Editing Inline skates (section)

=== Urban skates ===

[[File:Inline Skate-Hybrid boot with carbon shell-Powerslide Tau on Endless 90 frame with 3x110mm wheels-IMG 4271-FRD.png|thumb|right|240px|Urban skate with 3 big wheels]]

Urban skate is an umbrella term created by the industry to describe a type of skate suitable for several niche inline disciplines: freestyle skating, slalom skating, wizard skating, city commuting, and [[road skating|urban skating]]. These activities take place on relatively flat ground, but the surface may not always be paved or smooth.<ref name="inline-warehouse-choose-urban-skates"/><ref name="vegter-naming-freestyle-aggro-street-skating"/><ref name="slickwillies-inline-buyers-guide">{{cite web
|url=https://www.slickwillies.co.uk/pages/inline-skates-buying-advice
|title=Inline Skates Buyer's Guide
|website=Slick Willie's
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250204035858/https://www.slickwillies.co.uk/pages/inline-skates-buying-advice
|archive-date=2025-02-04
|access-date=2025-02-04
}}</ref>

[[File:Patineur à Douala 17.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Urban skating in Bonanjo]]

'''Freestyle skating''' is named after its counterpart in skateboarding, just like aggressive street, park, and vert skating are named after street, park, and vert skateboarding, respectively. Freestyle skating is the art of performing skating tricks on relatively flat ground, free of obstacles.<ref name="vegter-naming-freestyle-aggro-street-skating"/><ref name="slickwillies-inline-buyers-guide"/> [[Freestyle slalom skating]] is a form of freestyle skating where tricks are performed around slalom cones. This is standardized by the International Freestyle Skaters Association (IFSA) and World Skate as '''freestyle slalom''' to distinguish it from '''speed slalom''', which is a form of speed skating around cones on flat ground.<ref name="ifsa-freestyle-slalom-rules">{{cite web
|url=http://ifsasports.org/English/Rules/freestyle.htm
|title=IFSA Freestyle Slalom Rules
|website=International Freestyle Skaters Association
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205014428/http://ifsasports.org/English/Rules/freestyle.htm
|archive-date=2025-02-05
|access-date=2025-02-05
}}</ref><ref name="world-skate-freestyle-slalom-rules">{{cite web
|url=https://www.worldskate.org/inline-freestyle/about/regulations.html?download=4525:inline-freestyle-rulebook-2020
|title=World Skate Inline Freestyle Regulation
|website=World Skate
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718231708/https://www.worldskate.org/inline-freestyle/about/regulations.html?download=4525:inline-freestyle-rulebook-2020
|archive-date=2024-07-18
|access-date=2025-02-05
}}</ref> Freestyle skating requires skates that support rigorous turning and edging maneuvers, with characteristics similar to hockey skates. A rockered setup with 76-80mm wheels on a relatively short frame is common for freestyle skating.<ref name="naomi-grigg-2014"/>{{rp|15–25}}<ref name="welch-demystify-inline-disciplines"/>

'''Urban skating''' and '''city commuting''' take the activity to the street. But the term 'street skating' is already taken as a subdiscipline of aggressive skating, for grinding on street obstacles. Thus, this niche market is variously promoted as skating on paved roads or commuting to work on skates. These activities demand longer frames and larger wheels for higher cruising speed, stable tracking, and more comfortable rides on uneven surfaces, similar to speed skates for marathon events. Common wheel setups include 4x80mm, 4x90mm, 4x100mm, 3x100mm, 3x110mm, and 3x125mm.<ref name="inline-warehouse-choose-urban-skates"/><ref name="welch-demystify-inline-disciplines"/>

{{multiple image
 | direction = horizontal
 | total_width = 400
 | footer = Hard boots (left) vs Hybrid boot & carbon shell (right)
 | image1 = Powerslide One Zoom-inline skates-IMG 5803-side view-FRD.png
 | image2 = Powerslide Tau urban skate vs its hybrid carbon fiber shell-original frame w 90mm wheels-IMG 3786-FRD.jpg
}}

In terms of skate construction, urban skates overlap with the high-end segment of recreational skates. A '''hard shell''' is standard for urban skates. Higher-end models feature '''hybrid boots''' with carbon composite shells (endoskeleton) that are heat-moldable.<ref name="powerslide-hard-soft-hybrid-boots"/><ref name="slickwillies-inline-buyers-guide"/> Despite sharing some design goals with hockey skates and speed skates, urban skates are not built like them. Unlike speed skates, urban skates provide strong ankle support with traditional hinged cuffs. Unlike hockey boots, urban boots are not built around a quarter package, nor do they have frames riveted onto them.<ref name="xinhaidude-carbon-fiber-inline-skates"/>

{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | width1 = 180
 | image1 = Powerslide Tau boot with a Trinity three-point mounting system-bg-FRD.png
 | width2 = 180
 | image2 = Endless frame compatible with Trinity mounting system on a PS Tau boot-IMG 4451-bg-FRD.png
 | caption2 = Trinity 3-pt mounting
}}

Indeed, most urban skate boots support either the '''165mm''' two-point or the '''Trinity''' three-point mounting standards, allowing a skater to mount a variety of compatible frames to a boot that best fits them. The same boot can thus be customized with a short frame and average-sized wheels for slalom skating, or with a long frame and large wheels for long-distance road skating.<ref name="vegter-everything-about-frames"/><ref name="inline-warehouse-frame-buying-guide"/>

[[File:Powerslide Reign Ares hybrid skates-Trinity mount-215mm Ego SL frame-Heel to Toe Drop for Forward Lean-IMG 4820-bg-FRD.png|thumb|right|180px|Heel-to-toe drop on a Trinity frame]]

Both the 165mm and Trinity standards have their heel mounting platforms raised higher than their toe mounting platforms. This difference in height between the raised heel and the lowered toe is known in the shoe industry as a '''heel-to-toe drop'''. Such a drop causes a skater to lean forward by default, simulating a slight forward flex. This is similar to the purpose of the hi-lo wheel setup in hockey skates.<ref name="bladeville-wizard-frames-and-rest">{{cite web
|url=https://bladeville.com/blog/how-rockering-in-wizard-like-inline-skate-frames-work
|title=Rockering in Wizard Frames & Rest of the Pack
|website=Bladeville
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205031900/https://bladeville.com/blog/how-rockering-in-wizard-like-inline-skate-frames-work
|archive-date=2025-02-05
|access-date=2025-02-05
}}</ref><ref name="vegter-everything-about-frames"/><ref name="runrepeat-heel-to-toe-drop"/>

'''Wizard skating''' is named after the company Wizard Skating, founded by Leon Basin in 2014. Leon and his aggressive inline friends from @Mushroomblading popularized this new form of skating. Leon himself performed flowing footwork from freestyle, slalom, and figure skating while blazing through roads, rolling over curbs, skating up ramps, bashing down stairs, and parkouring on walls. Leon perfected a type of "Wizard" skate for this sport, featuring a long frame, large wheels, and a rockered wheel setup. For a skate size of EU43, these Wizard skates are available with either a 4x100mm or a 5x80mm setup.<ref name="bladeville-wizard-frames-and-rest"/><ref name="welch-demystify-inline-disciplines"/>

Wizard frames utilize the '''UFS''' mounting system from aggressive skates. Wizard frames are thus not compatible with other urban boots where 165mm and Trinity mounting systems dominate. Unlike the flat aggressive frames from which UFS originated, a Wizard frame does include a built-in heel-to-toe drop, similar to 165mm and Trinity systems.<ref name="bladeville-wizard-frames-and-rest"/><ref name="vegter-everything-about-frames"/><ref name="welch-demystify-inline-disciplines"/>