November 12, 2020


The Iconic Impala Roller Skates Are Back In Stock!

You're not dreaming! The Impala skates are back after a long quarantine wait and you can finally pick yours at our shop. 

 

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January 25, 2020


September 22, 2019


September 19, 2019

Thuro Rollerblading ›


July 25, 2019


May 21, 2019


Thuro Rollerblading: NEBC2019: A Guide To The 2nd Annual New England Blade & Camp August 29th-Sep 1st

The 2nd Annual New England Blade & Camp is quickly approaching. Details are still be working out, but we will be adding one more day and a couple new skateparks and swimming holes to the lineup. This year the event will be taking place the weekend after the Boschi Pope Skate Off in NYC.

We will be skating parks and swimming for 3 nights and 4 days. If you can’t make it out for the whole weekend then just come out for the day!

Please tag all your photos on social media with #nebc2019 so that we can pick some of the best photos for an article after the trip. Also if you are filming and want to contribute to the official video afterwards please contact me. Don’t forget to go to the official event page for more information. Also cell phone service in Vermont is terrible so you should load offline maps onto google maps so you can still find your way around when you lose service. I look forward to seeing everyone in Vermont for a fun weekend of skating and swimming.

West Lebanon Skatepark

Rusty Bearings Skatepark
West Lebanon, NH 03784

Meetup at 3pm at Rusty Bearings Skatepark Skatepark, Lebanon New Hampshire.

Swimming in Stockbridge

After camping we will go swimming in the river at Gaysville Twin Bridge next to the Gaysville Post Office near Stockbridge, Vermont. We will park at the Gaysville Post Office parking lot.

Gaysville Post Office
35 Bridge St
Gaysville, VT 05746

Camping in Stockbridge

After swimming we will head to Myles Cotter-Sparrows house on top of hunger mountain in Stockbridge, Vermont to set up camp for the night. Directions will be provided in the event page. Make sure you load off-line maps on your map app, because cell service doesn’t work here.

Saturday:

The sun comes up at 5am so I’m sure most people will be up fairly early.

Burlington Skatepark

The plan is to pack up camp and drive a little over an hour to meet up at the Burlington A-Dog Concrete Park at 11am.

Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark
1 Lake Street
Burlington, VT 05401

Rollerblade 10K Challenge

The Rollerblade will be on hand showcasing their skate line as well as hosting at Rollerblade 10K skate along the beautiful and ultra scenic Island Line Rail Trail. This trail is newly paved and well worth the skate to see the beauty that is Lake Champlain.

Swimming in Lake Champlain

There are several beaches right by the skatepark for anyone who wants take dip and relax.

Burton Mini Ramp & Bowl

Later we will head to the rollerblade friendly Burton Mini Ramp & Bowl for a session.

Burton Snowboards
80 Industrial Pkwy
Burlington, VT 05401

After we are done with this area we will meet up the Burton Ramp for a session, which is next to the Burlington DIY spot.

Alternative Park: Essex Skatepark

Essex Skatepark in the Burlington Area is a fun outdoor wood park for anyone who wants to check it out if time allows.

Essex Skatepark
75 Maple St
Essex Junction
VT 05452

Drive to Lyndonville to Camp

Saturday late afternoon we will drive 1.5 hours to Lyndonville, Vermont to camp at my parents property. They are being kind enough to open up their property for us. Address will be provided on the event page.

Where we will camp in Lyndonville with majestic mountain views.

Sunday:

Lyndonville Skatepark

Sunday will be mellow day starting with a small chill morning session at the Outing Club Skatepark in Lyndonville, Vermont.

Outing Club Skatepark
1580 Lily Pond Rd
Lyndonville, VT 05851

Winding down at Lake Willoughby

After the skatepark session we will drive to the north shore of Lake Willoughby to dip into it’s healing waters and hang out at the beach. Lake Willoughby is a large crystal clear spring fed glacial lake and an absolutely beautiful natural wonder.

Willoughby Lake Beach
146 Willoughby Lake Rd
Brownington, VT 05860

Thuro shop will be on hand for gear!

Gabe Holm of Thuro Shop will also be on hand with gear to sale. If you want to order anything he can bring it to you. If you want free shipping on an order use the code “vermontblading”.

What you should bring:
  • Water
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen
  • Head lamps / flashlights
  • Tent or hammock with bug net and rain tarp
  • Sleeping bag
  • swimsuit / towel
Everything else:

We will be camping on private land. Property owners will be present so please be respectful. We are practicing a pack it in and pack it out policy.

Linked from bigwheelblading.com original. Visit Bigwheelblading for more skating news and updates. 

May 06, 2019


Inline Skate Fitting Issues

All brand new skates have a "Break-In" period. This is when the memory foam liner molds to your feet over a set period of time. New skates may feel stiff and tight out of the box even when you have the correct size.

The first step is making sure all paper is out of the liner. Sometimes manufactures jam stuffing in the toe area and it is hard to remove without taking the liner out. 

It is normal for skates to feel a bit tight initially even if they are your normal shoe size but they will break in and loosen over time. Most experienced skaters will squeeze into the tightest skates/shell possible.
A bigger one might be more comfortable initially but get sloppy over time. Many companies share shell sizing. For example a 6 or 7 is the same shell size with either a 6 or 7 liner in it. In this example it is best if you are a size 7 to stay in that range vs going up to an 8. Which would be a 8-9 shell w/ 8 liner in it. 

Here's some common tips for troubleshooting the size. 
- Remove the liner from the skates and put your foot in the shell. There should be plenty of space all around. 
- Put your foot in the liner to see how it feels outside of the skates. 
- Remove the insole from the liners and try on again. 
- Put the liners back in the skates and your feet in the skates. lace up and tighten all closures. Stand up with you knees bent. 

When you are in the forward skating stance your toes will come back a bit and as these break in you'll gain space all around.   

Below is an example of a Seba FRX 310 purchased that was thought to be too small by customer:
When I first tried the skates on they fit really well, but once out on the trail, there was a major pressure point that makes it impossible to skate any distance at all. I feel the pressure on the bone on the top of the arch of my foot that is just getting hammered, hard plastic on bone essentially. 

They came from skating K2, Rollerblade style soft-boots and emailed us worried that they might need completely different boots altogether. Hot spots and discomfort with new skates is expected. We reassured them that this is normal and common on many of the more supportive skates from various brands like Powerslide, Seba, FR, and Rollerblade. It's fairly easy to troubleshoot the ways to alleviate those pressure points. Almost all skates have a break in period and if you're having pressure you can tolerate,  you can skate them until they break in. Some folks prefer to heat mold or modify the boot to speed up the break in process. 



In this case above, the customer easily remedied with some heat molding using a head gun and a blunt object to pack the shell out a little bit in the areas he was experiencing pressure. 

He emailed us and said he was able to use his heat gun on the problematic areas and the boots are significantly more comfortable now and don't put pressure on the bone on his foot.



One thing that he noticed (and might serve as useful feedback) was that the captive nut (the nut that the velcro strap loop screws into) had not been fully set into the boot plastic from the manufacturer. This was also posing a problem and one of the main sources of his discomfort. It was underneath a little glued-on foam pad, but still stuck out far enough to be a problem. It's always a good idea to inspect your skate and feel around with your hands to ensure everything is screwed on



Once he took care of that, the boots and skates were fitting great. He's almost to the 12 hour break-in point but already feels a difference and is loving the skate!

Below are some example videos on how to custom mold skates yourself. If you do not feel comfortable doing this on your own please visit a local skate or ski boot fitter and they can likely do this service for you, for a small fee.

The following products can also help with break-in period and comfort with your skates:
RB Mens High Performance Skate Socks
RB Womens High Performance Skate Socks
Ennui Ankle Guard 
Ezee Fit Skate 

 Custom Fitting Hardshell (Molded Shell) Inline Skates:

 
Tips for Lacing and avoiding foot pain while Inline Skating:

Heat Molding Powerslide Swell Skates:

 Boot Adjustments for easier break in:

DIY Heat Molding Chya Quad Skates:

Heat Molding Intuition Skate Liners:

April 09, 2019


Boston Midnight Marathon Skate 2019 - Skate Marathon Sunday April 14th

Join us on the annual Boston Marathon Midnight skate this Sunday. April 14th. The marathon before the marathon! Every year we skate the Boston Marathon Course on Inline, Quads or Skateboard/Longboard - the night before with thousands of bicyclists. 

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March 22, 2019


March 19, 2019


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