The plot adapts and updates the 1865 novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge.

Boomer, a skater for Team X-Bladz, is seriously injured during the race, causing Brink to stop mid-race to help him.

Brink learns that his family is in financial trouble; his father, Ralph, has been on disability for six months and is unsure if he will get his job back when he's well.

Ralph didn't want his son to spend even more time skating so he forbids him from taking the job.

However, Jordy, Gabriella, and Peter discover the truth when they catch him skating for Team X-Bladz at an invitational prior to an upcoming local competition.

Brink's friends feel he betrayed them and choose to ignore him upon discovering his alignment with Team X-Bladz.

Val offers Brink a chance to re-join X-Bladz by noting the team won't hold him leaving against him.

During the race, Val sabotages the course by tossing gravel onto the road - but tells Brink to take a different route.

Ralph learns about the accident from Gabriella's mother and Brink confesses that he took the job with X-Bladz even though he was told not to.

Val charges at Brink, but Boomer stops him and calls him a fool for not thinking any consequences for his actions, especially when he has injured Gabriella.

Val yanks Brink to the ground to try to get a head start, while ESPN cameras stream the interaction to onlookers.

earns its place in the pantheon of great DCOMs for mixing adrenaline, drama, and one-time Disney golden boy Erik von Detten.

[6] In May 2016, Aubrey Page of Collider ranked each Disney Channel Original Movie released up to that point.