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 obtained in France in 1819 by M. Ptible.

Roller skates in the early 19th century were similar to modern ones. Skates with pairs of wheels, quads, first appeared in 1863 in New York and were developed by James Leonard Plimpton. The first public rollerdrome was opened with the support of Plimpton 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. Then in 1876 the first brake for roller skates was patented. A similar brake design is still used on quads today.

In 1979, Scott Olson and Brennan Olson introduced the in-line roller skates developed in the 1960s by the Chicago Roller Skate Company in the 1960s with the wheel arrangement familiar today. They decided that these skates had great potential for training hockey players without ice. As a result, boots from hockey skates and applied the latest technology at that time. A few years later, Scott Olson founded the Rollerblade company. The success was resounding. Soon, many other companies began to make similar skates, so Olson's developments actually created a new industry, and inline skates became much more popular than the usual quads at that time.

Until the mid-1990s, almost all inline skates had a hard boot that resembled 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, America appeared new firm Upsidedown, whose first model of skates - Damocles - was truly revolutionary. Many of its parts - frame, buckle, caf, 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 you to change almost all the details of roller skates to similar ones, but from other manufacturers. This would give the rollers unique opportunity create videos that would fully satisfy their requirements and preferences. A year later, the company changed its name to the shorter and more sonorous USD and very soon became one of the largest and most respected firms in the aggressive skating market.

The history of roller skates has more than one century. For all the time, a huge number of prototypes of modern commercials have been made, however, first things first. The Belgian inventor Jean-Joseph Merlin is considered the creator of roller skates, who has received universal recognition. But it’s worth mentioning right away that “boots on wheels” existed much earlier (since 1743), but no one knows the name of its inventor.

Roller skates created by Merlin were seen by the public at a masquerade ball held in London in 1760. The inventor had small wheels attached to expensive shoes on his feet. The audience watched in amazement as Jean-Joseph not only skated in front of them, but also played the violin. Because the product was not quite perfect, Marlene crashed into the wall, unable to stop in time. As a result, the mirror hanging on it was broken, and at that time it cost a lot of money.

The first person to patent roller skates was the Frenchman Ptiblé in 1819. His model consisted of a wooden base to which three wheels were attached. The base was attached to the leg with leather straps. Wheels were made of metal or wood, as well as ivory. In Europe, "Petibleds", as they were called, became fashionable rather quickly. The waiters of a beer garden in Berlin served visitors on these roller skates.

At the beginning of 1860, the construction of special roller platforms began in London. Soon the fashion for roller skates came to the United States. In 1863, the American James Leonardo Plimpton managed to improve the design of rollers by creating the so-called "quads" - roller skates with not three, but four wheels (arranged in pairs). The new model, which quickly gained popularity, managed to supplant the three-wheeled petibles.

Two important improvements were devised as early as 1876. So, to significantly increase the speed of rotation, wheels with two bearings were invented, and a brake design was invented. The year 1979 was a turning point in the history of inline skates. It was then that Scott and Brennan Olson, who were involved in hockey, proposed a new model on which the wheels are located in one line. These skates were created by the brothers with only one purpose - to conduct hockey training during the absence of ice cover. After the improvement, the new rollers received general recognition, gradually replacing the "quads". Today at sports stores you can find a huge variety of children's, men's and women's roller skates for every taste and color.

Roller Skates

Roller Skates- boots with frames attached to them, in which from two to five wheels are fixed, designed to move on a hard, even surface, similar to moving on ice on traditional skates. Used as sports equipment, for fitness and outdoor activities.

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 was in 1760. John Joseph Merlin introduced his invention. John Joseph Merlin ). Unfortunately, the design was imperfect: the invention of the master turned out to be practically uncontrollable. And right during the ball, Merlin drove into a large mirror. Both the mirror and the inventor himself suffered. The public considered the novelty traumatic and did not want to ride on such a projectile. The first patent for roller skates was obtained in France in 1819 by M. Petitbled.

Roller skates at the beginning of the 19th century were not like modern ones. Skates with paired wheels quads, first appeared in 1863 in New York and was designed by James Leonard Plimpton (eng. James Leonard Plimpton ). The first public rollerdrome was opened with Plimpton's support in 1866 at 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. Then in 1876 the first brake for roller skates was patented. A similar brake design is still used on quads.

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

Until the mid-1990s, virtually all inline skates had a hard boot that resembled a ski boot. In 1995, K2 ) introduced the first soft boot skates, which were much better suited to recreational skating and soon became dominant.

In 1997, a new company, Upsidedown, appeared in America, whose first model of rollers - Damocles - became truly revolutionary. Many of its details are the frame, buckle (a plastic clasp at the top of the boot that secures the leg), caf (cuff of rollers with a hard boot on which buckles are attached), soulplates (hard plastic inserts attached to the bottom of the boot and designed to perform 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 you to change almost all the details of roller skates to similar ones, but from other manufacturers. This would give skaters a unique opportunity to create videos that would fully meet their requirements and preferences. A year later, the company changed its name to the shorter and more sonorous USD and very soon became one of the largest and most respected firms in the aggressive skating market.

Varieties

Skate with paired wheels

In addition to roller skates, which are customary in Russia, where the wheels are arranged in one line (inline, inline), there are skates with paired wheels (quad, quads, “stools”, “hooves”, actually “rollers”). One of the types 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 mounted in a frame in one line (inline) or 4 wheels mounted in pairs (quad). Wheels are made of polyurethane of various hardness. On cheap Chinese rollers, you can also find wheels made of plastic. Off-road roller skates are equipped with pneumatic wheels.
• The heel brake (usually placed on one of the skates) is passive (the brake shoe is fixed) or active (the brake shoe is lowered when the roller is pushed 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 stiffness 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 inline boots are tall, meaning they support the ankle from bending sideways, which helps prevent sprains. But there are also low boots, top part which ends just above the level of the ankle, slightly covering it from the side. For beginners without special sports training this shoe is highly recommended.

hard boot

A hard boot "holds" the foot well. The hard boot is made quite tight, made of hard plastic with a thin "boot" and thanks to this it fixes the leg well. It is used either in cross-country skates with a low boot, where the ankle is not fixed and it is simply impossible to run effectively with a soft boot, or in slalom, where the increased fixation of the leg makes it easier to perform particularly difficult elements. On the other hand, these rollers can be tight and chafing if the shape of your foot differs from the shape of the lasts on which the rollers are produced. Used for aggressive skates, slalom and freeskating (jumping) skates.

Skeleton boot

These boots, reminiscent of snowboard bindings, consist of plastic bindings in which the skater's foot is fixed, shod in a sneaker. There are fitness models of skates with such a boot, but aggressive skates with a boot of this kind (XSJado) have gained particular popularity.

low boot

If this 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 implies that it is designed for a more comfortable training of speed skaters. Rollers with such a boot are usually equipped with a long frame with wheels from 90 mm.

The running boot is the lowest and stiffest of the above, therefore, it 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 inner surface, to soften contact with the foot. The ankle in such a boot is absolutely free and is not fixed in any way, therefore, to ride in such boots, it is necessary correct technique. At the same time, the rigidity of the fixation of the foot 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 rollers. Designed for outdoor activities on roller skates. Traditionally, fitness rollers have 4 wheels in one line (size 76-84 mm, hardness 76A-84A). In recent years, leading inline skate companies have begun producing models with 84mm and 90mm wheel diameters. Usually such rollers are equipped with a regular brake on the boot. Some skaters prefer to take it off right away.
• Slalom- videos for those who prefer beautiful artistic skating, with complex elements. International festivals are held in this kind 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- videos for those who prefer free driving around the city at a fast pace with elements of jumping, spinning and overcoming various obstacles. Usually they have a strong hard boot and a strong frame, which allows you to both jump and do slalom or play magic without the risk of breaking the rollers.
• Aggressive- rollers that are used only to perform various tricks, jumps from high altitude, sliding on surfaces. They are distinguished by a massive (large, heavy and soft) boot with good cushioning, high 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 profile and rigid wheels (more than 80A), 2 or 4 wheels on each frame. For more comfortable sliding along the pipe, anti-rockers and G-blocks for sliding along the edge are inserted instead of middle wheels. It is difficult to gain high speed on such rollers, but they keep speed well.
• Cross-country- Rollers for running. They are distinguished by a low, rigid, lightweight boot, often made of carbon, with a long frame. The rollers of this class were previously equipped with five wheels with a diameter of 80 to 85 mm (5x84), for greater grip on asphalt, but now a frame with four wheels with a diameter of 100 mm (4x100) is used. The 4x100 option has actually completely supplanted the 5x84 recently, and not so long ago the 4x110 standard was officially approved for use in world races. The rigidity of the wheels is large, from 81 to 86 and higher for wheels for roads and tracks, there are also wheels for indoors with a smooth non-slip coating.
• curly- rollers for figure skating. They have a special stop at the front of the frame, necessary for performing spins, steps and jumps, and the wheels are arranged in an arc similar to the blade shape for ice figure skates. Frame and boot for figure skating are usually sold separately, allowing you to choose a frame and boot for a particular style of skating, as well as use boots from ice skates.
• Baby- sliding rollers (allow you to change the size of the skate along with the growth of the child's foot), usually have 3-4 wheels on each boot, a regular brake (sometimes two brakes - for each of the boots).
• Hockey- skates with a hard boot for playing inline hockey.
• off-road- 2 - wheel rollers with a metal frame (rarely quad designs with a plastic frame and polyurethane wheels) from about 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-weather, having pneumatic rubber tires 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 the pavement, since the grip of rubber wheels is much better than that of polyurethane. True, you have to pay more for such videos compared to conventional 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 rollersport. Its meaning lies in the fastest descent on rollers from the slope. You can drive off any slope in two ways: by slowing down, controlling the speed all the time, or by accelerating under the influence of gravity, then the speed is gained much higher and it is not so easy to stop at any moment. It is about the second method that will be discussed.

One of the highlights is the stand. It is slightly different from the one in which they ride in a straight line. The main task is to gain more speed, while staying at this speed. Therefore, the rack should be as low as possible. This shifts the center of gravity of the roller lower, which gives stability and improves maneuverability. The lower the landing, the more difficult it is to fall sideways with a sharper turn. This is due to the fact that more 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 landing allows you to turn with a smaller radius. Also, stability is affected by the “width” of the rack, that is, the distance between the right and left rollers. The greater this distance, the more stable the ride. However, this only works when the frames are perpendicular to the ground, but if they are at an angle to the road, then they go into a skid easier.

Communities

Nuns on roller skates

Rollersport is becoming more and more popular. Speed ​​skating, roller skating, is a candidate for inclusion in Olympic program. Roller skating is becoming an extremely popular form of recreation and maintenance. physical form, rest in the company of like-minded people. In the largest cities of Russia, there are already thousands of skaters, regular competitions and events are held, such as the Friday Night inlinelife in St. Petersburg. In Kyiv, meeting the dawn on roller skates is popular - “Yamakashi” - participants on roller skates get to the agreed place with a beautiful view and meet the dawn together, after which they go home. To combine skiing and walking, “stalker rides” have been created, which combine trips to places with sights or simply interesting, mysterious, beautiful points of the city. For entertainment, they arrange a “where-the-eyes-look” ride - the leader changes every 5 minutes and chooses an absolutely unpredictable route. In Moscow, during the season, “organized roller skating” is 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

From the invention of the first single-row roller skates (hereinafter referred to as inlines) to the traditional double-row "quads" (quad), it is impossible to talk about the history of roller skating without mentioning Sam Nieswizski. He wrote a book called "Rollermania" (1991), which is referenced by many sports publications in France and possibly around the world...

Were the first videos inline?

However, given the fact that traditional ice skates had a similar shape, it can be assumed that they served as the prototype for fashionable inlines. Unfortunately, we only partially know who invented roller skates. Perhaps it was a Dutchman who lived in the 17th century, but we do not have supporting documents to be completely sure.

From the very moment when smart people came up with such entertainment for the people as roller skates, we cannot help but notice that the design of old skates is not so different from modern models. Tyers (Tyers) used in his model 5 wheels mounted on the frame in one row. This frame is very similar to speed skating skate frames. As we can see, the wheels on those skates were of different diameters (the golden rule of "rockering" (3)). That is, already THEN the rollers wound up on their mustache that the use of rockering contributes to a better passage of curves and turns at high speed. At the back of the skate, a brake was attached in a similar way.

The development of technical thought throughout the 18th century

In 1819, the inventor Petibled patented his first inline, equipped with 3 wheels (arranged in one row). The rollers were equipped with a front brake and were made of wood or metal. The brake was a stopper, consisting of a bolt attached to the heel. The frame was attached to the boot with straps, like the roller skates of our youth (quads).

Many inventors began to imitate Petible. Here are some of them: Spence, Tyers, Lohner, Garcin, Legrand (Spence, Tyers, Lohner, Garcin, Legrand). Roller skating has become very fashionable and popular in major cities in America and Europe. All over the world, special platforms for skiing were built.

The materials that existed in the second half of the 19th century did not allow the production of high-quality wheels. Brass, wood and even animal horns did not provide good grip and had very poor rolling, given the fact that the roads were not as smooth as they are now. Garcin suggested that ivory be used to make wheels, but we do not know for certain whether such wheels were actually made or not. Subsequently, the design of the rollers did not stop changing and modernizing.

1863: Birth of traditional skates ("quads")

Plimpton's invention had 4 wooden wheels mounted on 2 axles, 2 wheels in a row. As soon as the owner of the skates leaned to the right / left, his skates willingly obeyed him. The only big drawback of this system was the rapid wear of the wheels on the side of the axles. Then, Plimpton suggested using a bronze lining - a ring inside the axle, as well as lubrication at friction points, which helped reduce wheel wear. With his invention, Plymton managed to make a decent fortune for himself.

Alas, from now on, my dear rabbit brothers, inlines are beginning to be in less demand. Quads boasted better handling in corners and allowed for the most dizzying pirouettes. However, inlines have not completely sunk into oblivion. They were still lighter, more affordable and required less maintenance.

The advent of bearings

In 1852, the Englishman J. Gidman decided to patent a new invention - roller skates with bearings!!! However, such videos were only released 30 long years later. S. Niswicki told us that bearings were invented much earlier, showing illustrations from the 15th century by Leonardo da Vinci. For a long time, bearings were just a germ, because balls for them were very difficult to manufacture. However, even before da Vinci, similar concepts had already been proposed by other inventors.

On the website of the company SKF (4), which specializes in the production of bearings, there is information that bearings in the form familiar to us all existed already in the days of the Roman Empire. Such bearings were found among the wreckage of a boat dating back to the reign of Emperor Caligula in 40 BC. It is interesting to note that the opinion of SKF specialists, as well as Sam Niswicki himself, coincides in one thing: a real breakthrough in the field of bearing construction began only in the 19th century.

The American Levant Marvin Richardson (1884) also used bearings. At that time, mass production of bearings began. Richardson modified the model of the Plimpton we mentioned, adding small rubber spacers to properly center the axles. Now, the videos have become very similar to modern ones.

In 1907, the talented Swedish inventor Sven Wingqvist presented to the general public the first bearing in which the balls aligned themselves. These bearings have become an unqualified commercial success.

The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries were marked by the appearance of a new miracle - rollers for driving on any surface. Their design was similar to quads and inlines. They met the increased demands of skaters of the past - now it has become possible to ride on any surface. It was these skates that became the prototype of off-road skates that use inflatable tires.

New revolution - polyurethane wheels

Competing companies make skates with wooden wheels (boxwood), which provide better rolling, but are also quite fragile. Rubber was also sometimes used (1912, France). Rollers equipped with real inflatable wheels and tubes did not appear until 1987.

The year 1980 has come, the USSR has fallen for plastic wheels, which are very popular. Polyurethane was first used as roller wheels in 1979. Such wheels had a number of significant advantages, both for rollers and for manufacturers. The novelty has increased the popularity of inlines at times. Inlines begin their march in America in the 80s, then Europe in the early 90s. It was from this moment that they began to distinguish various design rollers and the rollers themselves.

The number of wheels could be different: from 2 to 6 and even up to 8 wheels (not in one row). The longest frame with wheels in one row consisted of 7 wheels.

Single-row rollers were then called "rollerblades". The name comes from one of the most famous commercial roller companies (however, representatives of the company itself constantly objected to such a dangerous "vulgarization" of the name of their company). These skates, being faster, attracted the youth of the 80s and 90s.

Roller skating was first demonstrated at a hockey stadium, at Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992.

Market entry of Rollerblade. Increasing popularity of inline

The first manufacturer to file a patent for inlines in 1960 was Chicago (USA).

The creation of Rollerblade is shrouded in legends. Once, 2 American hockey players, Scott and Brenan Olson (Scott and Brenan Olson), being naughty kids, decided to do some chemistry in the garage of their parents' house and made videos. The brothers decided to turn their ice skates into roller skates so they could play hockey in the summer.

The result of the start of the company could be seen on the streets of Minnesota. Rollers have become very popular with skiers who want to practice in summer time. During a show in Las Vegas, an Italian, the owner of Roces, approached the Olsons and decided to get acquainted. He buys the brand name Rollerblade from the brothers and launches his inline line under the Roces brand.

However, the peak of Rollerblade's growth came in 1985, when Robert Naegele took over the company. I bought dapoxetine and got a bonus. Later, Rollerblade became a subsidiary of Benneton Sport System and Tecnica.

In 1998, Benneton Sport System estimated that Robert Nagele's inline market share was 50%. However, we believe that these figures will decline. A large number of large manufacturing companies ski equipment are also interested in investing in inline production (6).

The undisputed leader (pioneer) in the world of inline

The market for roller skates began to grow in the 80s, but sales began to grow from 1984, thanks to the efforts of marketers who managed to present this sport with a new sauce.

In the 1990s, Rollerblades were produced at the Nordica factory in Trevigano, Italy. It is worth noting that many other companies have also established their production facilities in this region.

In 1994, Rollerblade sold 60,000 pairs of skates in France. In 1995 Rollerblade sales accounted for 36% of Benetton Sport System's total revenue. (8)

Growth in sales of Rollerblade inline skates from 1993 to 1997

			Growth in %