Jam skating (or Jamskating), also called Jammin', is a skating style consisting of a combination of dance, gymnastics, and roller skating, performed on roller skates.[1][2][3]
The style has its roots in traditional roller disco, but has been greatly influenced by breakdancing, artistic skating, gymnastics, and modern dance.[4] Successful jam skaters are well practiced in these different forms and must have the ability to translate these movements while on skates. Jam skating first became popular in the early 1970s and is still practiced.[4][5][6][7]
Origin
Jammin'
In the 1960s, Detroit skater Mr. Charisma created a new style of roller skating he called "jammin'",[8][9] possibly at the Arcadia Roller Rink in Michigan.[10][11] While in New York, Butler convinced skater Gloria McCarthy, whose father owned the Empire Skate Center, to start a "Bounce" night to showcase his new style of skating.[8]
Shuffle skating/Rexing: shuffle skating to be skating with all 8 wheels down (or at times on just 1 wheel down), forward or backward, moving to the beat of the music usually in counterclockwise rink motion.
Footwork
Power: Power: This style of b-boying is what most members of the general public associate with the term "breakdancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Examples of power moves include head spins, back spins, windmills, flares, air tracks/air flares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glides, halos, and elbow spins. These Power moves are acrobatic moves that require momentum, speed, endurance, strength, and control to execute. The breaker is generally supported by his upper body while the rest of his body creates circular momentum. Some examples are the windmill, swipe, back spin, and head spin. Some power moves are borrowed from gymnastics and martial arts.
Ground breaking
Floorwork
Jam skating is neither aggressive nor speed skating. This form of freestyle skating is referred to by many different names: toe-dancing, spot-skating, shuffle skating, hexing, rexxing, trucking, shadow skating, crazy leg, boogie bouncing, and disco skating. These names strictly describe the style of skating, not the moves.
Competition
Jam skating, like breakdancing in its early evolution, was an almost underground movement fueled by teenagers and skaters in their early 20s. Events were created to allow Jam Skaters to meet, trade moves, and, most importantly, "battle". Battling and performing remain a very important aspect of Jam Skating. This element pushes the boundaries of what is possible to perform while on skates; moreover, it ignites evolution within the skate culture.
Traditionally, roller disco skaters wore an artistic high-cut boot with toe stop. In the early 1980s, this transitioned into a trend of wearing low-cut speed skate boots with smaller jam plugs in place of the toe stops. This trend continues today, as the low-cut boot allows for more agility with feet while skating.[15]
Jam skating regained some mainstream popularity in 2008 when Shannon Anthony, Diamond Walker, Tony Zane, Jessy Nice, and Jordan McQuiston of Team Breaksk8 made it to the top 4 on America's Best Dance Crew (Season 1).[19]
