When it comes to roller skating, no one does it better than people from the 1970s. While it has always been recognized as a leisure activity as well as a sport, roller skating became a historical phenomenon during the 1970s.
Also known as “the groovy era,” the 1970s turned roller skating into a craze. Not only was it a form of recreation, but roller skating became a means of transportation too. For many, skates replaced shoes, becoming pretty much an indispensable part of one’s daily routine. It sure beats sitting in traffic.
A roller disco, also known as a roller-skating rink or discothèque, is a place where dancers wear roller skates to groove to popular ‘70s music. Roller rinks were the place to be.
Roller skates weren’t new in the ‘70s. As a matter of fact, they were invented way back in the 18th century. It was a coincidence that disco music gained popularity at the same time as roller skates did, giving way to the roller disco craze.
Roller disco captured the hearts of adults and children alike, with people spending a lot of time in their local roller rinks.
As roller disco grew in popularity, different styles of skating started to emerge, one of which was JB Skating. James Brown, known as the Godfather of Soul, drew inspiration for his dance moves from roller skating, starting his very own sub-craze.
During the peak of the roller disco craze, every major city in the United States had its own distinct skating style. Chicago and New York became touted as roller skating cities, even becoming known as centers for the artform. Roller skating had to be done the right way, with the need to balance one's dance moves with an appearance of effortlessness.
In 1979, Cher released a song called Hell on Wheels, accompanied by a music video featuring her on roller skates. It was one of the first modern music videos akin to the modern MTV style.
The same year, Patrick Swayze also made his debut on the big screen in Skatetown USA, a film which later on became known as The Rock and Roller Disco Movie of the Year.
Disco music had great beats for dancing and soon roller discos were popping up all over the country, becoming a culture of their own. For youngsters of the time, this was where the action was, and apart from showing off one’s dancing and roller-skating prowess, it was also the perfect place to show off disco outfits.
Apart from being featured in movies, roller disco made its way into the TV scene too. From Charlie’s Angels to Chips, several shows got into the fad.
For most of the disco era, vinyl record covers involved funky groups of people in groovy disco outfits and roller skates!
The ‘70s were truly a colorful era, and while roller discos, like other fads, have come and gone, they will always be one of the most memorable crazes in our history.