Fast and fair – In 2026, numerous top-class inline hockey tournaments and cups were already taking place worldwide, ranging from youth leagues to professional and masters divisions. Among the year's highlights are undoubtedly the official World Championships, held in Asunción, Paraguay, and the European Club Cup.
The report shown here was photographed by Martin Bühler during the 2026 Inline Hockey Cup.
Inline hockey is characterized above all by its tremendous speed, technical tricks, and the absence of hard body checks. It is closely related to ice hockey but is played on inline skates and a special synthetic surface or asphalt. Each team has four skaters and a goalie on the ice (in ice hockey, there are five skaters).
In 1980, two ice hockey-enthusiastic brothers in the USA (Scott and Brennan Olson) invented the modern inline skate. They attached wheels to the bottom of an ice hockey skate so they could train in the summer without ice. What began as a recreational activity on the street quickly moved into sports halls and empty ice rinks during the summer months.
In the mid-1990s, major sports federations recognized the potential. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS / now World Skate) organized the first official World Championships.
Photographer Martin Bühler is represented by the agency HAUSER FOTOGRAFEN.
GoSee : worldskate.org
