Parabolic blades

[p_hardt]

Does anyone have any opinions/information on parabolic ice skate blades? I am considering purchasing some and I am looking for some feedback from anyone who might have some experience/knowledge about them. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[skaternum]

You'll do better is you post this in the On Ice - Skaters forum. That's the forum for people who actually skate. The others are for fans.

[TashaKat]

Hi, I haven't used them and the only thing I know is that they taper in the middle of the blade

----------________----------
__________--------__________ obviously it's not stepped like this!

and that it's supposed to give you better turns, footwork and take-offs as the idea is that you are more stable and better centred.

One thing, though, how 'legal' would it be? I thought that blades had to be a uniform width throughout their length ....... and how easy would it be to get them sharpened?

[skatepixie]

There arent any rules about blade width...

[fadedstardust]

I get my skates sharpened by a REALLY good team and they've told me it's a waste of money to get parabolic because very, very few people will sharpen them correctly. In a few sharpenings, they'd probably end up just like regular blades if it's done wrong. They could sharpen them right, but if I ever went away and was stuck with a sharpener I didn't know, I'd be screwed. All the scientific advancements being made so far are pretty useless. I mean people landed quads before the kpick, people had sharp footwork before parabolic....you shouldn't buy equipment in hopes it'll do the work for you. I personally think kpick shouldn't be allowed in competition. That's like saying you can keep training wheels on your bike for Tour de France, or something. The blades we have are good enough...if you're gonna make an improvement, adding an extra toe pic just isn't it, in my humble opinion.

-FadedStardust

[skatepixie]

Well...KPick isnt exactly like training wheels...

I just wonder under what conditions the side picks actually hit ice....

[fadedstardust]

I picture the k-pick as training wheels cause it's got two extra picks on the sides, like wheels, I don't know. I really don't know why they were created. I'd think it'd increase grip on the loop, although I've never SEEN the pick in person so I don't even know if it'd be angled to do that. Like I said though, the skating world got along fine before K-pick. Some improvements are a real help to the sport and its athletes, others are good ideas gone wrong, and yet others are just extra gadgets that you're made to believe you need when you don't. For all we know, the before and after jump distance results are like of a placebo: you THINK the k-pick will take you further, so you go further, because it's in your mind. Haha. Who really knows? I personally, above every pro or con to owning a k-pick blade...think that they look really goofy. Blades are beautiful. They don't need little super mario world wings (which is what they remind me of). Don't even get me started on the freedom blades :P Actually, as a real quick inquiry...does anyone have them? If for some reason you go too far back on your blade in a spin or footwork, wouldn't you roll back and like...kill yourself? I've always wondered.

[skatepixie]

Well, Dick Button did a triple on '50's boots...doesnt mean I should go use those old floppy things myself...

[fadedstardust]

Although it's a relatively fine line, you are missing my point. Comfort and support in better crafted boots is a GOOD progress. As I said earlier, I feel there's good progress, progress with potential, and progress that's useless. Just like flashlights were a great inventions but those little red light laser keychains to point at things are totally useless and downright annoying. Better leather and comfort in skating boots is good progress, it supports bones more which leads to less bone damage in the end from repeated jumping, and it's more comfortable for the skater. K-pick brings nothing useful to the table, it doesn't bring you anything that your regular toepick doesn't have. Just a gimmick for people who want to get better technique without busting their butts as hard as the rest of us for it (and I doubt k-pick even aids them in doing so). Everyone has well crafted boots, you'd be screwing yourself over to skate in floppy skates. If you notice, none (at least not many...but I don't know of any) of the elite skaters wear k-pick, and they've been out for a while. They have the money and access to the best equipment, so if they were worthwhile, everyone would be buying them. I'm sure they've had the opportunity to be well educated on them and maybe even try them. But no k-pick's had their 15 minutes of tv fame yet. There's a reason for that.

Unless you are trying a...quintuple, maybe, you really don't need two extra picks on the side, and for the most part I notice it's people working on doubles or starting triples who are considering k-picks the most. And they don't need them. Why fix something that isn't broken? There are advancements to be made in the way of blades, I'm sure of it. I personally consider the k-pick a bit of a cop out as it offers no health or technical benefit, it's just supposed to throw you further, which you could achieve by spending a little bit longer in the gym. That's, of course, my personal opinion and I've never tried them so I can't say for sure how useful they are. I just know I'd feel like I were cheating if I were competing against people who didn't have them, since they are supposed to make jumps easier/bigger. And if they don't...then exactly what are they supposed to do except look dumb and cost more?

PS: While I am very thankful for my strong, comfy custom boots, I personally bow down to the past generations who executed a lot of the same moves most of us do with "floppy skates". If you put two perfect triple axels next to each other and one of them was done on Dick's boots and the other was done on Evgeni's, I'd award Dick's more because the strength of his ankle alone held that landing, not the 15 layers of paste (don't get me wrong, I love Plushy, it's just an example). However, we needed the stronger boots and it brought us great progress in figure skating technique as a whole. This is the last time I'll repeat myself, but I'm not clear as to what progress k-pick (or parabolic blades, for that matter...) is supposed to bring that the skater couldn't accomplish himself. I think there should be guidelines in competitions that prohibits you to wear gadgets like that...I mean if I constructed a blade that had a remote activated spring toe-pick, could I wear it cause it's supposed to get me further? Sorry, I'm rambling, nothing personal at all, the whole thing just bugs me. Haha. I'm done!!

-FadedStardust

[WeBeEducated]

Ki-pick came about as a direct answer to a problem a top skater (US Junior champ Matt Kessinger) was having with a jump. His coach, Peiter Kollen, began working on a blade enhancement to help this skater execute the jump better. Later, he worked with engineers associated with MK/Wilson to perfect it's usefulness.
They spent many years testing it, and improving the design, all for one reason-to enhance blade function for skaters. There is nothing "wrong" with that, and I am glad blade companies are working to improve old designs. It is happening in all sports, from golf clubs to skiies, and skaters have progressed in spite of second rate outdated equipement, but are in dire need of vast improvements.
All of the young skaters with back injuries, stress fractures of the spine and hips and pelvis, are an indication that the equipment is currently unequal to the demands of the sport. Some of the new blades by the John Watts company(Freedom, Evolution, and Olympic blades) are not just "edge hardened" like most blades, but are "through hardened", which helps to absorb some of the impact. Any improvements will need to be tried out for years to gauge their value, and these are not thoughtless gimmicks, but design enhancements that might improve an aspect of a skater's performance ability.

[skatepixie]

ITA webe...except on one thing. I think a lot of injuries have to do with being overflexable during a growth spurt.....although many may have to do with equiptment...

[InlineUnited]

Making the equipment better is not necessarily to make current things easier for skaters, it is to make it possible to push the upper limits of skating even further.

[iamaskater]

Hi,

I thought I would post for the first time. I read all of the boards and never wanted to post but I though this subject is one that I can help someone.

I am a Senior lady. I have all my triples, (no not axel) I am getting my parabolic blades tomorrow. I will let you all know if they make a difference. Give me a least a week or two to try them. I will report back, oh and I am very fussy about my skates and blades.

InlineUnited: ITA your quote is why im changing my blades. I want that 3 axel

[Sing_Alto]

I'm not a skater, but I'm a fan of a skater who tried them out for a month. Brian Boitano skated on the parabolic blades throughout the month of January and didn't care too much for them. As he wrote in his current fan club bulletin: "They were pretty good, but I felt that the blades controlled the edges-- whereas with the Gold Seals [his usual brand], I felt that I controlled the edges."

[iamaskater]

Hi Sing,

Do you have a link to that site. I would like to read what Brian has to say.

Thank you

[EdemamePirate]

The K-pick is not a training wheel. It can help with skaters who have trouble picking and slipping to the side. Although it will help, it will not correct the problem completely. It is a way for skaters that have a tendency to pick too far to the side to still grasp the ice. They make take off holes in the ice smaller and do less damage to the ice. I was fortunate enough to be given a pair of the first K-picks to test for the designer. I think they are a great concept. As a skater who never had an issue with picking to the side, they never necessarily helped me but I did see them do wonders for a young man who tended to only pick to the side on his triple lutz. In a matter of weeks, it helped correct the problem, he was landing the jump, and with the proper take off. It is a not a blade for everyone, as I would believe is the case with the Parabolic blade. But the K-pick certainly shouldn't be banned because it isn't an "extra pick"...it is set up above the other picks, and as I said, it prevents slippage which often injures ankles, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

[bbtano]

I'm not Sing, but I can answer your question. Sorry, but Brian doesn't have a site. The info about him trying out the blades is from a fan club bulletin that is mailed out snail mail.

iamaskater, I hope you like the blades more than Brian did. I'm not a skater, so I can't relate but I've heard that boots and blades (including the placement) is very specific to each skater so I guess each person just has to try them for him/herself to see if they work.

[TashaKat]

Originally posted by EdemamePirate
It can help with skaters who have trouble picking and slipping to the side. Although it will help, it will not correct the problem completely. It is a way for skaters that have a tendency to pick too far to the side to still grasp the ice.

Hi, I agree that it shouldn't be banned, each to his own and all that but SURELY shouldn't problems be corrected with training and instruction rather than with equipment? What if the K-picks were banned? What would these skaters do then?

I'm all for advances in equipment to push the boundaries but NOT to help correct problems that can be solved with hard work and a decent coach!!

[fadedstardust]

Not to pick a fight...but that's exactly what training wheels do to a bike. You put them on each side of the wheels to give more support because the rider will TILT TO THE SIDE if there's not an extra wheel there, cause the rider doesn't know how to balance on just the two wheels yet.

If someone picks to the side, that should be corrected with a good coach and a lot of practice. It's not like it's some...weird thing you're born with that you are just not capable of picking where you're supposed to. If you pick to the side on 3z, then you should try 2z and fix it before you do a triple. If you can't do it on 2z, then you should stay at 1z until it's FIXED, which in all honesty, shouldn't take that long if you practice. I know the 3z story wasn't about you in particular, but saying the k-pick helped him land it in correct position...that makes no sense. He picks to the side and slips, so he adds side picks and now he's doing it and it's correct? No. It's still wrong, it's just that now he gets by with it being wrong cause he's got a little trick equipment accesory. Once again, making equipment to further the sport is great. Making equipment to make what we are ALL struggling with (but eventually conquer) easier for those who can't be bothered to train more and fix the problems...is wrong. Figure skating isn't easy. I'm not sure why our suppliers should spend so much time trying to make it easier when practice is the only thing that can really make you improve. They should focus on making things more comfortable instead, finding ways around injuries due to boot break ins...there's so much more progress to be done. They wasted their time when they invented the kpick. They should have donated the money for their research to the people with toe slippage problems to invest in more ice time or better coaches.

-FadedStardust

[GoldSeals]

I'm not a skater, but I'm a fan of a skater who tried them out for a month. Brian Boitano skated on the parabolic blades throughout the month of January and didn't care too much for them. As he wrote in his current fan club bulletin: "They were pretty good, but I felt that the blades controlled the edges-- whereas with the Gold Seals [his usual brand], I felt that I controlled the edges."

I still like my standard GoldSeals:)
Regards,GoldSeals:)

[iamaskater]

Hello,

I said I would report back after I tryed my parabolic blades for a couple weeks. I have been skating in them for 2 weeks now and I find (To me anyway ) very little change from my pattern 99's. I don't think I would get another pair. The extra $100.00 is not worth it right now.
My edges are some what better but overall I can not feel any changes in my jump's. I don't know if I have skated on them long enough. I might need more time on them. I will post again in if I feel any big changes

Sorry hope this helped.

[BJY4EVR]

I'm also planning on getting myself a pair of parabolic dance blades...

I'm not surprised to hear that there are so many skeptics, but I think it's kind of sad that figure skating in general rejects any kind of new technological advances. I can't think of any other sport that has a similar attitude towards modern equipment. Imagine if golfers still drove with wooden drivers, or hockey players shooting with flat sticks? New technology for downhill skiers is developed all the time... The best skier in the world probably couldn't compete if his skis were 10 years old, for example.

I'm anxious to try them out... who knows?

[vesperholly]

I'm not surprised to hear that there are so many skeptics, but I think it's kind of sad that figure skating in general rejects any kind of new technological advances. I can't think of any other sport that has a similar attitude towards modern equipment.

First of all, I'm not surprised that no "major" advances have been made with skating boots/blades. Boots are so crucial to skating performance. I would think of them more akin to point shoes than hockey sticks. There is a very fine margin of error.

Secondly, I disagree that advances have not been made. Blades have developed with stronger steel, more effective toe pick profiles, side tapering. Reidell has developed a new skate with cork in the heels/sole, heel lock lacing, a flex-point for the pinkie toe. The improvements have been seemingly minor, but are pretty major to skaters.

Plus, why mess with success?