What are the origins of in-line skates?
(Merged paraphrased text from Wheel Excitement, The Complete Blader, and Blazing Bladers) The first in-line model was developed in the early 1700s by a Dutchman who wanted to simulate ice skating in the summer by nailing wooden spools to strips of wood and attaching them to his shoes. The next version appeared in 1760 when a London instrument maker, Joseph Merlin, decided to make an entrance to a masquerade party by skating in on metal-wheeled boots while playing a violin. He ended up skating into a huge mirror at the end of the ballroom, not having learned to stop or steer. In 1823, Robert John Tyers of London designed a skate called a “rolito” by placing five wheels in a row on the bottom of a shoe. The rolito was not take seriously at the time. In 1863, an American, James Plimpton, found a way to make a workable skate. He came up with a four-wheel skate with two pairs of wheels side by side, and so the modern four-wheel roller skate was created. Roller skates allowed turns, and also
