Please review the below article courtesy of Sure Grip International.
Sooner or later everyone will ask the question, which plate is right for me? Which plate is
better? Which plate is lighter? Why does this plate cost more? To accurately answer this
question is impossible because many factors need to be addressed first. Sure you can argue
that this plate or that plate was designed with this or that in mind, but is there really a
difference? The following is designed to be a guide with useful information for you to hopefully
determine which plate is right for you. We have over 70 years of experience in the
manufacturing of roller skating plates, over the years we have tried many things and worked
directly with skaters with great success. With over 70 years of experience why trust anyone
else.
In the world of skating there are two basic types of skating plates, 10 degree and 45 degree,
each has its advantages and disadvantages. Most companies derive this number by what angle
the kingpin is drilled on, in many cases this kingpin is not drilled on this angles but the standard
still stands at 10 degree and 45 degree. Although there are many manufactures that have
developed plates in the past; these two simple designs still represent the industry standard.
Aside from 10 degree and 45 degree, we have toe stop or no toe stop, light and heavy plates,
adjustable pivots and nonadjustable pivots, rubber or urethane cushions, special mounting, and
exotic lightweight materials such as titanium or magnesium.
A 10 degree skating plate is designed to place the skater over the kingpin and cushions,
creating a more stable skating feel. This type of plate has also been called a Free-Skating plate
as it was one of the original designs and allows a skater to be confident and under control in
any skating situation. The truck design on a 10 degree plate is typically a more vertical
approach which will help keep a skater more upright, typically a less aggressive setup. Looking
back in history we can see many uses of this simple design, probably why it has remained the
industry standard in skate design.
The 45 degree skating plate is designed to place the skater over the pivot pin creating a more
aggressive stance and feel. For many years this plate has been referred to as a figure plate as
it got its humble beginnings on the skating floor doing figure loops. The truck design on the 45
degree skate is designed with a horizontal approach in relation to the skating floor, typically
more sensitive to the skaters movement allowing him or her to change direction faster but still
under control.
Toe stop or no toe stop? Typically a toe stop was used for jumps in figure skating and or starts
in speed skating. An essential part of skating whether you’re a beginner or an advanced skater
is the toe stop. Typically skaters that wanted to skate figure loops would not use a toe stop
because it would interfere with their crossovers. Speed skaters used no toe stop plates as well,
usually because they were lighter in weight.
Light weight vs. heavy plates. The weight issue has always been a long debate whether speed
skating or figure skating and now derby skating. For the longest time traditional skating plates
were heavy but very strong, some skaters used this to their advantage in the forum of
momentum. Using the weight a skater could propel himself or herself higher in the air and or
faster around the track by simply using momentum. Lighter plates were first introduced and marketed toward kids because the traditional plates were too heavy for them to even skate let
alone do tricks. The light plate soon gained the interest of adults because fatigue would set in
during a performance or speed skating tournament. The introduction of nylon based material
also showed the world an even lighter plate; however recently some were more successful than
others. Currently we use a DuPont nylon in our skating plates and have had huge success with
them, so much in fact that we use them on our rental skates. In the present day, light plates
seem to be more popular than ever but the heavy plate will still be a staple in some people
minds as being a traditional skating plate.
Short mount vs. regular mount. Usually only done with a 45 degree plate but can be done to a
regular 10 degree plate. The idea here is that 45 degree plates usually have a longer wheel
base then traditional 10 degree plates when compared to the same plate size. With that said
using a smaller size plate will give you the same wheel base as a longer 10 degree plate. This
will also shave considerable weight off the plate, in some cases a skater will go down 2 plate
sizes to get the desired wheel base. This set up can also go more extreme and the skater can
use an even shorter plate. The idea here is simple, the shorter the plate the shorter the turning
radius. The short forward mount idea has been around since the 1980’s and is still in use
today, originally for short track speed skating but we are seeing a lot of roller derby skaters
using this same kind of plate.
Adjustable and nonadjustable pivots. Most entry level plates use nonadjustable pivots and a
rubber or nylon pivot cup. The theory here is that beginner skaters were not at a level in which
a precision pivot would benefit them. The adjustable pivot will allow a skater to change the
geometry of the skate without compromising control. Too much adjustment and you risk
breaking a kingpin and or pivot pin, care should be used when adjusting or consult a roller
skate technician. The adjustable pivot gives the skater a precision feel with more feedback
when skating. It will also not wear out as fast as a rubber or nylon pivot cup.
Cushion development has improved over the years where rubber was the standard years ago
and now urethane today. Rubber typically gives a better feel but wears out much faster than
some skaters might like. Urethane is a petrochemical and will eventually wear out but generally
has a higher rebound rate than rubber. Urethane on average cost less and is easier to produce
than rubber making it a solid choice for skating. Most companies offer cushions in many
different forums, from hardness ratings to colors to special sizes and shapes. Its important to
note that each cushion was designed to work with a particular product, you cannot just put any
cushion on any plate. Hardness ratings are popular today but doesn’t tell the whole story about
how it will perform, this mainly comes down to personal preference, what works for one skater
might now work for another. We like to urge the skater to experiment and see what they like
best.
Exotic materials are also being used now from magnesium to titanium to different steels and
aluminum's; all serve a purpose and were designed for a specific reason. All metals come in
different forums and contain different elements. With over 70 years of experience we have
seen them all and understand their properties. We only use the best materials to make our
skating plates and components. Depending on what skating activity you are doing one plate
might be better than another. The main thing here is that when you sacrifice weight you
sacrifice strength. These plates can be expensive but when you want the best you always turn
to Sure-Grip.
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