Project Review:Sure Grip PARTII: Avenger DA-45 Roller Skate Plate Design

The first concept design for the Sure-Grip International's new Quad Plate the Avenger a DA-45 based skate.

The original design was a 10 degree Super-X based product as seen above, though we moved to the DA-45.

Here I have side-by-side the DA-45 and the Super-X 10

I took a bit of the "spoiler" off the nose in this iteration of the concept.

The final design for the Avenger is shown with a few sections.

Here is the 3D file showing the build process using Subdivision -Surfaces that were used for prototyping.

A Stereolithography model of the Avenger sitting on Steven Balls desk back in March...

Here is the original revised DA-45 truck I did for SGI back in 2010. It was adjusted in-house and is what comes on the Avenger and other DA-45 SGI products.

The Process in Stereolithography: 3D Model->Plastic Prototype->Metal Casting->CAD->Mold.

Sure-Grip International PART II
The Avenger DA-45 Rollerskate Plate Design

Client: Sure Grip International.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 2010.

This is my second post covering work I have done for Sure Grip International[ SGI], the largest and oldest skate manufacturer in the USA. I did some 3D-Logo work last year for them posted here. Today my first full production Roller skate design hits the market at Roller-Con 2011 as I type called the Avenger , a Dual-Action 45 degree skate plate.

Having gone to transportation design school at Art Center we love things that roll, not just cars, and for me Quad skates are TOP's. The original Non-Inline design is making a huge comeback due to the popularity of Derby around the world, so I found a nitch, that I actually was well informed on. This has allowed me to get into the design and concept phase for new products for this large manufacturer of skates based out of So Cal.

I had done a few concepts on my own here, and I forwarded them to the top US builder of Quad-Skates at Jam-n-Speed, Fred Benjamin known as Doc Sk8" whom I have chatted with via the skateLOGforum, the top online community for Quad-Skaters, and we discussed talking to Sure Grip. Well I did a few designs and was introduced to SGI in March of 2010, and we begain develpment of products, and what yopu see here is the first plate to come forward designed for Derby, The DA-Avenger-45.

We wanted the plate to NOT look like a copy of a copy of what exists in quad plates, as they all follow a similar line for look. I applied the angles, and the shapes of triangular "Stealth Fighter" anti-radar shapes, as well as giving it a black finish to follow in line with the "Darth-Invader" that is what this is to replace as a Derby purpose built short mount skate.

I also helped reshape the DA-45 truck too. We use a process called Stereolithography, or some call it 3D-Printing. This is where we can make an actual part from the 3D model I build in the computer, so we go from Art, to a Part so to speak, and fast.

We mocked up the parts , and then SGI molded a few in metal and adjusted as needed and finally go to the mold making team for production.

Many thanks go out first to Doc, for connecting up and making the connection to SGI, and also to Sure-Grip for using my services as I get to participate in something I love. As an avid Old-School Quad skater myself, this is personal design for me, and am grateful.

Cheers, THOM