Roller Sports: Artistic, Inline Hockey, Speed, Roller Hockey

No one is really sure when the first roller skates were used. It is likely that the first roller skates were an adaptation of ice skates and were used for transportation rather than sport. The first recognized inventor of roller skates was a Belgian manufacturer named Joseph Merlin. He produced the first roller skates with metal wheels in 1760. The first time roller skates were 'successfully' seen in public was in 1849, when Frenchman Louis Legrange used roller skates to simulate ice skating in a play. In the mid 1800s, a number of other inventors took up the idea and many different types of skates were produced. All, however, suffered the same problems Merlin's skates had: the inability to be effectively controlled or stopped.

New Yorker James Plimpton solved the problem of controlling skates in 1863. Plimpton's skates used a rubber cushion to anchor the axles. This cushion would compress when the body was leaned, enabling the wheels of the skate to turn slightly when the skater shifted his or her weight. Plimpton's design is considered the basis for the modern roller skate. Plimpton opened a number of rinks across America and Europe. He envisioned roller skating as a pastime for the rich alone, but soon after his patents expired, cheaper imitations flooded the market and skating became popular with all classes.

Organized roller skating sports developed as the popularity of roller skates increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Roller hockey teams were playing throughout Europe as early as 1901. Although the sport's growth was disrupted during World War I, it quickly regained its momentum and the first World Championships in roller hockey were held in 1936 in Stuttgart, Germany. The first World Speed Championships occurred one year later in Monza, Italy. Competitions were also staged in artistic skating, though the first World Championships were not held until 1947 in Washington, D.C. Today, roller hockey enjoys wide popularity abroad. In some countries, most notably Spain, Portugal, Italy and throughout South America, roller hockey is second in popularity only to soccer. Roller hockey was played as a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. All roller sports - roller hockey, speed skating and artistic skating -are included in the Pan American Games.

Artistic skating is a widely practiced sport which demands a careful balance of strength, precision and artistry. Today this discipline is performed on in-line skates as well.

Speed skating, the most popular of the disciplines and one of the most popular sports in the world is practiced by millions. It is spectacular, fast and easy. Only a road or a street and a pair of roller skates is needed.

Roller in-line hockey developed into an important disciplines. Its spectacularity and speed make it a successful sport. It is played on in-line skates, with stick and puck.

The International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS), founded back in 1924 in Montreux, Switzerland, is the world governing body for all sports of roller skating. Its main objective is to gather together all the National Federations, Associations or Confederations for the development of roller sports. 

Artistic Roller Skating

Artistic skating demands from its skaters a careful balance of strength, precision and artistry. The breadth of the sport is also reflected in the diversity of its members. With age divisions from under 6 to 60, skaters of all ages and gender take active part. Skaters enter artistic events in one or more categories –singles, pairs, figures and dance skating. They are judged on content and manner of performance. This includes the skater’s ability to perform identifiable, difficult content items - jumps, spins and footwork - while utilizing movement in an artistic interpretation of the accompanying music. Skaters may choose to skate in a variety of disciplines or concentrate on one only. World Artistic Skating Championships are held annually. At the 2002 World Championships, inline artistic skating has been included for the first time.

Speed Skating

When describing the discipline of speed skating as a discipline of FIRS one could refer to it as ‘racing on skates’, but it is also what 100 million skaters worldwide do regularly: skating on roads and squares, in parks and alleys. Over longer distances, it is an alternative to jogging. Few sports events can match the head-to-head excitement of a roller speed race. It is a sport everyone can easily understand – racing – where the gold medals and trophies go to those who skate the fastest. The speed skaters share a determination to race fast and as far as they can. This youthful enthusiasm is reflected in the sport  which demands a blend of  speed and stamina. Speed skating is fun, exciting, healthy, social and rewarding. Skaters learn the importance of teamwork, of being disciplined and organized, and of setting and reaching goals. Since only the roller skates are required, speed skating is an affordable sport which can be practiced by everybody. With the introduction of in-line skates back in 1992, speed skating became an even more spectacular sport. At present time, in-line skates are used at all the speed races and the quad skates have disappeared in racing. There annual World Speed Skating Championships, both Track and Road, Junior and Senior.

Roller Inline Hockey

Roller inline hockey will put in its première at the World Games 2005! The FIRS International Committee of Roller Inline Hockey (CIRILH) has the control, in accordance with all Statutes and Administrative Rules of FIRS, over the Roller In-Line Hockey Championships.The game is played with a puck and all players must wear in-line roller skates. The sticks are ice hockey style and made of wood. The game is played in two periods of 20 minutes, with four skaters and a goalie on the floor, which is wooden, asphalt or cement. The dimensions may vary between 20 and 30 meters in width and 40 and 60 meters in length.

Roller Hockey

Roller hockey's origins are traced to England. It was first played at the Lava Rink in Denmark Hill, London, in 1885. The game is played on roller-skates with a ball and stick.Roller hockey as we know it today was called rink hockey and consisted of 10 men to each side. Roller Hockey built up very rapidly, and was developed in many European countries. The rules evolutioned until the present ones. England dominated the international competitions until the start of World War II. Then latin countries took the domain: Portugal, Spain, etc. The greatest moment of roller hockey was the final of the Barcelona Olympic Games between Spain and Argentina with 15’000 spectators – among them the King of Spain and the President of the IOC. There are biannual world roller hockey “A” championships and biannual world roller hockey ladies championships, roller hockey “B” championships, junior and cadet championships.