Freestyle slalom skaters do tricks, stunts and dance-like maneuvers through cones – either alone or as a team. Most freestyle slalom skating is performed on freestyle slalom – sometimes called artistic – inline skates, but a few skaters still use quad roller skates.
The skaters who wear inline skates use a rocker wheel configuration and a short frame (230 to 245 millimeter) to maximize the maneuverability of the inline skates. Slalom skates have a close fit and a firm cuff for ankle support. Popular skates used to include the FSK skate range by Salomon (now unavailable), Seba skates (designed by a world class slalom skater), and other well-known skate brands such as Powerslide, Roces and RollerBlade. Many inline figure skates can be used for slalom, if the extended toe stop is replaced with a toe plug.
These skates are a little different from recreational inline skates, because they need adjustments to the boot, cuff, the frames, the wheels and the closure system.
