The Sharpening "Jig"

This my friends (not in the speedskating world) is called a jig. It is one tool that EVERY speedskater owns (or borrows). It is a contraption that holds our skates upside down and by turning the clamp will keep the millimeter thick blades into place. Unlike the hockey and figure skating blades which can be sharpened by machine, the speedskating blade has to be sharpened by good old elbow grease. That is one commonality that both the Olympic caliber and novice skaters share; the art of maintaining your own equipment.

My jig is an old relic (paid $35.00) compared to new sporty models (hundreds of dollars), but for me it gets the job done and is actually made for the brand of blades I have (Pennington). I am now close to purchasing a new set of blades and I'm afraid when I do that, a new jig will have to follow. Ca-ching. That price tag will probably run close to $500.00 for both. Now you know why I actually did dance a jig when I gladly paid a friend $35.00 for my jig 8 years ago.

Another item or two that you may see in this photo is a  Diamond sharpening stone and a bottle of baby oil. Sharpening stones are all a matter of personal preference. If using a true stone, then oil is required to provide a slight film to help the gliding surface over the metal blade. The Diamond stone has two sides and (depending on the color dot in the corner-which measures the grit factor) only requires a little bit of water.  I have two stones- the Diamond to sharpen and a smooth polishing stone which I use the baby oil. I've tried the "skater oil" and it smells. My family would always complain; "ugh! That STINKS! Can't you do that somewhere else?" So, for the sake of my family I switched to a much more pleasant smell of baby oil. It works just as good and I will have to admit, it's better to smell like a baby than a gas station- you see, I also learned that keeping sharpening stuff in the same bag as skinsuits and clothes is not a great idea because the smell permeates everything!

At any competition you will be able to see skaters hunched over this apparatus going back and forth, back and forth- arms extended out in front, then retracted close. Some do this motion quickly, others more deliberately. We can be in the stands, lined up against a wall (great by the way especially when your back hurts!) or in the locker room. Depending on the ice conditions, this ritual may occur after every distance skated. There is usually very sporadic conversation between skaters when doing this. Why you ask? Because we are counting. It's hard to talk and count at the same time. For me, depending on how bad the blades are, I like to use a 15-20 count in 3 directions. When my arms are extended, that would be a "one-count". This is repeated until you feel a "burr" (the small amount of metal that is pushed over the blade edge) which you can test by "plucking" the edge- kind of like a guitar string. Then with another piece of metal you slide it down your blade and cut the burr off.  There are other processes that go into sharpening, polishing and de-burring, but this is the gist of it.

Since our blades are so thin and long (15-17 inches) and the fact that speeds can reach close to 28mph, it is very important to have sharp blades. Skaters have to not only propel themselves around the track but also balance their entire weight on the left outside edge of the blade. If this is not sharp, it will not "grip" the ice and you will see the skater fall. During racing if a skater seems to give up or all of a sudden, seems to just run out of gas, or stands straight up,  watch their feet. They may pick up their foot and look at it. Most likely they have just "stripped an edge". They probably hit a piece of dirt or even a piece of ice frozen on top of the ice. You can feel when that happens because your foot begins to slip and you are no longer in control. It's better to finish last on one skate than risk serious injury.

This photo was taken this morning before starting my 20 minute ritual; now I am off to the rink to get lost in the rhythm of short track dance with solid footing, even on ice.