jmtd → log → Bauer X4 inline skates

I’m really enjoying getting back into ice skating, but I can only get to the rink once a week (at least over the summer -- I'm aiming for twice weekly once Schools re-open) and I have the itch to do more skating than that.

Where I live we’re blessed with a seaside park with lots of smooth paths, a recently resurfaced beachside promenade, and a newly-built pedestrian/cycle path stretching up and down the coast: all great surfaces for roller skates. I convinced myself to buy some inline skates whilst the weather is good.

I wanted something as close to my ice skating experience as possible. Bauer actually make an inline version of my ice boot, but the chassis is an unusual composite plastic thing which put me off. (here's a great video of a fantastic inline skater trying out the chassis). CCM have a new inline range for 2026, but sadly (much like their Jetspeed ice range) the fit wasn't good for me.

I found a clearance pair of Bauer vapors from the previous generation: the Bauer Vapor x4. Very similar to my Fly30, but the difference in quality between the tiers is very apparent: boot stiffness, the comfort and quality of the liner. They fit well (possibly better), the rolling motion is really smooth (I think that's the bearings) and they looked pretty good to me: yellow highlights instead of the red used across the ice range.

I've done a couple of miles in them so far. Time will tell if they prove useful for off-ice training! Many inline hockey players buy ice skates and convert them to inline. If I end up not using them enough I could consider doing the opposite.