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ENGINEERING
There are a lot of different components that go into the design of a modern hockey skate. We have come a long way from strapping knives to our feet. Notice the blade of the skate in the lower right portion of the photo and note the curved shape of the blade. Right now, I want to focus on the blade and why it is shaped the way it is. |
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Blade Hollow
The hollow of a blade is based on the radius of the sharpening stone. A sharpening with a 1" radius is going to be less aggressive than a 3/8" hollow but will be faster. A skate blade has 2 working edges instead of one. With a shallow hollow like the 1", a skater is able to stand on top of the ice and glide very easily, which is good for speed. A deep hollow like the 3/8" will dig into the ice deeper and have much more grip but will not provide as much speed. |
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Stopping
Hockey players have to stop and change directions more times during a game than they even realize. They perform the critical move so many times that it becomes second nature and they don't even have to think about what exactly they are doing. A hockey stop is essentially a balancing act. If the angle of attack of the blade is too steep, the outside edge of the players skate will dig into the ice and the skater will fly over themselves. If the angle is too shallow, the player will slip and slide. |
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So What's Happening?
The skater is controlling the angle of attack of the edge of his blade as he slides across the ice. The edge is digging into the ice just enough to take the top layer of ice off. He is converting shear energy into power which he is using to slow down. Not to mention the feedback loop with the skater's brain to sense and maintain the key angle of attack until he reaches a stop. |