Who Invented Rollerblades?
Rollerblades are also commonly called inline skates. Rollerblades have a history dating to the 1700s. Inline skates get their name from their wheels, which are placed in a straight line. Inline skates were first created as a warm-weather activity to take the place of ice skating. Modern-day rollerblades were first mass produced in the 20th century but still closely resemble to earlier skates.
Other People Are Reading
-
Warm-Weather Skating
-
The Dutch were the first to connect wooden spools to the bottom of boots to create a dry-land skate. The creation was to be a warm-weather alternative to ice skating. Dutch skaters called their invention "skeelers."
First Patent
-
The first patent for roller skates was given to Monsieur Petibledion in 1819. Petibledion's skate featured a shoe or boot with up to four copper wheels. The wheels were placed in a straight line on the bottom of the boot.
-
Getting In Line
-
London's Robert John Tyers received a patent for "inline" skates in 1823. Tyers' skate was called the "Rolito." The Rolito featured five wheels on the bottom of a boot. The Rolito became known as an "inline" skate because the wheels were aligned in a straight line and maneuvers could only be straight-line ones.
New Twist on an Old Skate
-
In 1979, brothers Scott and Brennan Olson decided to redesign an old inline skate they found. The Olsons' creation attached polyurethane wheels to the bottom of a hockey boot. The brothers aligned the wheels in a straight line, and to aid stopping, they added a rubber pad to the toe of the boot.
Mass Production
-
In 1983, the Olsons formed Rollerblade Inc. The Olsons' company was the first to mass produce an "inline" type of rollerblade.
-
