About Ice Skates
Ice skates are boots made of leather, plastic or sometimes nylon with sharpened metal blades attached to the bottom. They have been used for thousands of years by people who found it necessary to travel across large patches of ice. In modern times, they are used for sport and entertainment more than necessity.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
Ice skates are used to glide across frozen ice. They are typically used in sports such as figure skating and hockey. Ice rinks supply skates for amateur skaters to use, generally for amusement and not serious sport. These beginner ice skates are referred to as recreational skates.
History
-
The first ice skates were created by the Finns over 5000 years ago. They used animal bones to skate across the ice and conserve energy while hunting during the harsh winters. The first ice skates made with a metal blade were found in Scandinavia and have been dated to around 200 BC. These skates consisted of a copper strip attached to the bottom of leather shoes.
-
Features
-
Modern ice skates feature crescent-shaped hollows which create double sharp edges on the bottom of each skate. The two edges are parallel with a hollow depth of ¼-inch to 1-inch. Speed and touring skates are made differently, however, with no hollow and completely flat blades.
Types
-
There are five major types of ice skates including figure skates, hockey skates, bandy skates, touring skates and racing skates. Figure skates are used by figure skaters. They have aluminum or steel toe picks attached to the front to aid in jumps.
Hockey skates are used by players of ice hockey. They are made of synthetic leather or nylon. Bandy skates are used for players of the winter sport, bandy. They are made of leather and do not cover the ankles like other types of ice skates.
Racing skates are sometimes called speed skates. They have very long blades and a longer height to help with turns during speed skating. Touring skates are sometimes called Nordic skates. They have long, flat blades attached to ski boots by bindings. They are used for long distance skating or touring.
Warning
-
Ice skates can have very sharp blades and can cause injury. Hockey player Richard Zednick's carotid artery was sliced by another skater's blade during a hockey game in February 2008. In addition to these potentially lethal injuries, improperly sharpened ice skates can also cause significant knee and ankle injuries. Caution should always be used when wearing ice skates to avoid accidents and proper skate maintenance observed.
-
Resources
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons, Hedavid, David Dermott
