Ice skates can simply be described as metal blades attached below the foot for purposes of propelling the bearer across the ice while ice skating. The first ice skates were constructed using leg bones of animals such as horse, deer, or oxen, and were strapped on the feet using leather straps.
Finns were the first to create ice skates from animal bones 5000 years ago, according to a study done by Federico Formenti of the University of Oxford and Alberto Minetti of the University of Milan. The main objective was to spare the Finnish people’s energy when hunting under harsh winter conditions in Finnish Lakeland.
The earliest known skate was found in Fennoscandia and is believed to have been developed in 200 A.D. It consisted of a thin copper strip placed underneath a leather shoe. Unlike today’s bladed skates, a pole with a sharp metal spike was used to push the skates forward. Modern-day skates are available in numerous different varieties, which are selected based on the nature of requirements of the skating activity.
A Brief History Of The Sport; Ice Skating
Ice skating is the self-thrusting of a person across an ice surface using metal-bladed ice skates to slide on the ice surface. Simply put, ice skating entails gliding across a sheet of ice on blades attached to the bottoms of shoes(skates). People partake in this activity for various reasons; recreation, exercise, sport, or even as a form of travel.
Ice skating can be performed either indoors or outdoors. This could be either on prepared ice surfaces such as arenas, parks, and tracks, or on natural bodies with frozen water, such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. The activity of ice skating has brought about sporting activities, which include figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, bandy, and tour skating.
Ice skating came into existence in Scandinavia with the first skates made of animal bones. There is no clear record of when the metal runner was developed, but early Dutch prints picture skates with metal blades. Before the mid-19th century, the metal part of the skate was attached to a wooden base or footplate, and the skate as a whole strapped to the foot using leather straps. In 1850, a huge advancement came about, brought by E.W. Bushnell, who introduced the all-steel skate, replacing the weighty wooden footplate.
After 1900, major developments in the figure skate; the addition of the toe pick and the innovation of the ‘closed-toe’ blade of one-piece steel were introduced. The toe pick consists of saw-like teeth placed at the toe of the blade, and they enabled skaters to gain greater purchase in the ice when performing particular jumps. The “closed-toe” blade of one-piece steel improved skate-strength and allowed a much lighter-weight blade.
Skating has continuously been a game for both males and females on the canals of the Netherlands as a recreational activity since the Middle Ages. During the 17th century, skating on frozen ponds was a popular activity in England. The first skating club was created in 1742 in Edinburgh, Scotland. As well during this period of the 1740s, ice skating was introduced in North America by the British servicemen.
The French court witnessed the popularity of this activity in 1776, with Marie-Antoinette being among the first skaters. In 1781, Napoleon Bonaparte skated at Auxerre. Ice skating transformed from being a seasonal pastime to a huge sport and entertainment with the introduction of refrigerated ice rinks.
The first rink made of artificially frozen ice opened in 1876 in London. As for the United States, the first artificially frozen rink was created in 1879 in the old Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was followed by the emergence of more public rinks with artificially frozen ice during the century.
Ice skating sports and ice shows were made possible by the possibility of creating sheets of ice inside huge arenas. Not only did this make skating sports and ice show to become popular in the 20th century, but it also made it permitted for ice skating to be carried out in regions with warm climates.
Sports involving ice skating were held in 1879 in Great Britain, 1886 in The United States, and 1888 in Canada. The National Skating Association, the National Amateur Skating Association, and the Amateur Skating Association, respectively organized them. These associations, together with other national associations, made up the interim International Skating Union (ISU) in 1892. The ISU later became the body to oversight speed skating, ice dancing, and figure skating globally.
During the 1890s, world championships for speed skating (men only) and figure skating began. It was until 1936 that world championships for speed skating for women began. At the 1908 London Olympic games, figure skating for men, women, and pairs was included in the program.
Other skating events were included later on; men’s speed skating came in 1924 and women’s speed skating in 1960, ice dancing in the year 1976, and short-track speed skating coming in 1992. The popularity of ice hockey and pure skating rose in the 1920s, with ice hockey appearing in the 1920 Summer Olympics. Women’s hockey came about in 1998.
Types Of Ice Skates
There are five different types of ice skates: the figure skate, the hockey skate, the bandy skate, the racing skate, and the touring skate.
Figure Skates
Figure skates, as the name suggests, are used for the sport of figure skating. The toe pick at the blade’s front is the element that distinguishes figure skate, which is best suited for pleasure skating and figure skating from the other skates. The toe picks are usually made of stainless steel or aluminum and are used for specific figure skating jumps such as the Lutz jump and toe loop.
The blade measures 4mm wide. Skating movements are made on the hollow ridge along the blade that emphasizes its two sharpened outer edges. The length of the blade is the same as that of the boot or shoe to which it is attached. The forward part of the blade is called the toe rake, which is saw-toothed to allow jumps and spins on the toes. The boot has sturdy, reinforced arch support and a tightening material around the heel and beneath the arch.
Figure skating boots are made of stiff leather to give support to the ankle. Additionally, the blade in the figure skates is curved to permit balance adjustments and weight distribution. Figure skates must be taken care of for good skating performance. The blades must be sharpened and cleaned regularly.
Ice Hockey Skates
These skates are used when playing ice hockey and ringette. The hockey skate consists of a tough, protective boot that permits for quick turns. The boot is made of molded plastic, ballistic nylon, synthetic leather, or a thermoformed composite material. Molded plastic, however, could result in limited mobility, hence rarely used in making the upper boot for competitive skaters.
Skates made for goaltenders differ from the normal hockey skates in that they are cut lower in the ankle, and the boot is placed closer to the ice to ensure a lower center of gravity. To protect the toe, ankle, and heel from skating hazards, the boot is encased in toughened plastic called a cowling. The blade is typically longer and is less curved to allow the goalie to move side to side in the crease with ease.
Goalie skates do not have a tendon guard, and usually have a synthetic material covering the toe part of the skate, preventing puck damage. The blade of the goalie skate does not have a major significance in turning as compared to regular hockey skates; the blade is less curved, making turning slightly inconvenient. Goalie boots are made of harder synthetic material as compared to regular hockey skates.
A key factor that determines a player’s ability to skate is sharpening ice hockey skates. Throughout a player’s skating career, they will sharpen their skates hundreds of times. To ensure increased maneuverability, the blade’s cross-section is hollow and has two edges that cut into the ice. Sharpening of the blades is done using round-edged grinding wheels that create the two edges. The wheels grate out a hollow semi-circle on the blades’ underside, creating a sharp edge on both sides.
The sharpness of the skate blade is measured by the diameter of the grinding wheel used. Sharper edges are made by using smaller radius wheels. Every player chooses the sharpness based on his or her preference. For most players, a 13 mm radius of hollow is the preferred sharpening, while for goalies, 19 mm is the preferred sharpening.
Bandy Skates
Bandy skates are the skates used to play the sport of bandy. The boot is made of synthetic leather and is typically lower than that of the hockey skates, usually not covering the ankles. All bandy skates are made in such a way that they will not inflict injuries on opponents. Compared to that of hockey skates’ blade, it is usually longer, to permit higher speeds at the massive bandy rink. The blades in the Russian bandy skates are even longer, and the shoe on these skates is very low cut.
Racing Skates
Racing skates are also called speed skates. They are used during speed skating, has long blades, typically measuring between 42 and 46 cm and 1mm thick, and is usually longer than its shoe. A clap skate is a type in which the shoe is attached to the blade with the use of a hinge.
Short-track racing skates are designed to permit deep edge turns while avoiding contact between the boot and the ice hence have a longer height to the blade. To ensure greater turning ability, short track racing skates usually have a radius from 26 feet and long track racing skates, 72 feet. The bottom side of racing skates is completely flat, with no hollow, but with a squared bottom with two edges. This improves the glide time by avoiding cutting into the ice. The speed skate is low-cut, ensuring a freer movement of the ankle.
Touring Skates
Touring skates, also referred to as Nordic skates, consist of long blades that can be fixed using bindings to hiking or cross-country ski boots. These skates are used for long-distance tour skating on natural ice. The blades usually measure 20 inches long, have a radius of curvature of 82 feet, width from 1 to 1.5 mm, and a flat cross-section.
The stability of the touring skates on uneven natural ice is boosted by their length and long radius. The fact that the blades can be removed easily from the boots is an advantage since tour skating entails kluning (walking) between lakes or around unskateable areas. This is the reason why these skates are usually referred to as kluunschaats in the Netherlands.
It is common with modern-day skate models that blades are attached to the bottom of an aluminum footplate. A binding for a particular boot type is mounted on the footplate’s top. In the past, both the toe and heel of the boot were held down by bindings (fixed-heel). While some bindings need special boots with a duck-bill shaped toe, others have padded movable straps that attach to the hiking boots.
Since the early 1990s, models have been created for mounting free-heel cross-country ski bindings to the skates, thus allowing for attaching matching ski boots to the skates. The effect on free-heel models is similar to that of the klap skate form of speed skates. There are many makers of these skates in Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. Nordic skates are not only used for non-competitive touring but also in marathon speed skating races on natural ice.
Historical Wooden Touring Skates: Before 1970, most touring skates consisted of a wooden footplate attached to the boot using leather straps. Examples include the Gillbergs skate in Sweden and the Stheemann “wooden Norwegian” in the Netherlands. Even earlier, between 1870 and 1900, there were very similar models created in North America, like the Donaghue from the U.S.
The Parts Of An Ice Skate
To better understand the details and uses of ice skates, and consequentially find the most suitable skates, it is essential to understand the parts that make up a skate.
The Boot
- Made from synthetic materials to provide comfort and durability
- Deliberately rigid, with reinforcements in the ankle, to provide support to the foot and ankle when skating and carrying out moves and jumps
- Some skates have heel support
- Cut just above the ankle, to permit for some flex and increased comfort and speed
- Have warm linings and padding inside to maintain feet and ankles cozy
The Blade
- Made of carbon steel coated in chrome, to ensure durability, strength, sharpness, and style
- They are curved slightly to form an arc, the radius of which can range between 180-220cm. Referred to as the “rocker” of the blade
- Most blades are about 4mm thick, but this can vary based on preference, weight, age, and level of skill
- An indented bottom of the blade, known as a hollow ground, creates two edges, one inside and one outside
- The radius of the groove, referred to as the Radius of Hallow (ROH), varies depending on skill level, preference, style, etc.
Features Of A Good Ice Skate
There are differences between high-end ad low-end ice skates. However, keep in mind that a good skate is dependent on your available budget and skill level; some of the features of a skate would be inessential for a starter skater, while the same features could be a must-have for an advanced skater. Below are some features of modern ice skates:
- Quarter padding to ensure comfort and additional support and structure
- Easily broken-in materials
- Hinged ankles to provide greater flexibility without sacrificing flexibility
- Heat-moldable linings made of strong, comfortable, and lightweight materials
- Heel counters to give better support
- Lightweight, strong, and sharp blades
- Moisture-wicking linings
Finding the Right Skate
Finding the right skates is dependent on a number of factors; skill level, skating type, and the skater’s body.
Skill Level
Depending on whether you have been skating for a while or you want to begin skating, different ice skates are made for the different skill levels, with varying features for the boot and blades. This, however, does not imply that a beginner ice skate is necessarily better than the intermediate one, or vice versa. The skill levels include beginner, intermediate, and recreational.
- Beginner/ Entry Level Skates: These are designed for persons who are just starting out. They feature softer synthetic boots and linings, PVC soles, and basic blades that work satisfactorily for fundamental moves and skating. Entry-level skates will probably not support advanced maneuvers and jumps.
- Intermediate/ Advanced Ice Skates: Boots and blades are designed to work at the top skating levels. These skates are more complex, and thus are more costly than other skates.
- Recreational: These skates are used by casual skaters. They have a simple lace for easy putting on, removing, and fitting, and also fundamental boots and blades. Similar to beginners’ skates, these skates will not help if you want to perform advanced spins jumps or other maneuvers.
Skating Type
The skate that you choose is dependent on the type of skating that you will be doing, be it ice hockey, dance skating, freestyle skating, or figure skating. Each discipline comes with different techniques.
Body Type, Size, And Age
The size and type of ice skate that is suitable for you are dependent on your height, weight, and age. Keep in mind that the heavier the skater, the wider the ROH required.
Determining the right skate size
Once you have determined which skill level you belong to, it is time to take your feet measurements to determine the best-sized ice skates. To get the most of your skates while ensuring comfortable rides, you need to carefully pick correctly fitting skates.
The below steps provide a step by step guide to obtaining correct measurements:
- Place a measuring instrument, which could be a ruler or tape measurer on a flat surface, like the ground, with one end against a straight wall.
- Stand up straight on the measuring instrument, with your heel against the wall.
- Measure the length of your foot from the heel to the end of your longest toe.
- Switch to a sitting position.
- Get the measurements of your widest part of the ball of your foot using the tape measure or ruler.
- Pull the tape measurer adequately, to get the most accurate read.
While taking your measurements, keep in mind that most skate companies design their skates to fit adequately, for a perfect fit. If you prefer a loose-fitting skate, you can add some centimeters to your measurements.
Physical Mechanics Of Skating
The gliding of skates on ice is made possible by the fact that there exists a layer of ice molecules on the surface that is not as firmly cohered as the molecules of ice beneath. Lubrication is provided by the semiliquid state of the molecules. The molecules in the semiliquid layer are less movable than ordinary liquid water but are more movable than the molecules deep inside the ice. At about -157 °C, the slippery layer has a thickness of one molecule and becomes thicker as temperature increases.
For a long time, it had been believed that ice is made slippery by the melting of the thin layer resulting from the pressure exerted by the object in contact with it. The hypothesis had it that the blade of a skate exerts pressure on the ice, causing the thin layer to melt, thus providing lubrication between the ice and the blade. This explanation came about in the 19th century and is named “pressure melting.” It did not, however, explain the circumstances behind skating on ice temperatures lower than −3.5 °C.
In the 20th century, Lozowski, Szilder, Le Berre, Pomeau, and some other unnamed individuals proposed an alternative explanation referred to as “friction melting.” Their logic was that a layer of melt ice existed between the ice and the skate as a result of the viscous frictional heating. By this, they made full reference to macroscopic physics, which explains that frictional heat generated between the skate and ice causes a layer of ice to melt.
This skating mechanism can be termed as self-stabilizing. The higher the friction gets, the thicker the layer grows and decreases the friction. The lower the friction gets, the less thick the layer grows and raises the friction. The friction created in the sheared water layer between the skate and ice is directly proportional to √V, where V is the skater velocity. This implies that for smaller skater velocities, the friction is also little.
Irrespective of the genesis of the water layer, skating is not just gliding, as it causes destruction. Skaters leave a noticeable trail behind on maiden ice, and skating rinks need to be resurfaced often to maintain good skating conditions. This means that the distortion caused by skating is plastic and not elastic. The sharp edges make the skate to plough through the ice. This necessitates the addition of another component to the friction; the “ploughing friction.”
The calculated frictions are equivalent to the measured frictions in real rink skating. The ploughing friction reduces with the velocity V, because the water layer pressure rises with V and lifts the skate, a process known as aquaplaning. The end result is that a combination of the water-layer friction and the ploughing friction only rises a bit with velocity, allowing for skating at top speeds, >90 km/h.
Inherent Safety Risks Associated With Ice Skating
The capability of someone to skate is dependent on ice roughness, ice skate design, and the skater’s skills and experience. Even though serious injuries are a rare phenomenon, a couple of short track speed skaters have been paralyzed as a result of a heavy fall from a collision with the boarding.
A helmet is necessary to protect one from severe head trauma, but if not worn, then a fall can be fatal. Injuries from collisions, especially during hockey or pair skating games, are a possibility. Skating outdoors on a frozen water body poses a significant danger of falling through the ice into the underneath freezing water. Shock, drowning, or hypothermia can lead to the worst eventuality; death.
It is difficult for a skater to get themselves out of the water because of reasons which include the weight of their skates, thick winter clothing, and the breakage of ice as one struggles to return to the surface. As well, the skater could become disoriented beneath the water and thus fail to find the hole through which they fell. This can prove fatal. However, it is possible for quenching to come up with a condition in which someone can be resuscitated even hours after plunging into the water.
The Bottom Line
Can you think about anything that is better than gliding on ice surface like a bird on the breeze? How about lacing up and cutting through the ice while shooting towards a terror-stricken goalie?
However, keep in mind that playing on ice is a risk-posing affair. You will need to have a great pair of ice skates to get going. This article furnishes you with all you need to know with regard to the features of a great pair of skates. Narrow your options, pick a pair of skates, and have fun skating on ice.
