Roller skates are quirky rolling shoes that we all owned at one stage in our childhood. So while you were teetering on those wheels, one roll away from landing on your backside, did you ever ask about the fascinating story of roller skates?
Go on, get your skates on and let’s find out…
Where did roller skates come from?
First, what are roller skates? Roller skates are a shoe with four wheels that allows you to roll across a surface.
Originally they were ice-skating shoes that someone changed in 1760 to create the first inline skates. Some say it was the first rollerblade.
Yet today’s four-wheeled quad-styled shape is the same streamlined version of the1863 original!
Rolling along…
Spelling rollerskate, or Roller-skate, or Roller skate
I got confused as there are so many ways to spell this word(s).
Guess what, depending on where you are in the world, either way or every which way you want to spell it is correct!
Buuuuut. But-but-but. But… The word was originally created in America in the 1860s that was spelled as two words – the roller skate.
Then it got added to roller-skate with a hyphen.
Then some use rollerskates as one word.
So, for a noun (the naming word) it’s spelled as roller skate.
For a verb (the doing word) it’s spelled as roller-skate.
Or you can roll with it any way you want. It’s your story.
Roller skates in sports
Besides rolling across the pavements, trying to cut some ‘Sick Lines’ in your garage, roller-skating graduated into many sports similar to ice sports. It’s probably what winter sports enthusiasts did during the summer, the same way Aussie Rules Football was invented by cricketers in winter.
The most popular roller-skating sports are:
Figure skating: is just like ice skating but without any ice, and performed on a roller skating rink that is made of wood.
Speed skating: is racing around in circles to beat the clock. Again, it’s just like ice skating and similar to the velodrome cyclists.
Roller hockey: is such a popular sport it made it to the 1992 Olympics.
Roller derby: this underground grungy contact sport, that birthed a side hustle sport of creating an awesome list of nicknames for its players, was also considered for the 2020 Olympics!
But mostly roller-skating is a sport of leisure, as a really cool and quirky date idea, or for personal exercise. With a simple roll of those small wheels, it put some adventure into the day as you, perhaps, work your way up to learning some gnarly tricks.
Dancing on your roller skates
Did you know dancing on roller skates is a serious business for some?
There is:
- Jam rollerskating
- precision rollerskating
- Synchronised rollerskating (think synchronised swimming)
And they each have their own artistic rollerskating dance championships, too.
To buy rollers skates or roller blades:
It was bound to happen where you’ll ask the question as to which is better the roller skates or the rollerblades?
For those learning to balance, the online and off-line skater advice is that it’s easier to start on the quad, four-wheeled style of skate. Not the inline skate that looks like an ice skate where the blade has been swapped for wheels.
Confused?
Here is a tutorial you might find handy that goes deeper into this debate.
Where to roller skate:
With rollerskating rinks a rarity, you have limited options…
You’d think!
Sorry, but here I am about to burst that bubble as you have tonnes of options available, for those who live in residential areas, that is.
I bet you’ll find that there are plenty of skate parks around, that isn’t just for skateboarders, you know.
And there are countless sidewalks, too.
Or you can roller skate in a simple shed with a concrete floor, a loading bay, carport, or the boardwalks along the coastline as part of a sunset date. Basically, you can skate anywhere that has some kind of hard surface area, like concrete.
Concrete, you may ask? It’s true, some roller skaters claim that concrete floors are better for skating on. Try it and let me know.
Roller skates in movies
Roller skates have found their place in countless television shows over the decades. Yet, surprisingly, there are only a few rollerskating movies, considering we all probably owned a pair in our lifetime.
Some of these movies are so bad, they aren’t worth mentioning and the movies that I mention below, I haven’t watched. But if you dare, let me know what you think.
Roller Disco Movies
Roller Boogie is a film about a roller disco—but I bet you’ve heard the song below.
Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979) is set in a fictional Los Angeles area roller disco.
Xanadu (1980), an American film that was voted one of the worst movies of all time, has rollerskating in it while they sing.
Roll Bounce (2005) contains a roller disco competition.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) also has a roller disco party. No, I haven’t seen the movies.
Roller Derby Movies:
I will fess up to watching the movies I mention below:
Whip It – This cute movie I’d only just re-watched with the family. Someone had to do the research, right?
And then there’s this movie, that roller derby fans labelled:
“…the only character on roller skates worth mentioning…’
is Harley Quinn from the 2020 movie BIRDS OF PREY.
TO CREATE YOUR OWN ROLLER DISCO:
From the 1970s, peaking to the 1980s, roller discos were happening all over the planet. It’s what roller skates were most famous for where friends could gather indoors to a darkened room, where the music was so loud and coloured lights flashed everywhere, as you sang and skated your night away.
To recreate your own funky roller disco for your next amazing party, this is what you will need:
What to wear to a Roller Disco:
Roller skates. No matter what kind you wear, you can’t really have a roller skate disco without a pair.
Being dressed comfortably for this exercise. But did you know that the booty shorts were made famous because of this summer sport.
Socks! Who knew socks was a big thing for this disco. So do think of wearing those looong pull up, knee-high socks to really make your outfit pop. And jive, or is that groove?
Safety gear, if new to the sport helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist braces, and even a mouth guard is a great way to start.
The Roller Disco setting:
To hold your roller disco you’ll need an area to skate in like an empty warehouse, or even at the end of an alley or vacant car park.
Lights: go big with lights, from the fairy lights you can steal from your Christmas decorations, or invest in a sparkly disco mirror balls.
Music: whether blasting over the speakers or doing a silent disco using your headphones, music is a must to help you move.
Roller Skate Songs for a Roller Disco:
To really dance the day away in your roller disco, here is some tunes with a roller skate theme to them. You might surprise yourself by recognising one or more of these songs. The other songs, well, I really dug deep.
Cheryl Crow—Roller Skate
Can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd— that’s the name of the song! I’m not kidding.
Sugar Ray—Every morning
Nick Hakim—Roller skate
Madonna—Sorry, for her rollerskating scene.
Roller Disco—Roller Boogie, I bet you’ll know this one.
But you can always check out these playlists here to find some music to skate to.
Roller skates in stories
Roller skates have been around for so long, considering we all had a set at one time in our life, so it’s no wonder we find them in stories, like my latest release: Rolled in DUST.
In Rolled in Dust we have a character who loves 80’s music, all things Phil Collins, Fax machines and her roller skates, transforming her outdoor shed into a rollerskating rink in the outback! There are only so few places you can roller skate in the outback where the land is full of dust. But this character improvises. Find out how and why in here by downloading your copy of ROLLED IN DUST and I’ll…
**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via CANVA.com
Do check it out for all your graphic and social media needs.
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