small ramp than most people expected.

The under 14s weren’t put off by the older competition either with great lines from Koby Brookes and Nick Thorne. Brad Watson put his Big Ground Control frames and 72mm wheels to work with a boosted backside on the guardrail on the outside of the mini.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Victorian-Inline-Titles-Photos-by-Hayden-Golder-8910.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”1000″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”18″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Next up – the infamous Prahran vert ramp. This 14 foot monster will get your blood pumping just by watching someone drop in.

Veteran vert skater Scott Sanders took to the skies with massive airs and flips to take out the competition over Brad Watson, Hayden Golder and Gaetan, who all skated every other event on the day as well and managed to put up some awesome tricks on the vert.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victorian-Inline-Titles-2014_5002-rs.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”18″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]To start off the street course session we had the junior skaters stepping up to see what they could to with the park.

These guys are growing their skills fast and everyone was stoked to see them push their limits and challenge each other with gaps over the stairs, ledge rolls and linking up some grinds between the different obstacles.

Bladies Shine and Tiffany Street took to the street course to battle it out next, with Tiffany just coming out on top, lacing clean grinds over the box and being one of the few people to hit the steep stair rail all day![/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZFRudBAS0″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The Old Skool (over 30) competition has seen more growth than any other category since we first introduced it within the competitions last year and it’s been great to see these guys prove you can still shred ’till you’re dead while having a blast competing against your homies.

The top three skaters all represented different states, with Steve hailing from Tasmania, Brad a local Victorian, and Benny Granero making the journey from QLD to represent 4sqair wheels and show that he’s still got the ridiculous switch ups locked down.[/vc_column_text][mk_image_slideshow images=”8208,8207,8206,8205,8204,8203,8202,8201,8200,8199,8198,8197,8195,8194,8193,8192,8196,8329,8328,8327,8320,8319,8318,8316,8315,8309,8310,8313,8314,8308,8307,8306,8305,8303,8302,8296,8298,8299,8297,8300,8301,8295,8294,8293,8292,8291,8290,8284,8285,8286,8288,8287,8289,8283,8282,8279,8278,8277,8276,8275,8274,8273,8272,8271,8270,8269,8268,8267,8266,8265,8264,8245,8244,8243,8242,8241,8240,8239,8238,8237,8236,8235,8234,8233,8232,8231,8230,8229,8228,8227,8226,8263,8262,8261,8260,8258,8257,8256,8255,8252,8251,8250,8249,8248,8247,8246″ image_width=”800″ image_height=”550″ effect=”fade” animation_speed=”700″ slideshow_speed=”7000″ pause_on_hover=”false” smooth_height=”true” direction_nav=”true”][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]To give you a taste of the level of competition within the Open category: one of the first tricks was a true top soyale 720 rewind out by Thomas Scofield; Martin Gade’s opening line had about seven different tricks in it, was ridiculously clean and had everyone going absolutely ape shit; Danny Hawkins busted out a huge disaster true kind grind on a ledge he built during the competition (this was best trick); and Phil Moss from Sydney with that 360 makio on the box, making everyone feel moist and paving the way for his first Titles podium finish.

From there the skating was insane with all competitors lacing trick after trick and the spectators got to their feet to witness Victorian blading at its best at a park that was built just for this one day.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victorian-Inline-Titles-Photos-by-Hayden-Golder-9469.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”18″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]This event is a huge testament to everyone who’s involved in this community, from those to helped with registrations, to the skatepark builders, to the BBQ chefs, the time-keepers, and everyone who came down just to hang out, get loud and see something dope.

Here’s to an incredible year of Aussie rolling and I’m juiced to be involved in more events in 2015!

Thanks to all the sponsors – Bayside Blades, Seba, Rollup.tv, 4Sqair, VC Clothing, Razors Australia, Melbourne Rollerblading and Ground Control. Without these guys we couldn’t keep putting on events like this!

Support those that support Australian rollerblading and keep the scene strong. Thanks to all that came out to make this such a great weekend. Blading is alive in Australia, especially in Victoria![/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victorian-Inline-Titles-Photos-by-Hayden-Golder-8900.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”400″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”18″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”true” color=”#393836″ size=”25″ font_weight=”bold” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ font_family=”none” align=”left”]VICTORIAN ROLLERBLADING TITLES 2014 RESULTS[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Opens
1st: Martin Gade
2nd: Tom Scofield
3rd: Phil Moss

Old Skool
1st: Stevie Walker
2nd: Brad Watson
3rd: Benny Granero

Vert
1st: Scott Sanders
2nd: Brad Watson
3rd: Hayden Golder

Girls
1st: Tiffany Street
2nd: Shine Au Yeung

Mini
1st: Martin Gade
2nd: Brad Watson
3rd: Danny Hawkins

U18
1st: Daniel Werry
2nd: Lachlan Keighery

U14
1st: Nick Thorne
2nd: Jackson Werry
3rd: Koby Brookes

Official edit by Daniel “Tab” Talbot featuring Martin Gade, Danny Hawkins, Thomas Scofield, Brad Watson, Josh Nielsen, Hayden Golder, Phil Moss, Ben Granero and more. Photos by Hayden Golder, Craig Richards and Tim Macauley at The Light Monkey Collective.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.australianblading.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victorian-Inline-Titles-Photos-by-Hayden-Golder-9506.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”18″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Bayside Blades welcomes Melbourne’s Josh Doey Toofreshh as new team rider

Josh doey toofreshh

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_image src=”http://www.rollerblading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/joshtoofresh.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Melbourne rolling powerhouse Bayside Blades have welcomed Melbourne shredder Josh Doey Toofreshh to their team and to celebrate, have dropped this awesome edit.

Filmed by Bradley Watson, Thomas Dalbis and Kev San Jose across both Melbourne and around Australia, it shows off Josh’s stylish and technical skating at its finest.

Big ups to Josh for making the team, it’s definitely well deserved. Respect also goes out to Bayside Blades for supporting Australian talent.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”JOSH DOEY TOOFRESHH WELCOME TO BAYSIDE BLADES: EDIT BY BRAD WATSON” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAi3dfenRQ”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Aussie legends feature in Dom West x The Booted: Mates, Beers and Bunnies in Sydney

Dom West x The Booted Mates Beers and Bunnies

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_image src=”http://www.australianblading.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/craig.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]UK-BASED blading website The Booted celebrates one year on the scene this month and to celebrate, they’ve just dropped a killer edit by the one-and-only Dom West featuring Sydney’s Vine St crew.

Filmed in only one day along the Sydney coastline, Mates, Beers and Bunnies is an insight into the awesome lifestyle enjoyed by rollerblading crew in Australia’s largest city. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place with so many beaches, awesome parks and amazing skaters?

Alongside skating from some of Australia’s best from the current generation, including Gav Drumm, CJ Wellsmore, Tien Nguyen, Craig Brocklehurst (pictured above by Adam Kola), Alan Dick, Rian Arnold, Jamie Knapp, Josh Butler and Toby Yau, the edit also features a rare glimpse of Australian legends Blake Dennis and Scott Crawford in action.

Anyone who has been around in the blade game for a while knows these two are true bona fide legends of the Aussie scene and will be truly excited to see them back on the roll.

This is what The Booted’s Adam Kola had to say about the edit: “We would like to take this moment to thank everyone that has supported The Booted and our features. We endeavour to put forward an eclectic mix of the very best that blading has to offer in a mature and tasteful fashion This especially wouldn’t be possible without our correspondents, contributors and bladers, so to everyone that has provided us with content, The Booted and rollerblading are thankful!”

Big ups to The Booted from rollerblading.com.au for the awesome content and edits over the last year, you’re doing everything right. Here’s to another big year in 2015!

For more from The Booted, check out their official website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”Dom West x The Booted: Mates, Beers and Bunnies” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ05AFRLcK8″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Will On A Roll finally be the rollerblading video game we all want and deserve?

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_image src=”http://www.australianblading.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/oar4.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Rollerblading and video games don’t have a great history. Despite many attempts, games based around rollerblading have always ended up b-grade at best and barely functioning at worst – even though you’d think the medium would provide a perfect base for developers to go wild and create something truly fun and immersive.

Jet Set Radio (also known as Jet Grind Radio in America, pictured below in a recent update for Android mobile devices) was the more commercially successful, but its wacky sci-fi setting and combination with graffiti didn’t exactly emulate what blading was really all about. It was fun, but a world away from what was happening in the wildly successful Tony Hawk franchise of skateboarding games.

2003’s Rolling The Game came the closest to being the game we all wanted and even featured Aussie vert icon Cesar Mora, street killer Blake Dennis and UK pioneer Jenny Logue (who you now know as Jenny at Bayside Blades!), however it was dogged by the collapse of its initial developer and never reached its full potential. Even though it introduced some concepts later jacked by even the Tony Hawk franchise, most people prefer not to mention 2002’s Aggressive Inline, which was every bit as awkward as the title suggested.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.australianblading.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/jetsetradio.png” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]You could even argue that the advent of games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater and S.K.A.T.E. played a major part in bringing about the end of the golden era of rollerblading, with every kid in every house knowing the difference between a nollie hardflip and a fakie 360 flip without ever having stepped on a board. Hell, you even got bonus points for knocking down bladers! We all know a rollerblader who who gave up his boots for a board in the wake of the Tony Hawk revolution – the franchise’s cultural impact really was that powerful.

But the fact remains that rollerblading still provides a perfect platform for a video game. Its spectacular physics, combined with creative use of environment and freeform nature are a perfect template for developers to work with, meaning it wouldn’t be long until someone else gave a blading game a crack.

Enter On A Roll Studios, a mysterious new group of developers planning to bring a new blading game to life across PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Since launching a Facebook page and Tumblr in late 2013, On A Roll have dropped a series of updates, screen shots and a teaser video – all of which show great promise.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”On A Roll Teaser #1″ link=”https://vimeo.com/99902165″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″]Apart from the video, screenshots and a few facebook posts, little is known about On A Roll or the studio itself. A recent interview with One Rollerblading Magazine in the US did shed some light on who was behind the game, with it comforting to know that most of the team has “15 years” experience with rollerblading (despite not naming any names). Beyond saying it will most closely resemble the S.K.A.T.E. series of games, still very little is known about On A Roll, including which (if any) pros will be involved and when it will get a release date. They have, however, released a few photos of the team working on the motion capture side of the development in the studio.

A lot can happen in the cycle of a game’s development, so don’t hold your breath for it to be sitting under the Christmas tree this year. However if you are to believe what you read and see, On A Roll Studios appear to have have the intention of creating the rollerblading game we all want and deserve – it’s now up to them to pull it off. We’ve reached out to On A Roll Studios for an interview, but until then, let us know if you think they can pull it off in the comments below.

For more about On A Roll, check out their Facebook page or Tumblr.[/vc_column_text][mk_image_slideshow title=”ON A ROLL GAMEPLAY & BEHIND-THE-SCENES PICTURES” images=”7687,7686,7677,7676,7685,7684,7683″ image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ effect=”fade” animation_speed=”700″ slideshow_speed=”7000″ pause_on_hover=”false” smooth_height=”true” direction_nav=”true”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Australian Rollerblading Open 2014: All the videos, photos and results in one place

Rhys Bell ARO Champion

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_image src=”http://www.australianblading.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_0892.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”450″ crop=”true” lightbox=”true” custom_lightbox=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkaDAT6PROw” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”25″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”true” color=”#393836″ size=”24″ font_weight=”bold” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”25″ font_family=”none” align=”left”]ARO 2014[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The mighty Australian Rolling Open hit The Park in Geelong on August 30, bringing with the nation’s best skaters for a battle of the titans across street, vert amd mini mega disciplines.

Needless to say, it was the biggest gathering of rollerbladers in the country in 2014 and saw some landmark tricks go down, from the return of the legendary Shane Yost to the vert ramp, to Tristan Richards’ epic double misty on the mega and Rhys Bell’s hammers on the street course (including the picture above, photographed by Craig Richards).[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]If you’d prefer to just check out the results and watch the videos without having to read the full review, it’s all here, including edits by Daniel Talbot, Iain Smith and Alice McTaggart, and photos by Craig Richards.

Rollerblading.com.au was proud to sponsor ARO 2014, big thanks to all the organisers, sponsors and supporters for making it the killer weekend that it was! See you all next year.[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”ARO 2014 Edit by Daniel Talbot” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkaDAT6PROw”][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”true” color=”#393836″ size=”14″ font_weight=”bold” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ font_family=”none” align=”left”]AUSTRALIAN ROLLERBLADING OPEN 2014 RESULTS: OPEN STREET, VERT & MINI MEGA[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Opens Street

1st: Rhys Bell

2nd: Tom Scofield

3rd: Martin Gade

Vert

1st: Shane Yost

2nd: Brad Watson

3rd: Hayden Golder

Mini Mega

1st: Tristan Richards

2nd: Brad Watson

3rd: Rhys Bell[/vc_column_text][vc_video title=”ARO 2014 Edit by Iain Smith” link=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyLXFADC038″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”true” color=”#393836″ size=”14″ font_weight=”bold” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ font_family=”none” align=”left”]AUSTRALIAN ROLLERBLADING OPEN 2014 RESULTS: GIRLS, OLD SCHOOL & JUNIORS[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Girls Street

1st: Tiffany street

2nd: Jenny Logue

Junior Girls Winner: Alana boots

Old Skool

1st: George Sarantoulious

2nd: Chris Pullar

3rd: Brad Watson

Under 18s Street

1st: Darcy Smith

2nd: John Jacob

3rd: Daniel Werry

Under 14s Street

1st: Nick Thorne[/vc_column_text][mk_image_slideshow title=”ARO 2014 PHOTOS BY CRAIG RICHARDS” images=”7908,7907,7906,7905,7904,7903,7902,7901,7900,7899,7898,7897,7896,7895,7894,7893,7892,7891,7890,7889,7888,7887,7886,7885,7884,7883,7882,7881,7880,7879,7878,7877,7876,7875,7874,7873,7872,7871,7870,7869,7868,7867,7866,7865,7864,7863,7862,7861,7860,7859,7858,7857,7856,7855,7854,7853,7852,7851,7850,7849,7848,7847,7846,7845,7844,7843,7842,7841,7840,7839,7838,7837,7836,7835,7834,7833,7832,7831,7830,7829,7828,7827,7826,7825,7824,7823,7822,7821,7820,7819″ image_width=”800″ image_height=”550″ effect=”fade” animation_speed=”700″ slideshow_speed=”7000″ pause_on_hover=”false” smooth_height=”true” direction_nav=”true”][vc_video title=”ARO 2014 Edit by Alice McTaggart” link=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL_ZD6ThXf4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]