Roller Skating Was Crazy Awesome!

There were many versions of pop wheels that were easier on the eyes, they were just like sneakers. But the roller sandals were pretty rough. They were basically like clogs but with retractable wheels built-in. Cringe-worthy nowadays, but pure gold in the 1970s. 

Skating was a huge deal, entire streets would be blocked off in major cities for skate festivals and races. Even the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco was once overrun with the happiest looking skaters ever photographed. They even managed to earn a world record at a Golden Gate event– “World’s longest skating serpentine.”

Leave it to the 1970s to take a perfectly good, family-friendly activity and make it as pornographic as possible. The seventies was like that bad influence friend that roller skating shouldn't have been allowed to play with. But, they just had so much fun together! The influence of the eighties (oddly enough) is what calmed things down a bit and skating rinks became kid-friendly again. 

It was a time of sexual revolution and even when covered from head to toe, women found ways to exude sex appeal while boogieing on down. Stars like Cher were infamous for embracing the sheer and “barely there” look of clothing in the 70s. So much glitter, such little left to the imagination. 

In 1979, ABC’s Primetime Special: “Playboy’s Roller Disco & Pajama Party” made both, playmate and roller skating history. Hugh Hefner knew a good fad when he saw one, so he put some of his bunnies on wheels and threw the ultimate party at his California mansion. There was even a live performance by the "Village People" because if you can’t skate to Y.M.C.A., why bother?

Celebrities were lacing up and rolling out off screen as well. Everybody had skating fever Cher, Brooke Shields, Farrah Fawcett, and even Patrick Swayze could be found on roller skates. This really reinforced the craze and is probably the reason it lasted so long.  

Even the biggest “disco queens would roll out of bed before sundown to “go bootin” down the strip. The boardwalks of Venice Beach, California were filled with the legendary roller babes throughout the seventies. The mayor of Los Angeles declared Venice Beach “the rolling skating capital of the world,” in 1979.  

Even if you didn’t want to skate, the Roller rink was where you wanted to be. It was a "be there or be square" situation. Sure, roller rinks were popular in the 1970s but they became the social hubs of the 1980s for most teens. All the popular music of the time was blared over loudspeakers, they flashed colorful lights, had video game arcades, and snack bars. 

As could be expected, the massive fad caught the interest of Hollywood filmmakers. Soon scripts with storylines centered around skating were being shot faster than they could be written. There is more roller skating films in existence than there ever should be but Skatetown U.S.A., Linda Blair’s Roller Boogie, and of course Olivia Newton-John’s Xanadu are the only ones that matter. 

 “When he offers you a low tar cigarette, tell him you’ve got one of your own.” What exactly, this has to do with roller skating is anyone’s guess. As is, why anyone would think smoking while engaging in cardio is going to work out well for anyone. Oh, you silly seventies.   

Music and skating may be perfectly fine on their own but are totally bitchin together. Some of the more famous roller-inspired songs were, Arabesque’s “Roller Star”, “Roller Derby Queen” by Jim Croce, Dolly Dots “Rollerskating”, The Beach Boys “Roller Skating Child” and let’s not forget “Roller Skate Rag” by Barbra Streisand.

For anyone who thought the boombox scene in “Say Anything...” was impractical (because let’s face it, he could have just blared the track from his car), try roller skating while hoofing around one of those massive things and a pair of headphones. People actually did just that in the 1970s and 1980s. The hilarious applications of the technology of the time was just one of the many wonderfully absurd things about roller skating in the groovy era.

During the 1970s, an interest Precision Roller Skating grew and led to rapid development within the sport. This particular form of skating places emphasis not only on the artistic ability but also on maintaining precise formations and timing within a group. Each season has evolved more and more in creativity, innovation, sophistication, and speed. Then other countries began to take an interest, resulting in World Championships. 

That’s right, many a bride and groom thought out would be groovy to skate down the wedding aisle. Okay, to be fair roller skating-themed weddings did not originate in the groovy era, but they certainly happened a whole lot more often between the 1970s and 1980s. 

Interest in roller skating for adults didn’t start to dwindle down until the mid-80s. Many children however, were just starting to get into it and Mattel took the opportunity to cash in on the craze while they still could with roller skating dolls. As creepy as she was, she may have been a part of keeping the fad alive for the new generation.