ROXA X-TREME SKATES

Interview -august 2005 to Enrico Perano by Plasson

Where is your idea of cooperating with ROXA to develope a slalom skate coming from?

I was looking like mad for a skate with performances as much as possible similar to the ones of the TECNICA CT set (above all CT7 and CT5). I was the first athlete of TECNICA Team and remained in it till the end, that is until when TECNICA transferred skates production and sale to ROLLERBLADE. I wore a skate of CT set first in June ’97. It was suitably modified for me and the result was a mixture of CT7 and CT5. Because of the comfort felt already from the very first moment I continued using them in my trainings and competitions in the following years and also when their production finished. This even if the new models that replaced them, in particular Pulsar or Twister for Slalom, were very good. The magic power of CT skates laid in wrapping uniformly the feet and remaining always comfortable even though you closed boot and the cuff tight. The skate was very stiff so to enable your feet to make extreme movements by supporting them in any position, and maintaining always the same comfort. I felt a similar sensation only by wearing the ski boots. So I turned to ROXA that was in the forefront in the production of ski boots; for this reason, they could have helped me. Some years before ROXA had already been my sponsor for a short time giving me a pair of Mythos skates. I remembered that the Mythos skates were very simple but also very cheap and were vaguely like the Tecnica PS(Power Stroke) skates, that were the cheap and simple version of CT series. So I thought that if ROXA trusted my suggestions and I had persuaded it, we together could have revived the mytical CT skate, or at least a skate with performances almost like that. So I looked up in the ROXA general catalogue, I contacted its agent and asked them to send me a pair of SLALOM4 skates in order to try them. I got a good impression and convinced myself that I could have reached my goal by making some adjustments. All that in order to obtain a skate like the CT one, which allows to perform Slalom, Inline Dance and perhaps downhill freestyle, staircases, some jump and so on.

What will be the name of this skate you have developed for ROXA?

It will be called XTREME and the logo of my site with my signature will be printed on its outside.

When will it be put in the market?

The first model with spoiler+velcro will come out in October. It will assemble a 243 mm long frame, that is the minimum distance to include 80mm wheels. Then, in the Spring of 2006, you will have the chance to choose among three frames with different length. In addition to the standard length, also 226mm and 236 mm lengths will be available. Moreover the inner boot will be even more stuffed and might be high only like the out boot, without the spoiler.

Which countries will be this skate sold in?

It’ll be sold all over Europe, including the East (Russia, Iran, Egypt, Israel), in Chile, Colombia, and perhaps in China too.

What did you base yourself on by developing this new skate?

First of all, I’ve made use of my ten-year skating experience and five-year slalom and downhill competitions. Then I’ve been helped by Sergio Gallini (aka: Plasson), an Italian Skater of the “new” generation, who is growing up in the Spanish Slalom world and is a dear friend of mine. His valuable advices and his deep knowledge of the current skating market have also updated me about the requirements of today’s skaters and about good qualities and faults of the rival skates.

In your opinion, what are the most important properties for a good slalom skate?

The ideal Slalom skate must consist of stiff inner and out boot, spoiler (if necessary and set on the high side of the skate) and velcro for closing. The ends of the inner boot must get as much close as possible in the front of the skate. On the top of the skate a micrometric lever for its closing is necessary. The outer boot must have two levers for its closing, but it’s important that there are the strings too. In fact the levers close the skate in the point where they are inserted. So they can pinch your leg or the inner boot that can be damaged very quickly. The result is to feel your foot and ankle tight only near the levers. On the contrary the strings let compress uniformly your feet before closing the levers. It’s also important that the strings are self-locking, that is that they lock once you have tightened them, so that you can tie them easily. It is unbelievable for me that the self-locking strings have disappeared on the skates in the last years. For example, the first model of twister skate (1998) had them, while now (2005) the same skate is without them. It’s also important that the out boot is stiff and is included in the skate, as it was in the CT skate. The idea of Rolleblade to sell separately a cuff that can be added to the Twister skate to make it stiffer, is pitiful in my opinion. But the success of a good skate depends on the inner boot. It must be stuffed, enough thick and its front must be enough closed. So the feet and the ankles are uniformly wrapped before gripping strings and levers. Also the damages caused by closing the levers over and over again, are limited in this way. The inner boot may be higher or have the same high as the out boot. In the first case spoiler and velcro are necessary so that your leg remains stuck to the boot during the movements. It’s important to note that there is a difference between closing with a velcro or a lever. In fact the closing with a lever at such height could hinder some particular moves, for example the ones performed on the extreme wheels (for istance on toe-toe). On the contrary, the closing with velcro is soft and sticks the legs to the inner boot at its top avoiding abrasions and blisters arising. At last I want to remind another important component: the shock absorber inserted in the skate near the heel in order to reduce the vibrations caused by the ground or by possible collisions.

It’s known that some firms listen more to their business experts than their athletes. How has your collaboration with ROXA been? Have they listened to your suggestions?

The collaboration and the result obtained come from the relationship formed between me and Giuseppe La Rocca, one of the ROXA owners, since our first telephone communication. ROXA is a family-run company, its owners are 4 brothers. Moreover it’s located only at three hours from my house. These conditions have obviously made our collaboration easier. They have also shown a great availability to listen to my requirements. They have always asked me in detail the reasons of every request of mine, giving me the satisfaction to express myself and to use my ten-year skating experience. I remember that once I phoned Giuseppe at work five times during the day but he was always listening carefully to my remarks. But my appreciation for ROXA concerns , above all, the fact that ROXA is the only skates firm in Italy whose production is remained completely Italian from the beginning to the end.On the contrary, the offices of the other firms are in Italy but their production is in the eastern countries. In spite of this, ROXA prices are the lowest.

Ciao Enrico, thank you and good job