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The Athletic is awesome and they're always offering 40% off promocodes. been a subscriber for a few years and glad that article got posted since i didn't see it yet.

I still find that I produce better sharpens with my Blackstone, but I'm almost fully converted to my Sparx now for just the sheer convenience factor (sharpening multiple skates in the house).

My nephew is 10 years old and skates on a 3/4 FIRE ring without any issues so I dont think it has to do with weight specifically. Many of the players on his team also skate on 3/4" ROH and flatter as well. I think it has a lot to do with the profile of the blade and what hollow you are accustomed to. Many kids now learn to skate on an 11/12/13' or longer profile and a much more shallow ROH which allowed them to develop advanced edge control at a very young age before moving them to a more aggressive combination radius and as such, as they advanced they went with an even more flat ROH. On the other hand, all of the adults prefer 1/2-5/8" because they like the control it provides. They dislike that a flat hollow doesnt let them feel like they are entirely in control. Factually, the edges are still there, regardless of depth, it just requires you to force the engagement of the edges to bite into the ice. If you aren't accustomed to this and don't allow time to adjust it can give the feeling of being "out of control." I am not saying one is better than another, we all skate differently, have different body mechanics, different body types, skill levels, and tons of other variables. I think people should use what's best for them. However, the only way to progress and get more speed with less effort is to be lighter, more powerful, alter your profile, and go with a flatter hollow. You cannot cheat science and sports like hockey have the same limitations as drag racing, for example. https://www.pcs.cnu.edu/~David.Gore/Capstone/files/MercerD.pdf https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/science/23SharpW.html https://blogs.sparxhockey.com/hollow-shape-and-depth https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/50eb/c950bb2c53e7c8b05b8491bfc2fa15cc4bf6.pdf

I don't think it was that. I've skated on various FBV's, never an issue. I think the 3/4 Fire just wasn't deep enough for me. Which is fine seeing how most agree that Fire rings tend to feel shallower than their equivalent ROH.

I think there is a time and place for everything. I'm an unapologetic sneaker head so I appreciate footwear that covers the color spectrum. When it comes to skates though, less is more in my opinion. I understand that companies will use anything as a marketing tool but I personally would keep things simple. Two of my more recent skates (Easton Mako and Bauer Vapor 1X) are probably two of most favorite in regards to performance but way too loud of colorways for my liking haha. I liked the looks of the Easton Mako II and Bauer Vapor 1X LE much more.

I sharpen a ton of skates and am neurotic and OCD when it comes to the process of sharpening. A 5/8 on a BladeMaster, ProSharp, or BlackStone is the same as a Sparx. Where there might be a small feeling of difference is not taking off the burr entirely from the Sparx sharpening or getting the same level of finish on the blade. I use some special sauce after I sharpen, and a gummi stone to clean the hollow after I deburr skates on the Sparx. It looks like a mirror. If you just take the skates of the Sparx machine, lightly deburr it, it will not feel nearly as sharp as using a manual or semi-automated machine. Once blade sharpening is complete and the steel is still slightly warm, I then coat the blade completely in another product. Let is stand for approx 2 minutes before wiping the remainder off with a towel/cloth. The finish and glide is amazing.

For your own personal use as pointed out in their terms of service, I am sure posting it on message boards wasn’t what they had in mind.

You are publishing someone's content in violation of their business model....

Definitely not okay to do this here.