Sure-Grip Avenger Plate Review: How Does It Skate? My Real-World Experience
The Sure-Grip Avenger is one of those skate plates people tend to have strong opinions about. Some skaters absolutely love its agility and responsiveness. Others find it nervous, unpredictable or simply too lively.
It is the Marmite of roller skate plates.
Naturally, after reading all those conflicting opinions, I decided the sensible thing to do was dive in headfirst and buy the more expensive Avenger Magnesium version. What followed involved vintage Adidas Predator football boots, destructive use of a multitool and some extremely unhappy feet. More importantly, it taught me a great deal about how the Avenger actually skates, how to adjust it and why the rest of the build matters just as much as the plate itself.
What Is the Sure-Grip Avenger?
The Avenger is a strong, lightweight metal roller skate plate built around Sure-Grip’s DA45 double-action truck design. It was originally developed with short-track speed skating in mind before being reimagined for roller derby in the early 2000s. However, its agility has also made it popular with rhythm, rink and general-purpose skaters.
Unlike a conventional 10 or 15-degree plate, the Avenger’s 45-degree design responds very quickly to movement from the skater. A relatively small shift in weight or pressure through an edge can produce a noticeable change of direction.
The Avenger is available in two versions:
The Avenger Aluminium has a black cast-aluminium baseplate.
The Avenger Magnesium has a lighter, white powder-coated magnesium baseplate.
Both use black aluminium DA45 trucks.
Both normally come with hardened 8mm steel axles.
Both have adjustable pivot pins.
Both accept adjustable 5/8-inch toe stops.
Both use a barrel cushion above and conical cushion below each truck.
The current Avenger Magnesium package is supplied with hollow kingpins, adjustable pivots, Sure-Grip Carrera toe stops and Purple 85A Sure-Grip Super Cushions. That means four barrel and four conical cushions across the pair. Mounting hardware and axle nuts are also included. Plates are normally supplied with 8mm axles, although 7mm axles are also available in DA45 truck form. You can also get quick release DA45 trucks from some specialist retailers.
How Does the Avenger Skate?
The simplest description is: lively.
An Avenger reacts quickly when you shift your weight or use your edges. It can carve deeply, change direction quickly and produce a tremendous amount of movement without requiring the skater to force it. That responsiveness is the entire point of the design. Compared with a conventional 10-degree plate, the Avenger usually requires less physical effort to initiate a turn. However, responsiveness and instability can feel remarkably similar when a plate is unfamiliar, incorrectly adjusted or fitted to an unsuitable boot.
The Avenger is not randomly deciding where to go. It is reacting to the pressure being applied through it. If you are used to a stiff plate, you may initially overcorrect. The Avenger responds to that correction, so you correct again in the opposite direction. The more you chase the movement, the more erratic the skate can feel. It can genuinely feel as though the plate has developed a mind of its own. In reality, it is doing exactly what you are accidentally telling it to do. This brings me to my first attempt.
The Football Boot Experiment
Being a child of the 1980s, I had always wanted to build a pair of speed skates using football boots. It seemed like an excellent idea. I found a pristine pair of 2001 Adidas Predator football boots on eBay. The seller originally wanted £200 for them, but after a little patient eBay stalking, I eventually bought them for £35. I later discovered that he had found them in a charity shop for £20. Classic. By that point I was already committed to the project. The studs came off, the Avenger Magnesium plates came out and my football boot-to-speed skate experiment began.
Fitting them was straightforward in principle. Accurately positioning the plates was another matter. The unusual shape and construction of the boots made aligning everything considerably more interesting than mounting a conventional skate boot. After plenty of measuring, marking and drilling, I finally had the pair of homemade speed skates I had always wanted. Visually, they were brilliant. Then I tried skating in them.
My First Session on Avengers
I took them to my local rink, which has a super smooth maple floor, and immediately discovered why people describe Avengers as squirrellyly. They felt extremely lively and seemed eager to react to absolutely everything. It was less like gently steering a pair of roller skates and more like trying to negotiate a greased tightrope. Some adjustment helped. Small changes to the action made them less chaotic, and I gradually started becoming accustomed to how quickly they responded. Unfortunately, the plate was not the biggest problem. After about an hour, my feet were screaming. Football boots are designed for playing football on grass. They are not necessarily designed to support a skater while cornering and repeatedly transferring lateral forces through a roller skate plate. This particular pair did not provide the comfort, structure or support I needed. There is probably a good reason people no longer routinely convert football boots into speed skates. The sole felt like it was coming away from the plate, hence why modern speed boots have fibre glass or carbon fibre soles. The project proved that the Avengers worked, but it had not produced a pair of skates I actually wanted to wear.
Attempt Number Two: Nike Bauer Vapor Speeds
A few months later, I found a pair of early-2000s Nike Bauer Vapor Speed ice hockey skates on eBay. This time, I had a much more suitable, solid foundation. The skates arrived looking excellent, but removing the original blade holders became something of an ordeal. This was in the days before I started the shop in anger so didnt yet have my skate rivet press. Eventually, patience gave way to a multitool. The blade holders did not survive. Once they were removed and the boots had been properly prepared, I mounted the same white Avenger Magnesium plates onto the Vapor Speeds. I completed the build with white Rollerbones Turbo wheels. Grey hockey boots, white Avenger plates and white wheels. They looked absolutely fantastic. More importantly, when I took them to the rink, they skated completely differently.
The Same Plates, but Completely Different Skates
The squirrelly chaos had disappeared. The Ice Hockey boot build felt smooth, controlled and agile. I could take advantage of the Avenger’s responsiveness without feeling as though the boots were going to rip away from the plates. They turned beautifully, glided smoothly and, for the first time in this experiment, my feet were comfortable. The transformation was dramatic enough that they became my favourite skates, knocking my Supreme Turbo 33 Classics off the top spot. The Avenger plates themselves had not fundamentally changed.
What had changed was everything surrounding them:
The boots fitted and supported my feet properly.
The boot construction was more appropriate for handling skating forces.
The plates were mounted onto a stable and properly prepared foundation.
The action and pivot pins had been adjusted correctly.
I had gained experience skating and setting up the plates.
A plate does not operate in isolation. The boot, plate size, mounting position, cushions, pivot adjustment, wheels and skater all contribute to how the finished skate behaves.
Choosing Avenger Cushions
One of the easiest ways to change how an Avenger feels is to fit a different hardness of Sure-Grip Super Cushion. Both Avenger plates are currently supplied with Purple 85A cushions, and most people simply stay on purple. They provide a sensible balance between stability and the responsive movement people buy Avengers to experience. However, several other options are available.
Red 93A: The Most Restrained Option
If you want an Avenger to feel closer to a traditional plate, you can fit Red 93A Super Cushions and run them reasonably tight. This dampens some of the movement and makes the action feel more restrained. Why buy one of the most agile plate designs available and then deliberately restrict it? Because it can be a very good way to learn. A skater who finds the standard setup overwhelming can begin with Red 93A cushions, gradually loosen the action as confidence develops, and then move onto Purple 85A cushions. From there, they can decide whether they want to explore an even softer setup. It allows you to learn how the plate reacts without immediately experiencing all the movement it can provide.
Purple 85A: The All-Round Setup
Purple 85A Super Cushions are the standard Avenger setup and the option most skaters continue using. They allow you to experience the responsive DA45 action while retaining a reassuring level of resistance. For many people, there is no need to change them. If you are trying Avengers for the first time, the supplied Purple cushions are a sensible starting point.
Yellow 79A: My Preferred Balance
I currently use Yellow 79A Super Cushions. For me, they provide the best balance between agility and stability. They allow noticeably more movement than the Purple cushions without making the skates feel excessively soft or uncontrolled. However, I have been skating on my Avengers for a couple of years. I am familiar with how they react and no longer need to consciously manage every small movement. What works perfectly for an experienced Avenger skater may feel very different to somebody using them for the first time.
Blue 72A: Maximum Agility
Blue 72A Super Cushions are very, very soft. They allow the greatest amount of movement and can make the Avenger exceptionally agile. They also require accurate weight transfer and considerably more control from the skater. A lot of people find them difficult to get used to, particularly when moving directly from a stiff conventional plate. They are not the setup I would recommend as the default starting point, but the option is there for skaters who want maximum action.
Super Cushion | Hardness | General feel |
Red | 93A | Firmest and most restrained |
Purple | 85A | Balanced standard setup |
Yellow | 79A | Softer, agile and still manageable |
Blue | 72A | Very soft with maximum available movement |
Cushion choice is also affected by skater weight, technique and personal preference, so hardness ratings should be treated as a progression rather than a universal prescription.
Stiff Versus Soft Action
A stiff action can make a skate feel more stable initially, but it also means the skater must apply more force to make it turn. This additional effort has to go somewhere. Continually forcing a stiff setup can place unnecessary strain through the skater’s feet and the boot.
A useful way to think about it is:
"The stiffer the action, the more the skate controls where you are going. The softer the action, the more you control where the skate is going."
There is an important qualification to that statement. A softer action only gives you more control once you have developed the accuracy to use it. Until then, every small unintended movement is also transmitted through the plate. This is why an unfamiliar loose setup can initially feel erratic or squirrelly. The skates are responding correctly, but the skater may be subconsciously overcorrecting. The DA45 action turns very quickly and easily. It goes where you tell it to go, including when you did not realise you were telling it anything.
Correct Pivot Adjustment Is Essential
Avenger pivot pins are adjustable and should not simply be assumed to be correct from the factory. The ball of each pivot pin should just touch the bottom of its Delrin pivot cup. It needs to be properly seated, but it must not be extended so far that it applies excessive pressure.
If a pivot pin is too short, you may be able to press down on the truck and feel or see movement as the pin moves in and out of the cup. Gradually extend the pivot until applying pressure to the truck no longer produces this movement. Once the pivot ball is resting against the cup with slight pressure, firmly tighten the pivot-pin locknut against the truck housing. A pivot pin that is adjusted too long can interfere with the truck movement and cause an unpleasant darting sensation. This can easily be mistaken for the normal responsiveness of the plate. Never skate with the pivot-pin locknuts loose. Loose pivots can move during use and may damage the threads inside the trucks. Pivot adjustment should also be checked periodically rather than treated as a one-time job.
Adjusting the Kingpin Nuts
Once the pivot pins are correct, the main everyday adjustment is made using the kingpin nuts. Tightening the nuts compresses the cushions and restricts the action. Loosening them allows more cushion movement and increases responsiveness. Make adjustments in small increments. Do not make a large adjustment, skate for thirty seconds and immediately change everything again. Spend some proper time skating after each small change so you can understand what it has done. Also make sure that all four trucks are set consistently before experimenting with individual adjustments. Continually tightening cushions that are too soft is not the same as fitting a more suitable cushion hardness. If you have had to heavily compress the cushions to achieve the required stability, moving to the next harder compound is usually the better solution.
Avenger Plate Sizes
Sure-Grip Avenger sizes are most usefully compared by axle distance, also known as the wheelbase. The Avenger has a shortened front section and is designed to accommodate short-forward mounting. Its overall length therefore does not correspond directly with the sizing of a longer conventional plate. The front axle’s position beneath the foot is more important than simply attempting to match the full length of the boot sole.
Plate size | Overall length | Axle distance | Weight Mag/Alu* | Approx. EU size | Approx. UK size |
0 | 210mm | 130mm | 216g / 298g | 32–33 | 12Y–13Y |
1 | 220mm | 140mm | 220g / 305g | 34 | 1 |
2 | 230mm | 150mm | 225g / 311g | 35–36 | 2–3 |
3 | 240mm | 160mm | 229g / 316g | 37–38 | 4–5 |
4 | 250mm | 170mm | 233g / 325g | 39–40 | 6–7 |
5 | 260mm | 180mm | 238g / 332g | 42–43 | 8–9 |
6 | 270mm | 190mm | 242g / 338g | 43–44 | 9–10 |
7 | 276mm | 200mm | 247g / 345g | 46–47 | 11–12 |
8 | 286mm | 210mm | 251g / 352g | 49 | 13 |
*Weights are for one bare plate with kingpins and pivot inserts only. Manufacturing variation is possible. Boot sizes are a guide rather than an automatic mounting prescription.
There is no single correct plate size for every boot size. The correct choice depends on the boot’s physical dimensions, the position of the skater’s foot and whether a standard, sport or short-forward mount is intended.
Is the Avenger Unstable?
Not inherently. The Avenger is highly responsive, but responsiveness is not automatically the same as instability. A skater moving from a stiff 10-degree plate may initially find it unusually active. It responds to movements their previous plates may barely have registered. Some people love that sensation immediately, while others need time and careful adjustment.
Problems are more likely when several factors are combined:
Cushions that are unsuitable for the skater
Excessively loose, tight or uneven kingpin adjustment
Incorrectly adjusted pivot pins
A plate size that does not suit the mounting position
Poor plate alignment
Unsupportive or uncomfortable boots
Insufficient time spent adapting to the plate
This helps explain why online opinions are so divided. Two people can use the same plate on completely different boots, with different mounting positions, cushions, adjustments, skating styles and levels of experience. Their descriptions may sound contradictory even though both are honestly reporting what they felt.
Who Is the Avenger Best Suited To?
The Avenger is worth considering if you want:
Fast and responsive turning
Deep, controlled edges
Strong manoeuvrability
A lightweight metal plate
Adjustable pivot pins
A plate suitable for detailed personal tuning
The option of a short-forward or conventional mount
A setup that can evolve with your confidence and technique
It may be less suitable if you want a plate that feels deliberately restrained, requires minimal setup or behaves exactly like a stiff conventional 10-degree plate. That does not mean a beginner cannot use Avengers. It means the initial setup should be sensible and the skater should allow enough time to become familiar with them. Starting on Purple or even Red cushions and gradually increasing the available movement is much more sensible than immediately fitting Blue cushions, loosening everything and wondering why the skates feel feral.
Avenger Aluminium or Avenger Magnesium?
Both versions use the DA45 design and provide the characteristic Avenger response. The Aluminium is the more affordable option and is available only in black. The Magnesium costs more but offers a substantial weight reduction and is available only in white. Depending on plate size, a bare Magnesium Avenger is approximately 80 to 100 grams lighter per plate than the equivalent Aluminium model. If keeping the complete build as light as possible is important, the Magnesium is the obvious choice. If budget matters more than the additional weight saving, the Aluminium still delivers the full Avenger skating experience. The decision should therefore be based primarily on weight, colour and budget, rather than expecting the two materials to produce completely different steering characteristics.
Summary: Are Sure-Grip Avengers Worth It?
For me, absolutely. However, my experience also proves that buying a premium plate does not guarantee a brilliant finished skate. My first build looked interesting but was uncomfortable and difficult to control. My second build, using the same Avenger Magnesium plates, became my favourite pair of skates later transferring them onto a pair of Flexlite 2.0 boots (above). The plate was not the entire recipe. Avengers work best when they are matched with suitable boots, correctly sized, properly mounted, accurately adjusted and given appropriate cushions. Get those things right and they can feel smooth, fast and exceptionally agile. Get them wrong and you may understand exactly why some reviewers hate them. The Sure-Grip Avenger is not a magical plate, nor is it an uncontrollable monster. It is an extremely responsive piece of skating hardware that clearly communicates what the skater and the rest of the build are doing. Give it the right foundation, tune it properly and allow yourself time to adapt, and it can be the best skate of your life. Just perhaps leave football boots on the football pitch. ;)
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