The history of roller skating is a ride to remember. Roller skating is a sport many people worldwide have enjoyed since its invention. Whether recreational or competitive, roller skating’s exciting versatility makes it a popular sport today.
Read more to learn about the fascinating history of roller skating!
The Invention of Roller Skates
According to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, the world’s oldest continuously published encyclopedia, roller skates are credited to a Belgian man named Joseph Merlin in the 1760s. However, attaching wheels to ice skates or shoes during this period was not unheard of.
The first functional pair of roller skates was designed in 1863 by James Plimpton. Prior to Pimpton’s design, inline skates (roller skates with three wheels in a single line) were the predominant skate design. Riding with these skates was “rough, and stopping and turning were nearly impossible.” Rather than setting the wheels up in a line, Plimpton attached four wheels to a boot parallel to each other: a quad skate. With Plimpton’s new design, skaters could move with more control and agility. This is due to its increased stability with the addition of trucks (metal that connects the wheels to the boot).
Roller Skating in the 20th Century
In the 20th century, roller skating took off in London. According to Ruth Terry for JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, she cites roller skating’s popularity as “rinkomania” by British doctors.
On the other hand, roller skating and roller skating rinks became places of cultural significance to the African-American community in the U.S. During the Civil Rights era, roller skating rinks were segregated. Despite these discriminatory practices during the Civil Rights era, the Black community created unique, regional skating styles during this time that remain significant today in the Black community and the world of roller skating.
Roller Skating Today
Today, roller skating continues to entice people of all ages to begin the sport. In recent years, its popularity spiked with the initial COVID lockdown. Though COVID’s quarantine period encouraged the masses to stay inside, many people took up this time of isolation to go outside and become more active. This boom in interest has increased interest in many to join the roller skating community, stimulating the growth of roller skating rinks and roller skating clubs.
Conclusion
The invention of roller skates by James Plimpton gave way to a sport that would become so popular that it would be considered a craze in some places. A century later, roller skating became a culturally significant part of the Black community during the Civil Rights era. Today, roller skating continues to be important not only culturally but also as a popular sport that many people find accessible and fun.
Now that you have a brief history of roller skating, consider starting skating yourself! Read more to learn how to find your first pair of roller skates.