Retro roller skates go for another spin By Alison Damast Back in 1735, Joseph Merlin, a Belgium mechanic and instrument maker, decided to show off his latest invention, shoes on small metal wheels, at a formal London masquerade ball. With his souped-up boots firmly strapped on, Merlin, clutching one of his handmade violins, zoomed across the ballroom floor at breakneck speed. The elegantly dressed crowd watched incredulously as he sped wildly out of control, smashed into a valuable glass mirror at the other end of the room, shattering his violin to smithereens. Roller skates have come a long way since the uncoordinated Merlin made a debacle of himself on the dance floor more than 200 years ago. But the temptation for speed has kept the invention evolving through the centuries. Today, after two decades of relative obscurity, the long-abandoned forerunners of the wildly popular Rollerblades are making a comeback. New slicked-up versions of roller skates, made by companies such as Sketchers, Puma and Nike and geared towards young adolescents and adults, are flying off the shelves at sporting good stores and department stores. With features such as detachable wheels, sneaker-like designs and a wide variety of bold colors to choose from, more and more people are lacing up their skates and getting back on the rink. More history on roller skating can be found here: inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa050997.htm Dance Skaters/Roller Skates & Roller Blades: The Central Park dance skaters can be found gliding and spinning between the Band Shell & The Sheep Meadow. If you start at the Band Shell and walk West you will walk right into it - just follow the music. The actual entrance is off of 72nd St. and St. Transverse. We can also be reached at www.cpdsa.org. Roxy is the only indoor rink in New York City and is the premier skate location in terms of their lights & sound system etc. Plus they are the only rink in town that offers skate classes on all levels. Lezly Skate School was established in 1979 & moved to the Roxy in 1995. See our events page for more info. Dance classes for beginners are on Wednesdays 6:30 to 7:45pm (skate session follows from 8:00pm til 2:00am). The Int/Adv classes are usually on Fridays from 6:00pm till 7:30pm at the Roxy located at 515 West 18th St. between 10th & 11th Ave. Phone number: (212)-777-3232. Skate Key Skate & Dance Family Center welcomes all levels on Thursdays 6:30 to 7:45pm, located at 220 East 138th St, Bronx NY. Phone number: (718)-401-0700.