If you’ve ever thought you were pretty good on rollerblades, prepare to be humbled.

Those participating in the World Slalom Series of inline skating are here to show you just what’s possible when wearing wheels.

And yes, slalom skating is a sport – a hard one!

Sofia Bogdanova is just 14 years old but the Moscow native is a member of the Russian National Team as well as a 6-time World and 9-time European champion slalom skater.

In classic slalom events, skaters prepare a choreographed routine to music in which they perform maneuvers around a series of cones for up to 2 minutes.

Small cones are lined up just inches apart in 3 long rows. Skaters are expected to weave in and out of them elegantly while simultaneously matching their chosen music.

Skaters are scored based on both technique and artistry, the first of which encompasses the difficulty, speed, and variety of movements.

They must also incorporate a series of “tricks” into their performance, such as switching feet, skating on one leg, spinning, jumping, and squatting, all while weaving in and out of the tiny cones.

Sofia Bogdanova’s 2018 Paris Slalom World Championship performance in the Junior Women’s Classic category is a perfect example of what a routine should look like – and it’s no wonder it won her first place that year. The video has over 1.9 million views since it was posted that same year.

The body control and graceful movement are what strikes the viewer first when they see Bogdanova begin to skate, but it becomes all the more impressive once you see just how quickly she can move her feet – and on wheels!

“I broke my foot just watching this,” said one flabbergasted commenter.

The teen started her skating career on rollerskates and then moving to figure skating before she began slalom. And she’s been winning slalom championships since she was a pre-teen!

In an interview with Rollersport in 2014, the website noted that it took her just a year of competing to rank in every competition she entered and that that was the fastest anyone had ever done it.

When asked how she got into the sport, Bogdanova replied:

“The beginning was quite ordinary: one day at age of 4 I saw kids practicing ice figure skating with a coach and wanted to try it. My parents agreed to enlist me in the ice skating club and I liked it very much.”

But figure skating and schooling conflicted and the young girl had to make a choice.

“But when I went to school training time overlapped with it and I had to choose studies over trainings. But I didn’t quit and tried another way – inline figure skating.”

After seeing her first slalom skaters in 2012, she decided to take up that sport instead.

“In August 2012 I was in Czech Republic on a sport trip with other kids from inline skating club and I was the only one who did figure skating, all others were slalolmers. I liked greatly what they did on cones! When I came back I decided to learn slalom.”

The good decisions and hard work have paid off as Bogdanova keeps winning championships. And to do so, she trains 5 times a week!

In her interview (which was in Russian), she said she still finds time to enjoy life despite all the hard work:

“I like to go for a walk, ride a bicycle, read books, go to cinema and I’m very fond of animals. I’d like to learn guitar playing, long-board riding – and I want to speak English.”

Be sure to scroll down below to see her incredible championship performance from 2018.

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Source: georgejrchiu via YouTube, World Slalom Skaters Association Rulebook (pdf), Rollersport.ru