Skate sharpening technology has come a long way since the old tube skate era. It used to be, in days gone by, that if you felt a little less blade was needed on the ice, your local skate sharpener could grind a little off the front and back of the skate and called it rockering. It was the "thing" back then and led to greater prowess on the ice. Starts, stops and turns seemed greatly improved.
A bunch of years ago, one could walk into a sports shop, say in Montreal, and ask that his skates be sharpened like Larry Robinson. The operator would pull a template (labeled "# 19") off the wall, lay it across his flatbed sharpener, marry it with the clamp holding the skate, then proceed to grind away. The skate would ONLY be ground where the #19 template allowed. Thus was born the "PROFILE". Similar templates with other numbers were hanging on the wall. The "#10" was a popular one in Montreal, #27 in Toronto. And what young fellow wouldn't want his skates sharpened just like "The Flower" or the captain of the Leafs?
More recently, the computer chip has moved into this business of profiling. Precise grinding can be requested for defense and forward positions or what works best for your skating style. The technology changed, some players may think the "cool " thing to do is have your skates profiled; however the more serious players take advantage of this advancement in technology and capitalize on the ice.
And just what is a 'profile'? What do the numbers mean? This type of profiling with computer driven sharpening equipment (CAG, Eriksson and ProSharp) have abilities to create a flat area or gliding surface in the middle of the skate blade. This surface can be shortened or lengthened and can be moved forward or aft from the center point of the blade. The numbers that represent these combinations are normally measured in millimeters (mm), such as: 25/50 or 40/60. The second number represents the length of the glide surface, while the first number identifying the amount that is in forward of the center point. Players who are centers or wingers who want a more forward-tilted stance favour a 35/50 profile. Conversely a 25/50 sharpening is geared to defencemen wanting a straight-up stance.
Let's explore: Be aware that all hockey skates come from the factory with a profile manufactured on the blades. The glide surface is in the middle of the blade; the length of that area is about 17% of the total length of the blade. On a size 8 skate, that is very close to a 25/50 profile. So, is it worth it to have skates profiled?
Consider that new skates come pre-profiled from the factory and repeated non-precise sharpening (done by hand) will accumulate and the blade profile will change. Not all players have the same style of skating or skating skills. Having a custom profile placed on your blades may enhance your skating. Maintaining a factory or a customized profile is easy with today's computer chip technology and will counter-act the repetitive or excess grindings from the unskilled or over zealous sharpening attendants. |
