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| ROLLER , QUADS,
INLINE SKATING, BLADING - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE ?
ROLLER SKATING
Roller skating is travelling on smooth terrain (not
ice) with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation.
ROLLER SKATES
Roller Skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along on wheels propelled by the legs.
Skates generally come in two basic varieties: inline
skates, and traditional quad skates, though some have experimented with a single-wheeled "quintessence skate" or other variations on the basic skate design.
THE BASIC TYPES OF ROLLER SKATES
QUADS
The four-wheeled turning roller skate, or quad skate,
with four wheels set in two side-by-side pairs, was first
designed in 1863 in New York City by James Leonard
Plimpton in an attempt to improve upon previous designs.
The skate contained a pivoting action using a rubber
cushion, and this allowed the skater to skate a curve just
by leaning to one side. It was a huge success, so much so
that the first public skating rink was opened in 1866 in
Newport, Rhode Island with the support of Plimpton. The
design of the quad skate allowed easier turns and
maneuverability, and the quad skate came to dominate the
industry for more than a century.
INLINE OR BLADES for INLINE SKATING / BLADING
Inline skates are a type of roller skate, used for
inline skating. Inline skates have two, three, four or
five wheels arranged in a single line. Some inline skates,
especially those used for recreation, have a
"stop" or "brake" which is used to
slow down while skating; most inline skates have a heel
stop rather than the toe stop, particularly indispensable
for Inline Figure Skating.
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A BIT OF HISTORY
The first patented roller skate was introduced in the year 1760. The inventor was a Belgian man named John Joseph Merlin. His invention did not become very popular among the general population.
In 1863, a man named James Plimpton from Massachusetts, invented the "rocking" skate. This was an improvement on the roller skate that afforded it the ability to turn. It allowed skaters to turn easily around corners, curves, etc. This invention opened the door for the masses to enjoy roller skating.
The Roller Skating Rink Operators Association was developed in 1937. It is currently named the Roller Skating Association. The association promotes roller skating and offers classes to the public. They aim to educate the population about roller skating. The current President is Joe Champa and the current Vice President is Bobby Braun. The Roller Skating Association headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Eventually, roller skating evolved from just a pastime to a competitive sport, beginning with roller hockey. This sport became so popular that it even made an appearance in the Olympics in 1992! The National Sporting Goods Association Statistics found, in a 1999 study, that 2.5 million people played roller hockey. Other roller skating sports include: speed skating, figure skating, and roller derby.
Roller skating popularity exploded during the disco era but tapered off in the 80’s and 90’s.
Source
- Wikipedia.org
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