History
Team Rainbo was founded in 1989 by Cale Carvell.
Cale, the former owner of Rainbo Sports Shops Inc., which was founded in 1956 by his father, took over the shop in 1970. Rainbo was always an innovator and market leader in the world of hockey, figure skating, and speed skating. Cale, a former competitive hockey player, started on inline skates in the 70’s. He made Rainbo one of first and largest accounts of a fledgling inline skate company called Rollerblade back in 1979. The excitement and growth of the inline skate craze inspired Cale to start Team Rainbo Inline Skate Team in 1989 to further promote the sport and fuel his own passion for skating.
Since its inception, Team Rainbo has played a part in promoting skating as a lifestyle choice both on recreational and competitive racing levels. Team Rainbo began organizing and running races in 1993 and has led or been a part of hundreds of skating clinics to help make the sport safer and more enjoyable for all.
As the team evolved, it began to support numerous pro skaters and other races. Team Rainbo was one of the original sponsors of the Duluth Northshore Inline Marathon, inline skating’s most popular race in North America. Rainbo had an indoor racing team, was one of the original sponsors of the National Skate Patrol, had its own newsletter, sponsored numerous skating parties and skating social events, and ran a national pro event. Its members have won numerous “skater of the year awards.”
Team Rainbo has won more team championships at the Duluth Northshore Inline Marathon than any other team. The team and its skaters have been featured and interviewed by numerous TV stations, magazines, and newspapers. Team Rainbo even had two full page stories published in the Chicago Sun Times (with numerous color photos) as well as having skaters on the cover of Windy City Sports magazine.
Although Cale sold Rainbo Sports Shop in 2003, Team Rainbo continues to thrive and do all it can to support the sport of inline skating and participate in events. Interest in the team remains strong and the future looks bright as new members continue to find us and join our group.
The age or speed of a skater never has been, and never will be a factor in being a team member. Although Team Rainbo has had national champions, the only qualification for joining Team Rainbo is enthusiasm, a love of the sport, and the willingness to be part of a friendly, fun loving group. Team Rainbo has members as young as 10 and well into their 80s . On Team Rainbo, there is a place for everyone.
