Powerblading is relatively fresh concept (ok, let?s say it?s very old, but executed better) and many freeskaters still don?t get the idea what it is about. They knew only Twisters, Sebas, or Salomon and later Powerslide FSK skates for years and can be confused. Aggressive boots and brands? UFS? Flat? Who needs those?

This text is an attempt to clarify differences between freeskating and powerblading. They look alike at first, but differ in used gear, and possibilities.


Powerblading is based on aggressive boots. Their construction is different from typical freeskates (Metro, Twister, FR series, ASP, NRK etc.).

Shell

Freeskates are usually slimmer, because they are still based on old rec skates:



And it cause some consequences.

First of all, there is less space for toes. Aggressive boots have round and wide toe box, typical freeskates fit tightly around your toes. Of course freedom of toes = less control in that area of boot, but it isn?t something to worry about in freeride, aggressive or powerblading. Tight fit around toes is required in freestyle slalom and some slides on wheels, which are also more popular among slalomers than in the other groups.
Wide toe box is more comfortable in agro, pb and fsk ? simply, it?s less likely that you?ll bash your toes at shell and hurt them during landings or bails. There are freeskaters who prefer to have skates half or one size larger because of that ? it gives them more space for toes.

Unfortunately, boots of all these skates



Are intended to have tight fit around toes so they could be suitable for freestyle slalom, which was mixed with freeskating for years. It makes them less comfortable for jumping and performing some tricks.

Only exception right now are Rollerblade Fusions, which have toe box like aggressive skates. But it?s only like that because they are based on Solo boot stripped from soulplates, and that boot was designed for aggressive skating (some people claim it is a ?rec? boot but that?s not true. It is based on Dirks/Daytonas/Swindlers and Solos debuted whole full year before first Fusions. RB created Fusions to boost their ?Urban? product range at low cost and it proved to be good idea).

Closure

All freeskates have 45 degree buckle or strap in the ankle area. Only few aggressive skates have it (right now: USD Carbons, K2 Fatty & Varsity, RB Solos). It?s trivial ? buckle placed in this area usually won?t live long in aggressive skating. It?s vulnerable to getting damaged on messed up grinds.

That?s why aggressive boots have very high lacing, with more eyelets, much like hockey skates. If boot is matched well with feet, it proves enough and there is no heel-lift, even without a 45 degree buckle (I ride my Fusions like that, because they suit me so well ? yes I removed fully functional buckle).

In freeskates (only exception are Fusions, you already know why) 45 degree strap is a must. Lacing is not efficient enough ? too low, and too few eyelets.

Frame mounting system

In aggressive and powerblading skates UFS is exclusive standard. Typical freeskates made today have something called Small Speed Mount, with lifted heel and 165mm spacing (again, Fusions are only exception ? they have UFS). When Salomon still made skates they had FSK line of freeskates, and these all were based on UFS.

Small Speed Mount forces lifted heel on you. Like it, adapt to it, or search for UFS skates.

UFS is more versatile here: some boots have lifted heel (Valo, Shima Skate Manufacture, Razors Cult, USD Throne Classic). Others are halfway between raised heel and flat heel position, for example RB Solo and USD Throne UFS. Finally, some have heel on the same. Or close to the level of the toes: USD Carbon or K2 Fatty/Varsity for example. It?s easier to choose boots that suit your needs.

UFS was intended to create strong, and easy to use connection between frame and boot. Tabs around mounting points and corresponding depressions in frames lessen stress put on the screws, and don?t allow frame to change position unwillingly (it happen sometimes in skates with small speed mount).

Also ? all UFS frames fit all UFS boots

Small speed mount is not even a standard. Sure, you can fit all ssm frames to all ssm boots, but it?s not guaranteed they will be centered. Powerslide invented X-Slot to get around this problem, but it is based on moveable mounting points, which are another crucial element of the skate that might break. Seba used mounting plates, but they have ?blind spots? considering longitudinal adjustment.

One great characteristic of a small speed mount is ability to move frame to the sides using oblongs in it, and in case of X-slot in PS skates and plates in Sebas ? changing forward-backward postion. It can help skaters who have problems with supination or pronation of legs. In case of UFS, such people must adapt to centered frame placement, search for boots that will eliminate the problem (all boots fit a bit differently) or mod the skates.

Shock absorption

Maybe some skaters won?t agree, but in my opinion typical freeskates with small speed mount have simply inferior shock absorption. Why?
Heel lifted one centimeter or more leaves less space for shock absorber, which is thinner in freeskates. Along came other problems. Metal plates used in mounting points of top Seba FR models and Powerslide Metros transfer all vibrations and shocks much more efficient than simple connection of plastic boot and metal frame.

Not only shock-absorber contribute to comfort of landings. Plastic of shell and soulplate that goes between frame and the boot of UFS skates also lessen the shock. In some cases there are 2cm or more of plastic between frame and heel. Insoles in aggressive liners often are designed to give more comfort on landings. New liners like Rollerblade Blank and USD Phoenix have full rubber sole and mini antishock pads integrated under the heel.

What about UFS skates with lifted heel and no shock-absorbers like Valos or Classic Thrones?

It?s the same situation. Thick souls under heel provide more soft landings. Throne Classice are equipped now with Phoenix liner mentioned before. In spite of lifted heel, these skates are still more kind to your body on landings than freeskates with lifted heel in stock setup. Simply ? in freeskates 1cm of space between boot and rear wheel is wasted ? empty, with only rigid bridge of metal frame to fill the gap. In UFS blades with lifted heel there is 1cm of plastic that contribute to shock-absorption.

Soulplates

All aggressive/pb blades have souls for grinds. Only Rollerblade Solos give possibility to remove souls and skate without them. In other skates they are mandatory, as they go between boot and the frame. Razors SLs are extreme case: without soulplates, there is no bottom of the boot!

Soulplates allow to perform grinds and stalls, which are not possible in, or damaging to the freeskate boots without souls. They also protect boot, some better than the others. But they make skates more wide, and can get in the way in some maneuvers freeskaters do.

Frames

Main difference is: powerblading frames are made to allow grinding. None of freeskate frames were designed in such way, even those in UFS, even plastic Fusion X3 frames. Of course, PB frames are UFS only ? it would make no sense at all to make grindable frames in Small Speed Mount, when boots using this connection don?t have soulplates.

Wheels

Freeskating is more and more focused on speed, as rising popularity of skates with 84mm and 90mm wheels proves. It?s doubtful Powerblading will ever go larger than 80mm wheels. Next generations of frames should focus on lowering balance, and incorporating H-block. It is highly possible that longer, lower frames with h-block and 76mm wheels will became standard powerblading gear, giving good trade-off between speed, control, and grind-ability.

84 and 90mm diameter wheels are impractical for this style: make balance too high, would also make grinds harder. If you are looking for fast, urban skating action, it?s better to get freeskates with larger wheels than powerblades.

Seba FR-A case

Seba released soulplates for their FR freeskates, and FR-A model, and fans of the brand should be happy about is.

But FR-As aren?t true powerblading gear ? they are simply freeskates that allow some grinding. Why?

-they have no inside plates, which means many grinds aren?t possible on them. Powerblading setup makes many grinds a lot harder ? Seba FR-A makes many grinds impossible to pull off, even to advanced bladers.
-grinplate is old-school and do not cover whole frame side. It will be enough on rails, copings, and smooth ledges, but won?t protect frame ends when grinding rougher ledges on street.

-just like souplates, grindplates are on one side of the frame, which goes in the way of some tricks if you don?t want to scratch naked aluminum on ledges.

Let?s say, FR-A and Seba soulplates are good option for freeskaters that only want to taste powerblading ("A" stands for aggressive apparently, but forget aggressive skating with them?)


Different skate types, different styles of course.

You can say that powerbladings adds grinds to freeskating. Or other way around ? it incorporates speed and freedom of freeskating in to aggressive blading.

Fact is, really good aggressive skater should be able to pull off all his agro tricks on pb setup. Maybe in less stylish way, maybe on less hardcore obstacles, maybe won?t do as much switch-ups on rail or ledge, but still. And he can counter 80mm flat setup shortcomings creating more dynamic and longer lines.

Jumps, especially those high and long, were always part of aggressive skating. In recent years many bladders focused on more technical tricks (?skate smart not hard?) than on huge gaps that are very risky and can cause serious injuries. But jumps are still big part of aggressive, and still many bladers are pulling of ones that freeskaters only can dream about.

Jumps were always part of freeskating too, but not in as hardcore fashion. Freeskates don?t drop from the rooftops or megaramps.

If you?ll look at the skates, you?ll soon realize ?powerblades? allow to jump larger gaps and land more comfortably. That?s because of better shock-absorption. You can amplify it even further choosing plastic Advance over aluminum Arrow.

Soulplates around the boot make many wheel slides (shuffles) much harder, and some - almost impossible. You?ll simply will scratch the ground with soulplate edge when trying to do them.

But powerblades allow to perform cess slides, which are VERY hard in freeskates, and there are few freeskaters who can do them. Not to mention, you are sliding on boot shell, which isn?t very healthy for it.
So, powerblading closes one doors, and opens another. If you want to connect freedom of movement known from freeskating, with grinds, getting powerblades is highly recommended if not necessary.

But if you are a skater who freeskate, ride freestyle slalom, and shuffle a lot on the same pair of skates, you?ll be disappointed. Before powerblading emerged, Rollerblade Fusions were rejected by such skaters. And these are more freeskates, than powerblades. For such people, traditional freeskates with raised heel, Seba FR-A model eventually, if they want to grind from time to time, are better.

Personally, I find freestyle slalom boring (to skate, not to watch), and shuffles aren?t my favorite thing too. I don?t even count these as part of freeskating/freeride. I like to watch from time to time how nice ladies are skating slalom, but learning even simpliest grind ? makio ? gave me tons of fun, much more than all my time spend between cones, when I still was curious about this style. I fell in love with powerblading, simply.

For sure powerblading deserves its own name: it is not aggressive, neither freeskating. It?s a connection of both that takes best elements and merge them in to something new and explosive. In my opinion, all freeskaters and agro bladers should try PB as a break from their usual skating style ? they?ll learn a lot of new things, they will be able to use in different context.

As for now, I?m still saving for my pair of true PBs. Until then, my Fusions life will be a lot harder