CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, April 27, 1994
3
Chris Gannett, Highland Park, Texas, junior, tries to block Steve Gulick, Littleton, Co., junior, as Paul Madden, Prairie Village senior, watches for a rebound.
BRING THE BLADES LEAVE THE ZAMBONI
Rollerblade By Jennie Zeiner Kansan staff writer
fast-growing
fast-growing sport in
Lawrence. It
Lawrence.It
hegan as a
way for hockey
players to
the summer.
The rules are simple
No slamming bodies, no kicking the ball and no maneuvering the ball with hands.
Those who play rollerblade hockey call it a gentleman's game in which the players use an honor system to officiate the game.
No one is absolutely certain when rollerblade hockey was invented, but they do know it started as a form of
summer cross-training for hockey players.
"People have been playing floor hockey forever with roller-rink skates, before the in-line skates were available," said Geoff Davis, an employee at SunFlower Surplus, 804 Massachusetts St.
The sport's popularity grew when other people saw it not as an opportunity to practice their hockey skills but as a chance to exercise and play with friends, he said.
"It's a good form of exercise, and it
breaks up the monotony of training." said Davis, who races bikes. "It does have a certain skill level and is very fast-paced." he said.
The sport has been in Lawrence for about four years, Davis said, and many different groups of friends play on tennis courts, parking lots or in the streets.
For people who have never played but would like to start, Davis said they should get together with friends and practice.
"It definitely helps if you're a good skater, otherwise you're not going to
be as comfortable because you have to rely on your sight to move the ball," he said.
Davis also recommended starting by playing with people at the same level, both for enjoyment and for safety's sake.
Joey Payne, Kansas City, Mo, senior,
said that rollerblade hockey wasn't
particularly dangerous but that safety
was important.
"If you put pads on, you should be well-protected," Payne said.
Although Lawrence has no formal leagues, Topeka and Kansas City do.
Story and photos by Jennie Zeiner
**Above:** Jon Cruz, St. Louis senior, attempts to score a goal. **Right:** Steve Gulick, Littleton, Colo., junior, skates down the court with Brennan Briscoe, Mission Hills senior, in hot pursuit.
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