Roller skating has been a beloved pastime enjoyed by generations of kids and adults alike. It’s hard to believe that the first use of roller skates was in a London stage performance way back in 1743!
John Joseph Merlin, a London resident in 1760, deserves the credit for inventing the first skates. Roller skates have certainly come a long way since then!
In the United States, roller skating gained popularity as a pastime in 1935. But it wasn’t until the introduction of skating rinks playing disco music in the 1970s that roller skating became a huge trend. It seemed like everyone wanted to hit the rinks and groove to the music!
Speaking of roller skating, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Do you remember those heavy metal skates that you could attach to your shoes? They were quite the fashion statement back in the day. But there’s something else that you might remember if you were a skater before the 1970s – the iconic skate key.
This copper-colored object was an essential accessory for anyone with roller skates. At first glance, it may look like a bottle opener or some kind of tool, but it is actually a skate key. With the skate key, you could adjust the size of your skates by fitting it into the back of the pair. And to make sure they didn’t get lost while skating, most people wore the key around their necks. It was a small but significant part of the roller skating experience.
Skate keys were such an integral part of roller skating that there have even been songs written about them! They symbolize a time when roller skating was a cherished activity, filled with fun and memories.
So, do you remember skate keys? We’d love to hear your skating stories on our Facebook page. Let’s share this delightful blast from the past with others who may have fond memories of roller skating and skate keys too!
These Fifth Grade Boys Give A Hilarious Performance At Their School Talent Show
It’s amazing to watch youngsters perform in school talent shows, whether they’re acting, singing, dancing, or showcasing another talent. While it’s true that all contestants should be commended for taking the stage and giving it their all in front of their peers, every now and then you’ll see a performance that truly hits the mark, showcasing inventiveness that beyond the competitors’ age range.
This was the performance that four Texas fifth graders from New Braunfels Christian Academy put on for the Elementary Talent Show in 2017. The students covered themselves with a black cloth at the beginning of their performance in order to keep it secret all the way through. The fabric was torn away, revealing the boys’ baby clothes, replete with little prosthetic legs they could move about with their arms. The audience immediately exploded into laughter, and that was only the start.
The audience was even more delighted with what came next: the boys donned their suits and danced brilliantly and imaginatively to a number of hit songs. The opening song, Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” had the males dancing and miming with enthusiasm. The crowd’s favorite was Carl Douglas’s “Kung Fu Fighting,” when the four dancers in suits displayed their kung fu skills to cheers and applause.
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