- Roller Skating has a long history going back to 1735 when John Joseph Merlin thought it would be a grand idea to create shoes with wheels so he could crash a party while playing the violin and well…he did. He crashed into a large mirror.
- Monsieur Petitbled patented the roller skate in 1819. His skates were inline, with only three wheels and no way to turn!
- 1912 was the first year a marriage on roller skates was recorded. It’s in the National Museum of Roller Skating.
- The National Museum of Roller Skating is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and is visited by travelers from all over the world.
- Roller Skating is part of the Pan American Games as well as the World Games. Roller Derby and Speed skating has been a demonstration sport for the Olympics.
- Numerous movies about roller skating have be made over the years. Xanadu, Whip It and Roll Bounce to name a few. How many can you name?
- People of all ages love to roller skate. The most important skill is balance which helps athletes become better at almost any other sport. Many Olympic ice skaters credit roller skating for their success like Chad Hedrick, Apollo Ohno and Tara Lipinski to name a few.
- People always smile when you tell them you roller skate! This is a fun fact because roller skating is Fun you can Feel!
- Traditional roller skates are called quads and roller blades are called inlines by today’s skaters.
- Roller skating uses 80% of your bodies muscles and gives you a great cardio workout while burning up to 650 calories an hour while having fun! Sk8world in Portage is your place to go roller skating!
(219) 759-1999 sk8worldnwi@gmail.com
