Hey Yall…….In Preparation for the party on Friday night I thought I would give you a little history on roller skating………………Check this out!
The History of Roller Skating
When you consider the history of roller skating you must first trace back the origin of the first pair of roller skates. The first known roller skate was invented in London, England by a Belgium born man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s roller skate was not a quad skate, but rather an inline skate with small metal wheels. Consequently, Joseph Merlin was also an accomplished violinist and violin maker. In 1760, as the story goes, Joseph Merlin was invited to perform for an audience at a masquerade party at the prestigious Carlisle House Mansion in Sofo Square, London. Merlin’s intent was to impress the crowd by playing his violin while skating on his newly invented roller skates. The festivities were progressing quiet well until Joseph Merlin accidentally skated into an expensive mirror, breaking the mirror and his violin, and injuring himself. Needless to say Joseph Merlin’s performance did not successfully generate an enormous amount of interest in roller skating!
In 1819, nearly 60 years later, a Frenchman named Monsieur Petitbled invented, and officially patented his new roller skate design. Monsieur Petitbled’s roller skates were also in-line skates with three wheels made of wood, metal or deluxe ivory. Petitbled tried to sell the public the idea that a person could do anything on his roller skates that could be done on a pair of ice skates. Unfortunately for Monsieur Petitbled he was unable to convince a skeptical public, and his roller skates did not fair well on the market.
Roller skating steadily grew in popularity over the next three decades then exploded in the 1970s. In the 1970s roller skating was no longer considered by many as a mere recreational pastime, but rather a very cool thing to do! It was during this time that roller skating and disco music teamed up to create a craze that captivated much of America. Thousands of roller skaters became involved in artistic, figure, dance, speed, roller derby, and freestyle roller skating. Various types of formal roller skating competitions were held, outdoor roller skating became very popular, and the public simply couldn’t get enough! The 1970s was definitely the decade for roller skating.
During the 1980s the roller skating craze waned significantly, but experienced a boost in the mid 1990s when inline skates hit the market full force. Inline skates allowed a far smoother ride outdoors, and became an instant hit with many ice skaters. Ice hockey players, in large numbers, also began playing inline hockey during the off-season. Inline skates also became extremely popular with many people that enjoyed skating for fitness. The ability to inline skate outdoors, over long distances, became a dream come true for fitness skaters all over the world. Lastly, aggressive and jump skating increased in popularity in the 1990s, and created yet another type of skater with its own unique culture.
Roller skating has come a long way since its introduction to world in the 1700s, and continues to grow and expand with new types of roller skates and roller skating activities. Today it is not uncommon to find people from all walks of life, enjoying various indoor, outdoor, inline, and quad roller skating activities. Roller skating has truly became a pastime, hobby, or sport that people of all ages can enjoy.
Read More @http://www.skatingfitness.com/RollerSkating-History-of-Roller-Skating.htm
