Every year, millions of people take part in roller skating … and for good reason! Roller skating has a plethora of benefits. Before heading to the rink, take a look at the interesting history of roller skating:

• 1743: Roller skates made their debut on a London stage performance which wowed the theatre-goers. But, the crazy part is that no one knows who the inventor of this roller skate was!
• 1760: John Merlin made sure people knew his name, as he is credited as the first roller skate inventor.
• 1818: Germany wanted to WOW their theatre-goers as well; so, during a ballet performance, the performers came out on roller skates!
• 1823: Robert Tyers patented a roller skate that boasted five wheels in a single row on the bottom of the boot. (Sounds a lot like rollerblades, doesn’t it?)
• 1863: James Plimpton improved the roller skate by designing a “new and improved” quad skate. With his new design, roller skates were now much more maneuverable.
• 1875: Roller skating was huge in England. So much so that the first competition was held in Plymouth!
• 1876: To help skaters stop easily, the toe stop was invented and patented.
• 1880’s: America finally got on board with roller skating and this fun activity was a huge success! This period is known as one of many roller skate “boom” periods.
• 1902: As more and more people took up roller skating, public skating rinks were necessary. A rink in Chicago opened in 1902, and opening night saw over 7,000 people!
• 1983: Roller skating was recognized by the White House when President Ronald Raegan declared October as National Roller Skating Month.
• 1993: Thanks to Rollerblade, Inc. (created in the 1980’s), Active Brake Technology was created which increased safety for all skaters.

Now that you know the amazing history of roller skating, head to Skate World Deer Park to enjoy this awesome activity! Take a look at our schedule, grab your friends and family, and head to the rink.