Skate sharpening how long

Again, please note that the figures shown above are NOT to scale. The hollow on the bottom of your blade is actually much less pronounced. To give you a reference, here is a to-scale figure to show you what the radii actually look like. A smaller radius will give you more bite into the ice for tighter turns and quicker acceleration, but at the same time because your edges are digging deeper into the ice which causes greater friction, your glide and speed will suffer Also a more pronounced radius will be more fragile and less durable.

The main variable to consider when first picking a radius to try is weight. As a general rule, the heavier the skater, the larger the radius needed. An extremely light skater can tolerate a very small radius producing a deep hollow with lots of edge because they do not have much weight to bear on the ice. If another player seems to have become inexplicably quicker, or yours inexplicably clumsier, consider getting those skates sharpened. All of us, young or old, will benefit from regularly sharpening our skates.

Feeling connected to the ice bolsters confidence. Feeling uncertain creates tentativeness. Additional Information Home 2 Sticks Giveaway! Site Information. Never buy retail again Learn Why. Please wait Call us at If you're already practicing your skills at home on an outdoor rink or elsewhere , start keeping track of your reps and be entered into prize draws! Ice in backyard or outdoor rinks can gather dirt quickly or have it frozen into the surface.

This makes the ice abrasive and potentially dangerous. This dirt and debris will dull blades faster than when skating indoors. Outdoor ice is typically harder than indoor ice and can wear your blades down quicker. If you find yourself needing to sharpen your skates the service is available at most rink pro shops as well as sporting good stores. When to Sharpen There are a number of signs skates need to be sharpened.

Know Your Hollow When looking closely at a skate blade, you will notice the blade does not have a single edge like a knife. It causes the edges to be uneven. This can be checked before leaving the hockey shop with the technique mentioned earlier.

Cross-grinding : Cross-grinding is an excellent way to prep brand new skates for sharpening, or to remove rust or nicks in the blade left. Unlike the finishing wheel, the cross-grind wheel runs vertically and is much coarser, making it able to chew through the blade much faster, essentially resetting the blade so it is completely flat.

You may need to hold the blade up to a light source and tilt back and forth to see. Spending too much time sharpening the ends of the blade will cause it to gradually become more and more rockered over time, which limits the amount of blade on the ice and overall speed.