| If you are looking for a way to gain more | | | | stronger cross overs,etc. and will enhance |
| power, create more speed, and experience | | | | your overall skating performance. |
| maximum agility or just to truly be certain | | | | |
| that your getting the most out of your | | | | Because your skates are a production line |
| skates, than consider having your skate | | | | item, the most that can be expected from the |
| blades aligned. | | | | skate manufacture is that the blade will be |
| | | | mounted in the middle of the outer soul of |
| Being a specialty skates store, we have | | | | the skates. That however does not accommodate |
| developed and pioneered many unique systems | | | | the majority of skaters who pronate or |
| for enhancing the performance of our clients | | | | supinate.Being certain that your center of |
| skates. One of the many things we have done | | | | gravity falls directly over the blade means |
| is developed and refined the concept of | | | | that you will have better control of both the |
| "aligning skate blades" | | | | inside and outside edge of your skate blades. |
| | | | |
| However, even after more than twenty years | | | | The classic picture of the young skater |
| and many thousands of 'blade alignments' we | | | | trying to skate while using only inside edges |
| are still often asked "what the heck is a | | | | is something that is easily avoided by |
| blade alignment?" | | | | repositioning the blade on the boot. Subtle |
| | | | changes to blade positioning on all levels of |
| The simplest definition of a skate blade | | | | skaters can translate into significant gains |
| alignment is; the positioning of a skate | | | | in performance on the ice. |
| blade on a boot in such a manner as to be | | | | |
| relative to the foot and the biomechanics of | | | | Just some of the indications that you may |
| the skaters body that is going to be wearing | | | | need your skate blades aligned may include; |
| the skate; or in other words...positioning | | | | difficulty turning one direction , struggling |
| the skate blade on the boot to ensure that | | | | to hold eith an outside or inside edge, weak |
| the skaters center of gravity falls directly | | | | crossovers, chronic knee strain, groin pulls, |
| over the blade. | | | | sore lower back. |
| | | | |
| Conceptually ...aligning blades on skates is | | | | The manufacturing process is not perfect,so |
| the same as aligning the wheels on a car. | | | | re-mounting a a skate blade mounted on a boot |
| When it's done correctly, the wheels (skate | | | | from the manufacturer can make a huge |
| blades) track 'straight' and 'true'. | | | | difference in skating performance. |
| | | | |
| Skate blade alignment is by no means a new | | | | In a perfect world blade alignment should be |
| concept. In fact figure skaters have been | | | | done with the skater, in person, in that way |
| aligning their blades for more than 100 | | | | a perfect alignment can be attained.However, |
| years. Because of our extensive history with | | | | skates that have been worn for a period of |
| figure skating we simply used what we had | | | | time, will show signs of a poor blade |
| been doing with figure skaters for so many | | | | alignment, so it can in fact be attained |
| years, and applied it to all skaters, | | | | without the skater. It may not be ideal but |
| including hockey and ringette players. | | | | significant performance improvements can be |
| | | | attained either way. |
| Positioning the blade to allow for the | | | | |
| biomechanical differences in your feet and | | | | Having worked with every level of hockey |
| body takes your skate fitting to the next | | | | player and figure skater, including Olympic |
| level. The correct alignment will allow for | | | | gold medalists. Blade alignment is an |
| maximum edge control, which will support you | | | | integral part of the skate fitting process |
| in maintaining a more efficient stride, | | | | and will help you attain maximum performance |
| better turning ability, smother stopping, | | | | results from your skates. |