Review:
K2 Celena Women's Fitness Skate
A skate that delivers both comfort and speed

By Planet staff
Sept. 27, 2007

The Celena is K2's top of the line fitness skate for women. (The men's version is the Moto 90.)

It replaces the VO2 Max. The VO2 Max was a very nice fitness skate. The Celena is even nicer.

Comfortable, fast and stable, it is an excellent choice for women who are serious about training though not ready for the move into marathon or racing skates.

The Celena has lots in common with its kid sister, the K2 Alexis (Alexis review). Both skates feature high cuffs, plush boots, and K2's easy to use micro-lacing system. But while the Alexis is intended for casual fitness skaters, the Celena is for more advanced road warriors. Its large wheels (90mm) roll over all kinds of pavement while its long frame gives it added stability.

Anna Adea, a former pro racer, based in San Francisco, evaluated the Celenas for the Inline Planet. Here's what she had to say:

Fit

The size 9.5 skates I tested fit great right out of the box. (I'm a true size 9.5.) The length was perfect. The boot was a little wide, but I like them that way because I need a little extra room for my orthotics.

Laces

I liked the micro-lacing system. One pull on the handle and the tension increases evenly over the entire skate. Pushing a button releases the tension.

Balance

The frame-to-boot alignment is spot on. The Celenas roll like a Cadillac, providing super stable one-foot balance and gliding. Despite the large wheels, I had good outside-to-inside edge control.

Ride

Equipped with 90mm Hyper wheels, the Celenas provided great shock absorption and rebound. I took them over some pavement that would have rattled my teeth on lessor skates. But the Celenas soaked up the road noise, leaving only silence and the sensation of floating.

Handling

Despite their larger wheels, the Celenas are fairly maneuverable. I took them down some sketchy downhills in traffic, and even under these conditions, they handled reasonably well.

Roll

The Celenas provided excellent roll. They out-glided everyone I skated with on my test run. The other skaters needed three pushes for every one of mine — and that was without putting much power into my stroke.

Bearings

K2 didn't skimp on the bearings, either. (The Celenas come with Twincam ILQ 9 bearings.) I used to race for Twincam and have experienced their evolution. Their bearings were always good. But now they roll a lot like my former favorites, Swiss Bones.

Conclusion

These skates are great for cruising and touring! I would definitely use them for medium to long-distance fitness and adventure skating. I might even give them a try in a marathon.

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