Fun Facts About Roller Skating

With the RSA Convention fast approaching, here are some Fun Facts in Roller Skating History:

• Roller skating has a long history dating back to the 1700s, with the first roller skates patented in 1819 by Monsieur Petitbled. The first recorded roller skate was invented in 1760 by John Joseph Merlin, featuring a rudimentary inline design with small metal wheels.

1. The first marriage on roller skates was recorded in 1912 and is housed in the National Museum of Roller Skating in Lincoln, Nebraska.
2. In the late 19th century, parts of London banned roller skating due to fears of collisions between skaters and pedestrians.
3. The first recorded skateboarding trick was performed on a roller skate in the late 1950s.
4. The world’s largest roller skate, standing 30 feet tall and 18 feet wide, is in San Francisco.
5. Skating Rink Amenities:
   • Many modern skating rinks are integrated with other amusement park-style attractions like rides, mini golf, and arcades.
6. Skating Sports and Events:
   • Roller skating is part of the Pan American Games and World Games, while roller derby and speed skating have been Olympic demonstration sports.
   • The longest roller-skating marathon was over 3,000 miles, achieved by André Strydom who skated through 15 countries over 2 months.
   • Numerous movies featuring roller skating have been made over the years, like Xanadu, Whip It, and Roll Bounce.
7. Health and Fitness Benefits:
   • Roller skating uses 80% of the body’s muscles and provides a great cardio workout, burning up to 650 calories per hour.
   • Many Olympic ice skaters like Chad Hedrick, Apollo Ohno, and Tara Lipinski credit roller skating for their success.
8. Outdoor Skating Challenges:
   • The length of outdoor skating seasons has been declining in North America due to the impacts of climate change.
   • Initiatives like RinkWatch are collecting data to better understand how climate change is affecting outdoor skating facilities.