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Torikkun

Profiling Help

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Tldr; of Below: Recently switched from a size 3.0 (runner 230) skate to size 2.5 (runner 221), skating now feels unstable, should I and how should I get my blades profiled to match the runner length? Should I go with a more complicated profile or would that be a crutch for poor skating?

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Hi all! I have some questions about profiling and I'm hoping you guys can help me out. I've gone through and read ProSharp's and No Icing Sports' descriptions of profiles so I have an idea of what they are, but I'm not really sure what would work for me.

I'm 5'1, 108 lbs and been skating for about 1.5 years. I used to skate probably 3-4 per week (2hrs per session) but recently have moved so it's closer to 1-2 times w/ league games 1-2 times per week. I feel like I'm a pretty decent skater for 1.5 years--I can do the inside and outside edge "half-circles" on one leg, forwards & backwards, just haven't been able to get as low as touching my glove on the ice. Tight turns are okay, but definitely could be better. Basically most of my current skating problems are not being able to get very aggressively on the my edges, but I wouldn't say I'm a complete amateur.

So here's my current issue. I just upgraded to new skates. My old skates were a 2015 Jetspeed Shock (260/270) size 3.0 (runner 230). My new skates are the Ribcor 68k size 2.5 (runner 221). I've only skated on the new skates 2 times, once during pick up and once during a class. Before this I had tried out the 66k in a size 2.5 about 8 times before returning the skate because the heel of the boot was giving me issues. While the smaller boot is the perfect size, I'm now having skating issues because the runner is shorter. Based on my most recent experiences, the 2.5 feels more "slippery" and I feel like there's less blade contacting the ice. Sometimes I'll lean a tad forward or backwards and then lose my balance because it feels like I'm expecting there to be blade, but it's not there anymore. The next time I'll be able to properly skate is Tuesday/Thursday and I can try out edges, turns, and stops more, but as of now, I can't really say much except that I feel much less stable front to back.

I was initially just thinking of going with a larger radius to "flatten" out the blade's curve a bit. I think stock CCM comes in 9'? Should I just increase it to 10'? I'm not sure if you all think if I should go with anything more complicated? Based on my reading, it seems like profiling can really help my skating, but I also don't want to the blade to be a crutch for my poor skating ability. I currently have my skates sharpened to 1/2" hollow. I started at 5/8" and worked my way up to 7/16", but backed down to 1/2". While I really liked how the 7/16" felt when I tried to do turns and edgework, I wasn't able to adjust my stopping because the blades would grip the ice too much. Right now at 1/2", my stopping is smoother, but like I stated earlier, getting really deep, aggressive edges has been a problem. It feel like I'm not able to get enough weight on that edge to get a tighter radius. 

If you've read all this, so far, thanks, hopefully I've given enough helpful info!

EDIT//Forgot to add that I have a bad tendency to lean a little too far back when I skate. I've been working on leaning forward, but haven't completely killed the bad habit yet. Leaning too far forward I feel like I'll almost "slip" on the curve of the blade. I've tried my friend's Vapors for about 15 minutes and hated the forward pitch, but I'm not sure if that is something that would fix my bad habit.

Edited by Torikkun

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I had a similar problem. I went from a 5 down to a 4.5 recently. I got my skates profiled to a larger radius. It helped quite a lot. I went from a 10 to a 12.

Figured since I've never profiled my skates before, I should keep things simple at first and tweak as necessary. Later tried a 13 and didn't like it as much so went back to a 12.  Didn't notice any change to my turn radius, at least not enough to make a difference, but I've been skating for most of my life.

Another thing to consider is because of the size of your runner, you'll be limited in your choices of profiles. For example, my runners are too small to hold a quad radius.

 

Edited by puckpilot
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I wouldn't think that little of a change in runner length would affect your skating. Because of where a profile will place your contact points, you shouldn't really feel just a one size drop in runner length. If you are running out of length at the toe or heel then you're probably going way too far out over them.

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Would it be simpler to just have the old holders swapped onto the new boots? Instant solution, no experimentation necessary, and probably comparable in price if you end up having to change the profile a few times to get it right. I think there might also be an advantage to having the longest steel possible for any given boot that will accept it.

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Longer piece of steel doesn’t necessarily mean more contact surface. 

I wouldn’t rule out swapping holders though. I think there are other benifits to be gained by profiling so I’d start there.

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22 hours ago, puckpilot said:

I had a similar problem. I went from a 5 down to a 4.5 recently. I got my skates profiled to a larger radius. It helped quite a lot. I went from a 10 to a 12.

Figured since I've never profiled my skates before, I should keep things simple at first and tweak as necessary. Later tried a 13 and didn't like it as much so went back to a 12.  Didn't notice any change to my turn radius, at least not enough to make a difference, but I've been skating for most of my life.

Another thing to consider is because of the size of your runner, you'll be limited in your choices of profiles. For example, my runners are too small to hold a quad radius.

 

Hm, sounds like I should start with something simple like you too first. Definitely aware that I can't hold a quad, my blades are nowhere near large enough, hahah.

19 hours ago, chippa13 said:

I wouldn't think that little of a change in runner length would affect your skating. Because of where a profile will place your contact points, you shouldn't really feel just a one size drop in runner length. If you are running out of length at the toe or heel then you're probably going way too far out over them.

I was surprised too. I've messed around with hollows and usually by the end of a skate session, I've fully adjusted. Do you think I should just leave the skates as is and try to adjust my skating posture instead? I've tried a 2.5 for ~8 skate sessions and still couldn't quite get used to it.

5 hours ago, YesLanges said:

Would it be simpler to just have the old holders swapped onto the new boots? Instant solution, no experimentation necessary, and probably comparable in price if you end up having to change the profile a few times to get it right. I think there might also be an advantage to having the longest steel possible for any given boot that will accept it.

Yeah, I've definitely thought about this. I compared my old holder length and think it would definitely fit on the smaller boot too. I just started reading up on profiling and thought I'd get some opinions.

4 hours ago, stick9 said:

Longer piece of steel doesn’t necessarily mean more contact surface. 

I wouldn’t rule out swapping holders though. I think there are other benifits to be gained by profiling so I’d start there.

Agreed, that was just the best way for me to describe the sensation skating. So would you swap the holders plus try out profiling, or just profiling?

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46 minutes ago, Torikkun said:

Agreed, that was just the best way for me to describe the sensation skating. So would you swap the holders plus try out profiling, or just profiling?

I’d start with just a profile. If you can’t solve the issue with a simple profile then look to swap out the holders. 

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Just thought I'd give an update. I took my skates to a reputable pro shop and told the guy about my problem. We compared my old skates to the new and found the new skate blades were pitched way too far back and had some crazy small radius. It definitely curved more and had less blade on the ice. Guy profiled my skates to the standard 9', fixed the pitch, and now I'm back to skating the way I was.

Moral of the story, when you buy new retail (crappy) skates/blades, get 'em profiled for the first sharpening! 

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