RB Twister vs K2 ???

[rhinolith]

I am a long time skater currently using VO2's bought from IW a few years ago. I really like them. My prior skates were all K2 because I like their fit and quality.

I would like to get into freestyle skating more, and I have been looking for something from K2 but there doesn't seem to be anything aimed at the freestyle market like RB does with the Twister (the new Twister 3 should be here any day, I guess, according to the RB website). Maybe the Dirty Rat is.

I am not against getting the Twister, I would just like to stay with K2 if possible because I am used to the way they do things. The Dirty Rat doesn't seem to be as good as the Twister from what I can tell. Is that a fair statement? Are there other K2 skates that compete with the Twister that I am not seeing?

If I decide to go with the Twister, are the RB and K2 sizing pretty much the same?

Thanks a lot!

[IW Staff]

The Twister 243 for 2009 is likely out in March if they don't push it back.

As for the K2's, the Commission Series are their skates suited for Freestyle. The Il Capo, Dirty Rat, etc.. Shorter frames, good support and designed for such. We'll have a banner on the front page probably by the end of the day featuring the Commission Series. Clicking on that will take you to a page to look at just those skates. Right now, you would just need to click on K2 skates and scroll through to find them. Pretty easy to spot with their scary mafia names :)

Thanks for the post!
Stan @ IW

[carlos85]

If you're dead set on staying with K2, the il Capo (http://www.k2skates.com/product/il_capo) and the Don (http://www.k2skates.com/product/the_don) would be your best best. You may find the aggressive skate style cuff on the il Capo to be a bit too stiff though. In my opinion, the Dirty Rat's frames are too long for freestyle ((http://fitness.inlinewarehouse.com/showpost.php?p=2983&postcount=11).

I used the K2 Soul 7 in the past (think the Don but with a different style) and while it was okay for slalom due to the short frames, the boot didn't offer the support that I needed for serious maneuvering. I currently use the Twister II for freestyle and they're great skates that offer good support. Eagerly awaiting the Twister 243.

As far as sizing K2 has always been right on with my street shoe size. With the Twister II that I bought from IW a while back, I wish I had gone a 1/2 size larger. Though after the liner broke in they weren't as uncomfortable.

[rhinolith]

Thanks for your replies. I think I will likely go with the Twister II.

[IW Staff]

Not a bad choice. To glance at all the K2 Commission Series in one spot, use the linke below.

http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/catpage-K2COMMISS.html

Twister is a solid choice.

Thank you,
Stan

[rhinolith]

I am used to K2 sizing, so I ordered a Twister 2 in size 12.5. It was way too small. I returned it and ordered an X5 in 13.0 and 13.5 because there were no more Twister 2's available. The 13.0 is slightly big but OK....if I add socks or the footbeds it will be fine. I returned the 13.5 because it was waaaaayyyy too big. It seems to me that the Rollerblade sizing is pretty inconsistent so you need to order 2 pair and send one back.

The X5 is a much better skate than I anticipated it would be. I haven't used Rollerblade in many years because I always thought their quality was not up to par, but they changed my mind with this X5 skate.

It is really strong skate and super quick. It's not as heavy as it looks in the pictures but it is still quite solid. The support is good for my too-skinny ankles, too. It's a really fast all-purpose skate that can handle almost anything you throw at it. I think it would be great for hockey but I haven't tried them yet for that. I don't think I would want to do a marathon in them, though, because they are heavier than a softboot and the ankle support might be too much for a really long distance.

With the IL9 bearings and 80mm or 76mm wheels these things are super quick and maneuverable. If you are used to stopping with the help of a brake on the back of the skate then you really need to practice before you put these skates on. The brake is included in the box but I doubt anyone will use it once they get used to these skates.

Bottom line: for the money, these X5 skates are a great option.