Category Archives: Equipment

How to draw circles for roller figures

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Bev

In roller skating, the circles are standardized. Everyone skates circles 6 meters in diameter for the big figures and 2.4 meters in diameter for loops. This means there is no need for a scribe: the circles are painted on the … Continue reading →

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Skates for roller figures

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Bev

This post is about equipment for figures on roller skates. It focuses on skates for circle figures (the big ones), not loops (the small ones)—many roller skaters have separate skates for figures and loops. Roller skates have five components that … Continue reading →

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What is a scribe, and where do I get one?

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Bev

A scribe is a giant compass that draws circles on the ice. You can use one to draw your circles before skating your figures or to check your work after you’ve done them. They’re no longer common in stores, but … Continue reading →

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Blades for figures: Where to get them

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Bev

Special blades designed specifically for figures are no longer made, but some stores still have old ones in stock. If your local skate shop has been around a while, it may be worth asking if they still have any. Here … Continue reading →

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Blades for figures: Notes and specifications

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Bev

Patch blades (blades that are designed specifically for figures) are not the same as freestyle blades. They lack the bottom toe pick and that they are sharpened to a much flatter radius of hollow. Both of these are modifications that … Continue reading →

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Boots for figures on ice

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Bev

Any old boots should work. The trick is that they need to be soft enough to let your ankle bend from side to side. New, stiff freestyle boots don’t allow this.  Back in the day, people used to use their … Continue reading →

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Equipment for figures

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Bev

You don’t have to have special skates for figures, but they can help you skate them better. It used to be that every ice skater had two pairs of skates, one for figures and the other for freestyle, and a … Continue reading →

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