Roller skating

Skating, or roller skating, is a kind of surface travel that involves the use of roller skates. It may be done for fun, it can be done for exercise, and it can be done for transportation. Roller skating may take place everywhere, including streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes; however, roller rinks and skate parks are specifically designed for the sport.

The 18th-century performing arts are credited as being the birthplace of roller skating. Beginning in the 1880s, it began to amass a large amount of popularity. During the 1930s through the 1950s and again in the 1970s, roller skating was closely connected with disco music and roller discos, which contributed to the sport's widespread popularity in the United States. The decade of the 1990s saw the rise in popularity of inline roller skating performed outside.

Sport roller skating comprises speed skating, roller hockey, roller derby, figure skating and aggressive quad skating.

The first roller skates that have been discovered date back to the 18th century in Europe. Skates like this were used in theatrical and musical events, most likely to give the impression that the performers were ice skating onstage. Skating in the early days was done in a straight path since it was exceedingly difficult to turn or curve with the rudimentary skate designs that were available at the time. Roller skating was only used sometimes as a theatrical prop at that time; it wasn't until the 1840s that it became popular among the general public.

The 1970s saw the rise of roller disco as a popular form of dance. This kind of skating was first popularised by Black skaters and homosexual skaters in the 1970s when disco music was playing. Inline skating, sometimes known as "rollerblading," became more popular both outdoors and inside in the latter half of the 1980s and into the 1990s. The sport of roller skating saw a dip in popularity in the early 21st century, but during the COVID epidemic, it experienced a resurgence in popularity.

Skating on roller skates has a long history of being associated with Black American social movements, immigrant communities, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, notably for women participating in roller derby. As a pastime, it has a reputation for being whimsical and is easily accessible to a large number of individuals.