Pre-pressurized in-line skate wheel

An in-line shock absorbing skate wheel comprising:

• a hard urethane hub formed with a drop center having a radially inner annular wall and radially projecting axially spaced apart flanges;
• a soft urethane bladder device including a plurality of radially projecting spacer rods disposed equidistant about said annular wall and an annular tube carried at the radially outer ends of the respective said rods;
• a soft urethane tire body formed with a radially inwardly projecting rib received in said drop center and bonded to said flanges, said tire body encapsulating said tube and being bonded thereto and formed radially distally of said tube with an annular wall defining a polyurethane cushion configured with an elliptically shaped annular tread surface for cushioning shock loads applied radially inwardly to said tire;
• and a compressible gas charge in said tube whereby said annular cushion and pressurized tube will cooperate to withstand loads applied to said tread wall during operation at high speed over uneven terrain to cushion and absorb at least some of the consequent shock loads.