User:Th0rgall/sandbox/Freeskates



Freeskates, drift skates or more commonly called Freeline skates are a pair of skates which allow for sideways, human-powered movement. Freeskates were invented by Ryan Farrelly who also founded the original freeskate brand Freeline Sports, Inc. A single skate consists of a plate and a truck containing two in-line arranged wheels.

Like a skateboard, freeskates are not fixed to the skaters' feet. Like inline skates, a pair of freeskates consists of two seperate entities, which is the main difference with single-boarded skating vehicles. Because of these two properties freeskates are regularly described as a "combination of a skateboard and inline/roller skates".

Self-propulsion is possible when performing a leg and foot motion most similar to the one used with a waveboard, though there are considerable differences. Freeskates are allowed to move more freely among themselves, which requires the skater to use his leg muscles in keeping them together in addition to accelerating.

History
Freeline skates were conceived by Ryan Farrelly in 2003 while he was a student in engineering at the university of San Diëgo. He stated that at the time he was tinkering to create a new longboard for downhill riding, incorporating a form of trucks with thick wheels arranged in-line. Supposedly he tried to ride the trucks themselves without a board, which gave birth to the idea of Freeline skates.

[section about the development process if possible]

In 2005, Freeline skates were available in America through their webshop. [section about growth in popularity and adoption ..., reference to community section]

On June 17, 2013, Freeline Sports, Inc. filed its bankruptcy.

[Section about the semi-official relaunch "JMK Ride", promoted by Mattie Tyce who was a very early adopter (and contributor to?) of Freeline skates. (?)]

Decks
Each skate has a wooden or metal plate in the shape of a blocky rounded rectangle [regular dimensions needed]. Like on a skateboard, grip tape is used to increase friction between the skaters' foot and the skate, allowing for better control. Decks are regularly protected by a silicon shell covering the edges of the plate, called "edge guards" after the original product from Freeline Sports, Inc.

Trucks
A freeskate truck is a metal construction that holds the wheels and connects to the plate. Whilst mostly called "trucks" analoguely with skateboard trucks, these are also comparable to inline skate frames due to the in-line arrangement of the two wheels.

Different types of trucks have existed since the. The original brands' OG and PRO models featured a ..., together with a lot of imitation brands. Another popular frame is ..., used by the original Grom or Cruiser models.

Wheels
Regular freeskate wheels are thick (quantification needed) wheels with a diameter ranging from ... to ... . They mostly resemble longboard wheels, though they are slightly rounded on the edges to allow the tilt needed for inline-skate like pushing motions for movement.

Similar to other skate disciplines, different wheel types are used for different purposes. Parameters include the diameter, the shape and the softness.

Bearings
See Skateboard.

Downhill
Freeskates were developed with downhill riding in mind, as an alternative for longboards. Freeskates feature an in-line arrangement of wheels together with sideways movement, which is hoped to give a feeling of snowboarding on concrete downhill.

General transportation
The weight and size of the skates compared to even a small skateboard, together with the lack of bindings makes it a viable method for urban transportation. On an even riding surface, freeskates allow for uphill motion, a generally higher speed than walking speed and relative agility. Freeskates however also impose limitations concerning everyday transport. Due to the "decoupledness", freeskating is generally considered to be more fatiguing, less stable and slower than other human-powered transportation vehicles.

Skatepark and trick riding
Skatepark and trick riding were quickly a part of freeskate culture. In skatepark riding, bowls or ramps are ridden in a fashion comparable to skateboard riding, including the so called "drops". Gerneral trick riding, in which various tricks are performed, is done on any good freeskate riding surface. There does not exist an authority defining strict names for tricks, so these may vary regionally.

Some tricks are directly influenced by their counterparts in other skating- or boarding disciplines, like transitioning to switch riding, ... Sharp turns around an axis resembling a pirouette are also possible.

The unique features of freeskates have spawned a whole branch of freeskate-specific tricks involving one-foot riding and manual control of the skates. Environment obstacles and specifically crafted skate jumps may be used.

A major difference with other skating disciplines is the inherent limitation in jumping capabilities. Due to the "decoupledness" property, skates are difficult to control with both feet in-air and on landing impacts. Jump-like tricks have however been developed for small applications like going up curbs.

In skatepark riding, the bowl or ramp coping may be used for tricks or grinds.

International culture and communities
From its breeding ground in San Diëgo, freeskate culture spread to the rest of America, Europe and various Asian countries.

Notable communities include San Diëgo, Freeline Team 64 in Japan, Paris Urban Ride in France, ...

Events like the Walk Is Out tour in Europe involving touring members from ... [to do]

Miscellanea

 * A type of freeskate for use on ice exist. These have blades similar to ice skates mounted to a frame under the decks. They are usuall strapped to the feet. (?)