Summer's round the corner and the skatepark bug has bitten me again. I will attempt to build skates for skatepark/ramps. So how are they different from the derby skate? If you go vert all the way, your skates will start looking more like two mini skateboards!
Boot
Depends what you like. I will use my old Riedell She Devil leather boot as it fits well and is made of sturdy leather. I'm used to having my ankles exposed and like the extra agility that gives.
Wheels
For vertical skating ('quad vert'/ramps) most go for skateboard wheels; smaller and harder. You don't want to stick to the ramp with sticky wheels. For general outdoor skating larger and softer are recommended for shock absorption and smoother roll over bumps. For general skatepark stuff something in between these two might be good.Plates and trucks
Wider trucks and longer plate for extra stability. You are not looking for quick turning like with derby plates. I'll start with my old Triton plate and see what happens as it's quite long. Many build their own ramp skates using skateboard trucks which make them extra wide.
Cushions
Again, go harder. You're looking for stability here. I'll use my old standard cushions from the Triton plates.
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Some have it, some don't. It might get on the way. It is super useful climbing out of bowls though!
Grind bars
That block of plastic/other material attached between your trucks will let you do a few more tricks.
Derby skaters turned into skatepark hooligans can find useful info on Rollergirl.ca site (see shop section http://www.rollergirl.ca/skateshop/park-skating-c-110_24.html and aggressive roller skating 101 PDF) and on Skatelog from Quad Vert section. I was glad to see there were quite a few of us!
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