Planet Product News ...
Inline Planet news and articles about new inline skate products, listed in reverse order of publication: Aug. 8, 2006
Matter's New Big Wheel
 Matter plans to release a 110mm wheel that it says will be "significantly lighter" than the competition's.
• Go to Planet story. Terra-bite: Landroller Recalls 1400 Skates
 In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Landroller is recalling Terra 9 skates made between July and December last year. A draft press release from the consumer commission says "a wheel could detach or the brake could fail, causing the skater to fall and suffer serious injury." No injuries have reported to date. "Consumers should stop using these skates immediately and contact Landroller to receive free replacement parts," according to the press release, which Landroller posted on its web site. (Go to press release.) (March 17, 2006) How Fast Are You?
 Lots of skaters use GPS devices these days to monitor their speed. But GPS may not be the only way to go. A New York company has come out with a non-GPS device which it claims accurately measures speed and distance for skaters. (Go to Planet story.) (March 8, 2006) Fila Skates Arrive in U.S. Market - The competition  heats up again in the U.S. skate market with the introduction of Fila skates. And Fila won't just be selling skates in the United States. It will be putting them on the feet of its new Fila USA racing team. (Go to the Planet story.) (Jan. 9, 2006) A Better Way to Clean Bearings? - Just in time for  the holidays, Bont is coming out with a new electronic bearing cleaner. It's a hand-held, motorized device that cleans one bearing — standard or micro — at a time. Insert a bearing, dip it into a cleaning solution and press a button. The motor spins the bearing, cleaning out "all the dirt, oil and even mild rust." (Go to Planet storylet.) (Dec. 12, 2005) K2 Brings Out Bevy of 2006 Skates for the Holidays - You won't  have to wait until next year to buy many of K2's 2006 models. The company is launching a dozen of its new skates in time for the holidays. Among the early releases: the entry level Exo 2.1, the VO2 fitness models and the all-new Athena line for women. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 29, 2005) Rollerblade Pops Out Two New Skates for Holidays - You don't  have to wait until January to get your hands on a pair of 2006 Rollerblades. Just in time for the holiday shopping tsunami, the company has released two of next year's models: the Wing 7 for women and the Astro 7 for men. The models are top-of-the-line for the company's new Wellness series of fitness-recreational skates. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 25, 2005)  LandRoller Raises Funds to Keep Slant-Wheel Skate Rolling - The business of building a better mouse trap is tough. Not only do you have to design it, but you've got to persuade the public to buy it. That's the situation LandRoller finds itself in at the end of its first year in the public eye. But an infusion of cash should be able to keep the LandRoller rollin'. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 23, 2005)
Bont Unveils Design for 7-Wheel Skate - The Australian  skate maker Bont is thinking outside the box again. Today it unveiled a design for a 7-wheel concept skate for downhill skating. The skate has two rows of offset wheels: four on the inside, three on the outside. "More wheels equal more roll," a smoother ride and a higher top-end speed, said marketing director Alexander Bont. ... But will the skate ever be built? Don't count on it, Bont says. "We're just exploring possibilities." (Go to Bont's announcement.) (Nov. 23, 2005) Landroller Earns Semi-Favorable Review From London Skate Site - The introduction of the  Landroller slant-wheel skate didn't appear to make a big splash last summer. But according to the London Skaters web site, it's not a bad way to roll. Reviewer Danny Reeves faults the skate for being a bit slow and heavy. But he praises it for its ability to handle cracks and forward T-stops and says "if you don't look down," it feels the same as a regular inline skate. (Go to the review at London Skaters.) (Nov. 11, 2005) Bont Puts the 100mm Racing Skate on a Diet! - The Australian skate maker Bont has turned up the heat in the market for 100mm racing skates by dramatically cutting the weight of its high-end Vaypors. The 2006 Vaypors will weigh a full 300 grams less than this year's model, Bont says. The company has achieved the weight loss in large part by developing a lightweight (126 grams) frame that attaches to the boot with three, rather than two, bolts. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 7, 2005) Company Announces Walk-About Device for Inline Skates - MP8 is  calling its new WalkeeZ an anti-skid device for inline skates. The WalkeeZ are flat, treaded pieces of plastic that strap over the wheels of any standard inline skate. With them in place, skates are essentially transformed into shoes, allowing skaters to "go up and down stairs, climb steep slopes, walk in shops and stores, and board city transportation," the company says. The company is looking for distributors for the new product. (Go to the WalkeeZ site.) (Oct. 28, 2005) Mich. Company Develops Inline Skate with Hand Brake - After taking a tumble on his inline skates, auto worker Robert Smyler decided they needed better brakes. He removed the hand brakes from his bike and modified them for his skates. Five years and $60,000 later, the result is the two-wheel EZ Terminator skate. The skate uses his now-patented brake. One hand controls the brake lever. Wires from the lever connect to brake mechanisms on both skates. Smyler's company, World Class Skate, sells the Terminator for $350. (Go to World Class Skate.) (Talk about it on the Forum's new brake discussion.) (Oct. 25, 2005) Rollerblade's Speed and Marathon Skates for 2006 - Rollerblade  is updating its line of speed and marathon skates next year. The lineup includes new lightweight frames, a Reebok-like pump system and the company's first-ever 100mm skates specifically for women. But one thing you won't find, at least in the USA, is a carbon-shell model like this year's popular Lightning 10. (Go to story and photos) (Sept. 28, 2005) Rollerblade Plans Launch of First-Ever 'Multi-Use' Skate - Rollerblade  is calling its 2006 Crossfire 4D and Activa 4D the world's first-ever "multi-use skates." They come with frames that can be easily adjusted to two different lengths. The shorter length is for maneuverability; the longer length, for speed. (Go to the Planet Preview of the 2006 Crossfire and Activa 4D skates.) (Sept. 27, 2005) K2 Hopes to Spark a Fashion Revolution in Inline Skates  - Tired of drab, colorless fitness skates? If so, you're not alone. According to K2, lot of women want skates with more "pop." That's why the company teamed up with designer Jette Joop to create what may be the first-ever line of inline fashion skates. (Read the Planet story!) (See photos of all the new skates!) (Sept. 13, 2005) Sneak Peek: New Rollerblade Frame Will Stretch to Fit Street or Road Skating - 2005 has been the  year of the Big Wheel for Rollerblade; 2006 will be a year of refinements. The skate company's new models will include more Big Wheels, new colors, new shells and an all new fit. There will also be an adjustable frame designed for both street and road skating. And an ultra-light frame for speed junkies. (Here's the Planet's sneak peek at the 2006 Rollerblade models!) (Aug. 12, 2005) Miller Sports Plans New Boots, Frames for 2006 - Miller Sports is redesigning its speed boots for 2006 and  also plans to update its line of frames, said co-owner Derek Highstreet. The California-based company used to be one of the most prominent makers of inline speed and fitness skates in the United States. But in recent years, it has focused its efforts in Europe and Asia. This year, it did not update its U.S. product line or web page, leading some skaters to wonder if the company was still in business. "We are certainly still here," Highstreet told the Planet. (More Industry News.) (Aug. 11, 2005) Rollerblade to Bring Freestyle Skate to U.S. Market in 2006 - With Salomon leaving the  U.S. skate market, Rollerblade has decided to introduce its freestyle model to the country's skaters. On sale early next year in the United States will be Rollerblade's Twister II Pro, a short-frame, hard-shell skate with 76 mm wheels. ... Until now, Rollerblade has stayed out of the small U.S. freestyle market, leaving the field to Salomon and K2. But with Salomon out of the picture, Rollerblade decided to jump in, said the company's Nick Skally. ... Freestyle, or freeride, skates are designed for maneuverability and are popular with cone and slalom skaters in Europe. (More product news.) (Aug. 5, 2005) Power Brakes for Inline Skates! -  California inventor Don Wilhelm believes a lot more people would be inline skating if they were confident in their ability to control speed and stop, especially on hills. So he invented what he calls "power brakes" for inline skates. ... Don gave the Planet a demonstration over the weekend. We were impressed. Though bulky, the brakes made molehills out of the steepest hills. (Here's Don's forum post ... with photos and buying info!) (July 5, 2005) LandRoller Wins Sports Product of the Year Award - Sports Edge  magazine has named LandRoller skates the top new sports product of 2005. "Many believe that LandRollers will revitalize the skate category just as inline skates did 25 years ago," said Brian Conners, president and CEO of LandRoller. ... Apolo Ohno is reportedly on board. And so are a couple of speed skaters, who hope to break world records on LandRollers. But will the skating public bite? (Here's the Planet story!) (May 17, 2005) Skate Without All That Nasty Perspiration! -  Do you like to skate, but hate to sweat? Here's just the thing for you: the Scoota Skate. It's basically a motorized wheel with a handle. You grab the handle and the Scoota Skate drags you along at speeds of up to 43 mph. ... I wouldn't call it skating. But just think of all the noise you could make! You'll really put those whiny leaf blowers to shame! (Scootaskate.com) (On the Inline Edge!) (February 17, 2005) New Wheel Is Said to Allow Skaters to Perform Hockey Stops on Pavement - Sky Skate Products of Colorado has come out with a new wheel that it says makes it possible to perform hockey stops on pavement (although without, of course, the dramatic spray of ice shavings!) ... In case you are unfamiliar with  hockey stops, they are done by abruptly turning your ice skates against the direction of travel and pushing the blades into the ice. The new Hockey Stop Ice Wheels are made of the usual stuff: urethane. But they have a thin layer of some unnamed substance in the middle, which is said to simulate the slipperiness of ice. To brake, the skater turns on the slippery surface of the wheels and then angles them to apply the sticky urethane to the pavement. ... (Here's a discussion about the new wheels on the rec.sport inline discussion group. ... And here's the Ice Wheel web page.) (February 13, 2005) Stop the Presses! ... Rollerblade to Roll Out 100 mm Skates for 2005! - One hundred millimeter  wheels aren't just going to be for those World Cup hot shots anymore! ... In February, Rollerblade plans to add two 100 mm skates to its lineup: the ProBlade and the Lightning 10. Both will sport four 100 mm wheels. That's right! And if that's too much of a jump for you, you might think about the Lightning 6. It will sport four 90 mm wheels. Here's a photo of the Lightning 10 and some more about the new skates. Thursday, October 14, 2005 | 
