Nothing beats the feeling of zipping around the skating floor, feeling the air in your hair and the rush in your veins. At Extreme Skate Zone, we’re serious about roller-skating. We have seasonal skating, special holiday events, and extreme birthday parties like you’ve never experienced before. We go all out to make sure you and your friends have the best time ever. But how much do you actually know about roller-skating?

Fun Facts about Roller-Skating

1. Practice matters. According to the history books, roller-skates first entered the scene in a stage play in 1743 (yep, roller-skates are older than America!). But the first recorded inventor of roller-skates was John Joseph Merlin, who tried to impress his friends with his new wheeled shoes at a party . . . and promptly crashed into a mirror. Ouch! He should’ve taken a few turns around the ballroom before skating in front of a crowd.
2. It did a stint in food service. Roller-skates and burger skates go together like rama lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong. In the 1950’s and early 60’s, roller-skating carhops were the ultimate meals on wheels. You’d place your order, pay for your food, and your very own skating server would bring your burger, milkshake, and fries right to your car window. And skating carhops still exist today. In fact, Sonic hosts an annual Skate Off for servers to show off their skills (and win big money).
3. Everybody loves skating. From classic movie stars like Charlie Chaplin to big names like Cher and Prince, celebs have always loved skating. In fact, Beyoncé hosted her 21st birthday party at a roller-skating rink in her hometown of Houston. She grew up roller-skating, and even payed tribute to the sport on her 2013 video album.
4. Including the Amish! The Amish may eschew cars, motorcycles, and even bikes, but roller-skates are A-okay. Amish youth did toe the line when the inline skating craze hit the scene in the 1990’s. A third of the Amish congregations had no problem with the inline way of life, but many elders thought that the faster speeds kids could reach on inlines caused a dangerous thrill that could undermine their way of life.

Ready to hit the rink? Visit Extreme Skate Zone for weekly thrills. Want to celebrate your love of skating (and maybe your birthday)? Call our Hattiesburg skating center for more information on skating birthday parties and how to rent the rink.

Carhops