Roller skating has been a fun activity loved by both kids and adults for many years. Believe it or not, the first use of roller skates was in a London stage performance way back in 1743! John Joseph Merlin, a London resident in 1760, is credited with inventing the first skates. Roller skates have come a long way since then, evolving and improving over the years!
In the United States, roller skating became popular as a fun activity in 1935. But it wasn’t until the 1970s, when skating rinks started playing disco music, that roller skating became a huge trend. Everyone wanted to go to the rinks and dance to the music!
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember the past. Do you recall those heavy metal skates that you could attach to your shoes? They were a big fashion statement back then.
If you were a skater before the 1970s, you might also remember the iconic skate key. This small tool was used to adjust the tightness of your skates.
This copper-colored object was a must-have for anyone with roller skates. At first glance, it might look like a bottle opener or a random tool, but it’s actually a skate key!
With the skate key, you could adjust the size of your skates by fitting it into the back of the pair. To keep it from getting lost while skating, most people wore the key around their necks. It was a small but important part of the roller skating experience.
Skate keys were such a big part of roller skating that there have even been songs written about them! They remind us of a time when roller skating was a fun activity full of great memories.
Do you remember using skate keys? We’d love to hear your skating stories on our Facebook page. Let’s share this fun blast from the past with others who might also have fond memories of roller skating and skate keys!
