Freestyle slalom cones – is there anybody who doesn’t know them yet? Apart from the obvious use case, they come in handy for inline skating instructors as well as in slide practice. What you see is what you got and there’s no point in making direct comparison between cones available on the market. Truth to be told, most people are choosing cones based on their looks or favourite brand. So let’s have a little bit of fun with this one, shall we?
FR Skates cones
Newest player on the market comes first. The FR brand doesn’t offer any bells and whistles – these are regular, robust cones with FR logo cut out*. Available in multiple colours, of course.
There’s a perk coming with these cones (which can be good or bad depending on your stance about getting into interaction with other human beings) – they can spark a conversation. Even though FR Skates brand does exist for several years now, most “casual” skaters simply doesn’t understand what it is about and why the skates on their feet are not Seba FR1, as their friends call them, but FR Skates FR1.
This doesn’t come as a surprise, considering that FR Skates branching off from Seba was an out of the blue even that made a little sense from outsider’s point of view. It doesn’t matter now – simply, brace yourself for having to give a lecture about what FR Skates is, and how it is like old Seba while not being the current Seba and how current Seba is not old Seba. Who knows, maybe you'll make some new friends or meet a love of your life?
*The cut out logo means that these aren't that good for making sandcastles.
Powerslide cones
Without a shadow of doubt, the most recognizable cones on the market, thanks to their design full of holes*. You’ll either love or hate them – when hit, they do not gently slide a bit or fall over, they bounce off and can fly some distance, especially if surface is a bit more rough**. The compound used to make them is a bit rubbery, you can say.
If you are keen on achieving perfection with your freestyle, that’s a blessing. You are getting a clear, instant input that you’ve messed up. Plus, the possibility of the cone getting stuck between your skate and the ground, causing a close encounter with asphalt is fairly minimal. But a lot of people do not like these cones as they can bounce off all over the place, especially if you are doing tricks at more speed. You have to put more effort into picking them all up. Who would have thought that skaters can be so lazy!
The cones are available in several colours and even in sets with LED clips to make them shine. Have you ever dreamed of doing freestyle slalom in the dark, where no one can see it? Now is your chance to make this dream reality. We have saved the best for the last. As these cones have three holes at the top, you can easily turn them into Christmas tree decoration. Bonus points for using LED equipped ones! Surprise your friends & family this holiday season!
*As you have probably guessed, Powerslide cones are awful for making sandcastles. There is probably a whole circle in hell, where bad people are forced to try making them out of dry sand, with these cones.
**More grip causes cone to remain in place for a bit longer when hit, accumulating more kinetic energy, which causes it to bounce off when released. We do not have an equation for that ready at hand, so do not ask for it.. It’s physics, it’s complicated – just trust us, ok?
Seba cones
Just like ones made by FR Skates, they are pretty simple. A good selection of colours, low weight, excellent to stack for transportation. There’s even a dual density version, with the tip made out of softer material. If you have ever fallen on a slalom cone, you know how it hurts. Well, hitting a dual density cone with your back (or the place where it ends) will at least make the pain a bit more bearable.
What make these cones special is that there are no holes in them (apart from big one at the base)!* Think about the possibilities! If you have just one bottle of water and want to share with friends on a hot day, taking turns drinking from it is not the wisest idea in days of pandemic going rampart around the globe. Don’t worry, though, Seba cones work excellent as cups for holding drinks. On a more serious note, we do not recommend drinking from cones, their edge most likely will have a lot of bacteria on it. If you want to really pull off that joke, at least wash them first.
*Finally, cones suitable for making sandcastles!!! We may or may not have tested it in practice.
And the winner is:
Usefulness factor: Seba, for ability to serve as a vessel for liquid substances and ability to hold granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.
Bling bling factor: Powerslide, for being ready to use as a decoration. If you want to become next fashion icon, consider making earrings out of these.
Awkwardness factor: FR Skates. They are like that one funky pal you had in high school, whom you liked very much, but never wanted to introduce to rest of your frends because of fear that they won't understand his/hers "thing".