Not many people consider this when they go enjoy their favorite roller sport, but almost three centuries of history and constant tinkering occurred to bring us to where we are today with modern skates. You may be curious as to how all of this got its start, and what pivotal moments happened along the way, but two centuries is a lot to sort through. Here’s a brief synopsis of the evolution of roller skating and the competitive branches it has!

Roller Skating Timeline

• 1743: This is the first-ever recorded account of anyone using anything like roller skates. These first skates were used in a London stage performance, and the inventor is unknown.
• 1760: The first roller skates are invented! Though the first account was in the stage performance, this is the first-ever actual invention of what we know today. These skates were actually inline, believe it or not, and had small metal wheels. The inventor’s name was John Joseph Merlin.
• 1819: First patented roller skate design, in France by M. Petitbled. These skates are more similar to what we know today. It was very difficult to maneuver in this early design, and was difficult to do much else but move in a straight line.
• 1863: The quad roller skate makes its first appearance. This model of roller skate made it easier for the skater to turn.
• 1902: The Chicago Coliseum opens a public skating rink, and more than 7,000 people attend the grand opening.
• 1935: (Roller Derby)- Sports promoter, Leo Seltzer, looking for attractions to fill the Chicago Coliseum, created the Transcontinental Roller Derby, an endurance race featuring a team of one man and one woman, roller skating on a banked track. The sport was modeled after dance marathons and bike races, popular in the 30s.
• 1940 (Inline Hockey): The Roller Skating Rink Operators Association (RSROA) published a set of roller hockey rules drawn from a booklet by the NHL which was designed to grow interest in the playing of hockey on roller skates, not just ice.
• 1950’s (Inline Speed Skating) – When wheels are involved, people want to go as fast as they can. They also want to race their friends. Sometime around this time period is when inline speed skating came about.

 

The school year is over and the summer festivities have begun! The summer break is a great time to enjoy a break from the rigors of exams and projects to relax and have fun. This time of year everyone wants to make the most of their time off, but what summer activities are the best to pursue? Thoughts of summer swing towards the pool and enjoying a little sunshine, but for us, there is no better way to spend your time off than at Skate Moore in Moore, OK! Find out why a summer spent in the rink is a summer well spent!

• Air Conditioned – It’s getting HOT out there, and as we get deeper into summer the heat is only going to get worse. But here in the rink the temperature is always the same! Come cool off
  with us.
• Great Exercise – With school related sports and activities at an end, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits. Roller skating is a great and fun way to stay active in the summer.
• Great for Everyone – Roller skating isn’t great for just one group of people, it’s great for everyone! Bring the whole family or just yourself, roller skating has something to offer all ages.
• Summer Hours – Our summer hours will take effect beginning June 12th. Check out our summer hours and plan your next visit!

We hope to see you in the rink this summer! If you want to keep up with what we have going on in the rink, check out our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

When it comes to their children, safety is always a top priority to any parent. But it isn’t always possible for a parent to be there whenever their kid falters or falls. This is true for many things, but it is also true in the roller rink. Roller skating is a great way for any kid to be social, learn some independence and participate in some form of regular physical activity. But even with all of these positives, roller skating doesn’t come with its fair share of tumbles and falls. Ensuring your child is equipped with the proper safety accessories and measures is key. Skate Moore located in Moore, OK is here with everything you will need to keep your child safe in the rink.

• Helmet – Head injuries are all too common within the world of sports and physical activities. If there was one piece of safety equipment to keep in the inventory, this would be the most important. Be sure the helmet fits snugly on the head and covers a good majority of the front and back of the head.
• Proper Skates – Skates are not a one size and style fits all kind of thing. When purchasing a pair of skates be sure that the skates are comfortable and don’t slip while rolling around. Make sure brakes and wheels are secure before each session.
• Appropriate Clothing – Clothing can serve a few different purposes when hitting the rink. One purpose can be to avoid unnecessary scrapes and bruise. If this is a major concern, wear long sleeves and pants to mitigate little injuries. Another thing to pay attention to is especially relevant to the pants. If pants are worn while roller skating, be sure they are not too long to avoid getting caught in the wheels.
• Pads – Another major source of injury while roller skating comes from elbows, knees and wrists. Elbow pads, knee pads and wrist braces are great pieces of equipment to keep in the rink bag.

For more roller skating tips and news, keep up with us on social media. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

For those of us who are avid roller skaters, there aren’t many activities that come close to the feeling of a wooden rink beneath a pair of skates. If someone asks us to go to a “happy place”, the rink is it. But no matter how great something is, if you do it often enough it might need a little extra gusto every now and again to change things up. Next time you need a little change in your roller skating routine, throw some games into the mix! Skate Moore, located in Moore, OK, is here with some great suggestions!

• Roller Tag – You’re it! Roller tag is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This game of tag is played on roller skates. Find a nice open space and select one player to be it, if that person tags someone else, then they are it.
• Musical Chairs on Skates – Well, sort of. This version of musical chairs is actually played without chairs, and instead, the chairs are replaced spots marked on the ground where players must stop to remain in the game. A fun way to do this is to have the DJ play music and stop it when players should be finding a spot. Whoever doesn’t have a spot when the music stops it out.
• Prize Places – Gather a couple of notecards and write different areas in the rink on them. Put all the cards in a hat. Have the kids start skating around the rink, and stop the music at a random time. The host will pull out a card, and whoever is closest to that listed location will win a prize!
• Pizza Relay – Did someone say pizza? We’re in! For this game, make two teams, and mark a skating lane for both. Give the first person in each line a stack of empty pizza boxes. The first person begins, and will skate a lap while attempting to balance the pizza boxes. If the boxes are dropped, they have to return to their line and start again! If they make it, they’ll hand it to the second person and so on and so forth until someone is declared a winner.

We can’t wait to see you all in the rink! Be sure to keep us with us on social media for any future events and rink news. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus!

Aches and pains can ruin just about any activity, but it is especially true in regards to sports and physical fitness. And as much as we would like it, roller skating is not excluded from this. Other than a bump or bruise from a fall, one of the most common roller skating pains stems from the feet. Blisters. If you skate long enough and frequently enough, blisters will most likely happen to you too. A bad enough blister can really ruin an otherwise great skate session, so how do we avoid them? Skate Moore, located in Moore, OK,  wants every skate session to be an enjoyable one, so here are our tips on how to keep your feet blister-free.

• Properly Fitting Skates – This should be your first line of defense against pesky blisters forming. Blisters happen when there is too much friction between your foot and the inside of the skate. Be sure that when you rent or buy a pair of skates that they fit your foot well.
• Toe Pushing – This is another huge contributor to blisters from roller skating. Many people when they skate tend to be “toe pushers.” Instead of pushing off with your toe while skating, push off with your whole foot to mitigate the heel moving up and down.
• Double Up – If you feel that these dreaded blisters are unavoidable, double up on your socks and give you feet and extra layer of protection.

We wish you all happy skating! Keep up with more roller skating tips and rink news on our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

Roller skating is one of those rare instances where an activity is both really fun and equally beneficial to your health. Its benefits as an exercise range far and wide, so naturally, we like to promote healthy living practices at Skate Moore. While exercise is great for muscle growth, weight loss and cardio, a well-rounded and healthy life cannot be achieved just through regular exercise alone. It’s important to focus on other areas as well, like what we eat and drink from day to day. Planning a healthy meal is difficult in and of itself, but much of our so called junk food is consumed when we snack. This is especially true for kids. If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be to keep snacks in the house that your kids enjoy and are healthy. We have a few unhealthy snacks and a great alternative listed below to help get you started!

For The Sweet Tooth

• Everyone has had a craving for something sweet at some point in their life, and kids are no exception. It’s easy to stock up on sugary snacks, but as most of your are aware things like Gushers are not exemplary snacking options. So, instead opt for something sweet AND nutritious.
  • Gushers – These fruit snacks contain 90 calories and 25 grams of sugar.
  • Real Fruit Snacks – Opt for the real thing! Fruits like blueberries contain 80 calories and 15 grams of sugar for an entire cup, and the sugars are natural instead of an added sweetener.

Something Savory

• When we go to the movies or binge watch Netflix, often times we gravitate to the saltier snacks like buttery popcorn or potato chips. But these snacks don’t come with much of a nutritional value.
  • Potato Chips – These salty snacks have 152 calories and 2 mg of sodium for 1 oz.
  • Kale Chips – These healthier counterparts typically contain about 50 calories and if you bake them yourself you can add as much or little salt as you want.

These are just a couple of examples of how much healthier alternative snacking options can be. Healthy eating is important so encourage your children to try many different foods, and odds are they will find something they love!