CUSTOM RADIUS ICE SKATE SHARPENING
A precision system of shaping skates to the individual specifications of each skater.

Who Benefits From Contouring

All skaters will benefit from a Custom Contoured pair of skates.  Especially those who are young and beginner skaters as contouring will give them better balance and stability on the ice.  Everyone will definitely improve their skating as you will have more power will less effort as you skate because you have the right amount of blade on the ice.  You will feel you have more stamina because you will not be fighting to keep you balance.  Once you've tried it, you'll never go back to a pair of skates that have not been contoured.

A Technical Approach to Better Skating

Skates made today are the product of years of development, and now represent state of the art technology in materials and construction.  However, skates do not come from the manufacturer ready to be used on the ice, as it is economically impossible for them to provide a matched pair of blades, accurately profiled, balanced, and sharpened to meet an individual skater's preference.  The manufacturer usually provides an excess of blade stock and leaves the final sharpening and shaping to the skate sharpener, and this is where most problems originate.

Most skate sharpening is typically done free-hand, and may cause problems for skaters, with their performance being lower than their expectations.  Custom Radius is a contouring system of shaping, sharpening, and balancing skates to provide increased performance for all skaters, both professional and recreational.

Good skating starts with properly cared for skates, and contoured skates help you skate better and easier. The most significant advantage of Custom Radius shaping of the blade is increased performance.  The increased performance is in the areas of improved stride and maneuverability, greatly increased skater confidence because skates will not break loose or chatter while making tight turns or stopping, and safety because the radiused skate blade does some of the work and relieves the strain on muscles and joints, thereby reducing the chance of fatigue induced injuries.

Contouring or Shaping

Contouring is blade shaping, not sharpening, which must be done after shaping.  Skate contouring is a precision system of shaping skates to the individual specifications of each skater.  Accurate positioning of the balance point on the blade provides maximum stability and maneuverability.  The concept of contouring is to shape a skate for the proper lie and radius of curvature.  After they have been contoured, they are sharpened to maintain the established shape.  Skates direct from the factory may be inconsistent in shape from one blade to the other, and in most cases have the incorrect lie for the individual skater.  Both skates must have the same shape and balance point for optimum skating performance, so a matched pair of shaped and balanced blades is necessary

Rockering Concept

For years sharpeners have been rockering skate blades.  The idea was to put a radius on the blade to increase maneuverability.  Although the idea is sound, the operation is free-hand.  Consequently, there is no consistency of radius, and more importantly, no consistency in the lie of the radius.  The radius on a rockered blade extends from toe to heel, and too much blade is usually taken off both front and back.  The quality of the rocker is dependent on the skate sharpener.  The results may be inconsistent and often harmful.

Contouring on the other hand is not a free-hand operation. Contouring shapes and balances blades to match the skater's natural stance and style.  A contoured pair of skates has the same lie, and each skate has an equal amount of blade on the ice.  Additionally, the contouring system has the unique advantage of being able to shape your new skates exactly like your old pair, so you don't have to re-adjust your skating style or "get used to" your new skates.  Contouring takes out all the guesswork and gives you the same quality workmanship time after time.

Blade Radius

The Radius of a skate blade is actually a portion of a circle ground onto the blade.  The length of the radius controls the amount of blade touching the ice.  A skate with a long, flat blade is generally a fast skate, as in a racing skate, but provides very limited maneuverability.  A skate with a short radius, such as a figure skate provides excellent maneuverability but very poor control on long strides and not much speed.  The correct radius is a compromise between maneuverability and stability resulting in maximum control and reduced muscle fatigue.  The generally accepted radius for hockey skates is 9'.  This is the approximate radius that will come from the manufacturer, but as stated above, this is not precise and final sharpening and contouring are left for the skate sharpener.  Generally, new skates are not well matched from skate to skate and require proper contouring to remove any high spots on the blades and to adjust the lie to the skater's preference.

A contoured pair of skates actually has three radii on it (as shown in the picture above).  The large, working radius extends across much of the center of the blade.  The back and front radii are blended into this working radius and are equally as important.  The front radius is used at the end of each leg thrust, and the back radius supports the skater while cornering.

The Contouring System uses the concept of radius to give you maximum maneuverability, stability, and balance.

Lie and Balance

The lie of a skate is the pitch of the center Radius.  If the pitch or lie is incorrect, the skater will not feel comfortable and properly balanced.  The skater's posture will be poor, causing muscle fatigue.  The lie controls the body weight, which is important to the start of the skater's thrust position.  The correct lie ensures that the skater will start the thrust from the center of the skate.  As the semi-circle is completed, the leg is extended and the thrust travels down the blade.  With the correct Lie, the high point of the working radius is slightly toward the heel, and there is less blade along the front.  Consequently the skater's knees bend slightly, "unlocking the body.

When standing erect, a skater should be evenly balanced and comfortable.  If the lie is too far back, the knees and ankles will be forced to bend.  If the lie is too far forward, the legs are locked into a rigid position.

Benefits of Custom Radius Sharpening

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