The key dates of roller skating and inline skating

Creation of the first roller skate

It is said that a Dutchman invented the first roller skate, but we have not discovered any trace of it.

John Joseph Merlin (Belgium)

The Belgian invented the first officially recognized roller skate.

Maximiliaan Lodewijk Van Lede (Holland)

Inventor of the ‘skates on the ground’ in Paris.

Petibled (France)

The first French patent with three wheels in a line of wood, metal or ivory.

John Spence (Great-Britain)

A brilliant and unknown Scotsman who developed a pair of roller skates to go up to 13k per hour.

Robert John Tyers (Great-Britain)

Robert John Tyers revolutionized the inline skate with his Volitos: they came with 5 wheels, different sizes and brakes.

August Löhner (Austria)

The Viennese August Löhner invented a new type of roller skate: mechanical wheel shoes. Those skates had one wheel in front and two wheels behind (they were placed next to each other).

Jean Garcin (France)

Jean Garcin invented the model « Cingar ». He was discovered by a Petitbled advertising campaign. He opened the first Parisian skaterink. In 1813 he published his book « the real skater – the principle of the art of elegant roller skating »

Louis Legrand (France)

The butcher Louis Legrand comes out with the roller skates which were also used in the opera « The Prophet » by Meyerbeer.

Joseph Gidman (Great-Britain)

He invented the first wheels with ball bearings. This skate was the first to be exported to the US, according to Morris Traub. The skate had one wheel at the front and one at the back and two in the middle next to each other.

Opening of the first skating rinks in England

In London opened two skating rinks: The Strand and Floral Hall.

Patins Woodward (Great-Britain)

The first inline skate with four caoutchouc wheels (from India). The middle wheels are slightly larger than the ones in front and back. The caoutchouc wheels provide better grip on the parquet floors than the metal wheels. The model was used by Jackson Hees, the founder of the modern artistic roller skating.

« Patins-cycles » by Bresson (France)

The first models with caoutchouc wheels. The model was used by Jackson Hees, the founder of the modern artistic roller skating.

James Leonard Plimpton (USA)

The true founder of the modern-traditional inline skate, who had many patents recognized to protect his inventions.

Jackson Haines (USA) meet success in Europe

The father of modern artistic skating letf the United States to travel across Europe where he teaches skating and make numerous shows.

The first fashion of Skating Rinks in Europe

Skating rinks flourish everywhere through Europe, especially in Great-Britain and France.

Henley Skates (USA)

Micajah C. Henley is known as the king of inline skating. His factories produced up to 2000 skates per day! He is the first to use screws in order to solve the problems of tensioning the skates. The mass production of inline skates in the USA also began on this date.

The skates of Levant Marvin Richardson (USA)

Richardson ended the era of Plimpton by achieving many improvements to its products, such as: better ball bearings with less friction.

Opening of the Olympic Skating Rinks in London (Great Britain)

A huge skating rink was opened in London. Especially the kids loved it.

Ritter Skates road-cycles (Great-Britain)

Even the London businessmen used these skates to go to work.

The infatuation with skating rinks in France

Competitions on inline and roller skates are held in Paris. Both women and men participate.

First traditional inline skate with fixed system

The first model where shoe, frame and wheels were fixed. It was used by professionals.

Opening of a skating rink in the Chicago Coliseum (USA)

More than 7,000 people attended the opening.

First traditional inline shoe with fixed system

The first model where shoe, frame and wheels were fixed. It was used by professionals.

Second wave of skating-rink fashion

More than 20 skating rinks are opening in Paris.

Creation of the French federation of roller skating

Under the name « Fédération des patineurs à roulettes de France », the association offers three sports: speed skating, roller hockey and artistic roller skating.

First appearance of the roller skate in a movie

Charlie Chaplin in the movie « the rink ».

Creation of the international federation

The federation « Fédération Internationale de Patinage à Roulettes » (FIPR) was founded on 21.04.1924 by the suggestion of the Swiss Fred Renkewitz and Otto Mayer from Kursaal de Montreux.

First official European championship in roller hockey in Herne Bay (Great Britain)

Other unofficial championships took place in 1914, 1924 and 1925. Britain won ahead of France, Germany and Switzerland.

First French roller skating on the road

We do not have any information about this championship yet.

Origin of the Roller Derby in Chicago (USA)

On 13.08.1935 the first transcontinental championship of Roller Derby took place in the Chicago Coliseum. Organized by Oscar Seltzer.

First European Roller Skating Championships

We do not have any information about this championship yet.

First world championship in rink hockey in Stuttgart (Germany)

The championship took place from the 01. till the 05.04.1936. Seven teams took part. The title went to England. Italy got second, Portugal third. Switzerland got 4th, Germany 5th, France 6th and finally Belgium 7th.

First European Championships in artistic roller skating

We do not have any information about this championship yet.

First skates with three wheels Fulgur

These skates have one wheel at the front, one at the back and two wheels in the middle next to each other.

First Roller Skate World Championships in Monza (Italy)

Organized by the FIPR.

First Roller-Catch match in France

The competition took place on 03.02.1939 in Vel-d’Hiv (Palais des Sport) and it was a US-American team against a « European » team.

Structuring of puck roller hockey in the USA

The origin of inline hockey: you play in a traditional hockey field, but you use ice hockey equipment.

The first toe stop on roller skates

(Source: Rollermania, Sam Nieswizski, 1991)

Creation of skating vanities

Harold Steinmann started the skating vanities and sponsored $ 10,000 for Gloria Nord and 100 other skaters.

First world championship of artistic roller skating in Washington (USA)

Organized by the FIPR.

Creation of the brand Roces (Italy)

The first Roces Inline Shoe was released in 1981: the »Pro ». The technology is still used today.

Opening of the roller skate world championship also for women

They took place in Venice-Lido (Italy).

First wheels of urethane

An important step in skating: they wheels have a very good rolling comfort without any disadvantages.

First wheels made of polyurethane

Other chemical combinations further improved the rolling comfort.

Creation of the brand Bont (Australia)

The brand was created in 1975 and started with the production of ice shoes and later on with inline shoes.

The return of skate fashion

The trend of skating started in the USA (Venice Beach, Los Angeles/ California) and later in Europe.

Paris sur Roulettes

Inclusion of roller skating in the program of the World Games

The World Games are the Olympic Games of non-Olympic sports. Roller skating, roller hockey and artistic roller skating are started in 1981.

Origin of the brand Rollerblade (USA)

The brothers Olson and others developed the first Rollerblade shoes in their parents’ basement.

Creation of the Starlight Express group in London (Great Britain)

The group moved then to Germany, Bochum.

Roller hockey as a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games in Barcelona (Spain)

Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the IOC, invited roller hockey to the Olympics as a demonstration sport.

Emergence of the big roll tours / street skates in Paris (France)

The origin of these tours took place in Paris at the beginning of the 90s with the « Randonneurs Fous ».

Matthias Knoll founds Powerslide (Germany)

He initially sold products from other brands until he founded his own company and even made his own skates.

Creation of the Roller Saga magazine (France)

By the year 2000, around 16 issues had been published regularly. A must have in France.

First Berlin Marathon on Wheels (Germany)

Starting with 446 starters, today it’s already around 6000! In 2003 it was even 9612!

First official World Championships in Zell am See (Austria)

In cooperation with the Austrian federation and the FIRS the championship took place from 29.06 to 01.07.

Beginning of the World Inline Cup (WIC)

In France and Switzerland, the first WIC marathon races took place.

Development of the Roll Ball (India)

A mix of inline skating and handball with a basketball.

Creation of the WFTDA (USA)

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the body bringing together the most leagues around the world, was created in August 2004, first under the name of United League Coalition before being renowned in November 2005.

Rink hockey is replaced by inline hockey at the World Games

Rink Hockey has to give way to inline hockey in the World Games.

Skateboarding is going to be Olympic

Skateboarding will be included in the program of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.