Roller skating has a colorful past dating back hundreds of years! Check out these crazy roller skating facts to learn more about the amazing history of roller skating.

The First Recorded Roller Skate Inventor

The first recorded inventor of roller skates was John Merlin. Merlin planned to impress everyone by wearing a pair of his new skates to a fancy masquerade in the 1760s. His plan was to coast onto the floor while playing a violin. Unfortunately for Merlin, he was not very practiced, so instead of dazzling his fellow party-goers, he crashed into a large mirror and seriously injured himself.

The First Roller Skate Patent

Much later, in 1819, Monsieur Petitbled patented the first roller skate. The Petitbled skate was a huge improvement over Merlin’s design. Petitbled’s skate was actually an in-line skate made of wood and fastened with three leather straps. The wheels were made of ivory, wood, or metal. Unlike Merlin’s design, these skates could turn corners (something we take for granted today)!

Modern Skates

From 1743 through 1863, all skates were in-line skates. And then James Leonard Plimpton came along. In 1863, Plimpton patented the first four-wheeled skate. To capitalize on his invention, Plimpton converted part of his New York office into a roller skating floor and charged for the chance to skate around on his new skates! The idea was catching on, so in 1866 he expanded the idea by converting an area in a fancy hotel into the United States’ first public skating rink!

We’ve come a long way since the early days of roller skating! Now, hundreds of years later, you can enjoy roller skating in North Tonawanda. Make your plans to visit our skate center today!

It’s official: Halloween decor is in the stores, pumpkin spice lattes (and any other pumpkin treats you can think of) are out, and fall festivals are just around the corner. Check out these fantastic fall events for families in Tonawanda and the greater Buffalo, NY area:

Great Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival

The Great Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival is a great family-friendly fall event! Returning favorites include a fun corn maze, amusement rides, the spooky Boo Barn, their annual Cow Train, bouncing Jumping Pillows, an amazing magic show, and a fun Halloween Store. There will also be lots of great food like cider and pumpkin donuts. They will even have dinosaurs in the corn maze throughout the opening weekend! The festival will be held daily from 10:00 am to dusk from September 15th through October 31st.

Celebrate Halloween at the Buffalo Zoo

This fun Buffalo fall event offers after-hours access to animal exhibits and educational zookeeper talks. There will also be fun family activities like hayrides, inflatables, and free carousel rides. Plus, every child will receive a trick or treat bag to take around to the Treat Candy Stations! This Buffalo Halloween event will take place Saturday, October 13th and Sunday, October 14th.

Rainbow Roller Rink

Rain or shine, you can always count on Rainbow Roller Rink for family fun! In addition to skating, we also have fun races and games, music videos, a children’s bounce zone, an aggressive skate park, and an arcade! Make your plans for fall family fun today, and don’t forget to check out our special events calendar for year-round fun!

Parents, are you searching for a great birthday party venue in the North Tonawanda area? Rainbow Roller Rink is the place to be! Your child will have so much fun that this may just be a new birthday tradition! Take a look the details:

Roller Skating Parties

Roller skating birthday parties are one of the best ways to celebrate your child! Most everyone who has a birthday in the summer ends up throwing a pool party. While that’s fun, it can be repetitive.

So, why not mix up the ordinary routine with a roller skating birthday party?! Your child will love the social outlet it provides, our fun music and lights, everything that comes with our birthday party packages, and so much more. (And, YOU won’t have to worry about Mother Nature raining on your summer birthday party plans!)

Birthday Party Packages

Moms and dads, we have many affordable birthday party packages at Rainbow Roller Rink. You can choose from the Super Party Package (starts at $180), Teen Party Package (starts at $180), Combo Party Package (starts at $150), Deluxe Party Package (starts at $120), and the Private Party Bash (starts at $395). And, no matter what birthday party package you choose, you can make it a Glow Party for a reasonable price!

Please note that Rainbow Roller Rink has new summer hours starting in July. Parties are available:

• Tuesday-Thursday: 12pm – 2pm, 1pm – 3pm, or 2pm – 4pm
• Saturday: 12pm – 2pm, 2:30pm – 4:30pm, or 5pm – 7pm
• Sunday: 12pm – 2pm or 2:30pm – 4:30pm

Book your child’s summer birthday party at Rainbow Roller Rink, and watch the fun unfold!

Roller skating is an amazing hobby that has incredible benefits. To add to the fun, learn cool roller skating tricks! The following tricks are easy to learn and will definitely impress your friends at the rink:

Skating on Heels

For this awesome roller skating trick, you’ll want to perfect your balance first. Practice balancing on your heels. When you feel confident that you won’t fall, take strides to gain momentum. Then, continue skating in small circular motions to keep your momentum going.

Jumping in Skates

With some practice, you will be able to WOW your friends at Rainbow Roller Rink when you jump in your skates. First, take several powerful glides. When you’re ready, bend your knees and keep your feet close together. The next step is to jump straight up into the air. When you feel yourself returning to the ground, bend your knees again to help with the landing.

Moonwalking in Skates

Moonwalking in roller skates is one of the easiest roller skate tricks to learn (thanks to the toe stop). When you’re in your quad skates, apply one of your toe stops to the ground. With the other foot, push off the ground to propel yourself backward. Then, apply your toe stop on the roller skate that just went backward. Repeat these steps until you’re moonwalking. (Who knows – maybe with practice you’ll be as good as Michael Jackson!)

Practice makes perfect, and we know you want to practice these cool roller skating tricks. So, head to Rainbow Roller Rink for hours of endless fun with friends! We hope to see you soon.

Like every great invention should, roller skates have an incredibly interesting history. Its beginning dates back 250 years ago! Check out the details of the history of roller skating:

Roller Skates in the 1700’s

During the time America was desperately trying to gain independence from England, roller skates were making their debut in London. No one knows who invented this skate that graced a London stage performance during a show, but it is the first recorded use of roller skates (1743).

Less than two decades later, John Merlin invented the first inline skate (1760). This skate boasted two metal wheels but was not super maneuverable. In fact, it’s been noted in the National Museum of Roller Skating that he actually wore them to a party and crashed into a mirror!

Roller Skates in the 1800’s

Roller skates saw a huge change in the 1800’s, so it’s safe to say that we’ll cover just the most important information. In 1819, Petitbled patented the first roller skate design. Although this design was incredibly impressive, it lacked maneuverability. Several years later, Robert Tyers patented a skate that looked much like today’s roller blades: five wheels in single file on the bottom of a roller skate boot (1823).

The rest of the 1800’s were an exciting time for roller skates: the first public roller skating rinks opened in London (1857), the quad skate was designed by James Plimpton (1863), and roller skate wheels got a serious design upgrade in the same year that the toe stop was patented (1876). In the 1880’s, America dedicated time and money to mass-producing roller skates. This time period will later be known as the roller skate’s first of many “boom” periods.

Roller Skates in the 1900’s

Do you have a blast roller skating with your best friend or family members? Well, imagine roller skating at the Chicago Coliseum the night it opened its first public skating rink … with 7,000 other people (1902)! Seven decades later, the Olson brothers of Minnesota redesigned roller skates to make it work for ice-hockey (1979). It didn’t take but a few years after that for one of the Olson brothers to launch the company Rollerblade, Inc.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan solidified the importance of roller skating as he declared October to be National Roller Skating Month (thank you, sir)! A decade later, skaters had much more safety due to Active Brake Technology that was created and implemented.

Now that you know the history of roller skating, why not head to the rink? Check out our schedule, grab some friends, and have a blast!

Yikes! Blisters are the absolute worst. Not only do they hurt, but they also make roller skating unbearable. Blisters occur when skin is damaged due to friction or excess heat. If you develop a blister, there are steps you can take to treat the painful area.

To avoid putting your roller skating hobby on hold, consider the following steps to ensure your feet are protected from frustrating blisters:

Wear Thick & High Socks

Thick and high socks are crucial elements to protect your feet against blisters. Socks provide extra padding. But, if they’re too low or too thin, there is not enough padding and blisters may occur. Wear thick enough socks to avoid developing blisters.

Be Aware of Blister-Prone Areas

If you’re one of those people who blister easily, it may be a good idea to wear blister pads on the area in question. Wearing blister pads and thick socks provide double the protection. Your skin will thank you after a fun day of roller skating!

Purchase Your Own Roller Skates

Purchasing your own roller skates isn’t a must-do, but it is a good idea. When you have your own skates, you will be able to break in your skates to fit your feet. This allows your feet to get used to your skates and vice versa. Every time you go to the rink, you won’t have to search for the perfect size and perfect fit. (And, even better, you can choose between inline skates and quad skates to ensure the most enjoyable experience!)

Now that your feet have the maximum protection against blisters, you’re ready to skate! Check out our hours, then head to Rainbow Rink today.