Roller Sports – The Source
Roller Sports was a Florida brand briefly mentioned in the book A Secret History of the Ollie. They made decks and wheels. I’m not sure if they also made trucks or just distributed them with their completes. This ad features what looks like a bunch of Lexan decks called “Proline.” It’s a shame they don’t show other views of the decks, which they call “tops.” Also missing, details and a better view of what looks like a downhill ski trainer.
Just the goods. Check out the holes in the decks. On the ski trainer it looks like a spot to hang it up, but the 3 hole placement on the other decks suggest a nose guard of some type. The ski trainer has a sticker on it that reads “Made of super tough Lexan.” Lexan may be super tough, but’s it seems like it would also be super brittle.
Wheels galore.
Ski trainer detail.
THE SOURCE ROLLER SPORTS
[Photo captions: Stokers, Racing Slicks, Mark IV, Big Wheel]
Roller Sports is ready to supply and deliver to manufacturers and dealers our complete line of urethane skateboard wheels, tops, hardware and accessories. We’re a single source for total market coverage.
Roller Sports
1855 Cassat Ave. Jacksonville, Fla. 32210 (904) 384-3219
Manufacturers and dealers: to receive our catalogue, please write us on your letterhead stationery.
Company/Brand: Roller Sports
Product Type: Skateboards, Wheels
Decade: 70's
Year: 1975
Magazine: Skateboarder
Issue: Skateboarder V2 N1 Summer 1975
Country: USA
Roller Sports was our sponsor when we skateboarded across America in 1976. They supplied us with ProLine “Lexan” decks, RSI Trucks and precision bearing Stokers. I remember the owners Bill Buffington and Dana Hafke telling us the lexan was supplied by General Electric.
They gave us all the gear we needed, $500 to start and promised us $500 each if we finished. We were almost out of dough when we reached Minneapolis, so they wired us $500 more. Mr. Hafke met us when we finished in Williamsburg, Virginia and paid us…man, we thought we were rich!
We then drove down to their headquarters, which turned out to be a roller rink in Jacksonville, Florida. We spent a couple of days skating Skatboard City, Kelly Lynn was ripping. After our Florida visit we drove across the country to skate at the newly opened Carlsbad skate park.
Damn, that was a great summer!
Great background story! Thanks for sharing. Don’t forget to add your promo link in the website field when you comment.
Everyone should check out the Morrow Bay Skateboard Museum for more skate history. http://www.mbskate.com
The holes in the nose & tail were indeed for urathene ‘stoppers’, they round cylinder shaped, much like roller skate stoppers….I grew up in Jacksonville, 5 min. from Kona Skatepark…Every kid in this town had a Proline at one time or another. I still have a dark green one in pretty mint condition…They used Chicago trucks, drilled for 3 hole.
very popular board in FL, the wheels were great too. I had the rs racing slicks, still have them, although I was a Bahne guy. You either had a Bahne or a ProLine. The longer tail on the ProLine was nice for kick turns. It rattled and was louder than my Bahne due to the plastic deck, light too. I have one today, but did not when I was a kid, have the original box too if there are any collectors out there.
Steve, Just finding this post. I’d be interested in seeing that original box. As a collector of these skateboards, I’m always intrigued by stuff like that.
I was not allowed to have a skateboard as a kid in Florida, so I road my friends… All had Proline or Bahne. So, today I’m trying to get every color I can find. 🙂
I’ve got a few Proline decks in my collection that are not the clear, colored Lexan. They are solid plastic. Are these earlier versions of the decks? They do have the earlier, embossed Mk IV wheels. Any info appreciated.
Hi Jim. I’ve got a brand new never used proline in Green with the original box. It’s up for sale if anyone is interested.
allen6m@gmail.com
Hey I would definitely be interested in the box if you’re selling it
As (being old) I’ve probbly mentioned here before, I went to school with Lexan (probably Lexanne). She was the girlfriend of a friend from New Jersey, and I figured it was just a name that some stupid Jersey plastic-y types named their kid… but it turns out Lexan was supposedly named after her, instead, cuz her pa was big in plastics. I could probably easily look it up these days, but I think I’ll just keep babbling about it instead.
Jim,
If you are interested in purchasing the box and board, shoot me an email if you can and I’ll try to find it.
Steve
Would love to buy the box: jimtarwater@yahoo.com
Sorry for delayed reply, just now checking back on the post.
Thanks,
Jim
jasperrad513@gmail.com
jasperrad513@gmail.com
Hello thanks again for this fourm I appreciate your patience. I have six
Pro Line boards one red NOS never used next to my Jay Adams with sixers Indipendents also I was on of the first to buy urathane Rollar Sports Racing Slicks and chrome Chicago trucks and a homemade board lots of fun still have my first precision board Logan with fours and bennents with the first gen plastic bases not great change one for ACS
Well see ya soon Good Luck to everyone!!
John, I’d like to buy that red proline if it is still for sale
first good board. Bought at fox surf shop in Miami Beach form Bruce Walker himself. He put it together for me while I waited. It was not the clear variety but a turquoise color. Stoker wheels
Wish I still had it.
I have a Roller skateboard.
Imported to Australia during 70s to Len Dibben famous surfboard makers shop.
It has a large ROLLER brand pressed into and along the top of the board.
It has “Roller” pressed into the metal trucks, wheel base.
I can’t find any urethane yellow boards that the truck screws dont go all the way through the board and has a kick flip end.
Anyone know anything.