Get your skates on!

It's a lovely morning over here in the South of England, and a perfect time for a bit of roller skating!

Roller History
Roller skates have been around for centuries, it's thought they were first used in the 1760's by John Merlin in London, but he had rather a nasty fall on them and put the idea on the back burner. It wasn't until 1819 in Paris when they were first patented by Monsieur Petitbled. At this time they were a fairly primitive concept, with between 2 and 6 wheels attached to a piece of wood. The more modern concept is attributed to James Leonard Plimpton, revered as the "father of modern roller skating" he patented the 4 wheeled skate in 1863.
After that we had various remodels; some that clamped on, others that arranged their wheel in a linear fashion, toe stops appeared and evolved.

Recreational roller
Roller skating formed part of the leisure industry, particularly taking off from the 1950's, with many roller rinks cropping up. Roller discos and parties became a mainstay for the British and American youth. They remained popular right through the 1980s, but began to decline soon after, with much fewer people being interested in the activity, possibly because of the new technology available to entertain.

Bringing back skating
That was, until the 21st century, when roller skating is on the rise. Many communities have built skate parks and rinks to encourage children to spend more time away from computers, but in a safe place. They also appeal to the older generation who come to the nostalgic discos. But that's not all, they have diffused into the sporting world, we now have roller hockey, roller dancing, speed skating.

Roller Derby
And of course, we cannot overlook the ever increasing acclaim of Roller Derby. The contact sport took off in the 1930's, but by 2000 it had evolved into a female dominated field, with powerful women at the helm it has become a beacon of feminism in a male dominated sporting world. With rules like these:

PENALTIES & RULES

• No tripping
• No back blocking (pushing from behind)
• No deliberate falling in front of another skater
• When using arms for blocking, the arm must be bent, not extended full length
• No use of elbows as a weapon to the chest or face
• No blocking 20 feet ahead of or behind the pack
• No grabbing or pulling a skater from the ground
• It is illegal to GRAB, HOLD or PULL an opposing player 

It is no wonder the full on sport has taken off in a culture so tense and uptight, it allows you vent your stress in a fun but serious environment. Check out London Roller Girls website for more information  http://www.londonrollergirls.com

Skates are available online, vary in different style, colour, and price range. These retro disco boots caught our eye in particular.  

For those of you itching to learn more, there is even a museum, based in Nebraska, USA:
http://www.rollerskatingmuseum.com/sotm.html