New Skates and getting used to shorter Blades

[bastardi 0]

Hi,

I'm currently still skating old Nike Skates size 12 that are actually a good 1,5 sizes too big for me, but anyhow they work fine, are comfortable and I'm one of the fastest and most agile skaters in my team even though.

Now since the skates slowly start falling apart I'm looking around for new ones and tried the Bauer One55 in size 9,5EE during the last practice. Sizing was ok, even if 10EE probably would have been more comfortable but what really disturbed me was that at high speed I was feeling as if riding a bike downhill and missing the top gears to actually hit the top speed.

Later i compared the lenght of the blades and of course due to the change in overall size my old blades are at least half an inch longer than the new ones and I really feel it.

Is there any hope that I get used to the shorter blades?

Has anyone have had the same experience. I don't really want to spend the money to buy a skate and have custom blades attached, that match my old lenght unless it's really my only option.

Thanx and Cheers from Hockey Europe

Thor

[YouTuuk 0]

I am having a similar issue but just the opposite - I used to skate in Bauer 6500, then for a short period switched to Vapor XXV with their LS2 blade - but because Vapor was not a good fit I moved on to Supreme One95's with the LS2.1 steel which is longer than the LS2 steel - and its hard to get used to - I feel a little less agile and a little clumsy sometime - but that may also have to do with the stiffness and the depth of the skate too. I am thinking over the Christmas break of putting my LS2 steel from my Vapor XXV's in my One95's because they say you can do that. Its a little frustraing, but right now I got bigger fish to fry with a knee injury thats hampering me....

as for you, I think you will adjust to your shorter blades and it will be fine - give a about 5 or 6 more skates, actually you probably will have more agility with shorter blades and maybe a little less straight line speed.

[Chadd 916]

Just a guess but it sounds like you were probably too far out over your toes in the old skates but the extra steel prevented you from feeling out of balance. I'd work on getting a deeper knee bend, and keeping you back as vertical as possible.

[JPB_69 0]

You'll get used to the new skates.

[beerleaguecaptain 1004]

I went from a size 9.5 vector pro to an 8 bauer. That was a huge drop because not only is the new skate smaller Bauer runners are shorter than CCM and have a shorter radius to boot! I was nervous as a virgin in a whore house when I stepped on the ice for the first time and I couldn't have been happier. When I bent my knees more I dug right in and I felt so much better and more manuverable than ever before. Don't worry... you'll adjust. If I could you can too!!!