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Many enjoy the on-pond fun known as ice skating. People, bundled and gloved, quickly zig and zag across the ice. The brisk air stings the face as a figure eight is expertly performed. A leap is executed. Fun is had. One of the best ways to ensure this fun is to take proper care of your ice skates.
- Taking Care of the Steel Blades
- Dry blades after use.
- Store blades in terry cloth.
- The people at Skatestuff.com, sharpen their blades after 20 hours of skating. (On average.)
- Wear blade guards when not on ice, but do not store skates with the guards on.
- Clean and dry the guards after every use.
- Blades must be sharpened, but not over-sharpened. Prohockeystuff.com has some specifics on how sharp blades should be for different purposes:
"A shallow cut won't let you turn as sharply. For more experienced skaters, particularly defensemen who are often making quick changes in direction, it's essential to have sharp edges as they need to be able to turn at sharp angles without having their blades give out from under them.
A deep cut, however, won't allow you to glide as freely as a shallow cut and you will use more energy in skating.
Goaltenders usually like their skates to be quite dull so they can glide from side to side across the ice easier."
- Taking Care of the Boots
- Dry boots after use.
- Polish boots between uses.
- Stuff boots with newspapers to remove moisture from inside the boot.
- Don't wrap laces around your ankles.
- Repair loose eyelets.
- Repair or replace frayed laces.
- Waterproof the boots with beeswax.
- Taking Care of the Mounts
- Make sure that the screws are tight, but not too tight. USA Skates has mounting instruction on their website. The easiest and safest way to keep the mounts at the correct tightness is to probably ask someone at the sporting goods store or an expert at your local skate shop.
- Make adjustments as necessary.
- Replace worn out or rusty screws.
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