Roller Skating for Gold

Given the popularity of all types of skating—on the ice, on the boards, and on the streets—why isn't roller skating an Olympic event? Author David H. Lewis sought out people involved in every aspect of the sport in an attempt to answer this question. He talked to competition judges and coaches, rink operators and rink organists, and scores of skaters from around the world.

The answers he found—and there are many—are likely to anger and astound readers in turn. Those answers, along with a we...