In fact, rinks are thriving—just not where you'd expect. After all, rinks tend to be large—and costly—investments. Because of their large footprint, roller skating rinks are dependent on real-estate prices, and the real-estate bust of forced many newly-opened rinks to shutter.
It's for this reason that many new rinks are being built in suburban and rural regions where land is cheaper. Since its invention, the roller-skating industry has tracked the ups and downs of the American economy, explained James Vannurden, a historian at the National Museum of Roller Skating in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It all began with the perfection of the four-wheel roller skate in the post-Civil War period. Roller skating at this time was considered an upper class activity, complete with men in tuxedos and women in formal dresses. This coincided with the infamous boom years of the s—when the excess and glamour of high society trickled down to the lower echelons and America was reaping the benefits of a prosperous post-World War I period.
When the economy boomed following World War II, a culture shift began to emerge—women began to go to roller skating rinks by themselves with money they earned. And how to keep it up? Skating is a full mind and body work out, full of fun and freedom. In need of some at-home inspiration? Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for skincare and self-care, the latest cultural hits to read and download, and the little luxuries that make staying in so much more satisfying.
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Roller skating provides a feeling of liberation [and] freedom. Related Story. Despite my internal conflict, I loved every painful and wonderful moment. While it is unclear whether he is a skater, Longstreth uses the activity as a metaphor for the way his immigrant family traveled through life, in contrast to the walking and running of the dominant culture in which he found himself. In a particularly poignant passage, he writes:. Since Merlin first invented skates, roller skating has reflected aspects of our individuality, as well as our relationships to other people and collectively important events.
As progresses, perhaps roller skating can also serve as a physical metaphor for forward movement, a process of false starts and failed attempts and constant course correction, hopefully careening toward greater empathy and equity.
Join our new membership program on Patreon today. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Since its invention in , roller skating has been tied to Black social movements.
A man swinging a woman on roller skates, Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois. By: Ruth Terry. September 7, September 28, Share Tweet Email Print. Weekly Newsletter. Have a correction or comment about this article? Please contact us. Weighing and measuring machine. The Medical View of Roller Skating. The British Medical Journal, Vol.
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