ABSTRACT
The Rollerblade concept originated in the Netherlands for racing on land and it adapted for summer hockey training in the US by two former high school players based in Minneapolis, Scott and Brennan Olson. The Rollerblade Inc. decided there was a market for skates as a fitness product. The company next launched a secret marketing strategy; in view of the fact that trends frequently started and spread quickly in California, it gave away large numbers of Rollerblades to skate-rental shops along the beach in Los Angeles. Thomas Doyle, research director for the National Sporting Goods Association, noted two reasons for the popularity of blading: "It's a natural fitness activity, and the price is right". In addition, the activity unlike male dominated sports such as bicycle racing and skateboarding was popular among women. David Gross observed that "Bladers hang out with rollerbuddies who prowl the asphalt in an eternal quest for greased turf and try to avoid rollerblood at all costs".
