Junior Paul David Shrader, a philosophy and international studies major, would rather not walk to class or even take the shuttle. He gets around on Freeline skates, an unusual variation on the standard rollerblade. NBN sat down with the Los Angeles native to talk about how the skates work, how many stares he gets, and why rain is better than ice.
Q: Can you tell me about the skates?
A: These are Freeline skates, and they are basically one piece of cast iron with modified skateboard wheels. They’re almost identical: there’s a right and a left one, and they’re angled to match how people generally stand with their feet at kind of an outward angle. They were invented by Ryan Farrelly about three or four years ago. He was experimenting with skateboard trucks and he realized he could ride them without a skateboard.
Q: How did you hear about the skates?
A: I had originally seen a guy with them in San Francisco, near Ghirardelli Square over this past summer. One of my friends Ren Zhao here also has a pair, and I talked about them with him. Then I bought a pair on eBay.
Q: How do you skate on them?
A: It’s a combination of having your feet go outward and inward and twisting your torso. You kind of push off, usually to get started going, and then it’s just moving in a snakelike motion.
Q: How long did it take you to become comfortable on them?
A: It probably took about eight hours.
Q: How would you use Freeline skates in comparison to, say, a skateboard?
A: It has a completely different feel from a skateboard. I haven’t been snowboarding before, but from what people say, it’s like snowboarding except on flat ground and your feet aren’t connected to each other.
Q: And what is the benefit of that?
A: On a skateboard you are just pushing off and going in a straight line. With these, your feet never leave the two pieces. You can step off of them at any time. You can make sharper turns. You can carve down hills which you can’t do on skateboards that easily.
Q: What are some of the downsides of the skates?
A: They’re easier to get caught in cracks in the sidewalk than a skateboard or rollerblades. It’s the same as using a scooter. You get to know where the cracks are in the sidewalk. However, you step off a lot easier. You can just angle your foot down and your toes are touching the ground. I feel more comfortable on these than skateboarding or even rollerblading.
Q: How often do you use the skates?
A: Every day, anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour.
Q: How are they in different kinds of weather?
A: They don’t do that well in ice. They’re fine in salt, and they’re great for rain. I can go through puddles no problem. Unlike a skateboard, where you have to push with your foot, I can go through pretty deep puddles and not get my feet wet.
Q: Do you think the skates will become a trend?
A: It’s definitely an eye-catcher, and I think its popularity is growing. It’s virtually unknown in Chicago. I’ve been riding downtown since I have been working there this quarter. I’ve been going around the block, and it’s funny seeing all the stares. I’ve stopped to talk to people around it and they’ve asked how they work.
Q: Could anyone use them? Or do you need previous skill?
A: It’s a steep learning curve. It takes a lot of work at first to get it. Once you get over that initial big hump, then it’s usually pretty good. It’s just the patience of getting up to that point. It’s great exercise too. It works your legs in places you never knew existed.