1. Start with the Basics
Sit down to lace your skates. Pull the tongue of your boot out a bit. Put your foot in the boot, pressing your heel securely into the heel cup. Start lacing at the bottom eyelet. Pull the lace through so there is an equal amount of lace on each side of the boot. Lace the eyelets, using an alternating under-over pattern. Continue the pattern through the hooks on the upper half of the boot. As a beginner, lace your skates tight all the way to the top. This will provide ankle support and keep your feet from turning out. End with a secure double bow. Tuck the ends of the bow into your boot, or hook them around the hooks on the outside of your boot, so they do not catch and cause you to trip.
A note about laces: As you skate, experiment with different ways to crossing over your laces. Some skaters do it a bit differently each time. Most will find a certain under-over technique that makes them feel particularly comfortable in their skates and stick with it. It is a matter of personal preference more than anything else.
2. Intermediate Lacing
As you advance in ice skating and begin to attempt difficult jumps, you will need more ankle flexibility. Good ankle flexibility allows for good knee flexibility and proper jumping posture. You can encourage greater flexibility by utilizing certain lacing techniques. Experiment with loosening your skate laces around the top two sets of hooks, or skipping the top set of hooks entirely. Keep the lacing tight through the eyelets, as this is what secures your foot to your skate and allows you to control the movement of the skate.
3. Keep Lacing
It is time to stop skating and tighten your laces when your ankles begin to feel wobbly. It is normal to have to stop and tighten your laces at least a few times each session. However, there are a few tricks that may keep them tighter longer.
First, when you are tying your skates and have reached the top set of hooks, double back over the hooks with the laces instead of tying a bow. This will provide staying power, as the laces will be more secure. Also, experiment with looping the laces around the hooks from the top to the bottom at each hook. Some skaters find this more effective in keeping the laces tight.
Member Comments