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Part 1 - Getting Started
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Hello, my name is Cinkxr. Welcome to the Agraskat homepage. This page will be continually updated in the next few weeks. Enjoy!
Aggressive skating is a fairly new sport even though some people believe it's getting old. This page is dedicated to the amateurs of this sport. The first question an amateur aggressive skater will ask is, "What skate should I buy?" Well, a pair of decent aggressive skates go anywhere from $130 - $400. Since we're just beginners though, let's stay around $200. Some well known companies are K2, Oxygen, Roces, Rollerblade, and Fila. Each company has its different models, styles, and prices. Picking out a pair of skates is up to you. It all comes down to preference. However, there are some things to look for.
THE CUFF- Most skaters like a hinged cuff because it gives the wearer a forward stance which many skaters believe is the key to a proper teshnique.
THE FRAME- Make sure that the frame can have different size wheels attached to it so that you can change them if you want to. You see, this is a plus for aggressive skates. You can turn them into street hockey skates or recreation skates by changing the wheel size.
WHEELS- Big wheels = more speed; small wheels = better balance. Aggressive skates usually have small wheels because it allows better balance while performing a trick. Some skaters try to get the best of both worlds by experimenting with different combinations of wheel sizes.
CLOSURE- Make sure that there is a metal buckle at the top of your skates and laces on the rest of it. This arrangement offers the most comfort and control.
BEARINGS- Bearings are rated by their manufacturer in the ABEC rating system. The higher the ABEC number, the better the bearings are supposed to be. However, since the bearings are rated by the manufacturer, one company's ABEC 3's might be better than another company's ABEC 5's. Even so, they really don't make that much of a difference. You can pick out your bearings according to how much you want to spend and by how credible the company you're buying them from is. For the amateur skater though, stick with the bearings that come with your skates.
BRAKES- You can put brakes on your skates, but they aren't recomended for aggressive skating because they tend to get caught on something when performing tricks.
Have fun picking out your skates. Look around at some other web pages. If you have friends that skate ask them for advice. Picking out a pair of skates all comes down to common sense and your own personal price range.
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Accessories, Care, and Maintenence
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The more you skate, the more you'll have to take care of your skates. This means making sure that mud doesn't constantly stay in between your wheels keeping moisture around your bearings which will eventually lead to corrosion. If you have at least a decent pair of skates from the guidline I made above, your skates should last at least two years of constant wear and tear. By then your feet might grow a little bit or you'll see a knew model that you want anyway. However, there are ways to make your skates last longer. For example, buy skates that are a size bigger than a perfect fit. When you buckle and lace your feet into your skates one foot size isn't going to make a big difference. Another way is by using grind plates and grind kits. Grind plates are attached to the inside part of your skates (one on each skate) and usually come with your skates. They help you grind on a rail, a curb, and anything elese you can think of. It would be virtually impossible to be an aggressive skater
without grind plates. Also, you can buy H-blocks and more grind plates from companies like CDS Detroit. You'll need to buy more grind plates because you'll go through a pair of them about evey two months of skating depending on how well they're made. H-blocks sometimes come with your skates and are inserted on the underside of your skates between the two middle wheels (one on each skate). They work well for grinding, but if you have some good frames, then you really don't need them. The purpose of H-blocks is to keep your frames from wearing down, but your skates overall will wear down faster than your frames themselves. The kits, which are meant to protect just about the whole skate don't work well at all I'm told.
What about you? What will protect you? Well you don't see a lot of skaters with protective gear on, but you will fall, and it will hurt. There are two basic types of skating. They are called Street and Vert. Street is the most common because all you have to do is find a street. Now this doesn't mean going out into the street, but using what's around it (rails, walls, curbs, stairs, etc.). In Street skating you tend to injure your wrists and head. This means you'll need at least wrist pads and a helmet ( made by a company such as Protec, Rollerblade, or just about any other skating manufacture ). Vert skating, which takes place on ramps, can be found in skate parks. You will need as much protective gear as you can possibly put on yourself when Vert skating. Don't worry about looking like a geek. Even the pros do it. If you don't believe me you can turn on ESPN and see for yourself!
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You're All Set!!!!
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Why are you still sitting there reading this page? Get outside and start skating. Just skate around for a little while and get the feel of your skates. Start to break them in and work on balance. When you think that you're ready to actually start aggressive skating, pick up a skating magazine like Inline or Daily Bread each of which helped me greatly in making this page. If you aren't the reading type, then you might want to buy a tape or two to watch and see how the tricks are done. You can find these magazines and tapes at most skate shops. The next step is going out and practicing. One thing you might want to look out for though is cops. Aggressive skating is sometimes deemed as "defacing property." To avoid this, look for a skate park in your area. They aren't that hard to find. Good luck!
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| Favourite Links
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FWO
This page will help answer many of your questions.
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Factorymall.com
This page will let you see some skates, descriptions, and prices.
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CDS Detroit Homepage
This page will help you pick out some grind plates.
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