Inline skating is roller skating done on inline skates. An inline skate is often called a Rollerblade, which is actually the brand name of an inline skate, related accessory, and protective gear company. Inline skates usually have 4 or 5 wheels, arranged in a single line. Most commonly, if they have a stop, it is a heel stop rather than a toe stop. Inline skating is often done on the same surfaces as skateboarding: on the road, sidewalk, various street furnishings like fences and steps, and on special tracks and areas, including skate parks and half-pipes. Inline skaters are also frequently seen in rinks alongside quad skaters. Some inline skaters compete in artistic skating events, though quads are still more typical for that use. Inline skates for artistic use tend to be designed more as an analog of the ice skate or artistic quad skate design, with a toe stop and rockered wheels.

The growth of inline skating in the United States was explosive in the early 1990s, but since 1996 sales have dropped as the market became saturated and the sport's trendy status began to fade. Among children, inline skates were supplanted in popularity by new designs of kick scooters; meanwhile for adolescents there was a resurgence in the popularity of skateboarding. Today inline skaters can be found sharing public and private skateparks with skateboarders in cities around the world.

Via: WIkipedia
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