Building with Cadomotus: how Kelly Springer is breathing new life into American inlining

As a downhill skater, he competed in the X Games, led the American Mogema inline skating team for years, is now working as a coach to revive inline skating in the U.S., and still represents "Cadomotus of the Americas." Kelly Springer is living inline history, has experienced it all, and is far from done. In his view, Cadomotus continues to play a key role, just as it always has.

Big names from the past still resonate in the collective memory: BJ Steketee, Jordan Malone, KC Boutiette, and, of course, later skating and inline coach Desley Hill. These were inliners who had no hesitation in hurling themselves down slopes at nearly 100 km/h, only to snatch victory at the finish line with a split finish. Among them was a tough, broad-shouldered American with no fear whatsoever. This was Kelly Springer, who, aside from downhill skating, took the legendary Mogema inline team in the U.S. to great heights.

Mogema: “Very, very successful”

"We had assembled a strong group of American inliners at the time," he says, speaking casually in the hotel lobby where he is staying with the U.S. inline team during the Inline World Championships in Italy. "Jordan Malone was one of the leading figures in that team and ultimately won an Olympic medal in short track. As both a junior and senior, he won countless world titles as an inliner." Springer had known Malone since childhood and had a close relationship with him, so "it made sense for him to join the Mogema team."

"And that team was very, very successful," Springer emphasizes. It was an era when Americans dominated inline skating. "We were very dominant," he recalls, quickly adding context. "What you see now with Colombia, we had that for years as the United States."

One of the first victories of the Mogema World Team featured Josh Woods and Jordan Malone.

Derek Para Frame

This was a world in which Mogema played a leading role, with Springer as the team manager of the speed team. And that was no small feat, he explains. "The name Mogema carried a lot of weight in the United States. They even named several frames after some of our best skaters. There was a Muse frame for Tony and Dante Muse, and if I remember correctly, a Derek Para frame. A whole series of frames were named after American skaters. We always saw European athletes and teams as highly respectable, so having a European company use product names inspired by American athletes was an incredible honor."

Taking the Helm for Cadomotus

But in 2006, the story came to a rather abrupt end. "At the World Championships, I heard rumors that Mogema was considering pulling out. I emailed designer Diederik Hol asking, ‘What’s happening?’ and immediately got a response: ‘We need to talk.’"

"When he arrived in the U.S., he told me, ‘Mogema is stepping away. I have the patents to work with, and I want to ensure the new frame is released.’" Hol wanted Springer to represent the brand in the U.S. and South America. "I had only managed the inline team for Mogema and wasn’t part of the sales team. He asked me to handle the U.S. market for his new brand, Cadomotus. Personally, I didn’t really have time for that, and I wasn’t planning on it," Springer laughs. "So initially, I told Diederik it wasn’t an option for me. But after about three days in Manhattan, with dinners and a few late-night excursions, by the time he was ready to go home, I said: ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ And I’ve been doing it ever since."

The Cadomotus Americas Inline Team in 2023

Cadomotus Rookie as the Perfect Solution

For him, it’s not just about promoting a product but also using the Cadomotus brand to get his sport back on track in the U.S. "Skating in the U.S. has evolved differently than in Europe," he explains. In Europe, beginners often progress to better and better equipment, with some eventually making their way to high-performance gear. "We don’t have that middle ground in the U.S. In Europe, it’s a step-by-step process, where skaters eventually end up in Ci1 boots or even custom-made ones. A rollerblade group stays a rollerblade group; they don’t switch to speed skates. But when we introduced the Rookie packages, that helped tremendously," he says, referring to the Rookie skate’s bridging function, which allows for easy maneuvering while still developing considerable speed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for skates surged in the U.S., and the Rookie proved to be a perfect solution for many. "It created exactly the demand for products like the Rookie, which help get people started."

Erin Jackson as a Role Model for Young Skaters

"The membership of young skaters is the best it has been in years," he continues. "I think the quality of athletes is back where it needs to be." However, the U.S. faces the same challenge as before: losing these skaters to ice speed skating, which, with its Olympic status, is highly attractive to many athletes. "And when we lose an athlete, we also lose a mentor. Then there’s no path for young skaters—they have no one to look up to."

One exception to this is Olympic speed skating champion Erin Jackson, who stayed true to inline skating and is currently competing under Springer’s guidance in Italy. "When she was very, very young, she was already competing in the NSC (the U.S. indoor competition, ed.). She built a fanbase, developed her talents, and learned how to present herself in a way that every parent would want for their daughter. Every young girl wants to grow up to be Erin Jackson."

Springer now coaches new skaters aspiring to be as good as Erin Jackson.

The Addictive Thrill of Indoor Racing

Alongside coaching and his work for Cadomotus, he also promotes indoor inline skating, which benefits young skaters. "The whole concept is spectacular; it’s such an amazing sport to watch. If you take people to an indoor race, they are blown away. Sometimes that’s frustrating because what we do is incredibly exciting. Indoor racing is so fast and thrilling that when people get a taste of it, they immediately fall in love."

"The way the NSC presents the athletes is also important. I love seeing first-timers at the NSC. The look on their faces when the lights go out, the spotlights turn on, and their names are announced—it’s almost as if they are experiencing the spotlight for the first time. They high-five each other in the arena. Once they feel that moment, they don’t want to lose it. It’s an incredible dopamine rush, goosebumps all over. It changes people—I truly believe that. It changes how they race, how they see themselves, and their work ethic. Once they’ve had that moment, they don’t want to give it up."

Seniors as Mentors for the Next Generation

It’s no surprise that Springer has brought a broad group of junior skaters to Italy. "I believe mentoring is crucial for the development of our sport in the U.S. We have the perfect example for junior skaters. My son grew up in the Mogema team as a junior. He was mentored by Josh Woods, Jordan Warren, Steven Carter, and all the skaters who were winning gold medals at the time. Now he’s 32 years old and is once again part of the U.S. team here in Italy. It’s amazing to see him as a mentor. He’s guiding Zach Stopplemoor, who primarily skates on ice now but was a multiple champion and part of the U.S. team. Zach made an impression in Europe and won Trois Pistes multiple times. Now, it’s just a matter of repeating that process with the new kids."

A new professional brand team should follow the same model, in his view. "At Mogema, our senior team was focused on winning, but it was also a tool to develop juniors." And with the right expertise, Springer believes anything is possible. "I know the sport is missing much of what Diederik has to offer. He was always hands-on, ensuring we had the best possible equipment. Seeing him do that again would be incredibly exciting."

Want to know more about the Cádomotus Rookie skates? Read this blog.