Artistic roller skating

Artistic roller skating is a sport similar to figure skating on ice. Within artistic roller skating there are several disciplines:

• Figure Skating
• Single free skating
• Dance (couple)
• Solo dance
• Pairs
• Precision (team skating, similar to synchronized skating on ice)
• Show teams

Artistic roller skaters use either quad or inline skates. Generally quad and inline skaters compete in separate events and not against each other. Inline figure skating has been included in the world championships since 2002 in Wuppertal, Germany.

The sport is very similar to ice figure skating. However, roller figure skating is often considered to be more difficult than ice skating.

Roller Skating Disciplines

Dance

Dance roller skating contains three major sub-disciplines: Compulsory Dance, Original Dance, and Free Dance.

Compulsory dance contains prescribed compulsory dances and steps that must be performed, such as the Imperial Tango, the 14 Step, the Keats Foxtrot , or the Flirtation Waltz. Some of the dances are the same as performed in ice dancing competition, while others are unique to roller skating.

Original Dance consists of a dance constructed of two rhythms chosen from a set of rhythms that the world governing body changes every year .

Free Dance is similar to the ice free dance, although with some rules changes.

Solo Dance incorporates all three sub-disciplines. Compulsory dances generally utilise the female steps as these are usually more difficult then the male steps.

Free skating

Artistic free skating traditionally emphasizes spins that are uncommon on ice, such as the inverted spin in which the skater leans backward with the free leg extended high in front. Artistic roller skaters also perform the quadruple, triple, double, and single jumps known from the ice skating scene, such as axels, loops, and salchows. Some elements have different names in roller skating than they do in figure skating; for example

Roller free skating is sometimes seen as harder than ice skating, due to the heavier skates, but the lower cost of roller skating compared to ice skating has allowed participation from lower income countries like Argentina and Brazil. On the other side, figure skating is considered the more dangerous (and more popular) of the two, with the less consistent blade and the greater friction and variety of ice. Both sports have their merits, and high-level skaters of each discipline have trouble switching to the other.

Free skating is one of the more interesting and "fun" events to watch due to the jumps and spins and different music.

Precision

Precision Roller Skating is a large and fast-growing, yet little recognized discipline, consisting of 12-24 athletes skating on the floor at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds. This discipline of Precision Skating is named because of the emphasis on maintaining precise formations and timing of the group.

For a precision team to flow in unison, individual skaters must be competent at a variety of skating skills, including speed, footwork and presentation. The team performs a program set to music, with required formations including circles, lines, blocks, wheels, and intersections. The teams are required to perform difficult step sequences involving a number of complicated turns.

Equipment

Skates

Artistic roller skaters most commonly skate on traditional quad skates. Skates designed for artistic skating typically have leather boots, a strong sole plate, and a jump bar for reinforcement. The plate has to be made from a strong material as it has to be able to withstand the shock of jumping and landing. Artistic roller skates usually have stainless steel or aluminum plates for that reason, even though these are heavier than ones made from other materials such as plastic. Free skaters usually use a toe stop, which can be used in the take-off in certain jumps.

Roller Skate Wheels and Bearings

Roller skate wheels come in many different sizes and hardnesses. Typically a 63mm wheel is used for dance, 60mm to 63mm used for figures, and a smaller 57mm wheel used for freestyle. The hardness of the wheel determines the grip or slip of the wheel. Normally a harder wheel having more slip is used for turn figures. A softer wheel with more grip is used for dance. Freestyle skaters tend to use both on the skates, using a harder wheel on the edge they need to spin and a softer wheel on the other edges. Typically 7mm bearings are used because competitive artistic skates have a smaller axle. Most inline skates use a 8mm bearing. The abec rating determines the tolerances in the bearing and most people can use an Abec3; however, most people believe the extra cost of Abec 7 or 9 bearings is worth paying for a better bearing. There are also other kinds of bearings such as Swiss Bones, which are also a very high quality.