Summer experimentations

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos by Carl Savard and stock photos

Summertime for speed skaters is usually the time where they can recuperate from the last season, and prepare for the next. Generally, the recuperation/rest period is short compared to the summer’s physical preparation, which is specific to skating for the season to come. More and more skaters and clubs have access to rinks during the summer, making it easier for them to skate year round. Therefore, it is the ideal time for you, as a skater, to experiment new equipment. This article’s objective is to share a couple of ideas and give you advice on how to take advantage of the summertime training to optimize your skating equipment.

Why wait until September?

First of all, too many skaters wait until the month of September to buy new blades, when the first speed skating competition is often just a few weeks later in October. In other words, summer would be a better period because the skater has more time to adjust to the new blades before the first competition. It can take time for skaters to adapt to their new blades because they can be higher, more rigid or longer. It can take up to a month for the skater to find the same feelings they use to have on their old set-up. If you are thinking of getting new blades we advise you to reread our article published in December, so that in September you will be ready to face competitions with confidence on your new blades.

Developing your autonomy

Now that your blades are chosen, it’s time for you as a skater, to find the best position and the best combination of bend and rocker for your blades. It is essential for skaters to understand the basics of this. Summer is the best moment for skaters, with or without the help of a coach, to try new things on their blades. Do not hesitate to move blades because the impact can make you discover new feelings on the ice, but also make you understand things that can make you improve as skater. Overall, you may like the new position of your blades better. You do not always have to wait after a coach to move your blades. It’s time for you to experiment! The only thing we advise you to do before moving your blades is to mark where your blades were at the beginning. Moving your blades teaches you a lot, and helps you during the season to make adjustments with confidence.

Summer again is the perfect time to try new rockers. We advise you to reread our article written in January to give you more information on rockers. Furthermore, it will be a pleasure for us to give you advice on the bend that fits you the best. If you have the chance to use a gage on blades to read a bend, don’t hesitate to try it. Most coaches and clubs have one and will be happy to show you. At a higher level, it can become very useful for you to have your own gage. Learning to use that tool correctly in the summer period can be beneficial to eventually try new things and make verifications during the competition season. In other words, you will be more independent and will be able to find answers to your problems faster. Bad feelings on the ice are often related to the bend and rocker of the blades.

In any case, it will be a pleasure for us at Marchands de vitesse to help you in those future experimentations!