41 Vintage Skating Photos That’ll Have You Gliding Down Memory Lane

I'm not exactly what you'd call athletic—I don't enjoy running, jogging, or hiking, and exercise usually feels more like punishment than fun. But give me a pair of skates, and suddenly I'm gliding around until my legs give out. It doesn't matter whether it's ice skating or roller skating; there's something incredibly joyful about cruising effortlessly around a rink.

I vividly remember the first time my parents took me ice skating. Watching from the sidelines, I saw people slipping, sliding, and falling everywhere, and I was convinced I'd spend most of the day on my backside. But to my surprise, the moment I stepped onto the ice, something clicked. I started gliding around like a pro!—well, maybe not exactly like a pro, but definitely like a champ! Skating just felt natural, almost majestic... right up until my inevitable first fall, anyway.

There's just something uniquely satisfying about skating, whether it's on smooth ice or polished roller rink floors. It's one of those activities that feels effortlessly joyful. To celebrate this timeless pastime, I've gathered 41 incredible vintage photos of people skating, capturing beautiful moments from as far back as the early 1900s. Enjoy this nostalgic glide through skating history!

01
Playboy model Debra Jo Fondren , California, 1979

via FAUST44
Advertisement
02
Olympic boxing contender Buster Mathis in 1964

via FAUST44
03
Gladys in 1910

via FAUST44
04
Nuns having funs

via FAUST44
Advertisement
05
Norwegian Olympic skater Sonja Henie in the 1930s

via FAUST44
06
Roller skating scene at Venice Beach, CA, 1979

via FAUST44
07
Rolling skating instructors at Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, 1941

via FAUST44
Advertisement
08
1918 foursome

via FAUST44
09
Skating chimp, 1948 (photo by Stanley Kubrick)

via FAUST44
10
Jimmy the Roller Skating Horse, Ohio, 1952

via FAUST44
Advertisement
11
Pillow protection from falls, 1930s

via FAUST44
12
Disco skaters, 1970s

via FAUST44
13
1940s

via FAUST44
Advertisement
14
Mom and daughter, 1935

via FAUST44
15
Empire Roller Disco, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980

via FAUST44

photo by Patrick Pagnano
16
Gang of skaters, 1981

via FAUST44
Advertisement
17
Very dapper skating boy, 1917

via FAUST44
18
Restaurant drive-in with skating waiters, 1967

via FAUST44
19
Couples skate time, 1940s

via FAUST44
Advertisement
20
Amazing spaceman/disco guy, 1978

via FAUST44
21
Chevy Chase Ice Palace, Wash DC, 1942

via FAUST44
22
Ignoring signs, 1980s NYC

via FAUST44
Advertisement
23
San Francisco, 1986

via FAUST44

photo by Steve Ringman
24
Even Big Bird cannot resist the urge to roll

via FAUST44
25
Wedding at the rink, 1944

via FAUST44
Advertisement
26
Patrick Swayze, Scott Baio, Maureen McCormick, Ron Palillo and Greg Bradford, 1979

via FAUST44
27
Salesman on his motorized roller skates refuelling at a gas station, 1961

via FAUST44
28
Roller derby girls, Detroit, MI, 1950

via FAUST44
Advertisement
29
McDonald's at Ice Capades, 1974

via FAUST44
30
The Netherlands, 1919

via FAUST44
31
Skating to class, University of Chicago campus, 1930

via FAUST44
Advertisement
32
Gorgeous ice and scenery in the French Alps, 1946

via FAUST44
33
Nice Polaroid of two skating ladies, 1979

via FAUST44
34
Judas Priest on wheels, 1981

via FAUST44
Advertisement
35
Ice-Skating waiters, Grand Hotel les Bains, Switzerland, circa 1926

via FAUST44
36
Broadway show chorus girls skate up Fifth Avenue, NYC 1942

via FAUST44
37
Saturday night in Chicago, IL, 1941

via FAUST44

photo by Russell Lee
Advertisement
38
Young man on bicycle skate, 1905

via FAUST44
39
Skating through the woods at Bois de Boulogne park in Paris, France, 1956

via FAUST44

photo by Jack Garafalo
40
Skate team The Golden Rollers at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, 1982

via FAUST44
Advertisement
41
Venice Beach, CA, 1979

via FAUST44