Editor’s note: In each issue of SKATING magazine, one of the country’s top skate technicians will provide their expertise on skating boots, blades and related industry equipment.
Knowing when to sharpen blades
important for success, fun BY JONATHAN ENGLISH
I’m frequently asked how often skaters should
sharpen their blades, and how to know when they should be sharpened. Well, usually blades need to be sharpened
after they’ve been on the ice between 20 and 24 hours. This is the rule of thumb for both high-level competitive skaters and recreational skaters. A lot of the times, if a skater is having trouble
with a jump or a spin they normally don’t have trouble with, their skates may be dull. Some coach- es say that if a skater’s spins start to travel, if the inside edge isn’t biting the ice, it’s time for a sharp- ening. And usually if a skater falls for no apparent reason, or starts not hitting jumps or feels insecure on the ice, a sharpening may be in order. Knowing when it’s time to sharpen a skater’s
blades can also depend on the outside tempera- ture and what temperature the ice is being held at. Usually in the summer, the blades tend to sink into the ice a little bit more so skaters may feel like they are getting a better grip. But at rinks in cold climates, when the temperature is dropping below freezing during the night, it takes a long time for the ice to come back up to the temperature that a skater would like, so the ice always stays a little harder. Some people call that “hockey ice.” The hardness of the blade also influences
when a sharpening may be required. Tempered carbon steel blades, which are a more traditional blade, are made of a softer steel and do not hold an edge as long as some of the stainless steel blades. Both kinds of blades, however, work just fine for both recreational and competitive skaters. Lastly, the depth of the hollow groove that the
skater uses affects when a sharpening is required. I recommend that a skater skate in a hollow groove that is not too deep. So for a higher-level skater, a 5/8- or a 1/2-inch hollow groove is pretty good. Try not to skate on anything that is 3/8 inch. If the hollow groove gives too much resistance, it takes more effort to get the same amount of glide. Jonathan English and his wife Sheila are
the owners of The Sharper Edge, located north of Boston in Peabody, Massachusetts. They are both former professional figure skaters and coaches who opened The Sharper Edge in 1995 and started
sharperedgeskates.com in 2004. Jonathan, who was born in England, started sharpening blades at age 14 and handles all sharpening and fitting duties at the store, while Sheila, born in Massachu- setts, runs the online component of the business. Their clients range from current and former Olym- pians to those who skate recreationally.
product spotlight: Edea Piano
Editor’s note: In each issue of SKATING magazine, a skating equipment manufacturer will profile one of its products. This is not an endorsement from U.S. Figure Skating or SKATING magazine.
The Merlo family founded Ris-
port in 1963 and sold the company to Rossignol in 1995. In 2000, Edea was born from a Merlo family decision to reenter the skating boot market with new designs, technologies, materials and manufacturing processes for the lightest, most supportive and most comfortable skate in the world. Edea has been embraced by many
of the world’s top champions, but skaters ask, “What are the differences between the Ice Fly and the Piano?” The Piano has: • More support. The microcarbon structure of
the Piano is thicker and stronger. The seven open- ings (representing musical notes) and the extra stitching allow the skater to generate more power and transmit it to the blade for quicker action with improved thrust and control. • Stronger heel lock. A slightly deeper ergo- nomically designed heel pocket creates improved
34 DECEMBER 2016
control over movement, reducing strain. • Slightly denser memory foam.
Gives the feeling of extra support and a stiffer tongue (like the Concerto). A rolled cuff at the top of the skate adds comfort. • New anti-shock system. The im-
pact from landing a jump is almost eight times your body weight. Two
layers of Noene anti-shock material plus an inner sole with PORON® heel absorbs/disperses more than 60 percent of the impact shock waves. Edea’s technologies reduce the wobble of
landings and strain on the body. Edea advantages are amazing. SkatesU.S. is the exclusive U.S. importer/dis-
tributor of Edea skates. Contact us at
www.SkatesUS.com or 765.935.7477 or contact one of our dealers. Description provided by Skates U.S.
ask the expert
MICHA EL CUNNINGHAM
SKATE TECHNICIAN U. S. OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING TEAM
Q: I recently started learning to skate, but my feet ache when I’m on the ice. Is that normal?
— Cathy, 11, Sacramento, California
Pain is not a requirement for skating but when you first start out, it is not unusual. If you have never skated before or if you have only gone once or twice, you will use muscles that you don’t normally use, so a little soreness can be expected. If your feet really do hurt, that could be an indication that your skates might not be the best fit. Make sure your skates are a really snug fit — a size to a size and a half smaller than your regular shoe size is nor- mal. I also recommend wearing very thin socks like tights or nylon knee highs for girls and ladies, and nylon dress socks for boys and men. Try to get fitted in a professional skate shop by an experienced professional; you may need to try on several pairs of boots made by different manufactur- ers. Each manufacturer has its own idea of what size a certain size is, so they don’t all fit the same. If you continue to have problems, ask your instructor for advice.
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