Buggy Rollin': Full-body in-line skating

Buggy Rollin' is a fledgling sport that takes in-line skating to the extreme by adding wheels to a full-body armature so that every possible point of contact between you and the ground is covered.

Why stand up when you can skate on your hands and knees, lie on your back luge style, or hurtle face-first down the nearest sloping street at 60 or 70 km/h with your nose just 10 cm from the ground.

Although still at concept and proofing stage, particular positions have already taken on labels like "Kamakaze" - throwing yourself backwards on the back - and "Gognoc" - rolling on the backside.

Rollers attached to arms also opens up the possibility of using vertical surfaces, giving birth to moves like "Mad Buggy Dog", where three limbs roll along the wall while the other remains on the ground.

The goal of inventor Jean-Yves Blondeau was to enable the human body to move freely in all possible positions. Initially a design project investigating the displacement of the human center of gravity using various support points, the experience of Buggy Rollin' is described as somewhere between a crawling insect and a well-oiled robot.

The planned "full-suit" is not yet available but the first component - the Rollin Recap - which enables use of the knees with conventional in-line skates, can be ordered online for US$175 + delivery costs.