By Kathy Kovach
We can thank an unknown Dutch innovator in the early 1700s who wanted to help ice skaters practice in the summer. Implementing the first inline skates in history, these skaters came to be known as Skeelers.
In 1760, John Joseph Merlin, a London-based maker of instruments and clocks, invented his own skates. (As a side note, he also invented The Silver Swan, a mechanical marvel that's a must-see.) As a horologist, one who is interested in the science of timekeeping and measuring time, it’s possible he thought donning wheels would expedite his movements. Or perhaps, he simply wanted to have fun. The latter could be argued through a story told of when he made a grand entrance at a masquerade ball, wearing his inline metal-wheeled boots and playing a violin. A brilliant inventor, he failed to include one crucial element. Brakes. He sailed through the party and directly into a mirror, shattering it into a million pieces.
%20Painting%20by%20Thomas%20Gainsborough.jpg%20-%20Wikipedia.jpg) |
| John Joseph Merlin (1735-1803) Painting by Thomas Gainsborough - Wikipedia |
The first patent was issued to French inventor Monsieur Petibledin in 1819. His were also inline, using a wooden sole and copper, wood, or ivory wheels. Unfortunately, they lacked flexibility and could only go forward or backward.
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| Petitbledin skate 1819 |
Robert John Tyers solved this problem in 1823 with his London invention of the Rolito. By placing five wheels in a line, the first and last smaller than the others, he created better maneuverability, although they still couldn’t take curves like ice skates or the inlines we have today.
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| 1823 |
By the mid-19th century, the sport of roller skating was on a roll (pun intended). In 1840, Germany introduced skating barmaids delivering beer to patrons quickly and efficiently. Does this remind you of the carhops in American ‘50s and ‘60s culture? In 1857, London built rinks for adults and children to enjoy. Roller skating became a popular pastime for young and old alike.
So far, we’ve only seen variations of inline skates, where the wheels are lined up in a row. Makes sense. Their only prototype, thus far, was the ice skate with its single blade. Surely many “dry-landers” enjoyed this mode of entertainment, but in 1863, American inventor James Plimpton revolutionized the skate, making it possible for non-athletes, such as myself, to stay upright without twisting an ankle...for the most part. He put dual wheels front and back on what was called rocker skates or quad skates. Now, with the help of a pivoting mechanism dampened by a rubber cushion, people could steer by simply leaning to the left or right. Plimpton would become known as the Father of Modern Roller Skating.
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| Plimpton 1863 |
Eventually, ball-bearing wheels were added to make the ride smoother. Rubber stops were also included to prevent collisions with mirrors at masquerade balls. Seriously, it took over a century to invent those?
Inlines, or rollerblades, became popular once again and shared the road with quads, and this gal took to the rink—on four wheels, thanks to Mr. Plimpton—in the 1970s, flying in ovals to the tune of “Judy in Disguise” with my other teen friends.
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Thank you for posting today. It did seem to take a long time for the original roller skates to improve, from the way you tell it. I only went roller skating once or twice as a teen, but my kids had lots of opportunities with their church youth groups.
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