why speed skating unpopular

[BMW325TI]

I am living in average big village(city). In summer season and other periods I don't see any other practicing speed skating/skating. Here ; Ice skating is more popular. While skating on wheels is more difficult and require more skills. So it should also olympic sport!

[wyodinosaur]

I agree that roller speed skating should also be an olympic event. We have a speed team here (Cheyenne, Wyoming USA). It is a little small, but they have been doing well at the meets.

[ursle]

Originally Posted by BMW325TI

I am living in average big village(city). In summer season and other periods I don't see any other practicing speed skating/skating. Here ; Ice skating is more popular. While skating on wheels is more difficult and require more skills. So it should also olympic sport!

You're on inlines, if there aren't any around, nobody want's to.
Before finding you're on inlines I was going to explain how inlines in the 80's took over the market, it was like digital taking over from vinyl, a waste, vinyl was far superior in every way but digital is plug and play no setup required.
Well, inlines are just as inferior, but the're faster, easier to skate, can go anywhere, bigger wheels and a smaller track, but they're like wearing socks in a shower compared to the roller skate experience, IMHO, the support point for inlines, the point, the exact point that your body passes energy, or realistically the inline skate passes energy to you is a tiny bit of your body, on the outer edge of each heel, and after you grow a bone spur, all engines full speed ahead, I'd rather speed on a bicycle and skate for flexibility on roller skates than eat my body with inlines, but...JMHO.

[BMW325TI]

Yeah I think you may right.

Also there is no really commercial e.g. competitions on TV to watch regarding roller/inline skating....

[chuckboucher]

Inlines are definitely not inferior to quads. They both have their places.

Inlines are more similar to ice skates, so it would stand to reason that they'd be more accepted for speed skating.

That said, it has been tried several times to get inline speed skating as an olympic event, only to be shot down time and time again. Mainly because inline speed skating feeds both short and long track ice speed skating. So why would the olympic committee make an event that would possibly slow down the growth of ice?