Skates (was Re: corked bats)

[Jenny]

Aha!  Finally something I can respond to!  I was a figure skater for 
12 years - 8 of those on a synchronized skating team.  I know many 
skaters who have at least three pairs of skates - one pair for 
synchronized skating (which have a shorter blade w/ freestyle toepick 
and cna be beige [most teams will have their skaters by beige skates 
to cut back on buying numberous pairs of over-the-boot tights, which 
get holes in them faster than you can say triple lutz-double toe!]), 
ice dance (white w/ shorter blade and different toepick) and 
freestyle (white w/ various toepicks).  There used to be skaters who 
did patch, which is when the skater uses edges to carve out patterns 
in the ice.  These blades had completely different toepicks, which 
barely touched the ice.  Now, they don't do patch anymore, but I 
remember the girls who did it would carry these big wooden racks with 
at least four pairs of skates on them.

It's really difficult to change blades too often because it wears out 
the leather in your sole.  Or, if they're like mine, the bolts have 
rusted because someone didn't use stainless steel.  However, there 
are so many different blades on the market, it's hard to pick out 
what you really want.  Some blades can give the skater an advantage, 
like using dance blades for ice dance, rather than your standard 
freestyle blade.  Michael Weiss, you may have noticed, has a special 
pair of blades that are rounded on the back.  I don't know how much 
of an advantage he gets. I know I have a tendency to have my feet 
slip out from underneath me, and I think his type of blades would 
make me fall quicker.  Buying blades can be more expensive than boots 
because they tend to go before the boot does.  I have had the same 
pair of skates for 8 years and it's about time for me to get new 
blades because they've been sharpened past the recess line.  
Sharpening is also important in maintaining your blade shape.  There 
were girls on my team who took their skates to a hockey shop and the 
toepick was ground off b/c the guys were use to hockey skates.  The 
shop bought them brand new blades for it.

You're right - it does take months to break in skates - even years!  
But I've known people to be breaking in a couple pairs of skates at a 
time.  Blisters and tendonitis are the biggest problems with breaking 
in skates.  I had blister problems and there is a way to punch out 
the leather reinforcement in the "sweet" areas.  But when a pair of 
skates runs you close to $400, you have to break them in eventually.

Sorry for an essay on the technicality of skating :)

Yours in Gryffindor,
Jenny :)