New Gumball and Superball Stoppers Toe Stops From Grn Mnstr

Revamped Gumball and newly introduced Superball toe stops have arrived, but are they worth trying out?

The original Gumball toe stops were the first stops developed specifically for Roller Derby and they were amazing compared to the other options available; but they had two annoying flaws.

• They needed to be broken in which usually involved a lot of turn around toe stops on a rough surface; and
• They wore down rather quickly.

Let's take a look at the new Gumballs.  

The packaging is almost the same as the old style, retail at $20/pair, and they are available in two stem lengths; Standard 30mm and Short 17mm.  However, this is where the similarities end.  Grn Mnstr listened to skaters when developing the revamped Gumball stops, which now feature:

• More material;
• Better durability;
• A pre-molded flat spot for more usable surface area; and 
• Fancy new multi-colored stems: Blue, Green, Magenta, Red.

When I first received these new toe stops, I was skeptical.  The material felt the same to me as the old ones and I thought I'd have to do a bunch of turn around toe stops to break them in; however, that wasn't the case.  They performed well right out of the package.  

One of my teammates also tried them and had this to say;

"The new ones break in a lot easier! I didn't have to go outside to wear a flat spot, which was nice considering the snow ruined that plan! The transition wasn't weird at all, I played in a game right after putting them on with no issues. I also like the pretty colors!"  -Purrenrage, Rage City Rollergirls

Both the new Gumball and Superball stops come with 4 different colored stems, which are randomly placed in packages so skaters don't know which colors are included until the package is opened.  The stems are unmatched, which makes my OCD twitch a little, but the 12 year old girl in me secretly likes that every package contains two different colored stems.




The Superball toe stops come packaged in an interesting cube box which features illustrations of a caped, roller skate wearing super hero stopping a train and bounding over tall buildings.

There is also a window which shows off the most unique aspect of these stops...they are the first dual durometer (dual hardness) toe stops.  The majority of the Superball Toe Stops is comprised of classic natural Gumball rubber for ultimate grip and traction; however, for better durability, eight slightly harder pods that run through the stop were added.

Dime for Scale (sorry, out of bananas)

The packaging is much larger than any other toe stops I've come across, but after opening the box the reason becomes clear.  Superball toe stops are HUGE!  At 60mm wide (2.36"), these are the largest toe stops I've heard of.  They are 3mm larger than the Big Bloc toe stops and just over half an inch smaller than a regulation size hockey puck.  (see image to the left for scale).




The stops are shaped in a way to prevent wheel bite (when wheels grind against toe stops) and I found this to be essential due to their size.  They also feature hollow stems which makes them lighter than they look (see image to the right).

Grn Mnstr states that this combination of dual compounds and oversized stopping surface insures the best in stopping power and stability, and I must agree.  I am often skating backwards, bracing my teammates as a jammer attempts to break through our wall.  With other toe stops, I would find myself sliding a bit but with these I was able to keep the wall stationary.  The grip and stability really are incredible.  Here is what another teammate of mine thought about them:

"Pros- Super stable & solid and good to go right out of the box.
Cons- Aesthetics. They're comically, almost obscenely large and goofy looking.
Looks aside, I really like them and am looking forward to seeing how they wear."
 -Cybil Shephurt, Rage City Rollergirls

Superball toe stops retail for $32/pair, but considering they all the features they offer and their performance so far, I think they are worth it.

If you are interested in purchasing either of these stops, here are links to the 2N1 Skate Shoppe pages for each of them:

Gumballs
Superballs

Until we skate again! Shocker

Consumption Most Conspicuous

This week, Elektra Q Tion and I decided to collaborate on complimentary blog posts about personal beefs in Roller Derby and how it affects what you purchase.  If you've been anywhere on FaceBook in the past few days, you've likely seen Atomatrix's recent post apologizing for her role in "transfergate" and how, to some skaters, it soured them on her brand.  It got me thinking about what drives a skater to make a purchase.  Does conspicuous consumption, aka "keeping up with the Jonses" have anything to do with it?  Do you purchase your equipment because everyone else has that product?  Or do you research gear and try items on before throwing your money at a dealer?  Check out Elektra Q Tion's blog post on this topic and many others at http://elektraqtion.blogspot.com/


We've all seen the brand new skater who walks in with a pair of $700 skates and the top of the line everything, only to quit 3 weeks later.  Back when I rock climbed we called people like this "Gold Card Climbers."  They would have all top of the most expensive equipment, then barely know how to tie a figure 8 follow through and didn't care to learn more about the sport.  They just wanted to look good and show off their ability to swipe a card through a slot more than clipping into a carabiner while lead climbing.  Now I'm not saying that anyone who goes out and buys the best gear before strapping on skates for the first time isn't going to last, but when I see a person do this then quit soon after it makes me sad.  It also shows me that it isn't necessarily the gear that makes the skater; great skaters can take what they are given and make the most of it.  That being said, let's look at some gear that is really worth the extra dough and some that can save you money and not affect your safety or skating skills.

S-One Helmets Before Flying Off the Shelves...gotta get them when you can!

Let's start off by taking it from the top.  Your brain is pretty important and although it is protected by a thick skull, it can get jostled around fairly easily when it connects with the track, wall, or other skaters.  When looking for a helmet, I suggest getting one that is at least CPSC certified.  You will see the certification on a sticker inside the helmet.  CPSC stands for Consumer Product Safety Commission and they do tests to determine how safe products are which includes some pretty extensive testing on helmets.  My favorites are the S-One Lifer helmets which come in a great variety of colors as well as some with artist's designs on them.  They are one of the only CPSC certified helmets I have found that come in orange and are a sponsor of the WFTDA which makes them.  Another reason why I love S-One helmets is because once they are damaged from protecting your noggin, you just send back the damaged helmet with $25 and they send you a new one.

The Last Mouthguard You'll Ever Need

Since we started at the top, why not just move our way down to mouthguards.  When I first started skating the only mouthguards we had available to us were el cheapo ones from a sporting goods store made for sports where apparently speaking, hydrating, or breathing heavily were not priorities.  Then came the dentist made ones which were 100 times better, but unless you got a dentist to sponsor your league, you were going to have to pay a pretty penny for one.  If the SISU mouthguards hadn't come out on the market I would say that the extra money at the dentist is well worth it; however, SISU is here and is the best mouthguard ever.  Not only is it super thin and forms exactly to your mouth, but they are 30% stronger than conventional mouthguards and retail at only $25.  SISU also came out with the LYFT spray which keeps your mouthguard minty fresh for only $7.  One tiny spritz keeps your guard fresh for up to 2 weeks and a tiny bottle will last a LONG time.  Those of you who gag on your mouthguards or just hate the taste of them need to try this stuff.  It's a game changer.

Silicone Strips Make All the Difference

When I first started skating, the only elbow, knee, and wrist protection we could find locally were cheap and fell apart pretty soon after using them.  They weren't made for Roller Derby, rather for skate boarders taking a tumble once in a while.  Now we don't use our elbows as much as our knees, but when you get laid out flat and happen to land on one, you will really appreciate your elbow pads.  There are quite a few on the market so instead of me listing a bunch, I'll just tell you what to look for.  Elbow pads should be very snug when you first put them on, they will stretch out so if they feel perfect you probably need to go down a size so they don't fall down after they break in.  Look for pads that have a nice hard cap to protect the elbow.  My Atom Elite elbow pads are perfect, except the hard cap could be a little harder and guess what...they are coming out with some exactly like that very soon!  I hope they keep the silicon strips on the top and bottom of the pads, my pads never slip because of them.

T8RD-Snug and Protective

Onto wrists...the new Triple 8 Roller Derby wrist guards are a wonderful improvement over the little strips of metal bars on the old style guards.  These new ones were made specifically for Roller Derby so they are sturdy, snug, and the wider metal bar protects more of the palm/wrist area.  The neoprene wrapping around the wrist gives a lot of comfort and makes skaters feel very protected for $30.

Atom Palms are Airy and a Huge Bargain

The other wrist guards on the market that I can't get over are the Atom Palm Guards. These guards are unique in the fact that they don't have a protective strip on the back of the hand like other wrist guards; however, the protection for the palm area is the best I've found.  It covers the complete palm up to the wrist with a nifty strapping system.  Not everyone likes the feel of these and I don't recommend them for freshie skaters, but for only $15 they are one of the bargains more experienced skaters can count on.

Smith Scabs Really Deliver

Now for your knees...these get the most pounding than any other body part, especially when first learning to skate.  There are quite a few different brands and styles of knee pads out there, but most of them were designed for skate boarding where they don't practice things like double knee falls (that I know of).  One brand that I've found to be compatible for Roller Derby are the Smith Scabs knee pads which come in three fabric patterns to choose from and cover more area below the knee than any others I've found and they are a steal at $70.  The drawback, they only come in two sizes so if you have legs that are slimmer or plumper than average, you're SOL.

Finally a Knee Pad Just for Us!

The other knee pads that are flying off the shelves are the new 187 Roller Derby knee pads, and for good reason-they were specifically designed for our sport!  Not only do they come in some pretty colors, but they also offer a wide array of sizes.  These new pads are slimmer than the old 187 Killer knee pads and they have fixed that pesky Velcro adhesive issue, so if they feel right for your body they are definitely worth the $90 price tag.  While that may seem pretty hefty, when you compare it to how much a knee surgery costs there really isn't anything to say.

The last knee pads I'd like to talk about are the Atom Elite ones.  They are not for beginners; however, there is good news!  Not only is Atom coming out with new elbow pads, but knee pads as well and they look sick.   They will have the more common butterfly strapping system instead of having to pull them on like a gasket.  I can't wait to try them out!


Skates are so diverse that I can't really just point to one and say here is the end all be all of roller skates.  This is where you will have to do some reasearch, get to know your body, and try on a ton of boots to see what is going to work for you.  I will say that getting a pair of $30 skates from Sports Authority is pretty much throwing your money away.  I would rather see someone cut out some circles to tape to their sneakers and run around the track like that until they save enough moolah to get a decent pair of starter skates (usually in the $200 range).

Tons of S-One helmets, Smith Scabs knees, SISU mouthguards, and Atom wrist guards for these Ragnarok Rollers!

For my closing statement, I would just like to give a shout out to the companies who are dedicated to bringing us equipment specifically designed for what we do and who we are.  Companies like Atom, Crazy Skates, and GrnMnstr are all about Roller Derby, and others like Riedell, The 187, and Triple 8 have evolved some of their products to fit our needs.  When you are ready to drop some dough on new equipment, try to purchase gear from a company that is supporting Roller Derby so they can continue to bring us amazing products to protect our fragile parts while not hindering performance.

Between Your Boots and Wheels...Plates, Kingpins, and Trucks.

Photo of Shocker Khan by John Nyman

Let’s see, we've gone over wheels, bearings, cushions, and toe stops…so I guess it’s time to talk about plates, more specifically plates, trucks, and kingpins (which is usually how they come when you purchase them).  There are many plates on the market now-a-days, which is good and bad.  Good that we have so many choices and can find something that will work for our personal skating style, but bad when you are new to skating and get overwhelmed with all the choices!  It also doesn't help that there aren't industry standards for things like screw hole locations.  At least there are only two sizes of axles you are likely to encounter, so let’s start there.

Trucks
Trucks are what we call the piece that comprises the axle and pivot pin. Our wheels and bearings go on the axle, and the pivot pin (or just pivot) is what is inserted into the pivot cup in the plate.  There is also a ring coming out of the axle that I like to call the "axhole", but it's actually called the "boss".

There are two trucks per skate, so four trucks for a complete pair of skates.  There are single action and double action trucks.  Single action have one cushion that sits between the boss and then plate, and double action trucks have one cushion above the boss and another one under.  Most plates found in roller derby today are double action.

There is a hole in the boss that the kingpin goes through.  There are also some cushions like the Crazy Skates cushions where the cushions touch each other through the boss.  This helps to make the best of both worlds of the single and double action trucks by allowing the speed and stability that a single action truck gives a skater, as well as the agility and mobility that the double action truck provides.  Not every boss is big enough for these cushions so make sure you have the proper trucks before purchasing these cushions.

There are two sizes of axles, 7mm and 8mm.  Sometimes you have a choice as to which size you get with your plates, but some manufacturers only make their axles in one size.  The most common size for roller derby skates is 8mm.  It is important to know what size you have so you know what size bearings and tools to get.

Nerdy technical info: Most 7mm and 8mm axles are actually threaded for 9/32", 32-tpi and 5/16", 24-tpi (fine), nuts respectively, but they are still called 7mm and 8mm because that is the measurement of the actual smooth part of the axle. If you go out and buy metric nuts from a hardware store, they won't fit. There are a few older and less common plates that have true metric or 5/16", 18-tpi (coarse) threads, but these are not commonly used for derby.

Kingpins

Kingpins hold the trucks in place and run from the plate through the cushion cup (or retainer), top cushion, boss, bottom cushion, cushion cup, then the kingpin nut holds the whole shebang together.  The angle that the kingpin comes out of the plate is very important and can run anywhere from 10 degrees to 45 degrees.

Double Action Truck with
Kingpin and Cushions

Most entry-level plates come with a 10 degree kingpin, which is nice and stable for new skaters.  Other plates come with 15 to 45 degree kingpins; the more severe the angle, the easier it will be to make sharper turns; however, this can make a skater feel unstable and it can be difficult to control because your weight is over the pivot pin instead of the kingpin.  Some skaters stick with the 10 degree kingpins, while others choose to go for a larger angle.  The best thing to do is just try out different angles and see what fits your skating style and ability.

Some kingpins come with a micro-adjustable lock nut and washer which allows for more precise adjustments.  Usually plates with this type of kingpin come with a hefty price tag, but the new Luigino Eagle plates come with the micro-adjustable lock nut and washer for only $100.

Nerdy technical info: Most kingpins are 3/8" in diameter, however not all kingpins are the same. Some have a hex head (like a standard bolt), some thread into the plate (technically called a "stud"), some are made of steel, some are made of aluminum. When replacing a nut or broken kingpin, it is important that you replace it with the correct kingpin for your plate. Even kingpins that look the same at first glance are often threaded differently. Some are threaded 3/8", 16 tpi (coarse), others are threaded 3/8", 24tpi (fine). Still others (most notably Sure Grip) are threaded 3/8", 20 tpi, which is a funky thread called British Standard Fine (BSF). It all can be quite confusing, but it's worth paying attention to, because screwing up the threads is a quick and easy way to ruin your kingpin or plate.

Pivot Pins

The pivot pin is what connects the truck to the plate via the pivot cup.  It is designed to give the skater support and I like to think of it as the third leg of a tripod, with the axles/wheels as the other two legs.  The pivot cup, which is usually either metal or rubber, usually needs to be replaced about once a year and you should check it every once in a while to make sure there aren't any holes or lots of wear in them.  If you are able to wiggle your truck back and forth and see the pivot pin moving, it is time to either get new pivot cups or adjust the kingpin.

The pivot pin needs to be seated properly into the pivot cup.  If it is not seated correctly, too much stress is placed on the kingpin when landing a jump and you can break a kingpin, which is no fun. Pivot pins should fit securely into the bottom of the pivot cup without having to have any weight on the skate.  Some trucks come with adjustable pivot pins, while others are non-adjustable so if the pivot pin is not seated into the pivot cup you will need to adjust it by adjusting the kingpin. Incorrectly adjusted pivot pins or worn out pivot cups are a common cause of broken kingpins or trucks, so it is important to keep an eye on them for wear and adjustment.

Plates

Roller skate plates are usually made from either nylon or aluminum.  Nylon plates are nice and light, but break more easily than aluminum plates.  Some plates are made from aircraft aluminum and are therefore super light and strong, but they can be pricey.  If you are looking at replacing your current plates, know that there is no standardization of screw hole patterns so if you are changing brands or upgrading, you may need to have more holes drilled into your boot.  Some manufacturers have lines of plates that have the same hole patterns, which makes it a lot easier to upgrade.

PowerDyne Reactor Plate with
Micro Adjustable Kingpins

Plate sizing can be a little tricky.  If you are a beginner skater, you will probably want to go with a plate that is almost as long as your boot.  Make sure you look at the sizing charts for whatever plates you want to purchase because sizes are not standardized.  You may need a size 8 in one plate and a 4 in another one.  Also, there are some plates that are meant to be "short forward" mounted, which means that the plate doesn't cover most of the heel of the boot.  This is done on purpose to reduce weight while keeping your body positioned correctly.  You can order plates that are smaller than what would normally be mounted on the boot to be more agile, but I wouldn't do this until you have skated quite a few miles.

Some plates have offset toe stop design which makes the pair have left and right plates.  This seats the toe stop off-center so it sits inside toward your big toes more than plates that don't have this design.  Some skaters prefer their plates to have the toe stops right down the middle, while others like the off-set design because of how they use their toe stops.  As with pretty much any skate option, you will need to try out the different styles to see what feels best.

Bionic Super Stoppers

Lastly, there are a couple different ways that toe stops are connected to the plate. The first is with a nut and lock washer that goes around the toe stop stem, the second is with a screw that goes into the side of the plate and squeezes the plate around the toe stop to keep it in place. If you have the toe stop nut, Gumball toe stops work really well because you don't have to have them a certain way when you screw them in, at least until you flatten them a bit). If you have the type of plate with the screw on the side, I highly recommend Bionic Super Stoppers. When you have the toe stop where you want it, you just have to tighten the screw instead of having to hold the toe stop in place while you use a wrench to tighten the toe stop nut.

Well, I think that is enough for now.  If you have questions I haven't answered yet, don't hesitate to post it in the comments or send me an e-mail.  I don't have all the answers, but I'll help you out if I can! 

Upcoming Event:  January 15th we will be giving away an S-One helmet to one lucky fan who has either posted a comment or subscribed to this blog.  If you like what you have seen, please share Shocker Khan's G Spot with your friends...the more visitors we have, the more stuff we can give away!


Until we skate again,
Shocker

Toe stop, or no toe stop: that is the question.

Shocker During Her Rookie Year



Sure Grip Super Grippers

When I first started skating 4 years ago, the only toe stops easily available to us up here in AK were the Sure Grip Super Grippers as seen to right right in pink (and in red and black in the photo above).  These worked great, but only because I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't know what I was missing out on.  As time went by and I went through quite a few pairs of these during my first season of skating, I knew there had to be something better out there.


This article isn't a review on the many toe stops on the market, rather it is an overview of different options and styles available and how they fit into the Derby World.  One of my next articles will be a product review of the half dozen or so toe stops I've tested over the past few months.

Adjustable vs non-adjustable

RC Non-Adjustable Toe Stops

There are quite a few children's skates that have non-adjustable toe stops on them.  Also, some low-end adult skates and rentals come with them.  These have a different size screw going into the plate than adjustable toe stops, so they are not interchangeable.  If you can't avoid non-adjustable toe stops, go with a better stop like RC Target Toe Stops because they are softer than many of their competitors and will actually help you stop, not just slide forever on a hard plastic stop.

Stop or Plug

Formac Dance Plugs

Jam or Dance Plugs are not only used by quad figure or hockey skaters.  Some Derby skaters wear them and I always have a pair with me in my practice bag.  A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of attending a boot camp where B-Train led a "Going Stopless" class.  Side note, this is where my Derby crush on B-Train began.

It's nice to take your toe stops out for a practice or even just an hour to reinforce certain skills.  If you find that you are always putting your toe stops down when you are just trying to transition from skating forward to skating backward, this will definitely help cure you of that!  Also, it's good to be able to adjust to not having a toe stop for those (hopefully infrequent) times where you lose a stop during a jam.  I lost one of my toe stops TWICE during one of my last bouts because it had been stripped and because I had practiced without my toe stops I was able to adjust for the rest of those jams and still be an effective blocker.  I've actually seen skaters skate off the track during a jam to replace their toe stop, leaving their team down a player until she got that thing back in her skate.  Definitely not the best use of your time on the track.

So, to prevent freaking out when you lose a toe stop, just practice without them every once in a while.  Jammer plugs are always nice to have on hand for these "stopless" practices so dirt and gunk don't get into the toe stop screw threads.  They also keep your toe guards in place so they don't flap around.

Standard Stem vs Short Stem

Short and Standard Stem Gumball Toe Stops

Some adjustable toe stops come in two sizes like Gumball toe stops.  The longer ones (standard or long) are usually the ones Derby players tend to use because of how much we use our toe stops for things like running, side stepping, and stopping.  However, some skaters prefer the short ones because they feel the longer ones get in their way.  It's a personal preference, but I really push the longer ones for Derby players for a couple reasons:

1) If your toe stops are too high your ankle ends up in a very unstable position, and

2) Having your toe stops closer to the track forces you to have better form when skating the track.

Crazy Bloc Toe Stops

Colors vs Natural

You might have noticed that a lot of toe stops are coming out in a beige color, such as Gumball and Bloc toe stops.  When I asked if GRN MNSTR was going to make their Gumball toe stops in different colors because, come on, women love color choices.  It was explained to me that the material wouldn’t be as strong, and if you have ever had a toe stop break or come off the stem in practice or a bout, you know how annoying and frustrating that can be!  Other companies who make colored toe stops like the Powerdyne Moonwalker must have a different formula because there are some with very pretty colors out there.

Well, that's about all I have on toe stops for now.  Like I said, later I'll be able to do more in-depth reviews of many of the toe stops used today in our sport, so stay tuned.

Until we skate again,

Shocker