Have you heard about the stylish Belgium-born inventor who zoomed into a masquerade party on skates, playing a violin, in 1760? His invention had three wheels in a row, but no brake. He obviously didn't have a good sense of balance either, for he skated right into a mirror in front of a shocked audience. John Joseph Merlin's skates may have shattered, but his dreams did not, and neither was he cursed with seven years of misfortune for breaking a mirror. The horologist and musicologist went on to invent many things including a weighing machine, a “chair for the infirm'“, a fiddle, an automaton and a device that could help the visually impaired play cards!
In 1789, Maximiliaan Lodewijk van Lede made what he called a patin à terre, or “land skate”, by attaching wooden wheels to an iron sole plate. The first patent was awarded only in 1819 to Frenchman Charles-Louis Petibled. But his skates could only allow users to move in a straight line. That changed in 1863 when James Plimpton designed skates in which the two front wheels were fixed to two different pivoted plates, allowing users to skate on any path they desired. The term “skating” now includes speed skating, artistic skating, quad skating, skate hockey and even skateboarding.
In India, the first indoor skating rink was established in 1878 in Patiala, Punjab. It was part of the Baradari Gardens, set up during the reign of Maharaja Rajinder Singh, a sports lover. The lavish palace grounds featured rare trees and included a cricket field and an indoor skating rink which is believed to have incorporated imported Italian elements. In 1901, Sangrur, another town in Punjab, got its own skating rink, thanks to Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Jind. People enjoyed playing hockey on wheels there. The modified rink is now part of the Police Sangrur Skating Rink. The first outdoor one was inaugurated in Bikaner, Rajasthan, in 1902.
Roller-skating championships are held every year by the Roller-Skating Federation of India. Skating teaches children to have fun while maintaining balance and focus, and staying out of harm's way. It teaches children persistence - how to rise and roll on again and again after falling!
While roller skating has remained a fun activity, another related sport called skateboarding has taken off in a big way in India in the past ten years or so. Skateboarding was in the news when the film Skater Girl was released in June 2021. The sport was introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games that was held in 2021. While players don their skating boots in the traditional sport of skating, in skateboarding, the skate wheels are attached to a board from which people can jump on and off. It originated in the USA in the 1950s. In 2019, instead of making a temporary set for the film, the promoters of Skater Girl built a permanent one, Desert Dolphin Skatepark, in Khempur village.
After filming was completed, the skatepark remained a place where children from Khempur and the surrounding villages could skateboard, and attend free skateboarding and art workshops. The film may have been inspired by the true-life story of a girl called Asha from the village of Janwaar, in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. A German activist had built a skatepark here, popularly known as Janwaar Castle, and used it as a tool to bring about change in the community. The open space helps to bring children of different castes and creeds together to play and learn. The two rules of the park are “No school, no skateboarding” and “Girls first”. So eager are the children to come here that they happily go to school!
Excerpted with permission from Travelling Treasures: 100 Incredible Tales of How Things Came to India, Mala Kumar, Hachette India.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!