Roller Skating Facts [Basics & Interesting]

You may not know how to skate but you definitely know how fun skating may be. Even looking at someone skating is fun! But there are so many more things to know about skating.

If you are interested in skating, this article is for you to learn some interesting Roller skating facts.

True & Fun Facts About Roller Skating

1. In 1863, James Plimpton first invented his own version of roller skate that is capable of turning.

2. In 1981, Scott Olson made the improvement to inline roller skates

3. Roller skating became most popular between 1935 and 1960 and then in the 1970s, when the creation of polyurethane wheels were happened and disco-music aimed rinks were the rage.

4. Charlie chaplin, starred in the movie named “The Rink”, which was the first roller skate movie made in 1916.

5. Children at the age of three can start learning to roller skate. But starting at 4 or 5 is better.

6. To me, Skating is fun and funny because I can feel I roll and ride like a train!

Skate Facts Video

Roller Skating History

Let’s go back to 1735. There was a famous inventor John Joseph Merlin in Belgium. He decided to show his new invention, a very interesting pair of shoes with wheels on them at a birthday party in London! 

He wore them and tried to skate in front of everyone! But unfortunately, he didn’t practice before. So, what happened after that? He couldn’t control his speed and crashed into a mirror! But this was a historical crash that made those shoes with wheels famous all over the world!

Inline Skating History

Inline skating was invented by a hockey player as a substitute for ice skating. The first inline skate was made by Robert John Tyers in 1823. 

What You May Not Know About Rollerblade!

Many of us use the term ‘ Rollerblade’ for ‘ Inline skating’.  But in reality, Rollerblade is a brand name for inline skates.  It was the most famous brand in the, 90’s that it became a common name for inline skates. Many other companies followed the design of Rollerblade-branded skates because of the popularity of the brand at that time!

Quad Skates vs Inline Skate

Quad skates are skates that have 4 wheels arranged in a two-by-two configuration. On the other side, inline-skates also have four wheels, but arranged in a straight line. Quad skates are much more stable than the inline skates for their configuration of the wheels. But inline skates offer you more speed than the quad skates.

 Biggest Skateboarding Competitions

 The biggest skateboarding competition is the Dew Tour which has more than a million people involved in it. Other than this, X-games, Copenhagen open are some big events for skateboarders.

Skating In Olympic

The figure skating event has been in the summer Olympic since 1908. It became a part of the winter Olympic since 1924. Now men’s single, ladies single and pair skating are very famous events in Olympic.

Skating In Movies

The most famous old film that had an ice skating based story was Sunvalley Serenade”(1941). In 1985 a skating scene by Marty Mackfly in the movie ‘ Back To The Future’ won the heart of many people. ‘Clueless’

‘Gleaming the Cube’ ‘ The secret life of Walter Mitty’ are some movies that had amazing skating scenes.

Roller-Skating Outfits

Since roller skating is tricky, you must wear the best and comfortable outfits while you skate. For example, for men, T-shirts, trousers, cargo pants are some good choices. On the other side, the ladies can choose shorts and short skirts for a satisfying ride.

The Biggest Skating Rink in The World

 The Rideau Canal is the world’s largest skating rink in the world. The longest skating rink of the world is Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its length is 8.54 km, wide 2-3 km.  

Roller Skating Rinks In America

Sun Valley ice rink is a very popular rink that has a beautiful natural scenario to refresh your mind.  It will give you an amazing experience of roller skating. The Rockefeller Centre in New York City is a small rink that can only accept 150 guests at a time. But it is a famous spot for New York city dwellers. Curry village Ice rink offers an amazing view of nature.  

Read also: Are Roller Skating Rinks Profitable in 2022?

Serving Foods Became Easier and More Fun With Skates

As pictured in the movie ‘American Graffiti’, carrying foods in hand than wearing a pair of top selling roller skates and skating to the customer with the food has become an interesting restaurant fact. The waiter and waitress that uses roller skates to serve foods are known as carhops. This type of restaurant is known as drive-in restaurants.

Roller Skating Benefits

Roller skating is undoubtedly one of the most interesting past-time activity. But what else benefit roller skating may have for you? Let’s have a glance at the benefits of rollerskating.

• Health Benefits of Rollerskating: There are so many benefits of roller skating on your health. Roller skating can be the best way to lose weight. It is an amazing exercise that can help you to burn 600 calories in an hour. It causes 50% less stress on your joints but more effective than running.

Rollerskating strengthens your muscles. It burns out fat but increases muscle cell volume. 

Rollerskating is also beneficial for your heart. It is an amazing cardio exercise that lowers the risk of many heart diseases. 

For any kind of sportsperson, stability and balance is very important. Roller skating is the best exercise to improve stability and balance.     

Roller skating is also an effective cardio exercise that improves your heart condition.

• Mental Benefits for RollerSkating: Skating helps to prevent anxiety. It is also a good way to avoid depression. Outside skating will help you to forget the everyday stress. It will engage you in a fun world for some time and that will make you less stressed. Everyday skating can also help to avoid insomnia. Skating every day will make your mind cheerful. You can enjoy nature too!

• Social Benefits of Roller skating: Roller skating can be done with a group. Outside roller skating or ice skating in the rinks will allow you to make new friends and introduce you to a new community with a similar choice. You can also skate with your family members to improve your family relationships.

While reading roller skating information, you may have interest about learning roller skating. If so, this is the skate learning article for you.

Famous Roller Skaters

Roller skating is famous among roller derby players. And, some of the famous skaters are

• Ashlie Atkinson.
• Bill Bogash.
• Toughie Brasuhn.
• Ann Calvello. etc.

Dangers Of Roller Skating 

Roller skating can be dangerous sometimes. There is not a single skater who never fell off while skating. But the real danger is injuries. Outdoor skating can lead you to have a crash with a car. Falling off from skates includes wrist injuries, elbow, and head injuries, musculoskeletal fractions, etc. But the dangers can be avoided by using safety kits like gloves, arm pads helmets, etc. How to fell off properly without injuries is also a necessary skill for roller skating. Some Stats:

86% chance of serious injuries

of which, 28% may require surgical treatment.

Wrist (have 23% chance of getting injured)

Shoulder( 20%)

Elbow(15%)

Ankle(12%)

Last Words

So how was the journey in the world of interesting roller skating facts? We hope you have enjoyed the writing. If you really are interested in roller skating, don’t be late. Start skating today, and enjoy it!