So you’ve become one of Sparkles Kennesaw‘s regulars – you come skate with us at least three times a week, you know all of our staff’s names, and you have it written down on your calendar to print out our new coupons each month. You have become a true roller skater and its time for you to invest in your own pair of roller skates! But, where do you even begin??
Quad or Inline Skates?
The first, and most simple, question to ask yourself is – quad or inline? The answer to the question depends on if you are simply a pleasure skater or if you are going to be competing in some type of roller skating sport. If you are a pleasure skater, then choose which every type of skate you prefer, if you are going to be competing, buy skates appropriate for the type of sport you are interested in.
Wheels
Wheels come in a variety of hardness, hubs, shape, and colors. Some wheels even have holes in them! Harder wheels are typically used for indoor skating while softer wheels are used for outdoor. Hubs come in metal or nylon options. Metal hubs are lighter weight and nylon hubs can flex.
Bearings
Bearings allow the wheel to roll and are rated on an ABEC scale. The higher the scale determines the different accuracy and tolerance ranges for bearings. The scale rating doesn’t affect the speed of your skates, but the type of lubricant you choose will.
Boots
Boots can be made of leather, vinyl, or other synthetic material. They come in a rage of styles including high top, low top and suede. You can also get custom built boots from Riedell that offer unlimited choices for style, color, and design.
Plates
The plates are the parts of the skate that allow you to maneuver your skates around, not including the wheels and bearings. The come in mix matched options of aluminum, nylon, and adjustable plates with aluminium or nylon trucks.
Choose your mix of your favorite wheels, bearings, boots, and plates to make your ideal skate and we will see you out on the skating rink at Sparkles Kennesaw in Kennesaw, GA!