rexing

n. organized or competitive rollerskating to dance music; roller disco; (hence) a leg-scissoring movement in skating sports. Subjects: English, Sports & Recreation

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Citations: 1980 Andrea Kamin Globe and Mail (May 22) “Snapping feet to the downbeat at the rink” p. T1: He says the term roller disco is hard to define, because different regions have different styles of roller disco. In the United States, skaters call it jammin,” in the West it is called rexing, and in other parts of Canada it’s called boogie. 2000 Audrey Bakewell Get the Edge (Jan. 1) p. 81: The Rexing movement will help to develop agility and increase foot awareness. Rexing is an in-line skating term. It is a combination of In and Out and the Crossover Tuck. With both blades on the ice, push out then glide together, moving into the crossover tuck position. 2005 John Tanasychuk Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) (July 9) “Jam on a roll”: Sometimes called “rexing” or “bounce skating,” jam skating is to roller skating as snowboarding was once to skiing.

Posted 16 Jul 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Rexing is a style of backwards roller skating that started in California in the 1950’s. Spot rexing is backward skating in a baisic figure 8 pattern within the space of a standard figure circle, with very intricate steps, slides, and turns. It was originally done to the blues/rock music of the time. While the style of rexing has evolved over time, disco, and jive are NOT rexing by any strecth of the imagination.
Rexing can be done on inline skates, but with limitations. There are certain steps such as a flat #8 spin that simply cannot be done on inline skates. The term rexing was around for 35 years before inline skates came on the scene. So it is therefore NOT a term based on inine skating.
My qualification for this statement: I was president of a SOCAL rexing club for 2 years in the 1970’s. We were high point club for the season one of those years.

by Gary Campbell 29 Mar 08, 0613 GMT

This comment is basiclly confirming what Gary Campbell has stated about rexing. What some
jam skaters call rexing, is in fact, not rexing at all. Rexing originated in Southern California and consisted of backwards skating, utilizing a sequence of steps similar to many of the step patterns of ballroom or line dancing, (except on skates). Terms such as figure 8, duck walk, grapevine are just some of the steps used in rexing.
There were also many rexing clubs sponsored by the various home rinks they skated out of, and which were governed by the “ARC”, (Associated Rexing Clubs). Club members attended meetings, paid dues, practiced and honed the art of rexing and competed in various rexing competitions hosted by various rinks around Southern California. At one point in the 70’s a move was even made to put rexing on the National map, and ultimately enter this particular type of skating as an event in the Olympics. This did not succeed however, as many rinks closed their doors in the late 1980’s and rexing faded out.
My qualifications for this comment: I am a former Rebel Rexer who skated/competed througout the 1970’s decade out of Palisade Gardens Roller Rink in San Diego, CA. I also formed and currently run a rexing group site whose memberships consists only of rexers from the 1950’s on through the 1980’s and the various SoCal clubs.

by Liz G. 05 Apr 08, 0249 GMT