This week, Metroblogging sites around the globe are unveiling seven gifts their cities can share with the world. Browse the numerous Metblogs, or check here to see what other cities are giving.

Let us know if you totally agree or totally disagree with the gifts we’ve chosen. When we say “Minneapolis” sometimes we mean “St. Paul” or “Minnesota.” Our 5th gift is rollerblading and water skiing.

Twin Citizens love to be outside. It’s no wonder that two popular outdoor activities flourished here.

In 1979 Scott Olson and Brennan Olson of Minneapolis, Minnesota came across a pair of inline skates created in the 1960s by the Chicago Roller Skate Company and, seeing the potential for off-ice hockey training, set about redesigning the skates using modern materials and attaching ice hockey boots.

Made popular in Minnesota; of course hockey is involved! Scott Olson went on to form the company Rollerblade, which grew in such popularity that inline skates (the proper term) are now synonymous with the word “rollerblade.”

The NorthShore Inline Marathon held in Duluth was the first inline marathon and is the largest inline skating event in North America. St. Paul also has its own inline marathon.

In decent weather, rollerbladers inline skaters can be seen all over the Twin Cities’ extensive system of paved trails. In crap weather, skaters take to the Metrodome.

Water skiing was invented in 1922 in Lake City, MN, on Lake Pepin, by 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson. He started out on a couple of slats from a wooden barrel before trying out his snow skis on the water.

Nowadays, people use one ski, two skis, bare feet, and all sorts of different boards to glide, jump, and flip around behind a boat.

Lake City holds its Water Ski Days celebration in June. You and 20,000 other people can see Samuelson’s first skis (pdf), probably eat fair food and, unsurprisingly, watch some water skiing.

Tags: Metblogs7Gifts 7Gifts Metroblogging7Gifts

Related posts:

1. Wrapping up those 7 Gifts
2. Minnesota Mullet Contest
3. Pro Wakeboard Tour Coming to the TC
4. Marathon Weekend
5. Rollerskating at the Metrodome