(WXYZ) — When you think of roller skating, you likely think of rolling around the rink on four wheels to music.
Who knew there was a whole competition attached to artistic roller skating with too many categories to name, including dance and figures?
RELATED VIDEO: Watch an artistic roller skating quartet dance
This September, the Skatin Station roller rink in Canton is sending five of their skaters to the World Championships in Prato, Italy, and it’s a pretty big deal.
The world of artistic roller skating is a competitive sport, and it takes hours upon hours of training.
Caden Fischer travels to Chicago every weekend to train with his sister. Both are national champions. He competes in Figures, Dance, Team Dance and Quartet.
RELATED VIDEO: Watch Caden Fischer's artistic roller skating free dance
It’s much like ice skating but instead on four wheels.
"You get scored on how well you perform your turns and your lifts," said Caden, who has been involved in it for nine years.
Dance roller skating has been around since the early 1900s. The first organized national roller skating competition was held in 1938 in Detroit at the Arena Gardens Roller Rink.
RELATED VIDEO: Watch Caden Fischer and Caitlyn Fischer's artistic roller skating free dance
This month, after training 7 days a week, three hours a day, Caden and his sister are heading to Italy to compete in not one but two world championships.
"I want to place at the world championships and if roller skating ever gets to the Olympics, I want to make it to the Olympics," he said.
And he’s not alone, four of his teammates are going too. Christy Malene started skating in 1997. This is her first season competing in worlds. She’s excited to be facing off against skaters from 40 other countries. She is competing in Figures.
"We focus on figures ... if you ever go to a roller rink and you see those lines those circles we follow those lines and we do specific edges specific turns while standing on one foot," said Christy.
Figures is the core of roller skating.
"If you do dance or freestyle in roller skating and you haven’t done figures, you’re not going to have the same type of discipline for your entire body," she said.
Many ice skaters started in roller skating or vice versa. Famous champion ice skaters who once competed in roller skating include Olympians Brian Boitano and Tara Lipinski.
Sinchana Gowda used to be an ice skater.
"I love the support I get from my team members. I love it so much more," said Sinchana.
Sylvia Luke is in her fourth year of competing in artistic roller skating.
“When I started, we didn’t have anyone going to Worlds, and five of us are going to Worlds, it’s like … how did that happen,” said Sylvia.
Mahira Tandon is back at Michigan State University, but she will be in Italy for Worlds. Last year, she placed 10th.
"I’m hoping that I get a medal some type of medal, cause it's against the world ... so it’s like the best of the best," said Mahira.
Only 22 U.S. skaters will be competing in the World Figure Cup. And we wish our six local skaters five from Skatin Station the best of luck.
If you want to help them on their journey to Worlds, there is a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on September 8 at the Skatin Station in Canton.
