Pablo's Weekly Workshop Diary: 25th October 2026

Oct 25

9 min read

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N7GIce4qyJs

Another week, another mountain of custom quad roller skates, wheels, bearings and accessories heading out of the Pabloskates workshop! This week has been particularly busy with Bauer Vapor X200 conversions, which seem to be proving incredibly popular, especially when paired with Sure-Grip Rock plates. We've also had Bauer X-LS and NSX skates finding new homes, some rather lovely Radar Halo alloy wheels, Air Waves, Rollerbones wheels and plenty of Ventro Refresh Packs going out. Meanwhile, the 3D printer has been keeping itself occupied producing more colourful jam plugs, including two new colours! It's been a proper mixture of custom skate builds, customer orders and colourful upgrades, so let's get stuck in! 🛼🔥

🏒 Bauer Vapor X200s: A Properly Popular Quad Conversion!

We've had quite a few Bauer Vapor X200 hockey boots built and sold this week, and it's becoming increasingly obvious why they're such a popular choice for quad roller skate conversions. These boots have a fantastic traditional hockey skate appearance, with their black construction, silver Bauer branding and subtle red detailing. They're particularly popular when paired with Sure-Grip Rock plates, which offer a lightweight nylon construction, a traditional 10-degree truck arrangement and adjustable toe stops. The combination creates a practical quad skate setup without losing that classic hockey boot appearance that so many skaters love. We've worked with plenty of different Bauer models over the years, but the Vapor X200 continues to be one of those boots that customers keep coming back to. It's always satisfying taking something originally designed for the ice and giving it an entirely new life on eight wheels! 🖤🛠️

🖤 Bauer X-LS Quad Skates Heading to Their New Owners!

Another lovely pair of Bauer X-LS quad roller skates has left the workshop this week, finished with black Ventro Pro Turbo wheels and matching black hardware. The X-LS has a distinctive modern hockey boot design, and the combination of black boots, black plates and black wheels gives these skates a particularly clean, understated appearance. The bright green detailing inside the boots provides a nice little splash of colour, while the white Bauer branding adds just enough contrast to break everything up. Not everyone wants their skates covered in bright colours, and sometimes a coordinated black setup is exactly what works best. These are another example of how a modern ice hockey boot can be transformed into a completely different skating experience with the right plate and wheel combination. Another pair packed up and heading off to be enjoyed by their new owners! 📦🛼

💜 Purple Air Waves and Ventro Ceramic Bearings!

We've also had a rather colourful wheel and bearing order heading out this week, featuring a set of purple Air Waves wheels paired with Ventro Black Ceramic Bearings. Air Waves have been a familiar sight on roller skates for years, and their 65mm diameter, 78A hardness and traditional styling make them a popular choice with recreational skaters. The purple finish looks fantastic, particularly with the distinctive Air Waves lettering around the sidewall. Alongside the wheels, the customer has opted for Ventro's ceramic bearings, giving them a complete wheel and bearing upgrade ready to fit to their skates. It's always nice when customers choose their wheels and bearings together, because it means everything can be prepared as one package rather than having to source components separately. And let's be fair, those purple Air Waves look absolutely cracking! 💜🔥

🟢 Rollerbones Team Logo Wheels Find a New Home!

Another wheel order leaving the workshop this week involved a set of Rollerbones Team Logo wheels, finished in a wonderfully bright green. These are a familiar name in the roller skating world, and Rollerbones has built a reputation for producing wheels aimed at a wide variety of skating styles. The bright green colour certainly isn't subtle, but that's part of the appeal! The customer also picked up a set of Bones Reds precision skate bearings, making this another complete wheel and bearing package. We're always pleased to see customers exploring different wheel options, because wheels can make a noticeable difference to how a pair of skates feels and performs. Of course, what works brilliantly for one skater might not suit another, so choosing wheels should always come down to personal preference, skating style and the surfaces you normally skate on. These certainly won't be difficult to spot on the rink! 💚🛼

❤️ Bauer NSX Quad Skates with Radar Halo Alloy Wheels!

Now here's a build that really stands out! This week we've sold a beautiful pair of Bauer NSX quad roller skates fitted with Radar Halo alloy-hub wheels. The boots feature Bauer's distinctive black styling with red detailing, while the white plates and bright pink-red wheels create a fantastic contrast. The Radar Halo wheels feature aluminium hubs, giving the whole setup a particularly striking appearance, especially with the metallic centres visible against the brightly coloured urethane. It's a great example of how the right combination of boots, plates and wheels can turn an already attractive skate into something that looks genuinely special. We always enjoy putting together builds that are a little different, and this one certainly fits the bill. Another pair of custom quads sold and heading off to their new owner. We hope they get plenty of enjoyment out of them! ❤️🔥

🛞 More Radar Halo Alloy Wheels Heading Out!

The Radar Halo wheels haven't just been appearing on complete skate builds this week. We've also had another set sold separately, alongside Bones Reds bearings. These wheels are particularly distinctive thanks to their aluminium hubs and bright urethane, giving them a look that's quite different from traditional all-urethane roller skate wheels. The metallic centres are certainly eye-catching, but wheel choice is about much more than appearance. Different wheel designs, sizes, hardnesses and constructions can all influence how a skate feels, and what one skater considers the perfect setup might be completely wrong for someone else. That's one of the reasons we stock a variety of wheels at Pabloskates rather than trying to push everyone towards the same product. Whether you're looking for something traditional, something colourful or something a little more specialised, there's usually an option worth considering. 🛼✨

🔴 More Bauer NSX Quad Skates Sold!

It seems the Bauer NSX has been another popular choice this week, with yet another pair of converted boots sold and ready to leave the workshop. This particular build features red plates and matching red-and-black laces, creating a wonderfully coordinated setup that works beautifully with the red detailing already present on the boots. The black-and-red combination is a classic for a reason, and it's particularly effective on these Bauer hockey boots. We always enjoy seeing how different customers choose to personalise their skates, because even when two builds start with the same model of boot, the finished results can look completely different. Between the bright red plates on this pair and the Radar Halo wheels on the other NSX build, we've certainly had plenty of colour coming through the workshop this week. Another pair sold, another customer ready to get rolling! ❤️📦

🖨️ NEW Jam Plug Colours: Aqua and Brick Red!

The 3D printer hasn't been sitting idle this week either! We've added two new colours to our Pabloskates jam and dance plug range: Aqua and Brick Red. The photograph shows a fresh batch of bright aqua plugs being printed, with several different designs arranged across the build plate. These little accessories have become a regular part of workshop life, and it's been great fun experimenting with different colours and designs to give customers more choice. Our jam plugs are designed for skaters who want a low-profile alternative to traditional toe stops for activities such as dance skating, spins and pivots. They're manufactured in-house and deliberately priced at just £1 per pair when purchased directly from our website, because they're intended to be affordable, replaceable accessories. Use them, abuse them, wear them out and replace them. They're a quid! 😂🌈

📦 Ventro Refresh Packs Are Flying Out!

Our Ventro Refresh Packs have been proving popular again this week, with plenty more orders heading out of the workshop. These packs are a simple way to give an existing pair of quad roller skates a completely different appearance without replacing the boots or plates. By combining a set of wheels with matching laces and toe stops, customers can refresh their setup and coordinate the colours without having to hunt around for individual accessories. The photograph shows a set of white Ventro Pro Turbo wheels alongside matching accessories, ready to be packed up and sent out. Sometimes a fresh set of wheels and a change of laces are all it takes to make an old pair of skates feel exciting again. It's a relatively straightforward upgrade, but judging by the number of packs we've been sending out recently, it's certainly one that people appreciate! 🛼📦

💜 Another Vapor X200 Build with Purple Air Waves!

Rounding off this week's collection is another fantastic pair of Bauer Vapor X200 quad roller skates, this time finished with a striking purple theme. The classic black-and-silver Bauer boots have been paired with white plates, purple-and-white laces and a beautiful set of purple Air Waves wheels. It's a combination that works particularly well, with the purple wheels providing a bold splash of colour without overwhelming the traditional styling of the boots. This is one of the things we love most about custom quad skate conversions: you can take the same model of hockey boot and create completely different-looking skates simply by changing the plates, wheels and accessories. The Vapor X200 is clearly having a bit of a moment at Pabloskates, and when the finished results look this good, it's not difficult to understand why! 💜🛼🔥

🛠️ Why We Love Custom Hockey Skate Conversions!

One of the things that makes Pabloskates a little different is our focus on converting ice hockey boots into custom quad roller skates. Rather than starting with a conventional roller skate boot, we work with models from manufacturers such as Bauer and Nike, carefully removing the original blade assemblies and fitting suitable quad skate plates. Every boot presents its own considerations, including the construction of the sole, the mounting position and whether additional reinforcement is required. Some older boots use materials that benefit from carbon fibre strengthening, while others have moulded plastic soles that require a different approach. Plate choice is equally important, with different mounting positions and truck geometries influencing the way the finished skates behave. We've worked on a huge variety of boots and plates over the years, and that experience helps us create setups suited to individual requirements. There's something particularly satisfying about giving a great pair of hockey boots a second life, especially when the finished skates look as good as some of this week's builds! 🏒🔧

❤️ Supporting a Small Independent UK Skate Workshop

Every order that comes through Pabloskates genuinely makes a difference, whether it's a complete custom quad skate conversion, a set of wheels, a pair of bearings or a humble £1 pair of jam plugs. We're a small independent UK workshop, and the work involved in building, repairing, modifying and preparing skates is carried out right here. That means everything from mounting plates and reinforcing soles to experimenting with new 3D printed accessories and packing up customer orders. We might not be a massive retailer with a warehouse full of staff, but we do have plenty of enthusiasm, a growing collection of workshop tools and an increasingly busy 3D printer! It's particularly encouraging to see customers returning for additional purchases and recommending us to their friends. That sort of support is what keeps small specialist businesses like ours going, and we really do appreciate it. ❤️🛼

🛒 Looking for Custom Quad Skates, Wheels or Accessories?

Whether you're interested in converting an old pair of ice hockey boots into quad roller skates, upgrading your existing wheels or picking up some colourful accessories, we'd love to help. At Pabloskates, we offer custom hockey skate conversions, plate mounting, de-blading, carbon fibre reinforcement and a growing selection of roller skate parts and accessories. We stock wheels from brands including Air Waves, Ventro, Radar and Rollerbones, alongside bearings, toe stops, laces and our own range of 3D printed jam plugs and heels. You can explore our products and services at https://www.pabloskates.com, or get in touch if you've got a particular build or unusual idea in mind. We love a challenge, although some of those unusual ideas do have a habit of turning into another project that keeps us occupied for weeks! 😂🛠️

🛼 Until Next Week!

That's another busy week wrapped up at Pabloskates! We've had Bauer Vapor X200s flying out of the workshop, more X-LS and NSX conversions finding new owners, colourful Air Waves and Rollerbones wheels heading off to customers, and some fantastic Radar Halo alloy wheels making an appearance. Our Ventro Refresh Packs have been keeping us busy, and the 3D printer has been working away producing even more jam plugs in our expanding range of colours. As always, a massive thank you to everyone who's placed an order, followed our progress, shared our posts or recommended Pabloskates to a fellow skater. Your support really does mean the world to us. Have a fantastic week, enjoy your skating, and we'll see you in the next workshop diary! ❤️🛼🔥

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See you next week for another workshop update!

Paul – Owner, Pabloskates

Roller skating is an incredibly subjective activity, and what works brilliantly for one skater might not work at all for another. Everything from boots, plates, wheels and cushions to mounting positions and skating techniques comes down to personal preference, experience, skating style and individual comfort. The opinions, reviews and recommendations I share are based on my own knowledge, experience and time spent both building and skating on different setups. They are my opinions, not universal truths. Your experience may be completely different, and that's absolutely fine! There's rarely one perfect setup that suits everyone. I always encourage skaters to experiment, ask questions and discover what works best for them, while ensuring their equipment is properly fitted and safe to use. Ultimately, the best setup is the one that works for you, not necessarily the one that works for me.