Skate Alignment
A skate that is out of alignment affects the way the foot sits in the boot. It also affects the way the blade engages the ice. It is an important part of the 10 point skate inspection that we do for our customer.
The alignment of skate when proper will look like a straight line from the blade all the way through the back of the boot right up through the tendon guard. If you hold the skate with the tendon guard against your stomach with the bottom of the blade facing away from you, pointing towards the ground, is the best way to check blade alignment. The blade should be facing right at the center of your body. If it is pointed towards your left or right shoulder the alignment is off. This is a good way to check it at home. We use the Maximum Edge Alignment gauge at our store to check skates. It is a very accurate tool that measures how far the skate is out in degrees.
The number of degrees that a skate is out tells us how much correction, if any, is needed. We would generally not correct the skate that is one to one and a half degrees. The human body will naturally compensate for this minor misalignment. Some skaters have more difficulty compensating. In such cases we would align the skate to zero. In an ideal world i would like to see every skate aligned to zero but it maybe work that really is not necessary.
If a skates alignment is out 2 to 3 degrees. This should be fixed. This is a easy and inexpensive repair that can have a significant effect on each skater. If a skate is tipped inside by 3 degrees that indicates to us that the skater would be catching the inside edge by barely moving this foot. However when he tries to use the outside edge he would have to over rotate the foot beyond where it needs to be just to get the other edge to engage the ice. This is causing the skater a lot of energy, concentration and compensation. He could be using that energy to chase the puck, to pass or shoot the puck. We would at this time recommend getting an alignment done to have the skate operate properly.
The bad news comes when a skate is 4 to 5 or even more out of alignment. I have seen skates as many as 7 degrees out of alignment. These skates I would say have a major defect and that new or used skates need to be purchased. The manufacture defect is so flawed that skate is now defective.
Some stores around the country not just in Essex county are altering the skates alignment. This is based on that stores judgment of how the skater is walking in the skates. That is for another blog. You do not walk in skates. A walking stride has 3 points of contact. With a skating stride there is no heel strike so that means you only have two points of contact. Another story for another time. We believe that tipping of a skate blade should only be done at a doctors request. The people who work in stores are using this as a way to make it seem that they are doing something special for your child. They will tell you that there is something wrong with your child’s foot. I will tell you that i do not think there is anything wrong with your child’s foot. We do however need to ensure that the skate is in proper alignment. We make the boot proper and the body handles the minor compensations to make the boot work for them.
In a very small amount of times maybe one percent we should slightly move the blade inside to help young beginner skaters learn to use the edges. This is done so that it allows the body to develop the ankle. This is usually a temporary fix that lasts maybe one or two seasons at the most.
until next time
keep having fun and playing hard
your friendly
skate consultant
jeff
Skateconsultant's Blog 
My son Alec is 6 yrs old. He started skating at 4 yrs old. He wears a a size 13 shoe. A local “Hockey” store put him in a pair of Vapor X:05 size 13. His left skate tended to role in. I asked the salesman, and he said he sized them for growth. I switched him to a pair of easton s-17 size 11.5. I compared both skates, and the Bauer was bigger and wider. It seemed to work while walking around. When he got on the ice, it seemed the left skate was still bending. The local store said he has weak ankles, but a friend recomended blade alignment. We took him to a store in Niagara Falls Ontario. They made him walk around in the skates with out socks. They said the Easton was a better fit, but indeed needed an alignment., and they first did a blade alignment on the left foot. I then made his left foot correct, but then the right foot started to bend. Finally, the made the alignment so the front of the blade was flush to the inside of the boot and the back about 1/16″ off center. They then put him in Super feet Yellow. Walking around he was Okay. At practice yesterday, it did not seem to be so severe, but still was pronating. The funny thing is he has a pair of tour adjustable inline hockey skates. They are “sized” in between 11+12, and the fit is perfect. I do see a slightly higher tendon guard in the back. I asked the guy in Canada, and he said the wheels have an wider surface compared to a steel blade.
I looked at his sneakers, and they are worn severely on the outside of the heal.
After reading your blog, I tend to think that a blade alignment might not be the correct thing after all, but perhaps the superfeet insoles along with a a heal wedge in the left foot? Or perhaps switching skates. Smaller size? Any help would be great!
thanks in advance, Paul
Paul Konopcynski - May 24, 2010 at 2:37 pm |