The popularity of ice hockey has grown in recent years, particularly in the United States and in Canada, where the game was invented. Hockey involves fast skating, a fast-moving puck and regular body contact as skaters try to prevent one another from reaching the puck. To protect themselves, hockey players wear layers of padding and stiff skates designed especially for the sport. Ice hockey skates allow for quick turns and stops and protect the feet from fast-moving hockey pucks.
History
The first skates designed especially for hockey were made in Nova Scotia in 1866 by Starr Mfg. Co. Ltd. According to the Hockey Skates Shop, these skates were wider than standard skates and consisted of a blade mounted to wooden blocks, with straps so the skate could be attached to a shoe or boot. Starr later sold its "Tube Skate," which was an aluminum blade riveted to a skate boot, and also invented the boot guard to protect goalies' feet from flying pucks.
Features
A hockey skate consists of a boot and a blade. The boot is usually made of leather or molded plastic with a ballistic nylon cover called a cowling. The blade is set in a plastic holder called a tuuk, which is then riveted to the bottom of the boot. The bottom of the blade actually consists of two thin edges with a groove in between. Called the "hollow," this groove allows the hockey player to skate in curves. The depth of the hollow determines how strongly the blade grips the ice.
Types
Hockey skates are generally one of two types. Most hockey players use standard hockey skates, which consist of a high-topped, rigid boot and a blade that is curved from front to back and is the same length as the boot. Goalies, however, usually wear skates designed especially for them. Goalie skates are cut lower in the top of the boot to allow for deeper knee and ankle bends. They also feature longer blades with a shallower curve, which makes it easier for the goalie to move from side to side. Goalie skates may have special padding attached to protect the goalie from flying pucks, or a goalie may use separate pads.
Use
Hockey skates actually glide over a thin film of water, which is created by the intense pressure of the skater's weight on the thin edges of the blade. Because the blade is curved from front to back, only about 1 to 2 inches of the blade touch the ice at any time. The hockey player can turn by raising up slightly on this area of the blade, turning the foot and body weight, and settling back onto the blade. Hockey skates allow for quick stops when the blades are turned perpendicular to the skater's path of travel and pressed into the ice.
Considerations
A properly fitting ice hockey skate is usually one to two sizes smaller than your shoe size and may be one to two sizes narrower. A hockey skate should fit snugly, but without pinching or cramping the toes. When buying hockey skates for children, buy a boot that is no more than a half-size too large. Larger skates break down too quickly and do not give the skater the proper control. Rinks with youth hockey programs and pro shops usually have gently-used children's hockey skates available for reduced prices.
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