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Your skates are the most important part of your equipment as a speed skater. You must know how to look after them to skate your best. The blades must never be allowed to get dirty or rusty.

Sharpness: Speed skates must always be sharpened by hand using a jig and stone. If you have them sharpened by a power grindstone just once, the correct rocker can be removed and the blade damaged for good.

Keep your blades sharp. How often you sharpen them will depend on how many time you skate and the condition of the ice. Learn to tell when your skates need sharpening.

Drying: Dry the blades off well after each use. If you leave your skates in the house overnight when there are drops of water on the blades, you will find rust on them in the morning.

If rust does develop on the blades, put some oil on the blade and rub the spot with a burr stone. Rust acts like cancer on the steel, eating at the surface an weakening the blade, so it is best to get rid of any rust as soon as it develops.

Storing: Leave the guards off your skates if they are even slightly damp. The blades will rust if after drying them you put the damp guards back on.

When storing skates forthe summer, make sure that they are clean and dry. Coat the blades with a little petroleum jelly to prevent any corrosion caused by damp conditions. Make sure that there is no weight acting upon the blades which might bend them during the sumer in storage.

Guards: Always wear guards when walking on hard and dirty surfaces. It can take an hour or more to restore a skating edge that is lost by taking a few steps on concrete. Keep the inside of your guards clean at all times. Even little specks of dirt on the inside of your guards can damage the skating edge of the blade. (Washing your guards on the top rack of the dishwasher works quite well.)

Boots: Keep the boots polished. If they become wet, dry them slowly away from direct heat. If the side of the boot is being worn away by leaning over too far on the corners, a piece of tape should be used to protect the spot. Cleaning and polishing the leather from time to time and treating the leather with water repellent is also recommended.

Laces: Use soft cotton laces. Some prefer waxed laces to keep their laces tight. If too long, remove a piece from the middle and tie the cut ends at the toe. Check your laces before you go skating and replace if they are frayed.

The equipment needed to sharpen blades includes a jig to hold the blades, a sharpening stone, and a burr stone.

Jigs

There are many types of jigs, some designed exclusively for long track or short track blades or some which are used for both. The jigs the club have available for the use of members are suitable for sharpening both types of blades.

There are many ways to set up speed skates in a jig. The most impotrtan thing is to be consistent in whatever method you learn. If possible always sharpen skates on the same jig so that the skates adapt to the idiosyncrasies of that jig. Changing jigs will necessitate several sharpenings before theskates are adjusted to the new jig. When setting up the jig ensure that equal amount of each skate is showing behind the jig

The skates must be set up so that both blades are parallel to one another and level on top. The simple check to see if the blades are set up correctly is to take the stone and run it across the tops of the blades. A thin etch mark completely across both blades indicates that the blades are level, hence when the grinding starts, the blades will be worn down equally.

If the etched line only covers a portion of one blade, adjust the skates until a subsequent check shows a complete etch mark.

Stones

Sharpening stones are available in a number of sizes. The most common size is 11"x3" because it is easier to hold and the extra weight will decrease the effort needed by the sharpener. Most stones have a coarse and fine side.

A small burr stone for removing burr built up during sharpening is the only other piede of equipment needed. These are usually fine grained and about 3"x1".

When using the stones some people use oil on the stone to prevent grit from clogging the stone. Other people use water spray bottle with a mixture of soap and water.

A stone is worn out when valleys develop on its cutting edge. This will cause the stone to round off the skate blades and hampers the formation of a burr. Stones in this condition can be ground flat on a grindstone and re-used after a thorough cleaning. Valleys which can be detected visually are usually too large for effective sharpening.

The rocker of a skate is the amount that the blades deviate from being perfectly flat. A hockey skate has a far larger rocker than a speed skate and a short track skate has a larger rocker than a long track skate. The amount ofthe rocker can be measured by checking the blade against guides used for measuring rockers.

The location of the rocker along the blade (high point) can change if proper care is not taken when sharpening the skates. If the high point is in the wrong location the skater will lose efficiency.

Pushing down hard on the sharpening stone can result in flat spots and hollows. Visual inspections on a regular basis will assist in noting these problems early. If you have a concern regarding rockers, high points, flat spots and hollows, please check with the equipment manager or coach.

Difficulty in sharpening is directly proportional to the length of time between sharpenings andthe care that the skate blade gets.

Skate sharpening seminars are normally held at the beginning of each season to teach new members how to sharpen their skates.