Roller skating has been around for many years. Here are some fun facts about roller skating that you may not know.
- Did you know around 1735 a gentleman by the name of John Joseph Merlin thought it would be a good idea to create some shoes with wheels on them so he could crash a party while playing the violin? Well it turns out he didn’t practice before his big entrance and he ended up crashing into a large mirror!
- Did you know Monsieur Petitbled patented the roller skate in 1819? His skates were inline and only had three wheels. They also had no way to turn!
- Did you know that the first time (that was recorded) someone got married on skates was in 1912? It is actually recorded in the National Museum of Roller Skating which is located in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- Did you know for the first 100 years roller skates couldn’t turn? They just moved in a straight line until James Plimpton added trucks to the bottom which turned the skate world to a whole new level of skating.
- Did you know that there are many different styles of skating around the U.S? During the 1970’s, different styles of roller skating began to show up in the major cities. Chicago, is still know for “JB style” of shuffle skating, to the music of James Brown. The styles are still being created and you can always tell when a “out-of-towner” visits your home rink by the style of skating they show.
- Did you know skating is so much fun, even the Amish started skating? In the early 1990’s Amish started using skates for easier transportation.
Roller skating has been around for many years and will be for many more.