Many different types of ice-skating blades exist. Different skate blades are tailored to meet the demands of different sports, from the highly curved hockey blade to the extra-long, flat blade used in speedskating.
Figure Skate Blades
A figure skate blade's most obvious distinguishing feature is the toepick, or the small line of pointed "teeth" on the toe of each blade. The toepick is used in figure skating for stability in upright spins and to launch certain jumps, including the toe loop, flip and Lutz. A figure skate blade is also curved from front to back, creating a "rocker" on the front third of the blade. The rocker allows the skater to spin and to skate on long curves. Ice skating blades are also sharpened with a groove on the bottom of the blade. This groove, known as the "hollow," creates two edges, which allow figure skaters to skate deep curves on the ice. Ice dancing blades are similar to regular figure skating blades. The tail of an ice dancing blade is much shorter than the tail of a figure skating blade, to keep ice dance partners from stepping on one another's skates during intricate footwork.
Hockey Blades
Like a figure skate blade, a hockey blade is curved from front to back. A hockey blade, however, has no toepick. The forward-to-back curve of a hockey blade is also more pronounced than in a figure skate. This strong curve helps hockey players turn and stop quickly, and aids in sprinting. Hockey blades also have a groove, or "hollow," running down the center of the blade. The hollow divides the blade into two edges, which grip the ice. The edges allow the hockey player to lean one way or another while skating.
Speed Skating Blades
Speed skating blades are the longest and flattest of all skate blades. The extra blade length allows the skater to push harder against the ice with each stroke, which creates speed. Blades used in long-track speed skating are longer than blades used in short-track speed skating. Unlike figure skating or hockey blades, speed skating blades do not have a hollow. Rather, the bottom of speed skating blades are ground flat.
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