"When skaters get as far as Snyders, they know what they want," Wall says. The Snyder is exceedingly well made and designed to allow a number of adjustments in the truck, for freestyle, dancing and figures—for all types of skating, in fact, except speed. Aficionados say that maneuvering is a cinch with this plate and precision bearings.

The majority of the other top U.S. contestants in the artistic events were on Vanguard's All American Dream wheels,