136-879: The Vancouver VooDoo were an inline hockey team based in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada, which played in Roller Hockey International (RHI). The VooDoo were one of the original 12 teams to join the league in 1993. Founded and owned by Tiger Williams and Bill McMenamon, the team played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1995. In 1996, the team played in General Motors Place after being sold to Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, but folded in 1996. The Voodoo experienced consistent success in
272-401: A center and a winger . The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. A substitution of an entire unit at once is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when shorthanded or on a power play . Substitutions are permitted at any time during the course of the game, although during
408-414: A powerslide , an advanced braking method. Aggressive skates are sometimes sold with flat setups, but with a small space in the middle for grinding. With aggressive skates, the flat setup obviously leads to better control on the ground when either accelerating on a push or decelerating on a drag because of increased traction. It also grants a faster speed, translating to faster grinds, more powerful pumps in
544-808: A "rinkomania" in the 1860s and 1870s. Plimpton's skates forever changed the meaning of "roller skates". For the next century, roller skates as a term no longer referred to any wheeled skates. It was now synonymous with the two-by-two Plimpton-style skates. In 1969, the UK toy company Mettoy produced "Skeelers" (after the Dutch word for ice skaters), inline skates with 3 large wheels, which despite wide promotion, only had limited sales. They were originally developed for Russian hockey players and speed skaters, and in 1972, were unsuccessfully marketed in Canada by Mountain Dew. In 1978,
680-422: A "toe stop" which aids in performing figure skating jumps . A flat setup is the most common setup used on inline skates. Almost all non-aggressive inline skates are sold with a flat wheel setup. Flat means that all the wheels touch the ground at the same time when resting on flat ground. Flat setups are not the most maneuverable but what they lack in maneuverability they make up for in speed. Flat setups tend to be
816-399: A Freestyle frame. Worse still when not observing carefulness, a Freestyle setup can easily hook on vertical surfaces including steps, coping and funbox edges if you roll over them, leading to tripping incidents. This is why the technique to 'bash' (see Flat Setup ) a staircase is almost impossible on a Freestyle setup. Freestyle frames can be purchased, although removing the two inner wheels of
952-610: A case it minimizes the skater's top speed. The core is inserted to hold the polyurethane firmly in place. Despite the setback, markets still distribute special wheels without a core. Core designs vary among open, full or semi-open. 'Spokes' are an element seen in wheels whose cores are open which generally increase overall wheel lightness. These are inserted into the hubs of wheels for inline speed skates, fitness skates, recreational skates, some slalom skates and artistic/figure inline skates. Apart from spokes, other open-cores can be hollowed out internally. The main disadvantage about an open core
1088-689: A chassis with 4 identical wheels on each boot in 72, 76 or 80 mm diameter, or the "Hi-Lo" configuration of two low wheels in front and two higher rear, this was patented on 12 July 1996 by Jon G Wong in the US and marketed by Mission. There is also a chassis with a "Tri-Di" option, which allows three wheel sizes to be mounted on a chassis, in the configuration 80-76-76-72 mm. Inline Hockey wheels are much softer than road wheels, and therefore have more abrasion. The softest are used for soft surfaces like gym floors or interlocking plastic tiles, harder are used for surfaces such as asphalt. The area where Inline hockey
1224-453: A few leagues would call offside only on the center line, presently, every rule book omits the rule entirely. Inline hockey is a contact sport. Although body checks are usually not allowed, injuries can still be a common occurrence. Protective equipment is highly recommended and is enforced in all competitive situations. This usually includes a helmet (cage worn if certain age), elbow pads, protective gloves, athletic cup, shin pads, and skates at
1360-610: A five-wheel racing frame. Ball bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. Bearings are usually rated on the ABEC scale , a measure of the manufactured precision tolerance, ranging from 1 (worst) to 9 (best) in odd numbers. The ABEC standards were originally intended for high-speed machinery, not skating applications, and do not account for the quality of steel used, which is very important for how long bearings last. While higher rated bearings are generally better in overall quality, whether they automatically translate to more speed
1496-483: A flat or anti-rocker frame technically makes it freestyle, however this would not be very durable due to the lack of solid grinding material. Originally invented by Fifty-50 (an aggressive inline skate frame company), Juice Blocks allow the skater to convert their flat or anti-rocker frames into proper freestyle frames. Juice Blocks are simply solid grind blocks inserted into the axle holes where two middle wheels or anti-rockers are found. Tri-rocker (not to be confused with
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#17327939664521632-422: A four-minute double minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A player who is tripped, or illegally obstructed in some way, by an opponent on a breakaway – when there are no defenders except the goaltender between him and
1768-467: A front wheel brake. Each team has four skaters plus a netminder. They are using ice hockey sticks, with taped blades, and the goals closely resemble ice hockey goals of the wire-mesh type common in Europe around that time. The game is being played with a ball on a rectangular outdoor court, which appears to be asphalt. The exact same footage was used in a newsreel produced by British Pathé in 1938. In
1904-415: A goal in the empty net. Inline skates Inline skates are boots with wheels arranged in a single line from front to back, allowing a skater to roll along on these wheels. Inline skates are technically a type of roller skate , but most people associate the term roller skates with quad skates, another type of roller skates with a two-by-two wheel arrangement like a car. Quad skates were popularized in
2040-457: A goal scored by the other team. Some varieties of penalties do not always require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the FIRS usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, they both serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on
2176-420: A good speed. Some hockey skates inline speed skates include a Hi-Lo setup. Hi-Lo setups resemble a flat setup in that all 4 wheels touch the ground at the same time. Unlike a flat setup, however, different wheel sizes are used. The front two wheels will be smaller than the back two wheels. This is possible because of the location of the axles on the frame itself. One example is a Bauer frame that has two wheels in
2312-512: A great amount of publicity, as fourteen newspapers and television stations covered the event. The year 1977 was also a milestone for women with this championship marking the debut of a women's hockey national championship. The very first inline roller hockey team to earn a USA National Championship title did so at a USA Roller Sports (USARS) National Championship held in San Diego in July 1993. At
2448-567: A halt and the momentum throws the aggressive inline skater off the rail or ledge. Again, the aspect of wheel profile is key here. A harder wheel on a flat setup will slide and 'bite' less than a softer wheel. Likewise an elliptical profile (Undercover's Dustin Werbeski 'super bullet' wheels for example) possesses less surface area hence it will not bite as much either. Adjusting to a flat setup can even out shock when landing jumps. In doing so, an inline skater's hardware like wheels, bearings, axles and
2584-477: A heel brake can use various other methods to stop, such as the T-stop in which the skater moves one skate perpendicular to the other, making a "T" shape to increase friction and reduce speed, or the more advanced maneuver of a hockey stop / snow plow stop , in which the skater quickly moves both skates perpendicular to the path of motion. For artistic roller skating purposes, inline figure skates can also feature
2720-416: A high boot is used, which provides more ankle support and is easier to skate in, particularly for beginners. Speed skaters often use a carbon fiber boot which provides greater support with a lower cut allowing more ankle flexion. For recreational skating a soft boot is used for greater comfort, but many other disciplines prefer a harder boot, either to protect the foot against impact or for better control of
2856-419: A match). This setup is called "crescent" or "banana" because it is curved, and mimics a curved ice blade profile. On flat ground this setup will only have 1–2 wheels touching the ground at any one time. This makes the skate much easier to pivot but lacks stability so it is harder to balance on. To attain balance when learning to skate a full rocker, it is recommended that pressure and weight are deposited on either
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#17327939664522992-414: A satirical scene where men wearing Volito skates escape chase by men on boots. The National Museum of American History has a Volito skate in its collections. This skate employs a large wheel in the middle, and progressively smaller ones towards the front and the rear, creating a rockered wheel setup that allows skaters to execute turns more easily. Up to this point in history, in 1823, "roller skates" as
3128-433: A score of 14-8. The Voodoo's average attendance rises to 4,600 as they begin playing games at the Pacific Coliseum – in close vicinity to the PNE Agrodome – as well. The Voodoo finish atop their division and second in their conference for the third straight season. Ryan Harrison leads Vancouver in scoring again with 63 points in 24 games, 15th overall in the league once more. In the playoffs, Vancouver makes it out of
3264-409: A semi-open design. A hard rubber brake attached to the heel of the frame allows the skater to stop by lifting the toes of the skate, forcing the brake onto the ground. Learning how to use the heel brake is very important for beginners, as it is the easiest way to stop in emergencies and to control speed on downhills. Also, with practice, beginners realise if the heel brakes are better placed for them on
3400-438: A skate ramp and/or higher heights ('airs') off the edge of a vert ramp. Indeed, flat setups are quick save for the likelihood that they will be heavier and the two standard central wheels tend to 'bite' when grinding. Similar to skateboarding in certain respects, 'biting' is a common hindrance during grinding whereby friction between the wheel(s) and surface it comes into contact causes the wheel(s) then entire boot to suddenly reach
3536-490: A skater to turn a skate, by simply leaning towards the desired direction. The mechanism converted rocking and canting motions of the skate platform into movements of the two wheel axles. These axles in turns steered all four wheel into the right orientations for the turn. Plimpton opened roller skating rinks, and aggressively promoted this new sport of roller skating . His wheel-steering invention together with his business acumen spread his roller skates far and wide, resulting in
3672-489: A smaller foot size. This is desirable seeing how wheels on inline speed skates are enormous enough to occupy a lot of room in frames. Unfortunately, top speed for a Hi-Lo setup is far less than that for a flat setup where same sized large wheels are used. Another variant of the setup in which there are three diameters of wheels. It is supposed to emphasize the same benefits as the HiLo system but with greater maneuverability due to
3808-460: A smaller sized wheel between the first and third wheels beneath the ball part of the foot (see speed skates ). An example is a 110–100–110–110 mm (4.3–3.9–4.3–4.3 in) arrangement beginning front to back. This increases efficiency now that the foot pushes on a smaller wheel. The smaller wheel lowers deck height off the ground improving stability and keeps the frame length shorter improving maneuverability and comfort amongst speed skaters having
3944-460: A stoppage of play is called by the officials using whistles. It also does not matter if the puck comes back onto the playing surface from those areas as the puck is considered dead once it leaves the perimeter of the rink. Under FIRS rules, each team may carry a maximum of 14 players and two goaltenders on their roster. The players are usually divided into three lines of two forwards, two pairs of defenceman, and two extra skaters. For most penalties,
4080-431: A stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it is called changing on the fly . The boards surrounding the floor help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are not permitted to " bodycheck " opponents into the boards as a means of stopping progress. The referees and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not cause
4216-403: A stoppage of the game when the puck or players are influenced (by either bouncing or colliding) into them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. When play is stopped, it is restarted with a faceoff . Two players "face" each other and an official drops the puck to the floor, where the two players attempt to gain control of
Vancouver VooDoo - Misplaced Pages Continue
4352-399: A team's position on the floor by advancing the puck towards the opponent's goal. FIRS rules have no offside or two-line passes . A player may pass the puck to a player on any spot on the floor. Offensive tactics, are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot" the puck. A deflection
4488-427: A term was not yet used. Inventors simply referred to their contraptions as wheeled alternatives to ice skates. All known novelty skates had wheels aligned in a single profile. Skates were simply assumed to have a single runner, whether a steel blade on an ice skate, or a row of wheels on a wheeled skate. This state of affair continued through 1960. Around 1860, wheels skates started to become more popular. Patents on
4624-477: A wide variety of wheeled skates were issued. The configuration of wheels started to depart from previous single-line arrangements. Many of these early patents were titled "roller-skate" or "parlor skate". Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary dates the earliest printed use of the noun roller skate to 1860. Then, starting in 1870, the popularity of roller skates skyrocketed. Within a decade
4760-779: Is a member in good standing of Federation International de Roller Sports ("FIRS"), the international federation for roller sports as recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and FIRS is also recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) as the controlling international federation for inline hockey, a sport of the Pan American Games . For training purposes especially for hockey players, inline skates were produced in small quantities by several companies which were in fact modified ice skates, one of them
4896-492: Is a professional league, founded in 2014. The NRHL began its inaugural season 20 February 2015. The NRHL games consist of 3 15-minute periods, with 10 minute intermissions. It differs from professional ice hockey with rules including no offsides , and no icing. The NRHL permits fighting, with a 5-minute major penalty assessed to the combatants. The players in the NRHL pay nothing to play, with compensation opportunities available in
5032-403: Is a shot which redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot which is struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as cherry-picking, the stretch pass or breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to
5168-449: Is attached a frame , which holds the wheels in place. Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely around an axle. Finally, the rubber brake typically attaches to the frame of the right boot. There are different types of inline skates for different types of skating such as aggressive skating , speed skating , inline hockey and artistic inline skating . Those differ in the boots, frames and wheels that are used. For most skating
5304-407: Is correct. If the wheel spacer is wider than the axle spacer the bearings will bind when the axle bolt (or bolts) are tightened. Wheel sizes vary depending on the skating style. Wheels are nowadays almost universally made of polyurethane (a kind of durable plastic). Most other plastics and rubber either wear down too quickly or have too much rolling resistance . In general, the bigger the wheel,
5440-418: Is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if a minor or major is assessed in addition, a designated player must serve out that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases, a player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving
5576-457: Is inclined forward, with a raised heel section. This is not dissimilar to how some modern-day hockey, freestyle and speed skates pitch a player leaning forward by default, giving a skater greater stability and stronger strokes. In 1861, Henry Pennie was granted a US patent titled "Roller-skate", where its drawing titled "Parlor Skate" showed a boot platform supported by two rows of wheels, with 4 wheels on each row, totaling 8 wheels per skate. In
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5712-470: Is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts a shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offenses. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering
5848-428: Is on inline hockey skates . The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard plastic disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net, which is placed at the opposite end of the rink. The players may control the puck using a long stick with a blade that is commonly curved at one end. Players may also redirect the puck with any part of their bodies, subject to certain restrictions. Players may not hold
5984-436: Is played in known as a "rink". It consists of a playing surface that is surrounded by a boundary (commonly referred to as "dasher boards"), that is designed to separate the players from the spectators as well as to keep the puck in play. The playing surface is made of sport tile, wood, asphalt or cement and marked with special lines that help the referees officiate the game according to the official rules. The recommended size of
6120-691: Is prohibited. There are five players including the goalkeeper from each team on the rink at a time, while teams normally consist of 16 players. There are professional leagues, one of which is the National Roller Hockey League (NRHL). While it is not a contact sport, there are exceptions, i.e. the NRHL involves fighting. Unlike ice hockey , there are no blue lines or defensive zones in roller hockey. This means that, according to most rule codes, there are no offsides or icings that can occur during gameplay. This along with fewer players on
6256-499: Is questionable. Since at least 2007, Rollerblade brand amongst others have begun using their own rating system. For instance, Rollerblade brand is currently using a SG1 to SG9 rating system, whereas TwinCam brand is using its own "ILQ" (inline qualified) rating system and Bones brand is using its own "Skate Rated" rating system. A mistake that is often made in purchasing bearings is that spending more translates to more speed. Generally, clean inline skate bearings contribute about 2% of
6392-442: Is that their design does not permit sturdiness hence they are highly likely to snap under too much pressure i.e. when jumping. Another trade-off with open cores is the lesser amount of polyurethane around it to compensate for the spoked or hollow shape meaning they last shorter. Full cores are entirely solid, akin to a pipe's cross-section. This core design is mostly favored amongst aggressive skaters whose leaps off higher levels strain
6528-795: Is then folded into a frame (cheaper but less sturdy). Carbon fiber frames are expensive but generally more flexible, making for a smoother ride at the expense of worse power transfer between the leg and the wheels. In general, carbon fiber frames weigh about 160–180 grams (5.6–6.3 oz). Recently, high-end carbon fiber frames with a monocoque construction have been introduced. They offer the same level of stiffness as aluminum frames while weighing only around 130 g (4.6 oz). Aluminum can weigh from 170 to 240 grams (6.0 to 8.5 oz). Frame length ranges from two-wheel framed freestyle wheels (used in aggressive skating ) to around 230 mm (9.1 in) for short-framed four wheel skates (used in most inline designs), up to about 325 mm (12.8 in) for
6664-484: Is usually ruled a penalty. Inline hockey leagues generally require players to wear full face masks, but otherwise, players tend to wear lighter clothes and less protective padding. Important differences in game rules also exist. Each inline hockey team fields only four skaters and one goaltender (5 players) rather than ice hockey's five skaters and one goaltender (six players). Many leagues do not stop play for icing . Offside rules are generally looser as well; originally,
6800-566: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , World Skate banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from its competitions, and will not stage any events in Russia or Belarus in 2022. Some of the earliest video evidence of the sport is newsreel footage from the Giornale Luce taken in Vienna , Austria in 1938. The video shows players using inline skates with five metal wheels and
6936-640: The General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The United States won the gold medal, with Canada taking the Silver and Switzerland the bronze medal. Inline roller hockey replaced rink hockey (ball and cane) on the World Games program for Duisburg , Germany at the 2005 quadrennial World Games. Rink roller hockey had been part of the World Games since its first organization in 1979 at Santa Clara , California , as have
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#17327939664527072-602: The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Membership and Credentials Committee officially reaffirmed that USA Roller Sports as the governing body for inline hockey in the United States, which continues to this day. This determination was based on a conclusion by the USOC that internationally the sport of inline hockey is recognized as a discipline of roller sports. Then, as now, USA Roller Sports
7208-452: The 13th century, with the Dutch sharpening blade edges for better purchase on ice for propulsion. Since then enterprising inventors have attempted to make boots that could similarly glide on non-ice surfaces, with wheels. In 1760, John Joseph Merlin , a renowned clock-maker, musical-instrument maker and inventor from Belgium, experimented in London with "skaites" that "ran on wheels". This
7344-781: The 1992 Nationals had been equipped with inline skates, but perhaps had not yet mastered their new vehicles. During the ensuing year, Paul Chapey became an inline convert and the San Diego Hosers came back to the USAC/RS Nationals in 1993 entirely on inline skates and recaptured their national title. This significant event took place at least a year before all the other major roller inline hockey organizations were even in existence, including National Inline Hockey Association (NIHA), USA Hockey InLine , North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh) and American Inline Roller Hockey Series (AIRHS). USA Roller Sports, under
7480-432: The 3-wheeled frame/chassis seen on Tri-Skates) is used by some aggressive skaters. It is another method of making grinds easier. A frame with a tri-rocker setup has only one wheel in the middle, either in the second wheel position or in the third wheel position, depending on what kinds of grinds the skater plans on doing. The remaining axle has an anti-rocker wheel, a special grind block, or is just left empty. The purpose of
7616-550: The Anti-rocker. Since large space is freed up in the middle, the skater can not only grind wider surface areas like an entire ledge but also the frame's weight is lighter. Likewise, the Freestyle frame shares its disadvantages with its Anti-rocker cousin already listed. As opposed to anti-rockers which securely lock grinds, aggressive skaters should train themselves to remain balanced when sliding across narrow rails or edges on
7752-422: The FIRS, a team always has at least two skaters on the rink. Ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the floor unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with the misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In that case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to
7888-455: The German branch of SKF presented the "Speedy"-System, but the product was cancelled less than one year from market, as the management did not want a consumer product in the portfolio of the company. In the US, the first commercially available inline skates for this form of roller skating were marketed in 1987 by Rollerblade . A skate is composed of a boot, worn on the foot. To the boot
8024-465: The H-block onto the ledge or rail a skater grinds. There is a minor nuisance to anti-rocker hardware in which the items emit a loud noise upon fastening into a grind that some aggressive skaters find unbearable. The anti-rocker setup altogether makes maneuvering harder (since the standard wheels slip more), wheel life shorter, overall speed slower, a rougher ride, and a wider turning radius, but because of
8160-539: The Hi-Lo setup was an experimental component seen on K2's VO2 100 X Pro where the manufacturers believed that the two smaller wheels (90 mm [3.5 in] each) in front would increase stability and rate of acceleration while the two bigger wheels (100 mm [3.9 in] each) in the back would maintain high speeds. Essentially this K2 skate model married both wheel size properties. A Hi-Lo configuration on an inline speed skate employs three large sized wheels and
8296-671: The NHL career mark for penalty minutes, played in one game for the Voodoo and registered two points, with a goal and an assist, plus two penalty minutes. Playing at the PNE Agrodome , the Voodoo's average attendance was 3,800. As league expansion doubles the league's team total to 24, the Voodoo are placed in the new Northwest Division with the Calgary Rad'z , Phoenix Cobras, Portland Rage, Edmonton Sled Dogs, and Sacramento River Rats. They finish atop their division, as well as second overall in
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#17327939664528432-752: The Pan American Sports Organization in 1999, when inline hockey made its first appearance at the Pan American Games in Canada, and repeated again four years later in the Dominican Republic . PASO extends continued recognition of the inline hockey under the jurisdiction of FIRS. (sub to PAPA H) Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , World Skate banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from its competitions, and will not stage any events in Russia or Belarus in 2022. National Roller Hockey League
8568-579: The RSROA installed puck hockey as an equal and separate division of roller hockey, which included ball hockey, a format most popular in Europe and South America. It was decided that both ball and puck hockey would compete under the same rules and award separate gold medal winners. Budd Van Roekel, RSROA president, was quoted in the January 1965 issue of Skate Magazine , We believe this move will spark further growth of our roller hockey program. While we recognize
8704-460: The United States and/or Canada in arenas with a minimum stadium seating capacity of 3,000. The season will operate from May through August. MLRH (Major League Roller Hockey), is played in the United States and Europe. It consists of East and West Coast divisions, and the season is played from October to March with finals being held in either Europe or the USA. This is the only full check inline league in
8840-738: The United States, the USA Roller Sports (USARS) predecessor organization was the Roller Skating Rink Operators Association (RSROA). In 1940, the RSROA published a set of roller hockey rules drawn from a booklet by the National Hockey League (NHL) which was designed to grow interest in playing hockey on roller skates . However, because of the intervention of World War II , the organization of roller hockey tournaments did not receive significant development until after this war in
8976-587: The United States. During the 1960 RSROA National Roller Skating Championships held in Little Rock , Arkansas , exhibition games for ball and puck roller hockey were held. Following these Nationals, the first full competitive season officially began in North America for roller hockey. This, of course, had puck roller hockey entirely performed on quad skates, for at that time there were no inline skates available. State and regional competitions determined
9112-482: The VooDoo, the team's regular season records were: Inline hockey Inline hockey or roller hockey is a variant of hockey played on a hard, smooth surface, with players using inline skates to move and ice hockey sticks to shoot a hard, plastic puck into their opponent's goal to score points. The sport is a very fast-paced and free-flowing game and is considered a contact sport , but body checking
9248-597: The Western Conference, behind the Los Angeles Blades . The Voodoo's leading scorer was Ryan Harrison, who finished with 62 points in 22 games, good for 15th overall in the league. In the playoffs, the Voodoo were once again defeated in the first round, ousted by Portland in two games; the VooDoo lost the first game in an 8-7 shootout at Portland before being eliminated in game two in Vancouver by
9384-529: The World Skate rulebook substitutes the traditional ice hockey cage for a lower and narrower model patterned after the one used in rink hockey , the World Skates' flagship sport, however most World Skate leagues in the United States and Canada opt for the more popular and common ice hockey nets. While the general characteristics of the game are the same wherever it is played, the exact rules depend on
9520-417: The ability of a full rocker to handle imperfections in the ground with a flat setup's sheer speed. Having a smaller wheel at the front encourages the front wheel to guide the rest of the skate over ground imperfections, rather than digging in and tripping up the less experienced skater. Maintaining a flat profile at the back allows the skater to transfer power through the rear of the skate efficiently to maintain
9656-452: The ability of wheels to grip against the ability of the puck to slide freely. None of these surfaces, however, is as smooth as ice; as a result, the puck is made of a much lighter plastic material, and rests on small nylon or poly-plastic nubs to reduce friction with the rink surface. Besides these equipment differences, inline hockey uses less physical contact in comparison to ice hockey. Most leagues punish fighting harshly, and body checking
9792-841: The auspices of Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), established and hosted the first World Inline Roller Hockey Championships for men at the Odeum Arena in Villa Park , Illinois (a suburb of Chicago ) in 1995. USA Roller Sports established the first Inline Hockey World Championships for Juniors, again in Chicago in 1996, following the USA National Championships. The first World Inline Hockey Championships for Women occurred under sponsorship of USA Roller Sports in Rochester , New York in 2002. Since
9928-553: The average attendance peaks at 5,500. Vancouver's Doug Ast finished second overall in the league in regular season scoring with 91 points in 28 games. Vancouver won their division for the fourth consecutive season, but are eliminated in the second round in three games by the Anaheim Bullfrogs . At the end of the 1996 season, the Vancouver Voodoo franchise folded after four years. For the four seasons played by
10064-418: The boot, forming what today would be known as a "frame". In 1863, James Plimpton patented an "improvement in skates" consisting of a skate platform with four wheels arranged in a two-by-two configuration like a wagon. This was not the first roller skate with two rows of skates. But it was the first double-row skate that could be easily turned by a beginner. Plimpton's key innovation was a mechanism that allowed
10200-404: The extra space in the middle, it makes grinding objects much easier than with a flat setup. The freestyle frame is another setup used by aggressive skaters. This setup simply has only two wheels – one in the front and one in the back. In between the two wheels is an area of solid material, resembling a large "H Block", which is used for grinding. Freestyle frames have nearly identical advantages to
10336-768: The faster the skate. A bigger wheel rolls over road imperfections smoothly thus the less bumpy the skating. On top of that, an inline skater trips far less on large wheels. However, large wheels take more energy to start rolling. Smaller wheels allow faster acceleration, maneuverability, and a lower center of gravity. Wheel hardness is measured on the A scale (see Durometer ) and usually ranges between 72A-93A (lower numbers are softer, higher numbers are harder). Harder wheels are not necessarily faster but tend to be more durable; soft wheels may have better grip and are generally less affected by road bumps. Harder wheels (which grant minimal elastic hysteresis energy absorption) maintain rolling speed far better while softer wheels (because they grip
10472-443: The fastest setups, compared to setups such as the Hi-Lo or anti-rocker. The presence of two middle wheels matching the diametrical size of the rest increases contact points with any surface. They also minimize the rate at which the skater's loading weight deforms the wheels. This minimizes the wheel's footprint thereby minimizing rolling resistance. Speed skaters and marathon skaters normally use flat setups. This setup also allows for
10608-629: The first round for the first time, defeating the Oakland Skates by a score of 10-4. The playoff bid was halted in the second round by the San Jose Rhinos , the inevitable Murphy Cup champions. As the Voodoo fully relocated to the Pacific Coliseum , their average attendance rose again to nearly 5,300, third-highest in the league. The Voodoo relocated again to the Vancouver Canucks ' home stadium General Motors Place , and
10744-609: The first round of the playoffs, they were eliminated by the division rival Calgary Rad'z 8–7. Star forward Jose Charbonneau , a former NHLer , led the RHI in regular season scoring with 68 points in 14 games. He attracted the attention of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks , who resigned him, despite having previously released Charbonneau in 1989. Charbonneau went on to play 33 more games for the Canucks before finishing his career in Europe. Team co-owner and head coach Tiger Williams , who holds
10880-459: The first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a "minor" penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
11016-455: The floor). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In that case, both teams will have only three skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one expires before the other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder); this applies regardless of current pending penalties, though in
11152-593: The frame itself are twice as much to be spared damage. It is worth noting that having a flat setup is just one factor in a fast skate setup. A long frame, low resistance bearings, and good technique all contribute greatly to a skater's speed. Full rockers are used by skaters who favor maneuverability when skating on flat ground. Freestyle skaters, freestyle slalom skaters and artistic inline skaters tend to use this setup. Inline hockey players no less can customize their wheels to implement this setup (especially those who favor nimble change in direction over sheer speed during
11288-416: The front that are 76 mm (3.0 in) and two wheels in the back that are 80 mm (3.1 in). Another example is a 74–76–78–80 mm (2.9–3.0–3.1–3.1 in) wheel arrangement. This drastically changed the pace at which inline hockey players accelerated. Furthermore, by transferring weight forward, the skater could sprint explosively off the toe section and reduce instances of falling backwards. If
11424-465: The greater "belly" or tire that increased resilience (or "rebound"); and these wheels were perceived as having better grip and being more stable (less like an ice blade), but were heavier than elliptical-profiled wheels and were often used in downhill racing (such as the Hyper Downhill racing wheels) and in recreational skates. Another advantage of rounded profile wheels is longer wear life due to
11560-401: The ground. Flat setups generally wear into a 'natural' rocker. This is because the front and back wheels seem to receive the vast majority of wear on inline skates. Having a short frame (230–245 mm [9.1–9.6 in]) in combination with a full rocker is optimum for achieving the highest maneuverability when skating. Front rockers are often used by street skaters who want to combine
11696-401: The ground. This gives the benefits of a flat setup, while keeping the frame as low as the height of the smaller inner wheels. It also retains room for an H-block in the center. But out bigger outer wheels give some of the benefits bigger wheels offer such as speed and stability. Anti-rocker is the most popular setup for aggressive skaters. An anti-rocker wheel is a small hard wheel that replaces
11832-657: The heel. A copy of Petibled's wheeled skates are on display at the National Museum of Roller Skating, in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. In 1823, Robert John Tyers from London was granted a patent for his skates with five wheels in a single profile, again mimicking a steel bade. This novelty skate was popularized in London as "Volito" (to fly about, in Latin). A hand-colored print from 1829 in the British Museum depicts
11968-404: The hockey skate is used recreationally outside the arena, the skater will find climbing slopes much easier than on a flat setup. As inline hockey skate manufacturers design frames with varying axle hole placements or even raise the frame's back bolt to be higher than the front bolt nowadays, wheels of the same diameter (like 80 mm [3.1 in]) can be used entirely. Beyond inline hockey,
12104-434: The inaugural season. Players were paid a per game basis in the second season of the NRHL, based on a win or loss. The players were paid double for a win than a loss. The Detroit Bordercats won the inaugural Commissioner's Cup. The Bordercats repeated as Commissioner's Cup champions for the second season. The NRHL is expanding its role as a professional league in the summer of 2020. The NRHL will have franchises located throughout
12240-411: The increased urethane amount on the tire. To increase stability at high speed, skates intended for downhill skating usually have five or six wheels, in contrast with recreational skates, which typically have four wheels. This advantage of more wheels having less rolling resistance has been largely negated by the 100–110 mm (3.9–4.3 in) diameter wheels with 4-wheel trucks. A flat profile allowed
12376-408: The introduction of these events, FIRS National Federations around the world have annually perpetuated inline world championships. USA (Ice) Hockey and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) began their men's InLine Hockey World Championship in 1996, after the first such world championship by FIRS and has yet to organize a women's inline hockey world tournament or one for juniors. In March 2002,
12512-402: The late 1940s. At first skating club interest was confined to the northern tier of the United States, including the bordering Canadian cities. Puck roller hockey's spread in popularity during that period was helped along by the attention of local commercial television, which was getting its start and in desperate need for events to fill air time. The increased interest in the sport led in 1959 to
12648-768: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, while inline skates became prominent in the late 1980s with the rise of Rollerblade, Inc. , and peaked in the late 1990s. The registered trademark Rollerblade has since become a generic trademark due to its popularity. To this day, "rollerblades" continues to be used in everyday language to refer to inline skates. In the 21st century, inline skates come in many varieties, suitable for different types of inline skating activities and sports such as recreational skating, road skating , street hockey , speed skating , slalom skating , aggressive skating , and vert skating . Inline skaters can be found at traditional roller rinks , street hockey rinks, skateparks , and on urban streets. In cities around
12784-416: The league for which they work. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies USA Roller Sports and Canada Inline approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Offensive tactics include improving
12920-589: The left/right foot. Heel brakes can interfere with a useful technique called a crossover turn, in which a skater crosses one leg over another to make a sharp turn without losing much speed; for this reason, most intermediate to advanced users prefer not to use heel brakes. Skaters in the freestyle slalom and aggressive inline skating disciplines do not use heel brakes, since they limit the skater's ability to perform tricks effectively. Aggressive inline skates and racing skates generally have no heel brake, thereby permitting extra speed and control. Inline skaters lacking
13056-481: The lowest rolling resistance in the 82A–84A durometer range. Wheel profiles and thickness again vary by application. Elliptic profiles were thought to minimize friction for a faster ride; however, they were intended to mimic the knife-like properties of an ice blade. They helped define the inner, central and outer edges. Elliptic profiles made the wheel quite maneuverable when turning or otherwise crossing over. More rounded profiles provided lower rolling resistance due to
13192-427: The offending player is sent to the " penalty box " and his team has to play with one less skater for a short amount of time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single Minor penalty may be extended by a further two minutes for drawing blood from the victimized player. The team that has taken
13328-606: The only tournament provider. Some of the other independent tournament providers include Amateur Athletic Union , North American Roller Championships , and the Torhs 2 Hot 4 Ice tournament series. Internationally, inline hockey is represented by two different unions, the World Skate and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Each organizes its own annual world championships . Due to
13464-407: The opponent's goal – is awarded a penalty shot , an attempt to score without opposition from any defenders except the goaltender. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering the puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there
13600-570: The other disciplines of roller sports . During the General Assembly of the IWGA, which took place in Madrid on 14 May 2003, the IWGA unanimously agreed that inline roller hockey was the responsibility of FIRS and that this variant form of roller hockey would be included on the program of the 2005 World Games in place of the previous format. This same scenario had previously played out before
13736-578: The particular code of play being used. The most important code is that of the Comité International Roller In-Line Hockey (CIRILH), an organization and discipline of the Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports Inline hockey is played on an inline hockey rink . During normal play, there are five players per side on the floor at any time, one of them being the goaltender , each of whom
13872-407: The patent specification, Pennie explained that his key innovation was the two rows of wheels. This set his skates apart from all previous roller skates that attempted to emulate ice skates with a single, centered runner. Pennie reasoned that two rows of wheels provided increased support area for better balance, without materially incurring greater friction. His skate, too, had two side plates secured to
14008-410: The penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at the officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player
14144-404: The penalty is said to be playing shorthanded while the other team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often called for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of the game , too many players on the rink , boarding , illegal equipment, holding, interference, hooking , slashing , butt-ending (striking an opponent with the knob of
14280-414: The player farthest down the floor. A team that is losing by one or two goals in the last few minutes of play will often elect to pull the goalie ; that is, remove the goaltender and replace him or her with an extra attacker on the floor in the hope of gaining enough advantage to score a goal. However, it is an act of desperation, as it sometimes leads to the opposing team extending their lead by scoring
14416-456: The popularity of the international ball-and-cane version of hockey, we also realize that thousands of potential United States and Canadian players are more familiar with the Canadian stick-and-puck type sport. We see no reason why the two versions of the sport cannot grow side by side. The 1966 North American Championships marked the return of puck hockey after a four-year hiatus. The final game
14552-584: The previous 1992 USARS National Championships, also staged in San Diego, the San Diego Hosers won the Senior Gold Division title wearing their customary quad roller skates. As of that time, the Hosers manager/coach Paul Chapey felt that while inline skates were obviously faster, the advantage was to quad skates because of their assumed greater maneuverability. Some teams and individual players at
14688-495: The puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass the puck to their teammates, unless they are in the defensive zone. Players are also prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. The four players other than the goaltender are typically divided into two forwards and two defencemen. The forward positions consist of
14824-554: The puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). A typical game of inline hockey has two officials on the floor, charged with enforcing the rules of the game. There are typically two referees who call goals and penalties. Due to not having offside and icing violations, there usually are no linesmen used. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as time keepers, and official scorers. Officials are selected by
14960-400: The puck. Markings on the floor indicate the locations for the " faceoff " and guide the positioning of players. There is one major rule of play in inline hockey that limit the movement of the puck: the puck going out of play. The puck goes "out of play" whenever it goes past the perimeter of the rink (Onto the player benches, over the "glass," or onto the protective netting above the glass) and
15096-472: The regular season throughout their four-year history, winning their division all four years. Despite their regular season success, however, the Voodoo never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. In the RHI's inaugural season, Vancouver finished first in the King Division, atop the Calgary Rad'z , Portland Rage, and Utah Rollerbees, good for second overall, behind the Anaheim Bullfrogs . In
15232-422: The rest of the game, resulting in important differences between the two sports. Inline hockey is typically played at room temperature on a surface that, rather than being made from (frozen) water, is kept dry to protect the bearings in the skate wheels. Several surface materials are used, including plastic tiles (sometimes known as sport-court flooring), wood, and sealed concrete; in general, surfaces try to balance
15368-427: The rink allows for faster gameplay. There are traditionally two 20-minute periods or four 10-minute periods with a stopped clock. In the United States, the highest governing body for the sport is USA Roller Sports (USARS). USARS is credited with the development of the present-day rules and regulations that is used throughout multiple tournament series. They organize tournaments across the United States but they are not
15504-479: The rink can vary between 40m and 60m in length and 20m and 30m in width. In Germany the old standard was 40m x 20m which changed to 50m x 25m but also the ice hockey standard of 61m x 30.5m (200×100 ft) is used. One of the most fundamental differences between the IIHF and World Skate-sanctioned versions of inline hockey lies within the dimensions of the net. The IIHF simply retains the use of ice hockey nets. However
15640-440: The rolling resistance that the best urethane inline skate wheels produce, so there is very little opportunity in improving speed by spending more money on bearings. Newer bearings on the market have been offered that use ceramic ball bearings instead of steel, which are more expensive than traditional steel bearings but made of harder material. Two bearings are used per wheel. The bearings slip into openings molded into each side of
15776-411: The selection of a National Puck Hockey Committee to formulate special rules for the performance of puck hockey in the variety of rink sizes available to roller skates. The American Roller Hockey Association (ARHA) was formed with Joe Spillman, a roller rink operator from San Antonio , Texas as its first Commissioner. Under Spillman's direction, the sport of hockey on roller skates grew rapidly throughout
15912-598: The skate. The boot may also contain shock absorbent padding for comfort. Downhill skaters often use boots that are heat-molded to the shape of the foot, with a foam liner. Most aggressive skates use a hard boot or a hard/soft boot for increased support. Typical recreational skates use frames built out of high-grade polyurethane (plastic). Low-end department or toy store skate frames may be composed of other types of plastic. Speed skate frames are usually built out of carbon fiber or extruded aluminum (more expensive but more solid), magnesium, or even pressed aluminium, which
16048-579: The smaller front wheels. The configuration is 72 mm (2.83 in), 76 mm (2.99 in), 80 mm (3.15 in), 76 mm (2.99 in). It allows one to pivot on the third wheel similar to the brand Wizard Skates. This system is also used by some hockey skaters as it pitches the foot slightly forward. A few aggressive skate frames (most notably Rollerblade's Switch Frame, Ground Control's Bullet Frame, Oysi Frame and Joe Atkinson Sola Frame) are designed so that there are two big outer wheels, and two small inner wheels, rockered so that they all touch
16184-406: The stick—a very rare penalty) Or cross-checking . A minor is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes a hook or trip. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those which cause injury to the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or the other team scores on the power play. In the case of a goal scored during
16320-444: The surface) accelerate more straightforwardly when striding. In the 1990s, wheel rolling resistance (CRR – coefficient of rolling resistance) tended to be minimized with wheel hardness in the 78A durometer range, with rolling resistance dramatically increasing below 75A durometer and above 85A durometer. In the early 2000s, urethane compounds improved significantly, allowing skaters to use harder compounds to get better wheel life, and get
16456-683: The teams that would move on to the North American Championships. In 1962, at Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln , Nebraska , both ball and puck hockey were part of the North American Championships. The Arcadia Wildcats from Detroit , Michigan , defeated the Van Wert Chiefs 3–1, becoming the first puck hockey national champions on quad skates. Inline skates were not commercially available during that era. On 1 September 1965, during their semi-annual board meeting,
16592-481: The term "roller skates" entered the popular lexicon. In 1860, the US Patent Office granted Reuben Shaler the first US patent on roller skates, titled "Wheel-Skate", with an accompanying drawing labeled "Parlor Skate". The four rollers (wheels) formed a straight line, and were mounted by pins on two side pieces of a hanger that we would now recognize as a frame of a modern-day inline skate. The key innovation
16728-411: The two middle wheels or the two wheels in the back. Avoid applying pressure on the two front wheels when taking strides since this is what will cause instability. In addition, a full rocker is slower than a flat setup in terms of top speed. Worst of all at high speeds, skates with a full rocker setup can experience a speed wobble, where they oscillate uncontrollably. The skater may lose control and crash to
16864-535: The two middle wheels. Anti-rocker wheels almost never touch the ground except in cases where the terrain is uneven, such as skating over a ramp. Anti-rockers can be made of plastic, or high density polyurethane. Some use bearings so that they can spin. As they can spin, the anti-rockers wear out more evenly when grinding. Anti-rockers containing bearings can effectively roll over uneven ground or features like steps, lessening tripping hazards. Others do not use bearings so that they're lighter. The anti-rockers themselves lock
17000-545: The very least. In addition, goaltenders use different gear, (optionally) a neck guard, chest/arm protector, blocker, catch glove, and leg pads. Good skates are stiffer and lighter and also have better bearings. Inline hockey-skates are similar to icehockey-skates, the main difference between ice and inline is the chassis and the wheels. Hockey equipment manufacturers such as Bauer and CCM offer parallel models of ice skates, but there are also inline hockey brands, including Mission, Tour and Labeda. Most inline hockey skates had have
17136-418: The wheel hub, and a flange molded into the wheel hub holds the bearings the correct distance apart. Additionally there is an axle spacer either machined into the axle or that slides over the axle (depending on the axle system used). Since the outer race of the bearing contacts the wheel spacer and the inner race of the bearing contacts the axle spacer, it is critical that the relationship between these two spacers
17272-440: The wheel to be even far stabler than the rounded profile. This profile is almost exclusively used on aggressive skate wheels. On the flip-side, the squared-off shape caused cornering to be tremendously harder, seeing how edges are non-existent with a flat profile. In fact, a flat profile has only a center edge preventing the skater from leaning over. The core's general design i.e. material, shape, and flexibility/sturdiness degree at
17408-420: The wheel's hub determine the wheel's properties as well. In a classical point of view, wheels on older skate models (during the 1980s and early 1990s) contained no core feature whatsoever. The core is a result of the gradual technological improvement inline skating underwent. Above all else, a wheel lacking a core is prone to deformation. This deformation is a hindrance to the skater's striding ability since in such
17544-491: The wheels when landing. Of course, these cores (alongside the extra polyurethane) tend to add weight on the wheel. Some even disfavor the full core design for its rigidity that feels uncomfortable. The question still stands on whether a full core improves power transfer. Semi-open cores are a hybrid between the two previously mentioned cores seen on wheels for urban skates, slalom skates and inline hockey skates. Minuscule holes are typically punctured into these solid cores to provide
17680-634: The whole North American Championships. One Canadian team player was quoted in the 1966 Fall issue of Skate Magazine , "We simply had to win the (puck) hockey championships, otherwise our fathers wouldn't allow us to return home." Another milestone occurred for puck roller hockey in 1977, when the North American Puck Hockey Championship was held in a venue away from ball hockey for the first time. The 1977 puck championships were staged in Houston , Texas to large crowds and
17816-468: The world and it has a $ 10,000 championship purse. It has similar rules as the NHL, with some exceptions and only having two 17 min periods and in the "Super" League, 4 x 12 minute quarters. MLRH has offside and icing rules as well as allowing players to have a single fight per game. The French Ligue Elite is a professional league in Europe. Although inline hockey appears to simply be ice hockey on inline skates, this singular difference reflects throughout
17952-555: The world, skaters organize urban group skates. Paris Friday Night Fever Skate (Randonnée du Vendredi Soir) is renowned for its large crowd size, as well as its iconic +10 mile urban routes. Wednesday Night Skate NYC is its equivalent in New York City, also run by volunteers, albeit smaller in size. The history of inline skates traces back to the origin of ice skates in prehistoric times, with runners made from animal bones. Steel blades eventually replaced bone runners in
18088-518: Was a nail biter and the crowd appreciated the fast pace and excitement of puck hockey. The final game was between the Canadians of Windsor , Ontario and the Wildcats of Detroit, Michigan, the defending champions from 1962. The score seesawed between the two teams and was finally decided in favor of the Canadians with a final score of 5 to 3. The win gave the Canadian team their only gold medal for
18224-598: Was the "Speedy" by SKF which was available also with hockey-wheels. This changed when mass-produced inline skates from the USA were available in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s first leagues started. Inline roller hockey was introduced to the World Games for the first time in 2005, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned event under the jurisdiction of the International World Games Association (IWGA), an affiliate of
18360-418: Was the first recorded wheeled skates. Written records left no drawings nor descriptions of wheel configurations, however. In 1819, Charles-Louis Petibled from France filed the first known patent on wheeled skates. Three wheels in a single profile, mimicking a steel blade, were integrated into a wooden shoe sole with leather straps. Two wheels sat under the ball of the foot, while one wheel was positioned under
18496-528: Was the flexible rubber rings he mounted on 4 metal roller cores. This allowed his roller skates to gain better purchase on carpeted floors. In 1861, Albert Anderson was granted a US patent on "Improvement in roller-skates". The accompanying drawings titled "Parlor Skate" showed a two-wheeled skate, with a small wheel under the heel, and a much larger wheel in front of the toes, reminiscent of penny-farthing bikes . The large front wheel overcomes oncoming obstacles, preventing skater from falling froward. The platform
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