Words and edit by Aaron Schultz
Photos by Claire Triervieler

How many contest series begin in Holland and end in Las Vegas? Only one that I am aware of.

The World Rolling Series went out with a bang on cool October evening, just outside of the city that never sleeps. Bladers from four different continents competed in one of the best contests our industry has seen to date. Legends such as Kato Mateu, Jon Julio and Kevin Gillan “dealt out” the judging while skaters such as Jon Bolino, Chaz Sands, Chris Haffey, Brian Aragon and Alex Broskow went all in on the course. The contest was MC’d by Daniel Kinney (BCSD Founder) and Tracy White (4Dub/LA ALL DAY).

Tracy White getting things going.

European skaters including Roman Abrate and Stephan Alfano killed the course with long lines, hitting every inch of coping and leaving no transition untouched. American bladers Brian Aragon and David Sizemore dropped stunt after stunt on the largest obstacles in the park. Santee skaters Nick Wood and Damien Wilson built three Stratosphere sized PVC boxes to add to the already incredible park. Japanese Skaters Yuto Goto and Soichiro Kanashima threw down technical grinds and perfectly executed spins in every corner of the course. The new thunder from down under CJ “Wombat” Wellsmore skated the park with speed and amplitude rivaled by few from the moment he arrived at the park until the champagne hit the concrete and Brian Aragon took the title.

The champ.

It was a unique experience to see people from so many places coming together to do what they love most. Near the judges booth I could hear conversations going on in three or four languages at a time. Hearing sequences of words that mean nothing to me quickly followed by a familiar phrase such as truespin topsoul or full cab mizou further reinforced my belief that our industry is anything but dead. It lives in people in every corner of the world.

And just like any Vegas party, the contest went well into the evening hours only to be followed by more Halloween night partying. Some rollerbladers took to the strip while others enjoyed the Fremont Experience on Vegas’ infamous Northside. Everywhere I looked people were doing their best to dress as things they will never be, with the ladies dressed in so little I could hardly tell what they were trying to be. While some went as Mario and Luigi, others as green army men, I chose to wear my favorite Con Artist Jeans and Franco Shade hoody, being the only thing I know how to be, a rollerblader.

Brian Shima.