It is often stated that skating is the foundation of a hockey players skills. Therefore I believe it is important for players at every level to understand the mechanics of the hockey skate.
In the first of our series on hockey skates we will discuss the edges and hollows of the skate blade.
The skate blade is thin and two-edged, made of stainless steel and mounted in a holder that is fastened with rivets to the skate boot. The blade is contoured which means that not all the blade touches the ice surface at the same time. The blade has a concave groove between the two edges called the hollow. On the both sides of the hollow are the inside and outside edges. Both edges with the hollow in between allows the player to carve, drive and push off the ice with either the inside or outside edge and it also allows them to glide. Glide is the direct result of the hollows low level of friction as compared to the edges high level of friction.
Radius of hollow (ROH) is the term used to describe the depth of the hollow between a blades edges. When you have your skates sharpened you often use the term 7/16, ½ inch, 5/8 etc. This measurement refers to the Radius of hollow (ROH). A blade with a small ROH and a deeper hollow (3/8 or 1/2 inch) gives you less glide and more bite from your edges enabling you to turn sharper and start quicker. A blade with a large ROH gives you a shallower hollow so the blade is closer to being flat between the edges allowing you less friction when gliding but less bite on your edges.
The soft the ice surface, the more bite you will have so it allows you to experiment with a higher ROH to improve your glide. Your weight is also an important factor. Heavier players will still have bite with higher ROHs. Lighter players may need lower ROHs because they need the impact from their edges.
In conclusion, the ideal ROH will allow you to strike a balance between glide and maneuverability.
Next month we will discuss the “Blade Radius” of the hockey skate.
