Advice for an old timer please
Advice for an old timer please
Hi!
So, I used to play hockey at school/uni, mostly on ‘banana’ rockered freestyle inlines.
Now I’m somewhat older - it’s been a while since I’ve been on blades, but I’ve regularly skated on ice, I would say I’m intermediate but more used to ice than tarmac.
My son is getting into in-line skating and I’d like to put on some wheels again so we can knock a puck about.
What would be a good (but not bank breaking) skate for me? I’d like a hockey stance but I’m thinking I might need something I can rocker (or just buy different wheel sizes I guess?).
Any suggestions hugely appreciated.
I’m not sure what your budget is but Marsblade make some nice off-ice skates that vary in price. They’re rockered to feel like you’re on ice, so they would probably have the most authentic feel. I grew up on ice skates myself, so I know that feeling too.
If you’re looking for something cheaper, both K2 and Rollerblade have some rec skates that would get the job done to kick around with your son.
They do offer some strange technology. Even after reading most of their explanations I still don’t quite get how this kind of rockering is supposed to help but as I said, I have no clue about hockey. Anyway, fascinating stuff!
It’s weird. I don’t fully understand it myself and I was in ice skates as a kid. It’s supposed to give the same unstable feeling as being on ice, which is supposed to help keep your ice balance instincts and skills sharp when on asphalt. I wish I could simply try a pair just to see how it feels because the tech is indeed fascinating!
Unfortunately, I do not know anything about hockey. However, I recently did a bit of research on rockered frames in the context of wizard skating.
These are the brands I know of that are selling rockered frames:
- https://wizardskating.com/ (overpriced)
- https://nnskates.com/
- https://www.endlessblading.com/
- https://rockinframes.com/
- https://rokaskating.com/
A pair usually costs around 200 €.
You could get a relatively cheap boot, like the Powerslide Zoom (the same boot as in the USD Sway), but with wheels and bearings you’ll arrive at 300 to 400 €.
Maybe check out some freeskates instead, like this one: https://bladeville.com/seba-e3-80-black-black.html, Seba has a good reputation, as far as I know.
Whatever model you choose, I’d recommend going for a skate with removable frames (check out this video, if you want to know more about frame mounting).
You could also ask a store directly what they would recommend, they can mix and match different parts for you, at least some stores do (like thisissoul.com in the Netherlands, or skamidan.com in Germany).
Really appreciate you taking the time to put all that together. Will have a look thanks.