Thinking about trying some tricks? If you've been inspired by skaters on Instagram or YouTube and want to give it a go, you might be wondering if you need specific skates. The answer depends on the style of skating you want to try.
Aggressive Skating: Stunts and Grinds
Aggressive skating involves stunts like grinding on rails, sliding on obstacles, and jumping or spinning off various structures. It's similar to skateboarding, with an emphasis on tricks at skateparks or in urban environments.
For aggressive skating, you'll need aggressive skates, which are specifically designed for these stunts. These skates feature a strong cuff for ankle support, reinforced plates and frames for grinding, and smaller wheels to keep you closer to the ground. However, these skates are specialised, and not ideal for general skating or other styles.
Slalom and Freestyle: Technical Precision
Slalom and freestyle skating focus on precise, technical tricks around cones or other obstacles. The key to this style is the banana-rockered frame setup, where the front and back wheels are slightly higher than the middle ones. Some skates come with adjustable axles for this, while others have it built into the frame. Alternatively, you can use smaller wheels in the front and back (typically a 76-80-80-76 setup).
FR Skates for Slalom/Freestyle are popular models for this style but if you're just getting started, skates with rockerable axles like the FR2 80 or the Seba Trix 2 are a more affordable option.
Wizard Skating: Expression
Wizard skating is more difficult to define as it contains elements of aggressive skating, slalom and freestyle to create a unique, fluid style. It’s all about exploring dynamic movement on skates, with a lot of creative freedom. Check Leon Basin’s video below for an excellent demonstration of wizard-style skating:
For Wizard-style skates, a UFS mounted boot is preferred (see our article on frame mounting for more on this), especially one made of carbon fibre, which keeps your centre of gravity low. You'll also need a Wizard-style frame designed for this type of movement. Wizard-style frames typically feature a natural rocker which ensures the long wheelbase is still manoeuvrable. This style of frame is the most logical for the activity and ensures it is super fun.
Urban Skating: Moving Through the Streets
Similar to Wizard-Style, Urban skating is all about navigating through city streets, using the environment as your playground. Think of it as parkour on skates, where you interact with obstacles like rails, stairs, and ledges.
For urban skating, we typically see skates with 80mm wheels used, as they are easily accessible and affordable. Skates like the FRX 80, Rollerblade RB80, or Powerslide Next are commonlyused for this style (there are strong arguments to suggest a Wizard-style boot would be more ideal for this as much of the language/ideas cross over in any case). Keep in mind that urban skating can be tough on your skates, especially if you're incorporating tricks and the skates above are not designed for this purpose.
Can One Skate Do It All?
Unfortunately, the easiest answer is to say not one skate can excel at every style. If you're focused on a specific type of skating, it's best to invest in skates designed for that purpose. Having said that, some skates with unique cross-style features might be of interest and, equally, building something custom (usually costing more money) can improve user experience.
If you still have any questions or want a recommendation specific to you, email us at hello@locoskates.com.
Cover photo by Sam Cooper - ft Harry Abel @ Mudeford