In looking back in this blog, I see, depressingly, that the last post about me and not T was January 24. And, yes, that was the last time I was on the ice at all – nearly two months. But today I finally got out to skate today – and with the Flat-bottom V sharpening I got for T a few weeks ago.
Because I normally get a 1/2” hollow, they started me out with the 100/50 to try.
All I can say is … wow …
Literally, the first step onto the ice with this sharpening is a noticeable difference. There’s a distinct change in the “feel” of the skate against the ice – it’s smoother with significantly less drag.
A few strides to the blue line and then coasting makes the change even more noticeable, as there seems to be virtually no loss in momentum compared to a traditional sharpening.
In the turn, the edges bite and there’s no sense of slipping or scraping at all. Doing crossovers I’ve always had a feeling of losing my inside edge a bit as I put my outside foot down, but that doesn’t seem to happen with this.
Stopping takes some getting used to, as there’s a much different feel to it. It seems like the edges bite more, but less deeply, if that makes any sense. I was able to stop in the same distance, but with less effort and a feeling of still being on top of the ice instead of digging into it.
