All information about roller skates. History of roller skates. New revolution - polyurethane wheels

Roller Skates

Roller Skates- boots with frames attached to them, in which from two to five wheels are fixed, designed for movement on a hard, flat surface, similar to movement on ice on traditional skates. Used as Sports Equipment, for fitness and active rest.

First usage record roller skates dates from 1743. It happened in London, the name of the inventor is unknown. The first documented demonstration of roller skates with metal wheels took place in 1760. John Joseph Merlin presented his invention. John Joseph Merlin ). Unfortunately, the design was imperfect: the master’s invention turned out to be practically uncontrollable. And right during the ball, Merlin drove into a large mirror. Both the mirror and the inventor himself were damaged. The public considered the new product dangerous and did not want to ride such a projectile. The first patent for roller skates was received in France in 1819 by M. Petitbled.

Roller skates in the early 19th century were not like modern ones. Skates with pairs of wheels, quads, first appeared in 1863 in New York and were developed by James Leonard Plimpton. James Leonard Plimpton ). The first public roller skating rink was opened with Plympton's support in 1866 in Newport. It was this design of skates that remained dominant almost until the end of the 20th century.

In 1876, William Bown developed and patented the prototype of modern roller wheels: the wheel contained 2 bearings and an axle. At the same time, in 1876, the first brake for roller skates was patented. A similar brake design is still used today quads.

In 1979, Scott Olson and Brennan Olson introduced roller skates with the now familiar inline wheel arrangement, developed in the 1960s by the Chicago Roller Skate Company. They decided that these skates had great potential for off-ice training for hockey players. As a result, boots from hockey skates and the latest technologies at that time were used. A few years later, Scott Olson founded the Rollerblade company. Rollerblade Inc. ) The success was deafening. Soon, many other companies began making similar skates, so Olson's designs actually created a new industry, and inline skates became much more popular than the quads that were familiar at that time.

Until the mid-1990s, almost all roller skates had a hard boot, similar to ski boot. In 1995, the K2 company (eng. ) introduced the first soft boot skates, which were much better suited for recreational skating and soon took a dominant position.

In 1997, a new company, Upsidedown, appeared in America, whose first skate model, Damocles, became truly revolutionary. Many of its parts are the frame, buckle (a plastic fastener at the top of the boot that secures the leg), caf (a cuff of rollers with a hard boot on which the buckles are attached), soulplates (hard plastic inserts attached to the bottom of the boot and designed for sliding). ) - could be replaced. By the way, the name of the company was symbolic: it wanted to turn the entire aggressive skating industry upside down (this is how the phrase upside down is translated from English), allowing almost all parts of roller skates to be replaced with similar ones from different manufacturers. This would give skaters a unique opportunity to create skates that would completely suit their requirements and preferences. A year later, the company changed its name to the shorter and more sonorous USD and very soon turned into one of the largest and most respected companies in the aggressive skating market.

Varieties

Skate with pairs of wheels

In addition to the usual roller skates in Russia, where the wheels are arranged in one line (inline), there are skates with pairs of wheels (quad, quads, “stools”, “hooves”, actually “rollers”). One of the varieties of skates was a metal platform to which two pairs of wheels were attached on two axles. The platform itself was attached to the shoes with straps.

Boot
Frame. It is made of metal, plastic, sometimes carbon fiber (carbon fiber) or fiberglass.
From 2 to 5 wheels installed in the frame on one line (inline), or 4 wheels installed in pairs (quad). The wheels are made of polyurethane of varying hardness. On cheap Chinese skates you can also find wheels made of plastic. Off-road roller skates have pneumatic wheels.
The heel brake (usually placed on one of the skates) is either passive (the brake pad is secured) or active (the brake pad is lowered as the skate moves forward).

Boots can be divided into hard and soft, high and low, frame, as well as professional gel:

Soft boot (SoftBoot)

As a rule, the boots of all skates that are not highly specialized slalom or speed skaters are soft. A soft boot provides enough rigidity and control for most situations, and is simply more comfortable than a hard boot. Its main purpose is to create a feeling of comfort for people who do not need full leg fixation. Most roller boots are high, which means they support the ankle from bending sideways, which helps prevent sprains. But there are also low boots, top part which ends just above the ankle level, slightly covering it from the side. For beginners without special sports training This is the recommended boot.

Hard boot

A hard boot “holds” the foot well. A hard boot is made quite tight, made of hard plastic with a thin “felt boot” and thanks to this it fixes the foot well. It is used either in running rollers with a low boot, where the ankle is not fixed and you simply cannot run effectively with a soft boot, or in slalom, where increased fixation of the leg makes it easier to perform particularly difficult elements. On the other hand, these rollers can cause pressure and chafe if the shape of your feet differs from the shape of the lasts on which the rollers are released. Used for aggressive rollers, slalom and freeskate (jumping) rollers.

Frame boot

These boots, reminiscent of snowboard bindings in appearance, consist of plastic fastenings in which the skater's leg, shod in a sneaker, is secured. There are fitness models of skates with such a boot, but aggressive rollers with a boot of this kind (XSJado) have become especially popular.

Low boot

If it is a soft boot (SoftBoot), then the height of the edge of the boot above the ankle is 2-3 cm, such boots are called “training”, which means that it is designed for more comfortable training for speed skaters. Rollers with such a boot are usually equipped with a long frame with wheels of 90 mm or more.

A running shoe is the lowest and stiffest of the above, and therefore requires careful selection for the foot, and, as a rule, subsequent adjustment. Top edge height running shoe- just above the ankle. The boot itself is made of carbon fiber (sometimes fiberglass) with a thin layer of 1-2 mm leatherette (or microfiber) on the inner surface to soften contact with the foot. The ankle in such a boot is completely free and is not fixed in any way, so proper technique is required to ride in such boots. At the same time, the rigidity of the foot fixation allows for more precise positioning of the skate when running, the rigidity of the sole contributes to a more complete transfer of force, and the free ankle facilitates leg movements. In addition, the weight of such a boot is much lower.

Classification

Roller skates are divided into several types according to the style of skating:

Fitness- the most common and popular type of videos. Designed for active recreation on roller skates. Traditionally, fitness rollers have 4 wheels in one line (size 76-84 mm, hardness 76A-84A). IN last years Leading companies producing roller skates began to produce models with wheel diameters of 84 and 90 mm. Usually such rollers are equipped with a standard brake on the boot. Some skaters prefer to take it off right away.
Slalom- roller skates for those who prefer beautiful, artistic skating with complex elements. International festivals are held in this type of riding. Rollers for this type of riding are the most expensive on the market. The fact is that they combine maximum strength as aggressive rollers, maximum maneuverability and maximum lightness. Due to the fact that this type of skiing is the most difficult of all, it is the least popular.
Freeskate- roller skates for those who prefer free driving around the city fast pace with elements of jumping, spinning and overcoming various obstacles. They usually have a durable hard boot and a strong frame, which allows you to jump, do slalom or play witchcraft without the risk of breaking the rollers.
Aggressive- rollers that are used only for performing various tricks, jumping high altitude, sliding on surfaces. They are distinguished by a massive (large, heavy and soft) boot with good shock absorption, heavy weight, a short solid frame equipped with special plates for sliding on various edges and surfaces (plates), small (48-72 mm in diameter, mostly 52-56 mm) , wide in profile and hard wheels (more than 80A), 2 or 4 wheels on each frame. For more comfortable sliding along the pipe, instead of middle wheels, anti-rockers and G-blocks are inserted for sliding along the edge. It is difficult to gain high speed on such rollers, but they maintain speed well.
Cross-country- roller skates for running. They are distinguished by a low, rigid, lightweight boot, often made of carbon, and a long frame. Rollers of this class were previously equipped with five wheels with a diameter of 80 to 85 mm (5x84), for greater traction on asphalt, but now a frame with four wheels with a diameter of 100 mm (4x100) is used. The 4x100 version has recently actually completely replaced the 5x84; not so long ago the 4x110 standard was officially approved for use in world racing. The hardness of the wheels is high, from 81 to 86 and higher for wheels for roads and tracks, there are also wheels for indoor spaces with a smooth non-slip coating.
Curly- rollers for figure skating. They have a special stopper in the front of the frame, necessary for performing spins, steps and jumps, and the wheels are located in an arc similar to the shape of the blade for ice figure skates. Figure skating frames and boots are usually sold separately, allowing you to customize the frame and boot to suit your specific skating style, or use ice skate boots.
Children's- sliding rollers (allow you to change the size of the skate along with the growth of the child’s feet), usually have 3-4 wheels on each shoe, a standard brake (sometimes two brakes for each shoe).
Hockey- skates with a hard boot for playing inline hockey.
Off-road- 2-wheel rollers with a metal frame (less commonly, quad designs with a plastic frame and polyurethane wheels) approximately 50 cm to 80 cm long, with increased cross-country ability (there are models with and without brakes) and the so-called ability to ride all-season, having pneumatic rubber wheels with a diameter of 125 - 130 mm to 200 mm and a width of 3 to 5 cm, which provides them with the ability to drive off-road (the degree of possible off-road conquest depends on the length of the roller frame, ground clearance(clearance) and wheel sizes), feel more confident in wet weather on asphalt, since the grip of rubber wheels is much better than that of polyurethane ones. True, you have to pay more for such videos compared to ordinary traditional ones. But the most advanced models of this type of roller skates are best suited for off-road downhill and freeride (that is, you can even jump on them).

Downhill is one of the disciplines of roller sports. Its meaning is to roller skate down the slope as quickly as possible. You can slide down from any slope in two ways: by slowing down, constantly controlling the speed, or by accelerating under the influence of gravity, then the speed picks up much higher and stopping at any moment is no longer so easy. It is the second method that will be discussed.

One of the main points is the stance. It is a little different from the one in which you ride in a straight line. the main task- this is to gain more speed, while maintaining this speed. Therefore, the stand should be as low as possible. This shifts the roller's center of gravity lower, which adds stability and improves maneuverability. The lower the landing, the more difficult it is to fall on your side during a sharper turn. This is due to the fact that the higher the speed, the larger the turning radius should be. If the radius is insufficient, that is, the turn is too sharp, then the wheels simply skid, and if this skid is uncontrolled, then you can fall on your side. Low seating position allows for tighter turning radius. Stability is also affected by the “width” of the rack, that is, the distance between the right and left rollers. The longer this distance, the more stable the ride. However, this only works when the frames are perpendicular to the ground; if they are at an angle to the road, then they skid more easily.

Communities

Nuns on roller skates

Rollersports are becoming increasingly popular. Speedskating, roller skating, is a candidate for inclusion in Olympic program. Roller skates are becoming extremely popular view rest and maintenance physical fitness, relaxing in the company of like-minded people. In the largest cities of Russia today there are already thousands of roller skaters, regular competitions and events are held, such as Friday Night inlinelife in St. Petersburg. In Kyiv, watching the dawn on roller skates is popular - “Yamakashi” - participants on roller skates get to an appointed place with a beautiful view and meet the dawn together, after which they go home. To combine skating and walking, “stalker rides” have been created, which combine trips to places with attractions or simply interesting, mysterious, beautiful points cities. For entertainment, they organize a “where-your-eyes-look” ride - the leader changes every 5 minutes and chooses a completely unpredictable route. In Moscow, during the season, “organized roller skating rides” are held almost every day, both for beginners and for those who have been skating for a long time.

Roller skating styles

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Details

The history of inline roller skates, where the wheels are arranged in a row, is inextricably linked with the history of ice skates, which they imitate.

The history of quad roller skates, where 4 wheels are located on two axles, two on each axle, originate from wheeled carts, representing a smaller copy of them.

In the Netherlands, ice skating was a very popular pastime as well as a means of transportation. There are many water channels in this country that freeze in winter and turn into excellent roads for sliding. People who skated in Holland were called skeel-ers. At the beginning of the 17th century, skates for sushi appeared. They were a platform that was attached to shoes, with wooden spools attached to it, replacing the blades of ice skates. The name skeelers stuck to this design. To this day, many people in the Netherlands refer to roller skates by this term.

According to the official version, the inventor of roller skates is the Belgian musician, mechanic and inventor Jean-Joseph Merlin (September 17, 1735 - May 4, 1803). He held the first demonstration of his invention in 1760 in London in Hanover Square in the very popular Merlin Mechanical Museum, which he opened, where he exhibited his inventions. His invention was not patented and consisted of a series of small metal wheels arranged in a row. It is believed that these are the first inline videos.

Jean-Joseph Merlin

In 1818, the ballet "Der Maler oder die Wintervergn Ugungen" (The Artist or Winter Pleasures), which was to be performed on ice skates, premiered in Berlin. But due to the lack of ice, the performers were put on roller skates.

A year later (1819), the French inventor M. Petitbled patented inline rollers using a design with three wheels. The wheels themselves were recessed into a wooden frame, which was attached to the shoes with leather straps.

Videos by M. Petibled

In 1823, Robert John Tyers of London patented a roller skate called the Rolito with five wheels in a single row on the base of the shoe or boot.

Rolito rollers

In 1840, at a beer tavern near Berlin known as the "Corse Halle" (Corse Halle), barmaids on roller skates served thirsty regulars. This was a practical decision given the size of beer halls in Germany, which gave roller skating more publicity.

The second "roller show" was organized in 1849 by a man named Louis Legrange, originally from France. He took ordinary ice skates as the basis for his rollers, and attached small wheels to the metal part, thus imitating ice skating in the play "Le Prophete".

The opening of roller skating rinks was not long in coming, as the popularity of roller skating was gaining momentum. And in 1857, huge public skating rinks opened in London in the Flower Hall of the Royal Opera House, in the Covent Garden area and on the Strand.

In the mid-19th century, many inventors attempted to develop their own versions of roller skates, but alas, all of their roller skates were practically uncontrollable and did not have a braking system.

James Leonard Plimpton

In 1863, James Leonard Plimpton developed a "rocking" skate, the Quad roller skate. The wheels were made of boxwood and were located in pairs on two axles. Quads were more stable and maneuverable than their predecessors, and they also allowed the skater to ride backwards. Due to this design, it was much easier for beginning roller skaters to learn to roller skate. By the way, this type of suspension will later become a prototype for skateboard suspension.

This invention brought roller skating to the masses. It was he, Plympton, who opened the first roller rink, a place for roller skating, in Newport in 1866 on the territory of the elite Atlantic House Hotel. He later opened roller skating rinks in Europe. At that moment, roller skates were available only to the rich, but later, when Plimpton's patents became outdated, cheap analogues appeared on the market, and this fun became even more popular among the population. So quads replaced inline roller skates for a long time and became the dominant design for more than 100 years.
The front brake was patented in 1876. It was a soft rubber pad attached to the front of a roller skate. Now skaters have the opportunity to quickly stop by jumping onto this pad or tilt the roller forward. This brake has remained unchanged on quads to this day.

In the same 1876, William Bown from Birmingham (England) patented a roller wheel design that had two bearings and an axle.

1900 - Peck & Snyder patented inline roller skates with two wheels.

1905 - John Jay Young in New York filed a patent for dynamically adjustable roller skates, the prototype of modern sliding roller skates.

1910 - Roller Hockey Skate Company designed three-wheeled inline skates with a leather boot.

In 1908, Madison Square Gardens in New York became a roller skating rink. Hundreds of roller skating venues have opened across the United States and Europe. Roller skating is becoming a popular and diverse sport: recreational skating in indoor and outdoor areas, roller polo (roller hockey), roller dancing, figure skating roller skating, speed skater competitions.

One of the most interesting versions of roller skates could be the pedal model. It was patented in August 1913 by the American Charles A. Nordling. It was the original hybrid of a roller skate and a bicycle, the owner simply pressed on the pedals to accelerate.

Inline roller skates with boots were patented by the Chicago Roller Skate Company in 1960, but they did not become popular.

In the 70s and 80s, during the disco period, the popularity of rollers rose again.

In 1979, wheels for roller skates began to be made from polyurethane. At this moment, the history of the videos rose to new stage development, because until that moment wheels were made from the most diverse, but not the most suitable raw materials. For example, made of metal, which does not absorb surface unevenness at all. Or from hard wood, such as boxwood, which wears out quickly and is no better at handling vibration than metal. But polyurethane has a mass useful properties, which were useful in the development of roller skates. Strength, abrasion resistance, elasticity - all these qualities have made the wheels more durable, roller skates more maneuverable, and movement more comfortable.
In 1979, brothers hockey players Scott Olson and Brennan Olson from Minnesota accidentally stumbled upon a 1966 model of inline skates from the Chicago Roller Skate Company in one of the stores. The skate model was a leather boot, with an iron frame and four wheels that extend beyond the boot. The Olsons realized that these roller skates were indispensable for training. hockey team in the off-season, since in shape and design they are very similar to hockey skates. On their own, the Olsons modernize the old model by attaching a frame with wheels to boots from hockey skates, and use it in the training of their hockey team. They tried to offer innovations to the manufacturer (Chicago RollerSkate Co.), but the company was not interested in developing a line of inline skates and Scott Olson began negotiations to purchase the patent, which he acquired in 1981

In 1983, the Olson brothers created Ole's Innovative Sports (later renamed North American Training Corporation). Two years later, due to a constant lack of finance, control of the company passed to investors and the company became known as Rollerblade Inc.

In 1986, Rollerblade Inc completely changed its marketing strategy: the production of hockey skates was reduced, new models were released in bright neon colors, not for sports, but for entertainment. This made it possible to double sales volumes by 1988.

This year can easily be called the year of birth of modern inline videos. From that moment on, their independent development and improvement began.

1989 - Rollerblade Inc. released the first videos with three buckles instead of laces.

1990 - rollers made of fiberglass and thermoplastic, which reduced the weight of the boot by almost fifty percent.

1991 - INLINE magazine is published, dedicated to aggressive skating and aggressive rollers

1992 - roller hockey is presented in demonstration forms at Olympic Games in Barcelona.

1995 - K2 company releases the first prototype of skates with a soft boot (SoftBoot). Before that, all skates had a hard boot, borrowed from hockey skates. A soft boot is much more comfortable than a hard one, so it is better suited for leisurely rollerblading. Roller skates with soft boots have become the most common among roller skaters.

1995 - First Extreme Games

In 1997, the production of roller skates crossed the $1 billion mark.

1997 - the Sports Collection company begins the first in Russia development and production of its own collection of roller skates.

2003 - the Sports Collection company begins to represent Roller Derby Skate Corp. products on the Russian market. (USA)

2008 - the Sports Collection company sells 60% of the entire roller skate market in Russia

2012 - SK roller skates were recognized as the most popular consumer product in Russia (according to the research company Synovate Comcon) and received the Product of the Year award.

The history of the development and origin of roller skates is very interesting. The first mention of the practice of roller skating was recorded in 1743. This event took place in London, the inventor is still unknown. The very first one captured in print was a demonstrative display of roller boots with metal wheels in 1760. This creation was shown by John Joseph Merlin. It turned out that the boots according to the drawing were unfinished: the inventor’s boots turned out to be uncontrollable. And through the surprised and shocked audience, in the midst of the ball, Merlin drove into a small mirror near the door. Both the mirror and the master designer were damaged. The beau monde did not properly appreciate the novelty and considered it a traumatic activity. Certification for the invention of roller skates was approved in the French Republic in 1819 by M. Petitbled.

Skate models in the first half of the 19th century were different from modern ones. Rollers with pairs of wheels. Quad skates, first demonstrated in 1863 in New York; This model was designed by Leonard Plimpton. In 1866, with the approval of Plympton, a roller skating rink in Newport opened to an interested public. This model of skates remained dominant until the second half of the twentieth century.

In 1876, William Braun found a way and developed, and later filed a patent for the prototype of modern rollers with bearings. The wheel contained a pair of bearings and a metal axle. A brake for skates was also patented. This modification of the brake is still used on quad rollers today.

In 1979, Scott Olson and Brennan Olson demonstrated the inline wheel rollers developed in the 1960s by the Chicago Roller Skate Company. It was decided that this roller model is well suited for asphalt hockey training. Based on the results of the test of this model of skates, it was decided to use the design of hockey boots for everyday training off the ice. After some time, Scott Olson organized the Rollerblade Inc. company. Success soon followed. Many similar companies began to follow Olson’s trend, which in turn did not go wrong. After all, at that time, videos such as quads began to fade into the background, giving way to inline videos.

Until 1995, almost all skates were offered to the buyer in a hard boot, somewhat similar to ski boots. In 1995, K2 demonstrated soft-boot roller skates; they in turn the best way suitable for leisurely pleasure riding. This type of skate model has become dominant in the popularity of skating among young people in the next decade.

In 1997, Upsidedown opened in the United States. She demonstrated a revolutionary model of Damocles skates. Many of its parts could be easily replaced. Such as frame, cuff and buckle. Its main focus was aggressive rollers, making it possible to change almost all the parts of the rollers to analog ones, but from other manufacturers. A year later, the company changed its name to the sounding USD, which gave it great “weight” and popularity in the roller skating industry.

The first record of the use of roller skates dates back to 1743. It happened in London, the name of the inventor is unknown. The first documented demonstration of roller skates with metal wheels took place in 1760. Jean-Joseph Merlin presented his invention. The first patent for roller skates was received in France in 1819 by M. Petible.

Roller skates in the early 19th century were similar to those of today. Skates with pairs of wheels, quads, first appeared in 1863 in New York and were designed by James Leonard Plimpton. The first public roller skating rink was opened with the support of Plympton in 1866 in Newport. It was this design of skates that remained dominant almost until the end of the 20th century.

In 1979, Scott Olson and Brennan Olson introduced roller skates with the now familiar in-line wheel pattern, developed in the 1960s by the Chicago Roller Skate Company. They decided that these skates had great potential for training hockey players off ice. As a result, boots from hockey skates were used and the latest technologies at that time were applied. A few years later, Scott Olson founded the Rollerblade company. The success was deafening. Soon, many other companies began making similar skates, so Olson's designs actually created a new industry, and inline skates became much more popular than the quads that were familiar at that time.

Until the mid-1990s, almost all roller skates had a rigid boot, similar to a ski boot. In 1995, K2 introduced the first soft boot skates, which were much better suited for recreational skating and soon became dominant.

In 1997, a new company, Upsidedown, appeared in America, whose first skate model, Damocles, became truly revolutionary. Many of its parts - the frame, buckle, café, soulplates - could be replaced. By the way, the name of the company was symbolic: it wanted to turn the entire aggressive skating industry upside down (this is how the phrase upside down is translated from English), allowing almost all parts of roller skates to be replaced with similar ones from different manufacturers. This would give skaters a unique opportunity to create skates that would completely suit their requirements and preferences. A year later, the company changed its name to the shorter and more sonorous USD and very soon turned into one of the largest and most respected companies in the aggressive skating market.

Roller skates, or “rollers” in simple terms, appeared as a replacement for ice skates in the warm season and for indoor skating. Roller skates were first used in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, where ice skates were a popular means of transportation on frozen rivers and canals. In the warmer seasons, local residents mastered the simplest models of roller skates: boots with wooden rollers. Their design was similar to ice skates: the wheels were placed in one row - this design was called “inline”, which means “in a line”, and the number of wheels varied. The first historical mention of roller skates was in 1743: they were used in London in a theatrical production to imitate ice skates. All details of this story, including the name of the creator, have been lost to centuries. The first inventor whose name has stood the test of time and reached us was Joseph Merlin (a fairly popular model of Rollerblade skates was named in his honor in our time) in 1760 in London. Merlin used the commercials to draw attention to his other inventions, highlighting the advanced technology used. He designed skates with a single row of small metal wheels and skated at balls, meetings and celebrations while playing the violin. Design flaws, as well as a lack of skill, made maneuvering and braking difficult tricks: at one of the balls, the inventor, having lost control, crashed into a large and expensive wall mirror, breaking it and being seriously injured. Apart from Merlin himself, the reputation of the videos and their further development suffered - those who wanted to repeat Merlin’s exploits were not immediately found.

Merlin did not patent his invention because he was not sure of its technical completeness and functionality, which was confirmed by the incident with the mirror. The first patent for rollers was received only in 1819 in Paris by Monsieur Petitblade, his invention was inline rollers with three wheels.

Pictured (from left to right): Joseph Merlin 1760, Chaler Rollers 1860, Petitblend Rollers 1819.

It was proposed to use metal, wood or ivory to make wheels. Monsieur Petitbled positioned these skates as a full-fledged replacement for ice skates, but technically the skates had a number of serious shortcomings. They could only be driven forward; wheels made from the proposed materials slipped, making it very difficult to control the rollers. In subsequent years, several more versions of inline videos were released; There were three-wheeled models and five-wheeled ones; they tried to solve the handling problem by rockering the wheels (the outer wheels were placed smaller than the central ones). Ruben Schaler in 1860 proposed putting rubber or leather rings on wheels to increase traction. Also, in his inline model, the wheels were placed in a frame very similar to the modern one. However, all these ideas did not have significant success.
Two problems prevented the mass distribution of the videos.
1) Poor maneuverability. You could only skate straight on roller skates, they were unstable, it was almost impossible to turn, and even more so to ride backwards. Basically, the reason was technical shortcomings: slippery wheels, little control of the roller, and also, the first skaters lacked skill.
2) Braking. Imperfect design, lack of a standard brake and low level of riding made it impossible to control the speed.

Because of these problems, rollers remained for more than a century the preserve of eccentric loners or were used only on special occasions, primarily in the theater.
James Plimpton brought mass popularity to roller skates by inventing a completely new type of roller skate in 1863 - quads, which actually marked the beginning of modern roller sports. Refusing to copy the ice skates and inline designs of his predecessors, Plimpton installed wheels in pairs, two in front, two in back. The rollers have become much more stable and therefore easier to use. For maneuverability, the wheels were mounted on a suspension with rubber shock absorbers; it could rotate and tilt in the direction of rotation, and the roller could turn simply by tilting in the desired direction.

In the photo (from left to right): The first model of quads in 1863, a roller rink in the 1880s, improved quads in 1866, a beautiful stranger on quads in the 1880s.

The braking problem was partially solved by the maneuverability of the rollers and their stability. Plympton did not limit himself only to the production of videos, which, of course, were made by hand in those years and were not cheap. In 1866, he opened his own roller skating rink and roller rental in New York. He founded the Roller Skating Association NY a, a system of professional tests and distinctive medals for roller skaters was developed, group training Worldwide.

Over the course of several years, Plympton refined the design of his videos. He improved the attachment system to the boots, and a completely metal model was made. It is worth noting that roller bearings had not yet been invented. The first to propose the use of bearings to reduce friction when rotating wheels was D. Gidman in 1852, but his invention did not find practical application then. During the years 1876-1884, through the efforts of William Bone and Joseph Henry Hugh, the roller chassis was improved, the wheel-bushing-axle-bearing system was designed, and in 1884 Richardson received a patent for installing steel bearings in the rollers. In 1876, a patent was received for the front brake. In the 1880s, the production of quads was put on an assembly line, which reduced their price by more than half. By the end of the century, the improvement of quads was almost complete, their design will remain unchanged for the next century.

In the photo: Roller rink 1885

Supported by technical innovations, quads were rapidly gaining popularity. They have become truly mass and accessible entertainment. New types of skating are appearing, such as roller hockey - it was called roller polo - and dancing. They ride through the streets on quads, dance, compete; National associations are organized and professional instructors appear. First official hockey match roller skating took place in 1878. American national league Roller Polo was founded in 1882. Chicago's new Coliseum roller skating rink in 1902 drew more than 7,000 people on opening night. In Russia there were also roller rinks or “skating rings”. A.I. Kuprin writes in his 1910 story: “We’re going to the skating ring. A round, smooth, ice-like arena, and in the spectator areas there is a huge audience, and, what’s most offensive, half of them are our good friends, with many of them "whom I have solid business connections. In the arena, young people of both sexes run and spin like crazy on skates with wheels. The noise is unimaginable!"

In the photo: Quads and their popularity. Late 19th century and early 20th century.

The film industry is paying attention to the videos. Charlie Chaplin was more than decent at roller skating and in 1916 his film The Rink was released, where the main action took place at a roller rink.

In the photo: Quads 1910-20s.

What was happening with the inlines at this time? They found themselves in the shadow of the quads, unpopular, but not forgotten. The inquisitive minds of inventors did not give up trying to refine their design and many solutions used in modern roller skates were presented.

In the photo: Inlines from the beginning of the 20th century.

Walter Nilsson, New York, in 1892, introduces 14-wheel combination inline rollers. In them, he suggests using rubber or leather pads for braking, this was the progenitor of modern standard brakes.
At the beginning of the 20th century, off-road inlines appeared; they had two large wheels and rode like a bicycle by pedaling.
Inlines on two wheels were patented in 1900.
In 1905, a patent was received for sliding inline rollers.
In 1910, skates for hockey players with three wheels were developed, and the outer ones were smaller than the central one.
Not widely used, inlines were mainly used professional athletes to simulate ice skates.

Roller skating in all forms gained popularity until the First World War, during which there was no time for roller skating. During the Great Depression, commercials began to gain popularity again due to their low cost. Charlie Chaplin, in one of his best films, The Modern Times, 1936, demonstrates trick skating.

In 1937, the American National Association of Roller Rink Owners was founded. It is now known as the Roller Sports Association. The only major change in quad design in the 20th century was the material of the wheels. They began to be made from rubber, and then from polyurethane. Otherwise, quad designers remained conservative and believed that the best is the enemy of the good. In the world of inlines, innovation continued:
In 1938, Jet Skates appeared on the market, rollers of a modular design, they could be turned into skates, and they also had a standard brake. The manufacturer stated that this was a unique development, although equipping it with a brake was first proposed back in the mid-19th century.
In 1953, rollers with two all-rubber wheels were developed. The manufacturer described them as quiet and maneuverable.
In the 1960s, models for figure skating training appeared. They are manufactured with rockering and front brake. During these same years, inlines with four wheels and a front brake were produced in the USSR. They can be seen in the film "Queen of the Gas Station" (1962)
In 1966, the Chicago Roller Company began producing inline skates, in which the undercarriage and boot were one piece. It was this model that later fell into the hands of the Olson brothers.

The popularity of videos continues to grow. Jen Kelly in the 1955 film It's Always Fair Weather delivers a very respectable performance even by today's standards. Ship, powerslide on quads, jumping, dancing. See for yourself.

The theme of roller dancing is continued by the 1968 film “Funny Girl,” main role Barbra Streisand wins an Oscar in this film.

Photo: The classic movie poster shows a girl in roller skates.

In the 1970s, the roller world experienced a second boom, primarily in America. Roller skating is no longer just fun and relaxation. Roller skating is awesome! And the coolest thing is the roller disco. People crowd in lines at roller disco, Hollywood is making films about roller disco.

In the photo: Rollerdisco.

In addition to roller dancing, other types of roller sports are also developing: figure skating, speed skating, artistic skating, freestyle, roller derby and roller hockey. Street skating is also becoming very popular. And, when it seemed that nothing threatened the popularity of quads, inlines take revenge.

In 1979, professional hockey player Scott Olson came across old skates produced in the 60s by a Chicago skate company. He realized that he could ride and train all year round and anywhere, not just on the ice. Inspired by the idea and using their experience of skating on existing inline models, Scott and his brothers Brennan and Jim decided to make their own skates, applying all the successful developments in the world of inlines: they redesigned the skates - the skates became solid with polyurethane inserts for support - they installed polyurethane wheels, a metal frame , two bearings per wheel and a quad toe brake. And in 1980, Rollerblade Inc. was founded. The first models had various problems, they were inconvenient to put on and take off, the brake was unreliable and fell off. In 1983, the first truly mass-produced TRS Lightning model was released. In it, the unreliable toe brake was replaced with a heel brake, the boot was changed, the frame was made of fiberglass, and the wheels were better protected from dirt. This was the end of the quad era and the beginning of the inline era. Other companies followed to the market: K2, Ultrawheels, Salomon, Roces; More innovations are appearing, for example the K2 softboot.

In the photo: Modern roller skates.

The rest is history as we all know. Inline skates are becoming more comfortable, more controllable and faster than quads, and are gaining mass popularity. Speed skaters are quickly switching to inlines, and fitness skating is rapidly developing. A completely new direction of aggressive rollers appears, Salomon released a line of freeskate rollers in the early 2000s and freestyle slalom is slowly developing. The first Rollerclub store opens in Russia. In 2005, the Kirill Ryazantsev Roller School, the first roller school in Russia, was formed. In 2006 famous athlete Sébastien Lafargue releases Seb's first videos, which will become the standard for modern videos.

When studying the history of videos, you can pay attention to interesting fact. For centuries, designers tried to attach brakes to rollers, convinced that the braking problem was due to the lack of a brake. But as soon as skaters began to be designed by athletes, based on their understanding of skating technique - the skates became well controlled, with grippy wheels and excellent lateral support, it became possible to effectively maneuver and brake using “technical” methods - plow, t-stop, powerslide, parallel , magic and other slides. And the brake became unnecessary.

Video: Freeskate 2008. The best French freeskaters, author Kirill Ryazantsev.