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A couple years ago, the Australian company redesigned the racing skate with its innovative 3-point frames and boots. This time, it has produced a rec skate — its first ever for adults — that looks more like a speed skate. "It may look like a race skate," said Bont marketing manager Alexander Bont. "But we think this is the way rec skates should look." The new skate, the Alpha, features a one-piece boot that rises up just past the ankle and is perched on mounting posts above one of Bont's innovative 3-point frames. It has a slew of racing skate features, including a carbon composite base, heat-moldable boot and tongue, 6000-series extruded aluminum frames, one-piece axles and memory foam. And it turns it back on the modern rec skate conventions: soft-boot design, flexible ankle cuff and heel brake "Utilizing Bont's' Super Mold Technology, the skate doesn't need to use a molded plastic cuff or thick bulky padding," Bont said. "This means the skate is a lot lighter and the performance a lot higher than what you are used to in a typical rec skate." A heel brake, a standard feature for most rec skates, is available as an option.
In many ways, the Alpha resembles Bont's Semi-Race skate, the company's answer to the so-called marathon category, which includes Rollerblade's Marathon Carbon and K2's Radical 100. But the Alpha "is a tad heavier" than the Semi-Race, Bont said. And it rides on smaller wheels: 84 or 90mm. The Alpha is more expensive than the average rec skate: $235 (US) for the 84mm version; $250 for the 90mm. But given its feature list, it appears priced to sell. The question now is whether rec skaters are ready to try something different. "There is a need for something new in the rec skate market and we hope the 3 point Alpha is it," Bont said. Planet Forum: • What do you think of Bont's new skate? Related reading: | ||||||||
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