How are made rink-hockey skates?

How are made rink-hockey Skates?

Sifting through the elements…

Rink-hockey shoes

• The shoes are mid-top and relatively rigid because the foot should be well supported into the skate.
• The inside is often padded in order to offer a greater comfort.
• The toe and the heel of the shoe are reinforced and capped in order to protect from shocks, which are very frequent in rink-hockey.
• Protective caps are integrated inside the leather of the shoe.

There are carbon shoes too, but most of the time they are made of leather. Some skaters have a go at carbon but they are far from being a majority.

The flagship shoe brands ar:

• Meneghini
• Procat
• Reno
• TVD.

Reno and Meneghini are the most represented. Skaters make their choice of models and brands according to their styles.

Plates

The plate is very important in rink-hockey, just as in any other skating discipline. There are plates made of (almost) all the possible and unthinkable materials: aluminum, composite, carbon, nylon, glass fiber, glass fiber and carbon, even plastic and rubber!

Most of the time, the plates are shorter than the skates. The key-brands are :

• Roll Line
• Meneghini
• Boiani

Rink-Hockey has one models in common with artistic skating.

The size of plates is given in centimeters, contrarily to speed skating where it is given in inches or millimeters. You can find models varying from 110 mm to 270 mm. They are equipped with trucks the diameter of which may vary between 7, 8 and 13 mm, the most standard size being 7 mm.

Toe-Stop

At the front of the plate, there is a toe stop. It is a pad made of rubber on a screw. It is round with a straight cut on a side.

It is mostly destined to brake. In order to use it, you have to tip up the skate to the front until you bump on it. It is also used for starts. Skaters use it a lot to speed up. It is the basic element for speed.

Wheels

It is an art in itself! There are numerous types of wheels according to the types of surface:

• special parquet wheels
• special slippery surface
• special sticky rinks
• stability wheels, etc.

The biggest manufacturer is Roll Line without any doubt: nearly all skaters use their wheels. The diameter as well as the hardness of the wheel vary.

Goal keepers are equipped with tiny wheels of 38 mm while field players use 57 to 92 mm models. Their harness is close to that used in aggressive skating: 92A or 95A.

Bearings

Their dimensions are linked to those of the axles, so that you will find 607 and 627 most of the time, but also 608 and 688. Just like in the other skating disciplines, bearings may be closed or open. They price generally varies from €40 to €100.

A complete pair of skates costs between €180 and €1000 and above. A beginner should have a budget around €180-220.

Useful links

Make me a skatepark!
How are made skate wheels?
How to clean and take care of your bearings

By Gorink and Alfathor
Translated by Close Yr E’s
Photos: Hawaii Surf