Chaya - Karma PRO - Red Roller Skates

Even though people were riding bowls and skateparks on quad skates for decades, no company has ever put the effort to create a model built from the ground-up for this purpose. Usually it was up to skaters to modify existing skates with after-market parts, even though companies were making custom grindblocks, wider trucks and the likes. Chaya is the first brand to build a skatepark oriented rollerskate from the ground-up, without any compromises and going even further – designing a whole boot around the idea, instead of using one made for a different purpose entirely. Meet Karma Pro, a skate which redefines what gear for park and bowl riders should offer.

The boot is of medium height and stabilizes the ankle very well – of course, you can lace it lower for greater freedom of movement. It is not really a sneaker-like softboot, but does have more in common with what we can find in freestyle inline skates like HC Evo Trinity or aggressive ones like USD Carbon. There’s a rigid shell made our of plastic composite reinforced with addition of glass fibers. This material (GFRP) is widely used across many skates and parts made by Powerslide and never fails. Energy transfer and responsiveness levels are through the roof thanks to it. Shell also comes with flex cuts placed strategically, allowing it to expand a bit and better adjust to shape of your foot, increasing comfort. Furthermore, the skate uses dual center mounting system – a characteristic unique to top-end Chaya skates. It uses only two bolts to attach plate to the boot, meaning that you have some degree of adjustment how these two elements fit together. By moving plate a bit to left or right under the boot, you can achieve more natural point of balance for you.

Lacing alone does great job of keeping your foot in place and thanks to anatomically shaped padding and overall more rigidity, there’s no need for a Velcro strap. Outer skin is made out of combination of artificial and natural leather. It is of simple, but stylish design.

What is mounted to the boot doesn’t disappoint either. The skates come with Shari plate – this part was specifically designed to be a robust solution for skatepark riders and, alternatively, to act as an affordable but strong roller derby gear. It is made out of the same material as boot shell – GFRP. It is not metal and thus, does a better job at dampening the vibrations and shocks, making ride and landings a bit more comfortable. Shari plate comes with two trademark Chaya innovations: asymmetrically placed toe stopper and power toe system. The first characteristics means that stopper is placed in anatomically correct position, where you have the highest degree of control precision, making it far easier and more natural feeling to use it for pushing and stalling. Power toe system means that front of the plate is slightly curved upwards, making push more efficient by removing the gap between front part of the boot and plate, while also giving more stable platform for your toes.

When it comes to trucks, these are park-specific, medium width XTNDR model. They are solid forged aluminium trucks with steel axles which screw into the main part. Chaya also offers long version of axles to buy separately, meaning that it is possible to customise the ride, adding more stability for fast skating. If grinds are your thing, you’ll be delighted to know that aluminum trucks slide really well on copings and rails. In addition, Karma Pro skates comes with replaceable, asymmetric grindblocks which allow you to expand your tricks vocabulary even further.

Cushions are on the harder side of the spectrum, made with a 95A durometer, super high rebound polyurethane. These characteristics make for a stable ride and very responsive pivoting. Toe stopper is made out of proprietary blend of natural and artificial rubber, providing excellent grip for start pushes and stalls. Chaya Firebolts are top-tier wheels, made with 100A urethane and with 58mm diameter. Perfect for smooth concrete surfaces and carving bowls. High quality ABEC9 bearings by Wicked complete the package.

If you are looking for a pair of top-tier rollerskates for riding skateparks and performing tricks, choosing the Chaya Karma Pro is a no-brainer. They are the most complete and advanced package of this kind ever created, by any company in history of rollerskating.