The End

The first Olderblading Edit

In 2020, I picked up a GL2 from eBay and filmed Dylan Hopp for a fun, retro-inspired profile. This is where Olderblading started.

There is a good amount of Blade history here in North Carolina. A Battle My Crew section win, Pros and Super Ams, former and current, like Jon Cooley, Montre, Phil Gripper, Dre Powell, Will Gordon, and the previously mentioned Dylan Hopp. One of the best shops in the industry, Oak City Skate Shop, is here, the Crowder Power contest (which is growing and going into its third year), and of course, Law from 50/50 bringing back the classic frame brand, launching Balance Distribution, and bringing a brand new boot to the industry in 2024 with the Standard Omni, all from Durham, North Carolina.

The scene is exciting, and I wanted to contribute in some way. Since I'm a below-average skater at best, my contributions to the scene had to come from behind the lens and non-linear editing software. Olderblading was born.

The original goal was to show off the newest generation of the local North Carolina scene. The videos were for the local crew with the hope that others might check us out, enjoy what they see, and maybe someone from the crew will get some more attention. The name Olderblading was chosen somewhat as a self-deprecating joke about my own age and a way to play into the branding I wanted to express with the throw-back synthwave/80’s aesthetic I personally enjoy.

When I started filming the crew, I was heavily inspired by the likes of Jonas Hansson, Dom West, and Butter TV. Filmmakers and editors who, in my opinion, had a little extra sauce on what they were doing in the blading video space. Charles Caleb Colton said, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” I agree. So, I copied these guys' style as much as I could.

The Olderblading channel got going. After COVID got under control and events started to return, I made the trip out to Santa Ana for my first Blading Cup. I brought my camera to film the event but didn’t know enough folks to feel confident enough to go where I wanted to film (even though JP from Butter TV, who I had become friends with, told me to ‘get out there!’). Either way, I filmed and banged out an edit for the men's and women's events for the channel.

Fast forward to 2024. I’ve been to and covered 4 Blading Cups, 2 Crowder Powers, the FINAL Bitter Cold Showdown, and Winterclash 2023 for the Olderblading Channel. During all that, I've also put out a few locals edits that I’m very proud of, as well as filming and editing Dylan Hopp’s 50/50 Frames Am intro.

But Olderblading is ending.

I’ve spent some time thinking about the name Olderblading. Some love it, some seem indifferent to it. People who enjoy my channel and videos sometimes confuse the name with other “older” rollerblading creators on YouTube and Instagram. I’ve had people ask me regarding the name, “oh, so it’s old dudes skating?” And while our crew in NC is an older crew (aren’t all blade crews old?), I don’t want new viewers to think that the “older” in the name is indicative of the quality of content I put out. I don’t want new viewers to avoid the channel because the name scared them away.

Graveside DIY