The History of Skating from 1760 till Today
OLS publishes an overview of the history of skating, from the creation of the first inline skates to traditional skates through ‘cycle-skates’. Let’s pay tribute to one of the few skate historians, Sam...
View ArticleAll about skate bearings
It is hard to rely on serious information as for the quality of bearings and the real needs met by skaters. Consumers are often overwhelmed by a torrent of technical terms and hazy marketing concepts....
View ArticleExtracting an axle or a screw stuck in a frame
Most of beginners are afraid to lose a screw or an axle while skating. They often tighten their roller-skates axles too much. When the axles are stuck in the frame, it becomes very hard to remove them....
View ArticleAnatomy of an inline skate wheel
Wheels are the centerpieces of a skate and its only contact with the ground. They condition skating according to numerous parameters: their shape, their diameter, their hardness, the flexibility of...
View ArticleBraking: Parallel sliding
Sliding is the most efficient as well as the most spectacular braking technique. Skaters manage to draw parallel lines covering several meters, and leaving a burnt smell. It is also the hardest braking...
View ArticleHow to extract bearings from wheels?
Extracting bearings: the task is not as easy as it seems. You have to manage to take them off without damaging them. The best thing is to push in the axis, but sometimes it’s quite a business...
View ArticleEquipment: Choosing your wrist guards
Falls on the wrists are more than a third of the traumas recorded in the casualty departments of hospitals taking skaters in. It is quite normal, given that you instinctively try to absorb you fall...
View ArticleMaintenance of inline skate boots
Inline skate boots can be of different nature: rigid, flexible or fifty-fifty. They need to be checked as regularly as the other parts of your skates: holes, hygiene, wearing out are so many points...
View ArticleThe maintenance of your skate frame
The frames of your skates can be made of plastic, composite or metal. The cleaning procedure is the same whatever their composition. Get a sponge, a cloth, a toothbrush, bathroom tissue and follow the...
View ArticleInverting and looking after your inline skate wheels
Wheels are the main wearing parts of your skates. They are permanently in contact with the ground and condition the quality of your skating: comfort, grip, reactivity. Just like for the tires on your...
View ArticleAnatomy of a skate frame
The frame ensures the link between the boot and the wheels. Its technical characteristics (rigidity, length…) may considerably vary according to the considered practice.
View ArticlePortrait of Luca Presti, an Italian Inline-Speedskater
Luca Presti is one of the skaters who left his mark in history of Italian Speedskating. He skated for the most popular teams during the best years of skating. After ending his active career, he...
View ArticleThe manufacturing processes of skate frames
The frame is a key-part of our skates. Its shape, its length and its rigidity vary according to the discipline and the needs of the skater. Made of composite or polyurethane, they are molded or...
View ArticleAnatomy of Skate axles and spacers
The axles and spacers insure the consistency between the frame and the wheels and bearings. They partly determine the performance according to their materials, their thickness and their rigidity. Focus...
View ArticleRecent technological innovations for skate wheels
Our wheels have been turning for nearly 250 years. Wood, ivory, metal, tire, rubber or urethane... Wheels have been made of all kinds of materials. Technological innovations gave a fresh boost to...
View ArticleSkating Wheels manufacturing
We frequently complain about their price, their excessive wear, how they slip too much or stick excessively. We praise for their rolling qualities, their rebound, and their reactivity. No doubt, our...
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