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Ice skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom, used to propel oneself across a sheet of ice.
The first Ice-Skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. {Link without Title} A pole with a sharp metal
spike was used for pushing the skater forward.

There are five main types of ice skates:
  • Figure Skate s are used in the Sport of Figure Skating . They have ''toe picks'' on the front of the blade, which are usually made out of aluminum or steel. The toe pick has a variety of uses, but is most commonly used for certain Jumps in figure skating, such as the Lutz Jump and Toe Loop . Figure skating boots are typically made of several layers of Leather and the leather is very stiff to provide ankle support.

  • Hockey skates are used for playing the games of Ice Hockey and Ringette . The boot is generally made of molded plastic, leather (often synthetic), and ballistic nylon. Skates used in competitive hockey rarely use molded plastic for the upper boot, as this results in limited mobility. All hockey skates (excepting goaltender's skates) are designed such that they will not cause injury to an opponent, and are fitted with Safety Blades .

  • Bandy skates are used for playing the games of Bandy and Rink Bandy . The boot is generally made of leather (often synthetic). The boot is lower than the hockey version, often not covering the ankles. All bandy skates are designed such that they will not cause injury to an opponent. The blade is generally an inch longer than the hockey skates, allowing for higher speeds. The Russian bandy skates have an even longer blade and a very low cut shoe.

  • Racing skates, also known as speed skates, have long blades and are used for Speed Skating . A Clap Skate (or ''clapper skate'') is a type of skate where the shoe is connected to the blade using a hinge.


  • Touring skates (or Nordic skates) are long blades that can be attached, via bindings, to hiking or cross-country ski boots and are used for Tour Skating or long distance skating on natural ice. The blades are approximately 50 cm long with a radius of curvature (or rocker) of about 25 m. The blades are about 1 mm wide, with a flat cross-section. The length of the blades makes touring skates more stable on uneven natural ice than skates with shorter blades. Since tour skating often involves walking between lakes or around unskateable sections, the fact that the blades can be easily removed from one's boots is an asset. Although mainly used for non-competitive touring, touring skates are sometimes used in marathon speed skating races on natural ice.


Inexpensive skates for recreational skaters usually resemble either figure skates or hockey skates, but recreational ice skates resembling Inline Skates with a molded plastic boot are also available. These recreational skates are the form which can be hired from ice rinks for beginners who do not own their own skates. They are often called 'death wellies' by skaters who own their own equipment because of their appearance and their reputation for giving people blisters.

The steel ice skate was invented in 1867 by John Forbes, foreman at the Starr Manufacturing Company , Dartmouth, Nova Scotia . It was a clip-on design. Their Acme brand became famous worldwide.

In about 1859, James A Whelpley of New Brunswick , Canada
developed a skate that was well suited for long distance skating on the
bays and lakes of southern New
Brunswick. {Link without Title} It was
called the ''Long Reach'' skate, after Long Reach, a section of the
Saint John River , where the Whelpley family operated a factory
manufacturing the skates. The skate had a steel blade about 40 cm long,
on a wood platform that was attached by leather straps to normal
boots. {Link without Title}
The Whelpley family continued to make the Long Reach skates in New
Brunswick, until about 1886, when the factory was moved to Keene, New Hampshire .

Modern ice skate blades are not shaped like knives. The bottom of the blade has a crescent-shaped hollow, creating two sharp edges on each skate. Ideally, the two edges of a blade are parallel, but poor maintenance practices, such as improper sharpening or lack of consistent sharpening, can often result in oblique edges. These "bad" edges can affect skating ability significantly. The depth of this hollow is known as the Radius Of Hollow (ROH). The optimal depth depends on factors such as the skater's weight, ability, strength, and style of play.
The skater uses these edges in different combinations in order to maneuver. When ice skates are ''sharpened'' the blade is ground against a template either to restore the hollow or provide a different radius.

Speed skates, however, have a completely flat bottom. There is no hollow, only a squared off bottom with 2 edges. This improves glide time by not cutting into the ice.


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