Ice Speedskating Overview

The Long and Short story of ice speed skates

Ice speed skating was known simply as speedskating, blades attached to leather boots. From barrel jumping to ripping up the track, the same skates were commonly used whether one skated short or long track distances. It was not until 1997 that the clap skate made its debut, and changed the sport one last time.

When Speedskating history took one last left turn... Equipment technology advancements made it possible to open the heel, and achieve even faster speeds on the long track. Meantime, blades for short track were getting stiffer and increasing speeds on the track as well.  We will look at the three main types of speed skates used today & where to use them: 

  1. Short Track Boots & Blades.
  2. Long Track Boots & Blades.
  3. Recreational, Fitness, & Nordic Ice Skates.
  4. Where to speed skate.

1. SHORT TRACK SKATES:

Short Track Boots are higher cuffed and much harder, firmer construction than Long Track boots, this allows for more lateral support in cornering, while still allowing for forward flexion. Key to getting a good fit is to understand that power transfer is optimized when boots fit snugly, giving the skater best possible control over the skate. Short Track boots are generally tiered in: Entry, Intermediate, and Elite level performance options from manufacturers, though not all companies offer this complete depth of boot ranges. Entry boots are generally of fiberglass construction, designed to be a bit more forgiving, with end-design aimed towards those learning the sport, or who have fitness recreational goals in mind. Intermediate-advanced boots are typically constructed with a blend of fiberglass and carbon in their shell materials, and offer more stiffness and support to those advancing in the sport. Elite level boots are much stiffer, composed of 80% or more(100%) carbon shell, which provide more strength of properties in materials while still remaining light in their construction. Elite boots are stiff, and give solid ankle support as necessary for cornering. All Short track boots lace up and some newer models are using Boa systems, or combination thereof. All Short Track Boots will have straps or buckles, though straps are often preferred over buckles, as buckles often project off the boot and get caught on each other in the cross-over exchange. 2 straps(instep and ankle) are commonly found on short track boots. Short Track boots use 6M(metric) hardware, and some use additional washers. Bolting is done through the Short Track Blade Cup into the base of the boot's receiver slide nut or into a helicoil nut. The boots mounts, found on the base, can be configured as either: horizontal(lateral) or lengthwise(longitudinal) on the boots, typically as a single slot, though some manufactures offer dual slots for purpose of off-setting the blades while also providing fore-aft boot placement adjustment of the boots on the cups. A few boots offer integral 6M hardware bolt systems, whereby the hardware mounting is reversed. Boot mounts are standard on 165mm, or 6.5'" centering, or with junior sized boots on 155mm, or 5.5" centering.

Short Track Blades: Blades are typically tiered in: Entry, Intermediate, and Elite level performance options from manufactures, though not all companies offer this complete depth of blade ranges. Blades can be broken down into their respective parts: Runners (the steel part you skate on), the Tubes (the framework that holds the runners in place - whether glues, welded, or riveted), and the Cups(or brackets) that make the connection from the tubes to the boots base. The cups are typically stepped with higher heels (average 10mm-11mm pitch), and have horizontally oriented slots. The cups are generally "L" shaped, though some "T" shaped cups are still available. The "L" shape allows for offsetting the boots. The Runners steel can be HSS(hardened Stainless steel) found in most entry to intermediate level blades, with of a metal hardness range of 58 to 60 HCR(hardness Rockwell). Elite level blades are generally either Bimetal (consisting of 2 hardnesses of steel from top to bottom of runner), with of a metal hardness range of 62 to 64 HCR(hardness Rockwell), or PM (powder metal steel) which can be bimetal that has a harder alloy added to the molten metal during fabrication to yield a blade runner hardness in the 66 to 68 HCR range. Add: angled cups, high cups. Radius and rocker, bend info on the services page(link)

2. LONG-TRACK SKATES:

Long Track boots are lower cuff, and generally softer in construction than short track boots. The boots are cut low to allow for forward flexion. Key to getting a good fit is to understand that power transfer is optimized when boots fit snugly, giving the skater best possible control over the skate. Long Track boots are generally tiered in: Entry, Intermediate, and Elite level performance options from manufacturers, though not all companies offer this complete depth of boot ranges. Entry boots are generally of fiberglass construction, designed to be a bit more forgiving, with end-design aimed towards those learning the sport, or who have fitness recreational goals in mind. Intermediate-advanced boots are typically constructed with a blend of fiberglass and carbon in their shell, and offer more stiffness and support to those advancing in the sport. Elite level boots are much stiffer, composed of 80% or more (100%) carbon shell, which provide more strength of properties in materials while still remain light in their construction. All Long track boots are lace up, and many have partial lace cover, or full zippered lace cover. Rarely are long-track boots found with a buckle or strap system, though there are a few offering form manufacturers. Buckles often project off the boot and can get caught on each other in the cross-over exchange. Long Track boots use 5M(metric) hardware, though some boots offer a 6M(metric) hardware option, to be more interchangeable with inline skating use. *6M hardware generally is not compatible with most standard Long Track blade systems, and thus limits blade options. Bolting is done through the long-track blades bridge mechanism, with the 5M bolts extending down through the boots base to be received with a special nut, of same 5M, that comes up from the underside of the Blades bridge mechanism. The mounts on the Blades bridges are commonly configured lengthwise(longitudinally). The mounts, found on the boots base, are commonly configured as horizontal(lateral) single slot. This "cross" configuration between boots slots and blade bridge slots provides for optimal placement of boots on the bridge in both horizontal and lengthwise directions. Long Track boot mounts are standard graduated sizing, or European sizing (often referred to as Viking sizing) in direct relationship with the boots European size. Generally, most manufactures blade bridges will accommodate 2 boot sizes, though special size options are widely available, or by special order. It is noteworthy to point out that not all manufacturers agree on sizing, so there are discrepancies to adjust for when mixing & matching equipment choices. Many ask why the boot slots graduate with size. The short answer is that the boots pivot is under the ball of foot, and these proportions have been figured out by blade manufactures to provide the skater the best positioning on the blade bridge, given respective boot size. Example: a larger sized boot with a short mount space will inevitably result in poor pivot placement, as the boot will site too far forward over the pivot, allowing the clap to open prematurely. And, consequently, a smaller sized boot with a longer mount spacing(using inline 195mm spacing as example) will force the boot to be too far back from the pivot, resulting in a delayed clap opening. skateNOW cannot advocate enough for assuring your gear will work optimally for your end goals.

Long Track Clap Blades: Blades are typically tiered in: Entry, Intermediate, and Elite level performance options from manufacturers, though not all companies offer this complete depth of blade ranges. Blades can be broken down into their respective parts: Runners (the steel part you skate on), the Tubes (the framework that holds the runners in place - whether glues, welded, or riveted), and the Bridge(or mechanism) that makes the connection from the tubes to the boots base. The bridges are typically stepped with higher heels (average 10mm-11mm pitch), and have vertically oriented slots. Bridge mechanisms are hinged on the front end, allowing the heel to open upon the finish of the stroke. A few clap blade options allow a pin to be used to lock the clap closed for use on rough, natural ice. Most bridges use 1 or 2 springs, and the tension of the spring can be adjusted on most blades. The Runners steel can be HSS(hardened Stainless steel) found in most entry to intermediate level blades, with of a metal hardness range of 58 to 60 HRC(hardness Rockwell). Elite level blades are generally either Bimetal(consisting of 2 hardnesses of steel from top to bottom of runner), with of a metal hardness range of 62 to 64 HRC(hardness Rockwell), or PM (powder metal steel) which can be bimetal that has a harder alloy added to the molten metal during fabrication to yield a blade runner hardness in the 66 to 68 HRC range.

3. RECREATIONAL, FITINESS, & NORDIC ICE SKATES:

Fixed, Fitness/Recreational, Marathon Blades: Speedskates for outdoors, recreational and Fitness. Not racing but for those seeking fitness and fun from long blades, whether on track, or natural ice, options include:  Padded cuff thermal boots and fixed blades, Leather(traditional style) boots with fixed blades, and combination soft boots/plastic shell constructed boots that adjust with children's growing feet. Some models of Fitness, recreation, and marathon skates are available with clap blades, whereas most are available with fixed blades.  Some claps blades (like Zandstra's Ballangrud and Ving clap models offer a lockdown pin mechanism for running claps as fixed blades on rough outdoor ice -the best of both worlds, and versatile choice.

Nordic Ice Skates are becoming an increasingly popular sport among fitness and recreational skaters who wish to skate but still enjoy the comfort of Nordic X-country boots.   Blades can be interchanged with varying cross-country ski boots for an interchangeable system.  The same boot and binding system can be used for both Nordic Ice skating and Cross-country skiing, making Nordic skates a very versatile choice among outdoor enthusiasts.  The blades are generally ground to a flatter radius than long-track blades and are designed for longer gliding on frozen lakes, rivers, or canals.

4. WHERE TO SPEED SKATE

The easiest access point to speedskating is short track, with many hockey rinks throughout the USA, it's not difficult to find a club and coaches willing to help you on your path to speed.   In the USA there are currently 6 oval ice rinks(400-meter tracks).  A few cities across the USA host outdoor venues on lakes and ponds in winter months and Ice ribbons have become popular, though most are not designed for, therefore do not allow high-speed skating. And, with a growing adventurist spirit, many outdoor natural or wild ice-skating groups have popped up on social media detailing locations and conditions of those resources. Current Ice ovals in the USA: 

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