What You Need to Know About Freestyle Slalom Skates

Freestyle slalom skaters perform tricks, edge stunts and dance-like maneuvers—either alone or as a team. This skating is done around cones set in a straight line spaced 1.64 feet (50 centimeters), 2.63 feet (80 centimeters) or 3.94 feet (120 centimeters) apart, depending on the event—a skate setup designed for a high level of precision and control. Most freestyle slalom skating is performed on freestyle slalom— sometimes called artistic—inline skates, but a few skaters still use quad roller skates.

Popular Freestyle Slalom Skate Models

The skaters who wear inline skates use a rocker wheel configuration and a short frame (230 to 245 millimeter) to maximize the maneuverability of the inline skates. Slalom skates have a close fit and a firm cuff for ankle support. Popular skate models used to include the FSK skate range by Salomon (now unavailable), Seba skates (designed by a world-class slalom skater), and other well-known skate brands such as Powerslide, Roces and RollerBlade. Many inline figure skates can be used for slalom if the extended toe stop is replaced with a toe plug.

• Freestyle skating requires a strong rigid boot with comfortable foot support.
• A good slalom skate needs a short lightweight frame that is easy to maneuver.
• These skates must be quick and responsive which can be enhanced via rockering.
• Smooth precision and the correct wheels are very important.

Since Seba skate technology came into the market, you can expect to see many skates that combine firm, precise support and comfort. Today many boots are manufactured using composite carbon or glass fiber materials—instead of just plastic—to make them lightweight and supportive, too. These boots have a removable liner, like most inline skates.

No Heel Brakes

Heel brakes are seldom installed on most slalom skates. Freestyle slalom tricks do not work very well with a heel brake in the way of performance. A heel brake will block the ability to do heel balancing moves, bump cones, trip the skater or cause unwanted stops. Slalom is not done on an incline, so safety on hills does not apply. Slalom skaters are experts at changing direction to avoid things in their path, so they rarely need to stop—and when they do, there are plenty of alternative stopping methods like t-stops and snow plows that are easy for a skater with slalom skating skills.