Rollerblade
Brand of inline skates
title: "Rollerblade" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["brands-that-became-generic", "roller-skates", "tecnica-group", "american-inventions", "products-introduced-in-1982"] description: "Brand of inline skates" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollerblade" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Brand of inline skates ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Rollerblade |
| logo | Rollerblade logo.svg |
| type | Private |
| parent | Tecnica Group |
| foundation | Minnesota, incorporated 1982 as Ole's Innovative Sports{{cite book |
| chapter-url | https://archive.org/details/100greatbusiness0000ross/page/151/mode/1up |
| title | 100 Great Businesses and the Minds Behind Them |
| chapter | Rollerblade - Live your product |
| pages | 151–155 |
| location | Naperville, Illinois |
| publisher | Sourcebooks, Inc. |
| year | 2006 |
| isbn | 978-1402206313 |
| access-date | 2024-12-20 |
| first1 | Emily |
| last1 | Ross |
| first2 | Angus |
| last2 | Holland |
| }}<ref name | "international-companies-vol34-rollerblade"{{cite book |
| url | https://archive.org/details/internationaldir0000unse_r5m3 |
| title | International Directory of Company Histories |
| volume | 34 |
| date | 2000 |
| article | Rollerblade, Inc. |
| pages | 388–392 |
| location | Detroit |
| publisher | St. James Press |
| author-first1 | Kathleen |
| author-last1 | Peippo |
| author-first2 | Nelson |
| author-last2 | Rhodes |
| access-date | 2024-12-23 |
| location_city | West Lebanon, New Hampshire |
| area_served | Worldwide |
| key_people | Rollerblade USA |
| Jeremy Stonier (Co-President) | |
| Stephen Charrier (Co-President) | |
| Pamela Kidder (CFO) | |
| industry | Sporting Goods |
| revenue | ~US$ $20 million (2008) |
| num_employees | 27 (2008) |
| homepage | rollerblade.com |
| :: |
| name = Rollerblade | logo = Rollerblade logo.svg | logo_size = | type = Private | parent = Tecnica Group | foundation = Minnesota, incorporated 1982 as Ole's Innovative Sports{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/100greatbusiness0000ross/page/151/mode/1up |title=100 Great Businesses and the Minds Behind Them |chapter=Rollerblade - Live your product |pages=151–155 |location=Naperville, Illinois |publisher=Sourcebooks, Inc. |year=2006 |isbn=978-1402206313 |access-date=2024-12-20 |first1=Emily |last1=Ross |first2=Angus |last2=Holland |url=https://archive.org/details/internationaldir0000unse_r5m3 |title=International Directory of Company Histories |volume=34 |date=2000 |article=Rollerblade, Inc. |pages=388–392 |location=Detroit |publisher=St. James Press |author-first1=Kathleen |author-last1=Peippo |author-first2=Nelson |author-last2=Rhodes |access-date=2024-12-23 | location_city = West Lebanon, New Hampshire | caption = | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Rollerblade USA Jeremy Stonier (Co-President) Stephen Charrier (Co-President) Pamela Kidder (CFO) | industry = Sporting Goods | products = | revenue = ~US$ $20 million (2008) | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | num_employees = 27 (2008) | subsid = | homepage = rollerblade.com ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Rollerblade_Twister.jpg" caption="A '''Rollerblade Twister''' skate ''(c.2012)''"] ::
Rollerblade is a brand of inline skates owned by Nordica, part of the Tecnica Group of Giavera del Montello, Treviso, Italy.{{cite web | author= U.S. Patent and Trademark Office | title =Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval | date= July 15, 1984 | url= http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=73491507 | access-date= 2007-02-25
The company started as Ole's Innovative Sports, created by Scott Olson in Minneapolis, and operated in his family basement and employed his brothers, chiefly Brennan Olson. The company eventually became Rollerblade, Inc.{{cite web | author= Lemelson-MIT | title= Inventor of the Week Archive:Jake golden & Scott & Brennan Olson (spelling corrected per rowbike.com) | publisher= MIT School of Engineering | date= August 1997 | url= http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/Inline.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030302044906/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/Inline.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= 2003-03-02 | access-date= 2007-02-25 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/morefrozenmemori0000ross/page/184/mode/1up?view=theater |title=More... Frozen Memories: Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Hockey |chapter=In-Line Hockey In Minnesota |pages=184–185 |location=Minneapolis, Minn. |publisher=Nodin Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1932472493 |access-date=2024-12-24 |first1=Ross |last1=Bernstein | people = Paula Schroeder (host) | date = 1995-07-31 | title = Voices of Minnesota: Interview with Scott Olson (Part 1 of 3) | type = audio | language = en | url = https://archive.mpr.org/stories/1995/07/31/voices-minnesota-scott-olson-part-1-3 | access-date = 2024-12-25 | transcript=Transcript 1/3 in PDF | transcript-url = https://codytranscripts.apmcdn.org/production/9896941368e0d360b5826476023d7373.pdf | location = Minnesota | publisher = Minnesota Public Radio | people = Paula Schroeder (host) | date = 1995-07-31 | title = Voices of Minnesota: Interview with Scott Olson (Part 2 of 3) | type = audio | language = en | url = https://archive.mpr.org/stories/1995/07/31/voices-minnesota-scott-olson-part-2-3 | access-date = 2024-12-25 | transcript=Transcript 2/3 in PDF | transcript-url = https://codytranscripts.apmcdn.org/production/e8d38a90a9e6a9040b7960a9b73ec172.pdf | location = Minnesota | publisher = Minnesota Public Radio |author=Skate Log |title=Benetton Confirms Selling Rollerblade |date=February 5, 2003 |url=http://www.skatelog.com/products/benetton-sells-rollerblade.htm |access-date=2007-02-25 |author=DSN Retailing Today via Find Articles |title=Rollerblade brand skates over to Tecnica |date=March 24, 2003 |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_6_42/ai_99289820 |access-date=2007-02-25 |work=DSN Retailing Today
Inline-skates had been used for many years by ice speed skaters before they became mainstream. For the first few years after Rollerblade was developed, Rollerblade, Inc. were the only manufacturer of in-line skates that had worldwide distribution. This allowed the company to capitalize and grab a huge percentage of the world market share and almost total dominance of the North American market with aggressive advertising campaigns and sponsored in-line-only sporting events. The term "rollerblades" has become a generic trademark for inline skates in general.
Rollerblade, Inc. manufactures different types of skates, such as those for aggressive skating (aimed at jumps, tricks, and use at skate parks), fitness, or recreational use with removable "walkable" liners, as well as adjustable skates for younger users.
References
References
- "Rollerblade USA Corp. Company Profile". Yahoo.
- (2013). "Rollerblade brand skates over to Tecnica - Hardlines - Brief Article". DSN Retailing Today.
- (18 July 2005). "Rollerblade: Good things come to those who skate". [[Philadelphia Inquirer]].
- "Rollerblade - About Us - en - International".
- "Skates". Tecnica Group S.p.A.
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