Skate Across America

June 1, 1979 - Today was the day that Ted Coombs began a cross-country adventure on roller skates. He came up with the idea as a protest against the energy crisis.

Even though he wasn't the first person to skate across America, Ted decided to go for the distance record. His journey from L.A. to New York, then down to Virginia and back west to Kansas would wind up being 5,193 miles.

At various spots along the way, Ted would be joined by local celebrities and he enjoyed a great deal of pomp and circumstance. Highlights included an escort of Playboy Bunnies in Chicago and an Eddie Money concert in Central Park. Lowlights included a painful wipeout in Pennsylvania and the theft of his support van.

Ted went on to become a futurist and author of many of the "...for Dummies" books.