Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:32 PM
Since it's wintertime & kitesurfing & kite rollerskating is no longer an option here in Alaska, I decided to improvise...
Took the Wheels of Doom concept & applied it to ice;
The setup was ridiculously easy & fairly cheap (about $50 in hardware) to put together.
All it took was 2 rails - mine were 3.5ft in lenth aluminum - but you can improvise, a 40inch long 1inch wide angle iron cut into 4 pieces, a pair of
used downhill ski boots & some bolts.
I bolted the angle irons to each side of both rails & mounted the boots on top. I then cut angles at either end to make sure the skates wouldn't
catch on the ice, sharpened the bottom edge & off I went!
The ride is incredibly stable & if you've used your doomwheels there's no learning curve. I've gone over 35mph on them so far & gotten up to
5ft air! Lovin' every ride!
Photos to follow for anyone interested....
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:35 PM
some photos;
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:37 PM
close up of hardware
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:39 PM
more photos
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:45 PM
... and the photo gallery wouldn't be complete without the skates in action
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:46 PM
12M Naish; 18-20mph winds
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:48 PM
unfortunately the person taking the shots never got any airtime photos; but maybe next time...
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 05:50 PM
and the final shot; with my trusty mascot Porter at my side (he accompanies me on every kiting excursion)
Bladerunner - 4-12-2008 at 06:46 PM
Out of this world ! BIG points for thinking out of the box !!! Extra points
for the great DIY job!
Looking backward to see the future ! I like how you think ! 
I expect one
could rig something similar to rollerblades boots using the frame to support the blades ????
Did you bevel these with a normal skate sharpening machine ????
I just may start working on a set of these !!!! :dunno:
PHREERIDER - 4-12-2008 at 06:54 PM
moon full on ice coming soon
ultra blades,
wow those would work for someone about 8-10 ft & 500-600 lbs
the smooth ride at about 40-50mph would be amazing
Tomasz - 4-12-2008 at 08:19 PM
When I bought the aluminum rails they had a rounded edge. I took them to a friend's machine shop who just shaved off enough to create a straight,
sharp edge. I originally tried doing this myself, but I didn't have a decent cutting tool for keeping it straight. The edge is not beveled, I
thought about doing that originally, but it seemed like too much trouble. Since I'm leaning most of the time against the kite a beveled edge probably
wouldn't really help much anyways. I've skated a few times on these without a kite & I still end up with quite a long glide on smooth ice. BTW I
originally started this winter on hockey skates & man did that feel sketchy, even in real light winds. I suppose if I had used my little 3meter
it wouldn't have been as scary. One of my friends was out with me on hockey skates & a little 1meter batwing. He got movin' a bit, but with
these skates I was doing laps around him. The ice was a little rough - patches of crusted snow everywhere, these skates plowed right through it all
with no problem whatsoever. Hopefully I'll get some footage of hang time next time the wind blows. I will definately post them up! Count me in for
the kite addiction support group!!!! Can't get enough!
doomwheels - 30-12-2008 at 01:33 AM
Tomasz, great pics! Can't wait to see the movies.
Those would have been just the thing when I lived in Colo. The lakes do freeze where I live now, but too much snow for blades. Skis and snowboards
here.
Nice build on those blades!