Skate Design

Skate Design

The design of the hockey skate is critical in generating the maximum thrust and reducing the amount of lost energy. Stiffness and tightness of a skate around the foot reduces the amount of lost energy to shifting of the foot and ankle. Loose skates are not only a high risk in ankle injuries, but they also cause the skater to waste energy because not all of the momentum is being transferred to the blade.

Another vital part of the skate is the blade. The sharpening of a hockey skate plays a role in the physics of the skate. The sharper the angle of the edge, the more it will cut into the ice. This allows for more force and corresponding speed to be generated from each stride. However, the sharper the blade becomes, the more friction and drag are generated as a result of the blade digging deeper into the ice.

skate curve

https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/science-of-hockey-011818/c-295050262

https://www.hockeymonkey.com/bauer-ice-hockey-skates-vapor-2x-jr.html

The final area of interest regarding the skate is the curvature of ends of the blade. “The rounded shape at the front and the back of the stainless steel blade permits greater skating flexibility.” (Hache). During a game, hockey skaters must be able to make quick course corrections and if the blade was flat, resembling those used by speed skaters, mobility would decrease significantly.

Skate Design
	The design of the hockey skate is critical in generating the maximum thrust and reducing the amount of lost energy. Stiffness and tightness of a skate around the foot reduces the amount of lost energy to shifting of the foot and ankle. Loose skates are not only a high risk in ankle injuries, but they also cause the skater to waste energy because not all of the momentum is being transferred to the blade. Another vital part of the skate is the blade. The sharpening of a hockey skate plays a role in the physics of the skate. The sharper the angle of the edge, the more it will cut into the ice. This allows for more force and corresponding speed to be generated from each stride. However, the sharper the blade becomes, the more friction and drag are generated as a result of the blade digging deeper into the ice.	https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/science-of-hockey-011818/c-295050262
https://www.hockeymonkey.com/bauer-ice-hockey-skates-vapor-2x-jr.html	The final area of interest regarding the skate is the curvature of ends of the blade. “The rounded shape at the front and the back of the stainless steel blade permits greater skating flexibility.” (Hache). During a game, hockey skaters must be able to make quick course corrections and if the blade was flat, resembling those used by speed skaters, mobility would decrease significantly.