Like most teenagers at the time,  I did some rollerblading in the 90’s. I’m probably not going to shock you when I say that getting aggressive on a pair of  skates was pretty damn popular at one time, and then it faded into an oblivion only skiboarding can relate to. I’m no roller historian, but it’s safe to say that the sport experienced a textbook bubble effect. Before it had any culture, history, or underground foundation, it was featured in every cheesy Disney movie and junk food commercial. Knee-and-elbow-padded rebels terrorized the populace and brought radical fun wherever they went. When Bob and Betty Customer got tired of the extremeness, rollerblading got put out on its ass.

Let this be a warning to ye double (triple?) corking phenoms of the ski world. This isn’t about “selling out” or any silly bullshit like that. There’s big money and exposure in commercials, so have a blast. But make sure the script doesn’t have you shredding with Tony the Tiger, or jibbing the McDonald’s arches in Ronald’s red wig and yellow overalls. The money will be tempting, and they’ll promise you truckloads of Frosted Flakes and Big Macs, but it won’t last forever. You will kill the sport, your career, and your heart (if you eat all those Big Macs). Everything’s going really well now, but you never know when you’re one Bobby Brown Capri Sun ad away from annihilation.

Here’s what brought this to mind. Depending on your outlook it’s an extremely funny joke, a sign of a comeback, or the saddest thing you’ve ever seen.