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IT may come as a surprise but the first inline skate model was developed in the early 1700s by a Dutchman who wanted to simulate ice-skating in the summer by nailing wooden spools to strips of wood and attaching them to his shoes.
Then in 1760 London instrument maker, Joseph Merlin, decided to make an entrance to a masquerade party by skating in on metal-wheeled boots while playing a violin.
In 1823 another Londoner, Robert John Tyers designed a skate called a "rolito" by placing five wheels in a row on the bottom of a shoe.
An American, James Plimpton, came on the scene in 1863, when he came up with a four-wheel skate with two pairs of wheels side by side and so the modern four-wheel rollerskate was created.
Then things changed in 1980 when two brothers from Minneapolis were rummaging through a pile of equipment at a sporting goods store and found an old inline skate.
Scott and Brennan Olson were ice-hockey players and so realised the cross-training potential of the inline skate. They redesigned it, using a hockey boot, polyurethane wheels and adding a rubber heel brake.
They found they could skate as well as they did on ice and soon after they began selling skates out of their home and eventually Rollerblade Inc was born.
There were also some Soviet inlines from around the same time. These inlines were being developed for speedskating dry-land training.
All Rollerblades are inline skates, but not all inline skates are Rollerblades. Rollerblade is a registered trademark of Rollerblade Inc, but like many groundbreaking products the trade name has become synonymous with the type of product.
While Britain may not be on a par with the United States when it comes to being a hot inline skating destination, there are enough skaters around to ensure you won't turn heads everywhere you go.
The sport offers a fantastic aerobic workout, provided you can master the technique required to keep on the move and upright.
Once you feel confident on skates, you can blast a lot of calories by hiking up your speed and tackling hills as well as flat surfaces. And the onset of skate parks has added a new competitive edge to the sport.
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