Equipment

Required Equipment

Roller Hockey Skates

Stick

Roller Hockey Pants
(Free with our Spring League)

Helmet

Mouthguard

Gloves

Drink

Elbow Pads

Protective Cup

Shin Pads

Hip Girdle (optional)

Need New Wheels?

If you are looking to purchase some good wheels that will work well on our surface, we have some available for purchase. Contact us with the wheel item number, size, and quantity. Our available wheels can be found on this page below.
Note: Some skates use different size wheels. More information on wheel size, hardness/softness of the wheel, and bearings below.

WHEEL SELECTION
When selecting the proper wheels, there are two main components to consider: Wheel Size and Hardness/Softness. When the time comes to purchase replacement wheels for your skates, you should base your selection on the following criteria: Skater weight, Skating surface, and Wheel configuration. The goal is to buy the wheels that will give you the maximum grip and durability for the kind of skating you do and the surface(s) you typically skate on, taking into consideration the player’s weight. Different wheels are suited for different surfaces. If you choose a wheel that's too hard for your surface, your skates won't have the grip you want, resulting in a lot of sliding and slipping. If you choose a wheel that's too soft, your wheels are going to break down too quickly and won't provide the durability you want.

ROLLER HOCKEY SKATE WHEEL SIZE
These skates have wheels that provide a combination of speed, quickness, and performance, usually sized between 59mm and 80mm. Skaters buying replacement wheels must remember that many inline hockey skates have a “hi-lo” configuration, with smaller 72mm wheels in the front, and two larger 80mm rear wheels on an adult chassis. These sizes will be small for youth and intermediate skates.
Youth roller hockey skate wheel sizes can vary from: 59mm, 68mm, 72mm, 76mm, 80mm
Also, each skate can have up to three different sizes per skate, but most have only one or two sizes.
The exception is goalie skates, which come with small wheels, typically between 47mm and 59mm. Goalies aren't going to do the sort of straight-line skating or high-speed cornering that the other skaters do. Instead, they require maneuverability, stability, and the ability to push off with the inside wheel edges. Most goalie skate wheels are now made with square edges to allow for that.

SKATE WHEEL HARDNESS/SOFTNESS - DUROMETER RATING
A durometer measures rubber hardness. Since your skate wheels are made of rubber or rubberized material, they're assigned a durometer rating. The lower the durometer rating, the softer the wheel and the more grip it will provide. The higher the durometer rating, the harder the wheel and the more durable it will be. The rating is marked on the wheel with an “A” after the number. For example: 72A 74A 76A 78A 80A 82A 84A

Most of our players that will skate on the WBL Hippodrome smooth concrete surface would see the best benefits from a wheel durometer rating of: 72A 74A 76A 78A (lighter the player - lower the number). 82A and 84A should only be used on asphalt outside

OUTDOOR VS. MULTI-SURFACE VS. INDOOR SKATE WHEELS
Softer wheels with a stickier grip are intended for smooth, almost always indoor surfaces. Harder wheels with less grip are intended for outdoor surfaces like asphalt that have a relatively rough texture. Hard wheels will slide on indoor surfaces, and soft wheels will get chewed up by rough outdoor surfaces.

Roller hockey wheels with a medium durometer rating are considered “all-purpose” or “multi-surface” and provide adequate or better performance and durability on a variety of indoor and outdoor surfaces. But, the same way all-season tires don't grip as well as snow tires and don't help provide optimal gas mileage like summer tires, multi-surface wheels typically won't perform as well on either individual surface as a wheel specialized for that surface. Skaters will typically find the durometer rating on the wheel—a number followed by an “A.”

ROLLER HOCKEY WHEEL DUROMETER RATINGS, EXPLAINED
Here is a brief rundown of durometer ratings and what they mean. This is a general overview. Some wheel companies may define their ratings slightly differently, so when you’re buying skate wheels you might search by durometer rating or descriptor like “hard”.

72A (XX-Soft) – Wheels with a durometer rating of 72A should be used only by lightweight skaters, 150 lbs or less. With their unusually soft rating, these wheels are suitable for indoor sport courts only.

74A (X-Soft) – Wheels with a 74A durometer rating are best used by players under 190 lbs on smooth indoor surfaces. Lighter weight players can also use them on tacky indoor wood surfaces and still expect decent durability.

76A (Soft) – Skaters who weigh 210 lbs or less can use 76A wheels on indoor sport courts, and players 140 lbs or less can use them on wood surfaces and expect good durability and performance. This is probably the most common wheel.

78A (Multi-Surface) – Wheels with this rating are considered “multi-surface” because they provide enough hardness for use on (sealed) cement and wood surfaces. 78As provide enough grip on smooth indoor surfaces, especially for heavier players in the 190 to 250-lb range. Players in the 150 to 200-plus-lb range can use these wheels on wood surfaces with good results. Players who weigh 200 lbs or less can use these wheels on smooth outdoor surfaces, for example sealed or painted surfaces, and expect decent grip and durability.

80A (Multi-Surface) – While still considered a multi-purpose wheel, 80A wheels are less grippy than 78A wheels and perform best on smoother rough surfaces, for example wood, or painted and sealed outdoor surfaces. They do not provide enough grip for sport courts, no matter the skater's weight.

Wheel Information Credit: Pure Hockey

Item #1