Hi Followers, I haven't posted for a dog's age.
Our club is in an expansion year this year as we have doubled our ice time. I gave away my duties as the club equipment manager and summer dryland training. I am focusing my talents on coaching as well as mentoring our coaches.
In Other News: my son Paul retired after 19 years of speed skating. Paul is coaching with our club this year. Here is a picture from early and late in his career.
My son Aaron is beginning to live the life of an elite athlete, training for 4 months in Calgary and returning home this week. Aaron intends training full time once he finishes grade 12 in Lethbridge this school year.
SHARPING SPEED SKATES
I have footage to make a video on how to sharpen skates. There are others out there but they use some old ideas and make for some complicated sharpening of skates. My idea is that whenever I learn an easier, quicker way, I adopt it.
Sharpening Summary:
- Set up the same every time and use the same jig
- Sharpen only with the smooth side of your sharpening stone - unless you have a stripped edge, then use the course side first and then the smooth side following: This limits the amount of burr you create and reduces the wear of the blades.
- Use a method to reduce the side and top burr to a minimum each time you sharpen.
- De-burr your skates after every race / practice to reduce side burr. Side burr always feels like a "dull" skate blade. Many skaters re-sharpen their skates when de-burring would be more appropriate.
This is by far the best blog I have found about the technical side of maintaining speed skates!! Please keep posting! Parents like me who are new to the sport need blogs like this to help us avoid all the pitfalls that beginners make. Speaking of beginners, I have a question about when you think kids should upgrade to better blades. Our club runs the Maple Premiums for the majority of the skaters and Boat Patriot Carbon boots as rental stock. I get the impression that the boots are excellent quality for new and intermediate skaters, however I feel like the blades are the variable that could be upgraded at some point. When do you think is an appropriate time for this? Should the skaters skill reach a certain level first and then change blades? Or, once you know your kids are going to stick with the sport a while, you should upgrade the blades to help them learn the skill on better equipment? I would love to hear your opinion on this due to your many years being involved in the sport. Thanks again for such a great blog and I hope you keep posting!
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan, thanks for the support and the question.
ReplyDeleteThere is three major levels of blades:
1) Beginner level. Steel blades with a hardness of 58 Rockwell. The tubes are less firm and usually cost under $200. Most club packages include this level of blades to create a vary good price point gorgeous bulk orders.
2) Intermediate Level.
Steel blades with a better stiffer tube. Similar hardness to beginner. Price around $250. The Maple Chrome is a good example of this blade
3) Advance Level. Bi-metal or powdered steel blade- usually 64 Rockwell. $400 to $550.
I see skaters come to Junior level meets with Premiums and I cringe. That level of blades let's them down as they get stronger and heavier. T2T is a good time to move up to at least an Intermediate blade. Finding blades used is an option. Where are you located?
Thanks for your reply Tim,
ReplyDeleteThat is the first time someone has referenced the LTPAD model as a way to recommend the upgrading of blades for skaters to me! I think that it is a wonderful way of thinking about it and it makes perfect sense. As my son is only 10 years old and looking at it from the T2T model, it makes sense for me to wait a little bit longer now before pushing him up to stiffer blades as he might not get the right ice "feel" from an intermediate tube at in the first few years of skating.
As for finding blades, we are located in Terrebonne QC and there is a huge Short Track culture out here but very little information written on the web about it, both in French and English. We do have a massive used speed skating gear facebook page in QC and that works well for finding used equipment when needed. Thanks again for your help and I look forward to any future posts you might have.