Hedrick does a lot of his racing in Europe, but he does get to strut his stuff in the United States from time to time. His most recent stint was this weekend in the fourth stage of the United States Cup. The competition was held at Cornwell’s Skating Center and Philadelphia Park.
Both sites had decent crowds, but Hedrick would love to see inline skating become as big here as it is in Europe.
“Europe is a lot more race-oriented,” said Hedrick. “They like anything that moves fast. I just want to do what I can to help improve the sport.”
He’s definitely off to a good start in that respect. Hedrick has become one of the more popular racers in the sport, no matter how hard he tries to deny the fact.
“It’s a small world, so some people know who I am,” said Hedrick. “When I go to Europe it’s totally different. It would be like N’ Sync going out there to perform. They’re pretty popular here, but in Europe there wouldn’t be as much as a craze.”
When Hedrick was younger, it was a pretty safe bet he’d be a good skater. His father, Paul, owns a skating rink in Texas, so it was only natural Hedrick would pick up the skill.
It wasn’t just roller skating that made Hedrick the phenom he is today however. He also picked up a thing or two from his ice hockey playing days.
“I began skating on regular roller skates and then picked up ice skating when I started playing hockey,” he said. “Rollerblades were such a perfect medium, so I didn’t have too much trouble adjusting to them.”
One of the more interesting facts about Hedrick’s ice hockey career in Texas was who one of his teammates was. Hedrick played on the same line as none other than Lee Jelenic, the all-time leading scorer at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School.
According to Hedrick, Jelenic played with the same rugged, never-say-die attitude back then that he used during his tenure at West Windsor and at Yale.
“Lee was a little guy back then but he was very intense and very aggressive,” Hedrick said. “I understand he’s become very successful and he might go pro. I just want to wish him good luck and say hello to him.”
It’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t like to skate for a living like Hedrick does. Getting to work outside, getting exercise and making a buck or two at the same time sounds pretty appealing. Not to mention, Hedrick gets to travel all over the world. He’s been in 28 countries since he joined the professional ranks.
However, there can be a downside as Hedrick pointed out.
“With all of the traveling I had to do, I had to transfer to a private school that would allow me to miss all of those days,” Hedrick said. “Not only that, but I had to leave my friends too. The good thing is I found who my real friends were, because they supported me all the way through.”
At 23, Hedrick has plenty of time to decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life. For now, he has a good feeling skating is the way to go.
“I plan to do this for at least a couple more years and go from there,” he said. “As long as I can continue to live comfortably, I don’t see why I should stop. There’s nothing sweeter than doing something you love.”
