Note - PG Blizzard will provide all safety equipment except helmets. Skaters are responsible for bringing their own helmet.
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Head Protection
A helmet. Ski/snowboard, hockey, or roller sport helmets are all acceptable. Bike helmets cannot be used because the large vents allow skate blades to pass through. Neck Protection A neck guard- bib style. The club may have some for rent. Hand Protection Cut-proof gloves or mittens. Ski mitts or leather gloves are best. Hockey gloves are also acceptable. Ankle Protection Well-fitting, tall socks. Socks that are too short can cause skin irritation and blisters due to friction against the inside of the skates. A cut and puncture resistant anklet must be worn on both legs, covering the legs from the tops of the boots to 10 cm above the tops of the boots. Skate Blades The rear and front tips of all skate blades must be rounded to a minimum radius of 1cm. |
Eye Protection
Shatter-resistant clear glasses or a complete visor are required for all skaters. All glasses must be held in place by a strap. Rest of Body Protection Comfortable, athletic-style long sleeve top and pants. A skin suit is not required at the introductory level. As a skater progresses in the sport and begins to compete at national-level competitions, they will require a skin suit with cut-proof material meeting or exceeding ISU standards. Knee Protection Knee pads. Soft, volleyball style pads are preferred, although plastic roller sport pads are also acceptable. If possible, plastic pads should be worn underneath the skater’s pants. Hockey knee/shin pads are acceptable, but may limit the skater’s movement. Knee pads that are built-in to a skin suit are also acceptable. Shin Protection Shin guards. Hard soccer shin guards are best, but hockey knee/shin pads are also acceptable. |
SKATES
Speed skates are different from hockey skates in that the blade is square, and does not have a hollow groove. Speed skates also have rocker (like hockey skates, which have a lot of rocker to allow the skater to make sharp turns), but it is much less than in hockey skates because speed skates are meant to go straight rather than turning sharply. Short track blades have more rocker than long track blades. More advanced Short Track skaters also have a “bend” which is where the blade is bent in a very slight reverse C shape to facilitate cornering. Long track blades do not have bend, but many of them are the “clap” style, where the heel is free enabling the blade to remain in contact with the ice for longer during the very long and hard push that is typical of long track skating. The club will bend and rocker skates that we rent to members and this will normally be done prior to season start.
Please contact the Equipment Manager for bending and rockering personal skates.
Short track boots tend to have more ankle support than long track boots. If your child wants to skate on the long track oval, their short track boots and blades are adequate when they are at a young age – there is no need to invest in two different types of skates and boots. As their interest and ability in long track skating develops, there are less expensive options for getting long track equipment. For example, one can purchase long track clap blades which are spaced to fit on a short track boot. This eliminates the need to buy a second pair of boots during the time when skater’s feet are still growing. There is also the option to rent from the club while your skater is still unsure whether they would like to continue speed skating
Please contact the Equipment Manager for bending and rockering personal skates.
Short track boots tend to have more ankle support than long track boots. If your child wants to skate on the long track oval, their short track boots and blades are adequate when they are at a young age – there is no need to invest in two different types of skates and boots. As their interest and ability in long track skating develops, there are less expensive options for getting long track equipment. For example, one can purchase long track clap blades which are spaced to fit on a short track boot. This eliminates the need to buy a second pair of boots during the time when skater’s feet are still growing. There is also the option to rent from the club while your skater is still unsure whether they would like to continue speed skating
Sharpening Speed Skates
Speed skates must always be sharpened by hand using a jig and stone. If you have them sharpened by a power grindstone just once, the correct rocker can be removed and the blade permanently damaged. The object of the sharpening process is to achieve a razor sharp 90 degree edge on the blade, and to make the flat part of the blade as smooth and friction free as possible. Learning how to manually sharpen your child’s skates, as well as learning how to tell when the skates need sharpening, are important skills. Once a speed skate gets really dull it can take over an hour to sharpen them, rather than just 5-10 minutes.
The frequency with which you sharpen your speed skates varies with a skater’s preference and experience. Younger, lighter skaters can sometimes go for up 4-6 hours between sharpening, while older, more assertive skaters tend to sharpen their blades after 2-4 hours of skating. Please always use skater guards when walking in skates from the change room to the ice surface.
The Club has some jigs and stones available for use at the rink. The sharpening kits are stored in the storage room and must be returned there after use. The kits include a jig, a 2-sided sharpening stone (coarse and fine), WD-40, a burr stone, and a rag.
The frequency with which you sharpen your speed skates varies with a skater’s preference and experience. Younger, lighter skaters can sometimes go for up 4-6 hours between sharpening, while older, more assertive skaters tend to sharpen their blades after 2-4 hours of skating. Please always use skater guards when walking in skates from the change room to the ice surface.
The Club has some jigs and stones available for use at the rink. The sharpening kits are stored in the storage room and must be returned there after use. The kits include a jig, a 2-sided sharpening stone (coarse and fine), WD-40, a burr stone, and a rag.
Skate Sharpening Clinics
The club offers informal sharpening clinics throughout the skating season. Please attend a clinic to familiarize yourself with hand sharpening speed skates. Sharpening your speed skates can be performed quite quickly and often only takes 5-10 minutes.
Please see the Equipment manager/Coach or any executive member for any additional information regarding sharpening skates.
Older youth skaters are also available to assist in sharpening skates.
Use the following guidelines as a reminder of the steps involved in sharpening skates only after attending a skate sharpening demonstration. There are also several videos available on YouTube.
Testing for sharpness
Sharpening
Please see the Equipment manager/Coach or any executive member for any additional information regarding sharpening skates.
Older youth skaters are also available to assist in sharpening skates.
Use the following guidelines as a reminder of the steps involved in sharpening skates only after attending a skate sharpening demonstration. There are also several videos available on YouTube.
Testing for sharpness
- Check the blades for bends and dents by looking down the blades end on and looking for any imperfections along the length of the blades.
- Lightly draw a fingernail down the blade, moving perpendicular to the edge, of the blade (back of the hand facing the skate). Check all along the length of the blade, both the inside and outside edges.
- If the edge is sharp, you will see a tiny pile of fingernail shavings on the edge.
- If you find any dull spots along the blade, then it is time to sharpen.
- Alternatively, in one long motion, lightly slide a fingernail along the edge of the blade.
- If your fingernail becomes unhooked from the edge and slides off, then the blade needs to be sharpened.
Sharpening
- Place the jig on a stable surface at about hip height.
- Place the skates in the jig so that the blades are facing upward, toes pointing forward up against the stopper bar at the front of the jig, arches facing each other (left skate on the right side of the jig and right skate on the left side).
- Before tightening the clamps on the jig, make sure that the skates are sitting evenly in the blade holder so that the sharpening will be even.
- Apply baby oil provided in the kit on the rough side of the stone and spread out with your fingers.
- Place the stone across both blades and slide the stone back and forth from one end of the blades to the other using a consistent speed and a light, but even pressure. Keep the long axis of the stone perpendicular to the blades at all times during your stroke.
- As you slide the stone forward and back along the blades, the motion of the stone should be diagonal (with the stone always remaining at 90 degrees to the blades). This ensures that the stone wears evenly and results in the formation of a slight burr on all four sides of the blades.
- Make 5 strokes in one direction and then five strokes in the other. Repeat this cycle about 3 times.
- Turn the jig around so that the stone is traveling from the toes to the heels of the skates now, and repeat the same number of cycles. This ensures that any pressure differential in one direction is cancelled out, allowing an even wearing of the blades.
- You want to sharpen only until you feel a light burr along the whole on both sides of the blades. To check for burr use your fingernails. With the back of your hand facing the skate, move your fingernail up from the bottom of the blade to the top. (This is the opposite motion used for testing for sharpness.) If there is a burr, your fingernail will catch it at the top of the blade.
- With the fine side of the stone begin stroking forward and back in a straight line to remove all scratches. Polish 10-15 strokes and then turn the whole jig around and repeat.
- Place the small burr stone against each side of the blade and slide it along the blade, using moderate pressure, from heel to toe until the burr is gone, checking with your fingernail. You will probably need to deburr the very ends of the skates after removing them from the jig. Depending on the depth of the blade, you may need to remove the skates from the jig before deburring.
Remove the skates from the jig and wipe the blades with a cloth. - Check the blades for sharpness.
- Clean the stone by wiping it off with a cloth.
- Put the soft, fabric "soakers" skate guards on the skates. Do not store in the plastic walking guards
Skate Molding
Speed skating boots can be molded to fit your foot closely. Please see the attached document with instructions on how to mold the skates. If you have any questions, please contact the club’s equipment manager.
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Oven Instructions
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Boot Setup
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Ankles
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YOUR SKATE BAG
What's in the Bag?Your skate bag is an important part of your equipment, and if well-stocked, you should have a worry-free season. Your bag should be large enough to carry everything you need. Some skaters store all of their gear in a small, wheeled suitcase, while others use a backpack specifically designed to carry skates, or a shoulder bag.
What to put in your bag:
Extras for meets
What to put in your bag:
- Skates - the blades should be protected by fabric or wool “soakers”
- Hard guards – always wear hard guards when walking in your skates. Skates should be stored with the soakers on, not with the guards on. Never leave your wet skates in the hard guards, as the blades will rust rapidly.
- Helmet
- Protective equipment: Knee pads, shin guards, neck protector, cut-resistant mitts or gloves, safety glasses with strap
- Lightweight, streamlined, flexible clothing or skin suit and cut-resistant suit (T2T and older)
- Small cloth for cleaning and drying off blades
- Towel or yoga mat for stretching before and after skating
- Water bottle
Extras for meets
- Spare laces, socks, underwear
- Blow dryer for drying out wet skin suits in case of a fall
- Skate sharpening jig. You can borrow the clubs if you do not have your own.