Question about Ice Skating Short Track Speed Skates.

[larryoracing]

I know nothing about Ice Speed Skates or Roller Speed Skates, but when I was watching the Olympic Indoor Short Track racing, their skates seemed pretty high off the skating surface. i.e. the bottom of the ice skating boot to the ice skating surface Is this different than a typical indoor roller skating speed skate/short track?

Thanks, just curious.

Larry O and have a great day!

[chuckboucher]

The bottom of short track ice boots are a few inches off the ice (deck height). For Inline short track boots, it is even higher. 80mm wheels is 3.15", 90mm is 3.54", 100mm is 3.94", 110mm is 4.33", and 125mm is a whopping 4.92". Add the thickness of the inline frame, and the minimum deck height is 3.2".

Not too many use 80mm wheels anymore, usually just tiny tot competitors (4-6 years of age).

[larryoracing]

I guess I was wrong. For Ice skating longer tracks, 5000M, etc is the bottom of the boot to ice skating surface lower than the short track ice skate?

Thank you for your time.

Larry O

P.S. For roller skating speed longer tracks do they use the same skates as they do for the short tracks?

[Nostalgic]

Short track ice skates have a blade that is mounted at an angle to help them keep from slipping. The long track skates are what is known as "clap skates" that detach from the heel at the end of a stroke to keep them on the ice and give the skater a longer stride and thus more speed. The specifics of the skates I don't know.

[bjvircks]

I'll go home tonight and measure my setups (LT clap, ST fixed and inline 125)

Short track blades are set to the left of foot center (both right and left skates) to help avoid 'booting out' during extreme leans at turn apex. Booting out is when you lean over so far that the side of the boot contacts the ice and generates enough leverage to push the blade off the ice. Having a taller blade "could" mean less offset required.



for what it's worth... I could mount my blades to the right and not notice!

[bjvircks]

the clap's back end height is not 'correct' because when skate is weighted the fork settles farther onto the tapered block which also compresses a bit.