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COZZI SPORTS
At Cozzi Sports we take your game seriously. A quality Skate Sharpening and can elevate your performance and your game. Here are some things to understand, and what to look for when it comes to a quality skate sharpening.
Hollow
Skate blades are not flat. A hollow or ‘U’ shape is ground into the blade to create a right and left edge. When sharpening, the grinding wheel removes steel from the centre of the blade, creating a hollow in the blade. The radius of hollow (ROH) determines the sharpness of the blade. The deeper the hollow or U shape, the sharper a skate feels. The following are common sharpening measurements in order of deepest to shallow: 1/4, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 5/8.
A sharper skate will give you more bite but less glide.
Radius
Your type of game, skating style, and weight will determine the proper radius for you. Hollow determines whether the blade slides over the ice (glide), or digs deep into the ice (grip). A deeper hollow will give you more bite into the ice for tighter turns and quicker acceleration, but will impact speed because your edges are digging deeper into the ice causing increased friction. A shallow hollow gives you greater glide and speed causing less fatigue, but less bite for maneuverability.
Flat Bottom V
Rather than being a ‘U’ Shape hollow, the FBV has a flat bottom and ‘V’ shaped sides. This shape allows the skate more bite without sacrificing the ability to glide. Because the blade does not penetrate the ice as deeply, there is less chance of catching an edge, reducing the chances of falling during transitions for less experienced or less skilled skaters. There is also reduction of the twisting forces applied to knees, which means less wear and tear on the joints.
Cross Grinding
This is a process that brings the blade back to a flat reference. It is a technique that is used to remove damage done to the blade such as nicks or poor levels.
Precision Balance Sharpening addresses all of the inherent variables that affect the skate blade so that a better quality sharpening can be achieved. Blade thickness, for example, can reduce the bite angle of your blade and can ultimately cause slippage while your leg is at full extension during the skating stride.
What is Contouring?
Also referred to as ‘Rockering’, contouring is the actual shaping of the blade. This allows different lengths of the blade making contact with the ice. The more contact with the ice, the greater amount of glide. The lesser amount of contact creates the ability to turn sharper (smaller radius). The goal is to create a balance between glide and turning radius, custom designed for the individual skater. Examples of common radius measurements, from the most amount of glide (or contact) to the least (or sharpest turning radius), are 13’, 11’, 9’, 7’.
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