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96-571: Griffin, an accomplished inline skater , works as a delivery boy in near-future dystopian Los Angeles . The city is overrun with poverty, crime, and drug use, and is considered one of the United States' only free territories in the wake of "The Great Crash": an economic catastrophe triggered by the greed of previous generations that has severely crippled the United States and left its properties up for grabs by foreign corporations and interests. Its effects are echoed by ominous events referenced throughout

192-414: A powerslide , an advanced braking method. Aggressive skates are sometimes sold with flat setups, but with a small space in the middle for grinding. With aggressive skates, the flat setup obviously leads to better control on the ground when either accelerating on a push or decelerating on a drag because of increased traction. It also grants a faster speed, translating to faster grinds, more powerful pumps in

288-794: A "rinkomania" in the 1860s and 1870s. Plimpton's skates forever changed the meaning of "roller skates". For the next century, roller skates as a term no longer referred to any wheeled skates. It was now synonymous with the two-by-two Plimpton-style skates. In 1969, the UK toy company Mettoy produced "Skeelers" (after the Dutch word for ice skaters), inline skates with 3 large wheels, which despite wide promotion, only had limited sales. They were originally developed for Russian hockey players and speed skaters, and in 1972, were unsuccessfully marketed in Canada by Mountain Dew. In 1978,

384-422: A "toe stop" which aids in performing figure skating jumps . A flat setup is the most common setup used on inline skates. Almost all non-aggressive inline skates are sold with a flat wheel setup. Flat means that all the wheels touch the ground at the same time when resting on flat ground. Flat setups are not the most maneuverable but what they lack in maneuverability they make up for in speed. Flat setups tend to be

480-399: A Freestyle frame. Worse still when not observing carefulness, a Freestyle setup can easily hook on vertical surfaces including steps, coping and funbox edges if you roll over them, leading to tripping incidents. This is why the technique to 'bash' (see Flat Setup ) a staircase is almost impossible on a Freestyle setup. Freestyle frames can be purchased, although removing the two inner wheels of

576-610: A case it minimizes the skater's top speed. The core is inserted to hold the polyurethane firmly in place. Despite the setback, markets still distribute special wheels without a core. Core designs vary among open, full or semi-open. 'Spokes' are an element seen in wheels whose cores are open which generally increase overall wheel lightness. These are inserted into the hubs of wheels for inline speed skates, fitness skates, recreational skates, some slalom skates and artistic/figure inline skates. Apart from spokes, other open-cores can be hollowed out internally. The main disadvantage about an open core

672-606: A five-wheel racing frame. Ball bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. Bearings are usually rated on the ABEC scale , a measure of the manufactured precision tolerance, ranging from 1 (worst) to 9 (best) in odd numbers. The ABEC standards were originally intended for high-speed machinery, not skating applications, and do not account for the quality of steel used, which is very important for how long bearings last. While higher rated bearings are generally better in overall quality, whether they automatically translate to more speed

768-483: A flat or anti-rocker frame technically makes it freestyle, however this would not be very durable due to the lack of solid grinding material. Originally invented by Fifty-50 (an aggressive inline skate frame company), Juice Blocks allow the skater to convert their flat or anti-rocker frames into proper freestyle frames. Juice Blocks are simply solid grind blocks inserted into the axle holes where two middle wheels or anti-rockers are found. Tri-rocker (not to be confused with

864-420: A good speed. Some hockey skates inline speed skates include a Hi-Lo setup. Hi-Lo setups resemble a flat setup in that all 4 wheels touch the ground at the same time. Unlike a flat setup, however, different wheel sizes are used. The front two wheels will be smaller than the back two wheels. This is possible because of the location of the axles on the frame itself. One example is a Bauer frame that has two wheels in

960-562: A halt and the momentum throws the aggressive inline skater off the rail or ledge. Again, the aspect of wheel profile is key here. A harder wheel on a flat setup will slide and 'bite' less than a softer wheel. Likewise an elliptical profile (Undercover's Dustin Werbeski 'super bullet' wheels for example) possesses less surface area hence it will not bite as much either. Adjusting to a flat setup can even out shock when landing jumps. In doing so, an inline skater's hardware like wheels, bearings, axles and

1056-473: A heel brake can use various other methods to stop, such as the T-stop in which the skater moves one skate perpendicular to the other, making a "T" shape to increase friction and reduce speed, or the more advanced maneuver of a hockey stop / snow plow stop , in which the skater quickly moves both skates perpendicular to the path of motion. For artistic roller skating purposes, inline figure skates can also feature

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1152-416: A high boot is used, which provides more ankle support and is easier to skate in, particularly for beginners. Speed skaters often use a carbon fiber boot which provides greater support with a lower cut allowing more ankle flexion. For recreational skating a soft boot is used for greater comfort, but many other disciplines prefer a harder boot, either to protect the foot against impact or for better control of

1248-414: A little picked staffe, doe slide as swiftly as birde flyeth in the aire, or an arrow out of a crossbow. In the 13th century, the Dutch revolutionized ice skating by sharpening the blades of ice skates, which were made of steel at the time. There are five main types of ice skates: the figure skate, the ice hockey skate, the bandy skate, the racing skate, and the touring skate. Figure skates are used in

1344-725: A long-distance tour skating event in Sweden Before 1870, most touring skates had a wooden foot-plate which was attached to the boot with leather straps. Examples were the Gillbergs skate from Sweden, and the Stheemann "wooden Norwegian" from the Netherlands. Even earlier, in the years 1870 to 1900, there were very similar models made in North America, like the Donaghue from the U.S. In 1875,

1440-419: A match). This setup is called "crescent" or "banana" because it is curved, and mimics a curved ice blade profile. On flat ground this setup will only have 1–2 wheels touching the ground at any one time. This makes the skate much easier to pivot but lacks stability so it is harder to balance on. To attain balance when learning to skate a full rocker, it is recommended that pressure and weight are deposited on either

1536-410: A molded plastic boot are also available. These recreational skates are commonly rented from ice rinks by beginners who do not own their own skates. In the non-American English-speaking world, they are sometimes called 'death wellies ' by skaters who own their own equipment because of their appearance and their reputation for giving the wearer blisters . People who own their own skates may further reduce

1632-414: A one-half-inch (13 mm) radius of hollow is the most common and standard sharpening for most players, the standard radius of hollow for goalies is three-quarters inch (19 mm). Bandy skates are used for playing the sports of bandy , rink bandy (bandy variant), and rinkball . The boot is generally made of leather (often synthetic) and often excludes tendon guards. The boot style for bandy skates

1728-495: A pole with a sharp metal spike that was used for pushing the skater forward, unlike modern bladed skates. Modern skates come in many different varieties, each suited to specific conditions or activities. People aross the globe wear skates recreationally in ice rinks or on frozen bodies of water, and skates are the standard footwear in many sports, including figure skating , bandy , ice hockey , ringette , rink bandy , rinkball , speed skating and tour skating . According to

1824-414: A satirical scene where men wearing Volito skates escape chase by men on boots. The National Museum of American History has a Volito skate in its collections. This skate employs a large wheel in the middle, and progressively smaller ones towards the front and the rear, creating a rockered wheel setup that allows skaters to execute turns more easily. Up to this point in history, in 1823, "roller skates" as

1920-409: A semi-open design. A hard rubber brake attached to the heel of the frame allows the skater to stop by lifting the toes of the skate, forcing the brake onto the ground. Learning how to use the heel brake is very important for beginners, as it is the easiest way to stop in emergencies and to control speed on downhills. Also, with practice, beginners realise if the heel brakes are better placed for them on

2016-438: A skate ramp and/or higher heights ('airs') off the edge of a vert ramp. Indeed, flat setups are quick save for the likelihood that they will be heavier and the two standard central wheels tend to 'bite' when grinding. Similar to skateboarding in certain respects, 'biting' is a common hindrance during grinding whereby friction between the wheel(s) and surface it comes into contact causes the wheel(s) then entire boot to suddenly reach

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2112-490: A skater to turn a skate, by simply leaning towards the desired direction. The mechanism converted rocking and canting motions of the skate platform into movements of the two wheel axles. These axles in turns steered all four wheel into the right orientations for the turn. Plimpton opened roller skating rinks, and aggressively promoted this new sport of roller skating . His wheel-steering invention together with his business acumen spread his roller skates far and wide, resulting in

2208-485: A smaller foot size. This is desirable seeing how wheels on inline speed skates are enormous enough to occupy a lot of room in frames. Unfortunately, top speed for a Hi-Lo setup is far less than that for a flat setup where same sized large wheels are used. Another variant of the setup in which there are three diameters of wheels. It is supposed to emphasize the same benefits as the HiLo system but with greater maneuverability due to

2304-460: A smaller sized wheel between the first and third wheels beneath the ball part of the foot (see speed skates ). An example is a 110–100–110–110 mm (4.3–3.9–4.3–4.3 in) arrangement beginning front to back. This increases efficiency now that the foot pushes on a smaller wheel. The smaller wheel lowers deck height off the ground improving stability and keeps the frame length shorter improving maneuverability and comfort amongst speed skaters having

2400-501: A specific type of boot is mounted on the top of the foot-plate. Traditionally, the bindings held down both toe and heel of the boot ( fixed-heel ). Some bindings require special boots like telemark ski boots with a "duck-bill" shaped toe, others, like the Multiskate, have padded adjustable straps that will attach to most hiking boots. Since the early 1990s, models have been designed for mounting free-heel cross-country ski bindings to

2496-526: A study done by Federico Formenti, University of Oxford , and Alberto Minetti, University of Milan , Finns were the first to develop ice skates some 5,000 years ago from animal bones. This was important for the Finnish populations to save energy in harsh winter conditions when hunting in Finnish Lakeland . Finland has about 187,888 lakes, which separated villages from each other. To travel between villages,

2592-427: A term was not yet used. Inventors simply referred to their contraptions as wheeled alternatives to ice skates. All known novelty skates had wheels aligned in a single profile. Skates were simply assumed to have a single runner, whether a steel blade on an ice skate, or a row of wheels on a wheeled skate. This state of affair continued through 1960. Around 1860, wheels skates started to become more popular. Patents on

2688-457: A thriving American society. Upon getting the Mist lab shut down, and in a conclusive chase to stop Gary Lee, Griffin is able to have Gary arrested. In the end, Griffin, Miltie, Speedbagger, and Casey move on out of Los Angeles to Portland to a new start away from their old ties, while Gary, spared from Griffin's wrath by his mercy, is able to buy his way out of prison and decides to trail Griffin, ending

2784-489: A tri-rocker setup is to give the skater good speed and maneuverability, like on a flat setup. But because of the extra space, grinding is also a little easier than a flat setup. Forms of inline skating: Ice skate Ice skates are metal blades attached underfoot and used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice while ice skating . The first ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. These skates required

2880-429: A very low cut shoe. Bandy blades are sharpened differently than those on ice hockey skates with the bottom part of the bandy blade which touches the ice surface being flatter and generally excluding a hollow. Ice hockey blades are sharpened in a manner that creates two side edges which make contact with the ice. As a result, and by comparison, sharp cornering and "tight turns" which are maneuvers that can be achieved using

2976-466: A wide variety of wheeled skates were issued. The configuration of wheels started to depart from previous single-line arrangements. Many of these early patents were titled "roller-skate" or "parlor skate". Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary dates the earliest printed use of the noun roller skate to 1860. Then, starting in 1870, the popularity of roller skates skyrocketed. Within a decade

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3072-449: Is attached a frame , which holds the wheels in place. Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely around an axle. Finally, the rubber brake typically attaches to the frame of the right boot. There are different types of inline skates for different types of skating such as aggressive skating , speed skating , inline hockey and artistic inline skating . Those differ in the boots, frames and wheels that are used. For most skating

3168-475: Is connected to the blade using a hinge. Short track racing skates have a longer overall height to the blade to allow for deep edge turns without the boot contacting the ice. For better turning ability, racing skates may have a radius, from 8 metres (26 ft) for short track to 22 metres (72 ft) for long track. Racing skates have a completely flat bottom. There is no hollow, only a squared off bottom with two edges. This improves glide time, by not cutting into

3264-407: Is correct. If the wheel spacer is wider than the axle spacer the bearings will bind when the axle bolt (or bolts) are tightened. Wheel sizes vary depending on the skating style. Wheels are nowadays almost universally made of polyurethane (a kind of durable plastic). Most other plastics and rubber either wear down too quickly or have too much rolling resistance . In general, the bigger the wheel,

3360-457: Is inclined forward, with a raised heel section. This is not dissimilar to how some modern-day hockey, freestyle and speed skates pitch a player leaning forward by default, giving a skater greater stability and stronger strokes. In 1861, Henry Pennie was granted a US patent titled "Roller-skate", where its drawing titled "Parlor Skate" showed a boot platform supported by two rows of wheels, with 4 wheels on each row, totaling 8 wheels per skate. In

3456-427: Is lower than the ice hockey version and often doesn't cover the ankles. The bandy skate is designed with the intention of preventing them from causing injury to an opponent due to its long, and relatively sharp angled blades. The blade is generally an inch longer than the hockey skates, allowing for higher speeds on the large bandy field (also called a "bandy rink). The Russian bandy skates have an even longer blade and

3552-499: Is questionable. Since at least 2007, Rollerblade brand amongst others have begun using their own rating system. For instance, Rollerblade brand is currently using a SG1 to SG9 rating system, whereas TwinCam brand is using its own "ILQ" (inline qualified) rating system and Bones brand is using its own "Skate Rated" rating system. A mistake that is often made in purchasing bearings is that spending more translates to more speed. Generally, clean inline skate bearings contribute about 2% of

3648-442: Is that their design does not permit sturdiness hence they are highly likely to snap under too much pressure i.e. when jumping. Another trade-off with open cores is the lesser amount of polyurethane around it to compensate for the spoked or hollow shape meaning they last shorter. Full cores are entirely solid, akin to a pipe's cross-section. This core design is mostly favored amongst aggressive skaters whose leaps off higher levels strain

3744-795: Is then folded into a frame (cheaper but less sturdy). Carbon fiber frames are expensive but generally more flexible, making for a smoother ride at the expense of worse power transfer between the leg and the wheels. In general, carbon fiber frames weigh about 160–180 grams (5.6–6.3 oz). Recently, high-end carbon fiber frames with a monocoque construction have been introduced. They offer the same level of stiffness as aluminum frames while weighing only around 130 g (4.6 oz). Aluminum can weigh from 170 to 240 grams (6.0 to 8.5 oz). Frame length ranges from two-wheel framed freestyle wheels (used in aggressive skating ) to around 230 mm (9.1 in) for short-framed four wheel skates (used in most inline designs), up to about 325 mm (12.8 in) for

3840-503: Is used for jumps and spins on the toes. Ice hockey skates are used for playing the games of ice hockey and ringette but are occasionally used for recreational ice skating alone. Each individual skate consists of a boot, laces, blade, and a blade holder. The boot is generally made of molded plastic, leather (often synthetic), ballistic nylon, or a thermoformed composite material. Each skate blade has two edges. Skates used in competitive ice hockey and ringette rarely use molded plastic for

3936-582: The Friese doorloper , a design in which the blade extended several inches behind the heel, was introduced in the Netherlands. It was popular with both tour skaters (both casual and competitive) and sprint skaters ( kortebaanschaatsen ), and remained popular until some years after the Second World War. Inexpensive skates for recreational skaters usually resemble either figure skates or hockey skates, but recreational ice skates resembling inline skates with

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4032-469: The sport of figure skating . Unlike hockey skates, they have toe picks on the front of the blade, which are usually made out of stainless steel or aluminium with a steel runner. The toe pick has a variety of uses, but is most commonly used for certain jumps in figure skating, such as the Lutz jump and toe loop , or starting a backspin. Figure skating boots are typically made of several layers of leather and

4128-448: The 13th century, with the Dutch sharpening blade edges for better purchase on ice for propulsion. Since then enterprising inventors have attempted to make boots that could similarly glide on non-ice surfaces, with wheels. In 1760, John Joseph Merlin , a renowned clock-maker, musical-instrument maker and inventor from Belgium, experimented in London with "skaites" that "ran on wheels". This

4224-432: The 3-wheeled frame/chassis seen on Tri-Skates) is used by some aggressive skaters. It is another method of making grinds easier. A frame with a tri-rocker setup has only one wheel in the middle, either in the second wheel position or in the third wheel position, depending on what kinds of grinds the skater plans on doing. The remaining axle has an anti-rocker wheel, a special grind block, or is just left empty. The purpose of

4320-539: The Anti-rocker. Since large space is freed up in the middle, the skater can not only grind wider surface areas like an entire ledge but also the frame's weight is lighter. Likewise, the Freestyle frame shares its disadvantages with its Anti-rocker cousin already listed. As opposed to anti-rockers which securely lock grinds, aggressive skaters should train themselves to remain balanced when sliding across narrow rails or edges on

4416-516: The Finnish people had two options: to take a longer route around the lake, or to find a way across the frozen surface of the lake. The earliest known skate to use a metal blade was found in Fennoscandia , and was dated to 200 AD. It was fitted with a thin strip of copper folded and attached to the underside of a leather shoe. Starting in 1976, during excavations of the city of York , UK, 42 pairs of Viking -era ice skates were found at Coppergate ;

4512-496: The German branch of SKF presented the "Speedy"-System, but the product was cancelled less than one year from market, as the management did not want a consumer product in the portfolio of the company. In the US, the first commercially available inline skates for this form of roller skating were marketed in 1987 by Rollerblade . A skate is composed of a boot, worn on the foot. To the boot

4608-460: The H-block onto the ledge or rail a skater grinds. There is a minor nuisance to anti-rocker hardware in which the items emit a loud noise upon fastening into a grind that some aggressive skaters find unbearable. The anti-rocker setup altogether makes maneuvering harder (since the standard wheels slip more), wheel life shorter, overall speed slower, a rougher ride, and a wider turning radius, but because of

4704-535: The Hi-Lo setup was an experimental component seen on K2's VO2 100 X Pro where the manufacturers believed that the two smaller wheels (90 mm [3.5 in] each) in front would increase stability and rate of acceleration while the two bigger wheels (100 mm [3.9 in] each) in the back would maintain high speeds. Essentially this K2 skate model married both wheel size properties. A Hi-Lo configuration on an inline speed skate employs three large sized wheels and

4800-563: The Rollerboys fight for control of the decaying city. Their director is young charismatic narcotics-kingpin Gary Lee: a childhood neighbor of Griffin's, who's also rumored to be the great-grandson of Adolf Hitler . The Rollerboys carry out their mission of restoring Anglo-America 's former greatness, through violent battles with other gangs, and through the distribution of "Heaven Mist", a designer drug . Griffin's younger brother Miltie, who idolizes

4896-487: The Rollerboys, takes a job with them pushing mist on the streets; eventually, Miltie starts using it himself. Then Casey, an undercover cop, recruits Griffin to join the Rollerboys as a mole in exchange for a better life. Griffin is initiated but his loyalty to the Rollerboys is soon called into question. In order to prove himself, he unknowingly pummels Speedbagger, his and Miltie's Afro-American landlord and legal guardian, nearly to death. Shortly thereafter, Griffin discovers

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4992-417: The ability of a full rocker to handle imperfections in the ground with a flat setup's sheer speed. Having a smaller wheel at the front encourages the front wheel to guide the rest of the skate over ground imperfections, rather than digging in and tripping up the less experienced skater. Maintaining a flat profile at the back allows the skater to transfer power through the rear of the skate efficiently to maintain

5088-468: The blade) to make it easier for the goalie to move side to side in the crease. Goalie skates lack a tendon guard. Unlike regular hockey skates, goalie skates are usually protected by a synthetic material covering the toe-part of the skate. This is to prevent damage from the puck. The blade of the goalie skate is not as useful in turning as regular hockey skates, because the blade is rockered less, thus making turns slightly inconvenient. The material used to make

5184-447: The blades makes touring skates more stable on uneven natural ice than skates with shorter, more rockered blades. Since tour skating often involves walking ( kluning ) between lakes or around sections not suitable for skating, the removable blades are an asset. Thus, these skates are often called kluunschaats in the Netherlands. With most modern models of skates, the blades are bonded to the bottom of an aluminum foot-plate. A binding for

5280-493: The boot of the goalie skate historically was a harder synthetic material than regular hockey boots. Sharpening ice hockey skates plays a key factor in a player's ability to skate and players will sharpen their skates hundreds of times throughout their career. Similar to figure skates, the blade is hollow ground in cross section, creating two edges that contact and cut into the ice, allowing increased maneuverability. The blades are sharpened with round-edged grinding wheels that create

5376-418: The boot, forming what today would be known as a "frame". In 1863, James Plimpton patented an "improvement in skates" consisting of a skate platform with four wheels arranged in a two-by-two configuration like a wagon. This was not the first roller skate with two rows of skates. But it was the first double-row skate that could be easily turned by a beginner. Plimpton's key innovation was a mechanism that allowed

5472-451: The chilling truth behind the Rollerboys' mantra "The Day of the Rope is coming". Rope turns out to be a toxic mist-additive, developed by the Rollerboys, which gradually renders its users sterile; the purpose of this is to "eliminate the weak", removing future generations of the "junkie" population, and eventually, the minority population, thus giving the Rollerboys free rein over their concepts of

5568-407: The design of an ice hockey skate are not achievable on bandy skates. While the design of the modern ice hockey skate allows for sharper and faster maneuverability, modern bandy skates allow for more distance to be covered at a higher speed. Racing skates, also known as speed skates, have long blades and are used for speed skating . A clap skate (or clapper skate ) is a type of skate where the shoe

5664-404: The extra space in the middle, it makes grinding objects much easier than with a flat setup. The freestyle frame is another setup used by aggressive skaters. This setup simply has only two wheels – one in the front and one in the back. In between the two wheels is an area of solid material, resembling a large "H Block", which is used for grinding. Freestyle frames have nearly identical advantages to

5760-768: The faster the skate. A bigger wheel rolls over road imperfections smoothly thus the less bumpy the skating. On top of that, an inline skater trips far less on large wheels. However, large wheels take more energy to start rolling. Smaller wheels allow faster acceleration, maneuverability, and a lower center of gravity. Wheel hardness is measured on the A scale (see Durometer ) and usually ranges between 72A-93A (lower numbers are softer, higher numbers are harder). Harder wheels are not necessarily faster but tend to be more durable; soft wheels may have better grip and are generally less affected by road bumps. Harder wheels (which grant minimal elastic hysteresis energy absorption) maintain rolling speed far better while softer wheels (because they grip

5856-443: The fastest setups, compared to setups such as the Hi-Lo or anti-rocker. The presence of two middle wheels matching the diametrical size of the rest increases contact points with any surface. They also minimize the rate at which the skater's loading weight deforms the wheels. This minimizes the wheel's footprint thereby minimizing rolling resistance. Speed skaters and marathon skaters normally use flat setups. This setup also allows for

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5952-817: The film, including: news reports of riots in Washington D.C. (due to the armed forces going on strike); a television ad announcing that Harvard University and the Ivy League was moved to Japan, followed by a question from one of the characters if "there will be any Universities left in America"; a newspaper headline that proclaims "GERMANY BUYS POLAND"; and references to the Vatican hiring the Israeli Defense Forces to "clean up" Northern Ireland . A heavily-armed white supremacist skater gang and underground conglomorate known as

6048-593: The frame itself are twice as much to be spared damage. It is worth noting that having a flat setup is just one factor in a fast skate setup. A long frame, low resistance bearings, and good technique all contribute greatly to a skater's speed. Full rockers are used by skaters who favor maneuverability when skating on flat ground. Freestyle skaters, freestyle slalom skaters and artistic inline skaters tend to use this setup. Inline hockey players no less can customize their wheels to implement this setup (especially those who favor nimble change in direction over sheer speed during

6144-416: The front that are 76 mm (3.0 in) and two wheels in the back that are 80 mm (3.1 in). Another example is a 74–76–78–80 mm (2.9–3.0–3.1–3.1 in) wheel arrangement. This drastically changed the pace at which inline hockey players accelerated. Furthermore, by transferring weight forward, the skater could sprint explosively off the toe section and reduce instances of falling backwards. If

6240-458: The greater "belly" or tire that increased resilience (or "rebound"); and these wheels were perceived as having better grip and being more stable (less like an ice blade), but were heavier than elliptical-profiled wheels and were often used in downhill racing (such as the Hyper Downhill racing wheels) and in recreational skates. Another advantage of rounded profile wheels is longer wear life due to

6336-401: The ground. Flat setups generally wear into a 'natural' rocker. This is because the front and back wheels seem to receive the vast majority of wear on inline skates. Having a short frame (230–245 mm [9.1–9.6 in]) in combination with a full rocker is optimum for achieving the highest maneuverability when skating. Front rockers are often used by street skaters who want to combine

6432-401: The ground. This gives the benefits of a flat setup, while keeping the frame as low as the height of the smaller inner wheels. It also retains room for an H-block in the center. But out bigger outer wheels give some of the benefits bigger wheels offer such as speed and stability. Anti-rocker is the most popular setup for aggressive skaters. An anti-rocker wheel is a small hard wheel that replaces

6528-634: The heel. A copy of Petibled's wheeled skates are on display at the National Museum of Roller Skating, in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. In 1823, Robert John Tyers from London was granted a patent for his skates with five wheels in a single profile, again mimicking a steel bade. This novelty skate was popularized in London as "Volito" (to fly about, in Latin). A hand-colored print from 1829 in the British Museum depicts

6624-404: The hockey skate is used recreationally outside the arena, the skater will find climbing slopes much easier than on a flat setup. As inline hockey skate manufacturers design frames with varying axle hole placements or even raise the frame's back bolt to be higher than the front bolt nowadays, wheels of the same diameter (like 80 mm [3.1 in]) can be used entirely. Beyond inline hockey,

6720-448: The ice. Touring skates (or Nordic skates) are long blades that can be attached, via bindings, to hiking or cross-country ski boots and are used for long distance tour skating on natural ice. The blades are approximately 50 cm (20 in) long with a radius of curvature (or rocker) of about 25 m (82 ft). The blades are from 1 to 1.5 mm (0.04 to 0.06 in) wide, with a flat cross-section. The length and long radius of

6816-411: The increased urethane amount on the tire. To increase stability at high speed, skates intended for downhill skating usually have five or six wheels, in contrast with recreational skates, which typically have four wheels. This advantage of more wheels having less rolling resistance has been largely negated by the 100–110 mm (3.9–4.3 in) diameter wheels with 4-wheel trucks. A flat profile allowed

6912-768: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, while inline skates became prominent in the late 1980s with the rise of Rollerblade, Inc. , and peaked in the late 1990s. The registered trademark Rollerblade has since become a generic trademark due to its popularity. To this day, "rollerblades" continues to be used in everyday language to refer to inline skates. In the 21st century, inline skates come in many varieties, suitable for different types of inline skating activities and sports such as recreational skating, road skating , street hockey , speed skating , slalom skating , aggressive skating , and vert skating . Inline skaters can be found at traditional roller rinks , street hockey rinks, skateparks , and on urban streets. In cities around

7008-413: The leather is very stiff to provide ankle support. In addition, the figure skate's blade is curved, allowing for minute adjustments in balance and weight distribution. The base of the figure-skate blade is slightly concave, or "hollow ground". The hollow, which runs the length of the blade, creates two edges, which come in contact with the ice. The forward part of the blade, the toe-rake, is saw-toothed and

7104-589: The left/right foot. Heel brakes can interfere with a useful technique called a crossover turn, in which a skater crosses one leg over another to make a sharp turn without losing much speed; for this reason, most intermediate to advanced users prefer not to use heel brakes. Skaters in the freestyle slalom and aggressive inline skating disciplines do not use heel brakes, since they limit the skater's ability to perform tricks effectively. Aggressive inline skates and racing skates generally have no heel brake, thereby permitting extra speed and control. Inline skaters lacking

7200-481: The lowest rolling resistance in the 82A–84A durometer range. Wheel profiles and thickness again vary by application. Elliptic profiles were thought to minimize friction for a faster ride; however, they were intended to mimic the knife-like properties of an ice blade. They helped define the inner, central and outer edges. Elliptic profiles made the wheel quite maneuverable when turning or otherwise crossing over. More rounded profiles provided lower rolling resistance due to

7296-780: The majority are made from horse leg bones, although cattle leg bones were also used. The bones were cut flat and polished on one side and drilled with a hole at one end. A leather thong, held in place by a wooden peg, was inserted into the hole to attach the skate to the wearer’s ankle. The Viking invasion of York took place on November 1, 866. Cannon, John (2015). "Ælle" . A Dictionary of British History . Oxford University Press. doi : 10.1093/acref/9780199550371.001.0001 . ISBN   9780199550371 . Retrieved 24 August 2024 . Johnson, Ben. "Invaders! Angles, Saxons and Vikings" . Historic UK . Retrieved 24 August 2024 . This would suggest that bone ice skates were being used in England from

7392-425: The movie in a sequel hook. Inline skater Inline skates are boots with wheels arranged in a single line from front to back, allowing a skater to roll along on these wheels. Inline skates are technically a type of roller skate , but most people associate the term roller skates with quad skates, another type of roller skates with a two-by-two wheel arrangement similar to a car. Quad skates were popularized in

7488-573: The ninth century. William Fitzstephen , writing in the 12th century, described the use of bone skates in London. The following seems to be an Early Modern English translation of the Latin original: when the great fenne or moore (which watereth the walles of the citie on the North side) is frozen, many young men play upon the ice, some striding as wide as they may, doe slide swiftly... some tye bones to their feete, and under their heeles, and shoving themselves by

7584-407: The patent specification, Pennie explained that his key innovation was the two rows of wheels. This set his skates apart from all previous roller skates that attempted to emulate ice skates with a single, centered runner. Pennie reasoned that two rows of wheels provided increased support area for better balance, without materially incurring greater friction. His skate, too, had two side plates secured to

7680-440: The rolling resistance that the best urethane inline skate wheels produce, so there is very little opportunity in improving speed by spending more money on bearings. Newer bearings on the market have been offered that use ceramic ball bearings instead of steel, which are more expensive than traditional steel bearings but made of harder material. Two bearings are used per wheel. The bearings slip into openings molded into each side of

7776-598: The skate. The boot may also contain shock absorbent padding for comfort. Downhill skaters often use boots that are heat-molded to the shape of the foot, with a foam liner. Most aggressive skates use a hard boot or a hard/soft boot for increased support. Typical recreational skates use frames built out of high-grade polyurethane (plastic). Low-end department or toy store skate frames may be composed of other types of plastic. Speed skate frames are usually built out of carbon fiber or extruded aluminum (more expensive but more solid), magnesium, or even pressed aluminium, which

7872-458: The skates, and thus attach matching ski boots to the skates. The free-heel models give the equivalent effect as the klap skate form of speed skates. There are several makers of these skates in Sweden, Netherlands, and Finland. Although mainly used for non-competitive touring, nordic skates are sometimes used in marathon speed skating races on natural ice, such as Vikingarännet (The Viking Run),

7968-579: The smaller front wheels. The configuration is 72 mm (2.83 in), 76 mm (2.99 in), 80 mm (3.15 in), 76 mm (2.99 in). It allows one to pivot on the third wheel similar to the brand Wizard Skates. This system is also used by some hockey skaters as it pitches the foot slightly forward. A few aggressive skate frames (most notably Rollerblade's Switch Frame, Ground Control's Bullet Frame, Oysi Frame and Joe Atkinson Sola Frame) are designed so that there are two big outer wheels, and two small inner wheels, rockered so that they all touch

8064-444: The surface) accelerate more straightforwardly when striding. In the 1990s, wheel rolling resistance (CRR – coefficient of rolling resistance) tended to be minimized with wheel hardness in the 78A durometer range, with rolling resistance dramatically increasing below 75A durometer and above 85A durometer. In the early 2000s, urethane compounds improved significantly, allowing skaters to use harder compounds to get better wheel life, and get

8160-473: The term "roller skates" entered the popular lexicon. In 1860, the US Patent Office granted Reuben Shaler the first US patent on roller skates, titled "Wheel-Skate", with an accompanying drawing labeled "Parlor Skate". The four rollers (wheels) formed a straight line, and were mounted by pins on two side pieces of a hanger that we would now recognize as a frame of a modern-day inline skate. The key innovation

8256-402: The two edges. The wheels grind out a hollow semi-circle along the length of the underside of the blade, forming the sharp edge on each side. Skate blade sharpness is measured by the thickness of the round-edged grinding wheel being used, the smaller the radius, the sharper the edge will be. The sharpness chosen by a player is based completely upon preference, not player size or level of play. While

8352-411: The two middle wheels or the two wheels in the back. Avoid applying pressure on the two front wheels when taking strides since this is what will cause instability. In addition, a full rocker is slower than a flat setup in terms of top speed. Worst of all at high speeds, skates with a full rocker setup can experience a speed wobble, where they oscillate uncontrollably. The skater may lose control and crash to

8448-535: The two middle wheels. Anti-rocker wheels almost never touch the ground except in cases where the terrain is uneven, such as skating over a ramp. Anti-rockers can be made of plastic, or high density polyurethane. Some use bearings so that they can spin. As they can spin, the anti-rockers wear out more evenly when grinding. Anti-rockers containing bearings can effectively roll over uneven ground or features like steps, lessening tripping hazards. Others do not use bearings so that they're lighter. The anti-rockers themselves lock

8544-407: The upper boot, as this results in limited mobility. The skates used by goaltenders are cut lower in the ankle than a normal hockey skate and the boot sits closer to the ice for a lower center of gravity. The boot itself is encased in hardened plastic, called a "cowling", protecting the toe, ankle and heel from the force of the shot puck. The blade is usually longer and has less rocker (curvature to

8640-418: The wheel hub, and a flange molded into the wheel hub holds the bearings the correct distance apart. Additionally there is an axle spacer either machined into the axle or that slides over the axle (depending on the axle system used). Since the outer race of the bearing contacts the wheel spacer and the inner race of the bearing contacts the axle spacer, it is critical that the relationship between these two spacers

8736-440: The wheel to be even far stabler than the rounded profile. This profile is almost exclusively used on aggressive skate wheels. On the flip-side, the squared-off shape caused cornering to be tremendously harder, seeing how edges are non-existent with a flat profile. In fact, a flat profile has only a center edge preventing the skater from leaning over. The core's general design i.e. material, shape, and flexibility/sturdiness degree at

8832-420: The wheel's hub determine the wheel's properties as well. In a classical point of view, wheels on older skate models (during the 1980s and early 1990s) contained no core feature whatsoever. The core is a result of the gradual technological improvement inline skating underwent. Above all else, a wheel lacking a core is prone to deformation. This deformation is a hindrance to the skater's striding ability since in such

8928-491: The wheels when landing. Of course, these cores (alongside the extra polyurethane) tend to add weight on the wheel. Some even disfavor the full core design for its rigidity that feels uncomfortable. The question still stands on whether a full core improves power transfer. Semi-open cores are a hybrid between the two previously mentioned cores seen on wheels for urban skates, slalom skates and inline hockey skates. Minuscule holes are typically punctured into these solid cores to provide

9024-548: The world, skaters organize urban group skates. Paris Friday Night Fever Skate (Randonnée du Vendredi Soir) is renowned for its large crowd size, as well as its iconic +10 mile urban routes. Wednesday Night Skate NYC is its equivalent in New York City, also run by volunteers, albeit smaller in size. The history of inline skates traces back to the origin of ice skates in prehistoric times, with runners made from animal bones. Steel blades eventually replaced bone runners in

9120-418: Was the first recorded wheeled skates. Written records left no drawings nor descriptions of wheel configurations, however. In 1819, Charles-Louis Petibled from France filed the first known patent on wheeled skates. Three wheels in a single profile, mimicking a steel blade, were integrated into a wooden shoe sole with leather straps. Two wheels sat under the ball of the foot, while one wheel was positioned under

9216-528: Was the flexible rubber rings he mounted on 4 metal roller cores. This allowed his roller skates to gain better purchase on carpeted floors. In 1861, Albert Anderson was granted a US patent on "Improvement in roller-skates". The accompanying drawings titled "Parlor Skate" showed a two-wheeled skate, with a small wheel under the heel, and a much larger wheel in front of the toes, reminiscent of penny-farthing bikes . The large front wheel overcomes oncoming obstacles, preventing skater from falling froward. The platform

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