skatingforums
On the Ice => The Pro Shop => Topic started by: Query on January 10, 2013, 04:29:32 AM
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When I switched from Coronation Ace blades (somewhere between beginner blades and very low freestyle) to MK Dance blades, a long while back, I skated much faster. The seller said that's because Dance blades are thinner at the bottom ("thin-line"). Speed is the biggest reason I have stayed with Dance blades.
A blade designer just told me that Dance blades, especially thin-line Dance blades are actually slower than Freestyle blades.
So, for those of you that have used both Dance and Freestyle blades (specify blade models), what are your experiences in this regard?
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Turns happen faster with the dance blades, but I haven't noticed a difference in the overall speed of my skating. I recently changed from Ultima synchro to Ultima dance.
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It might be because you did not have freeskating blades that were thin-line. I think the thin-line may be what makes it faster. I had Phantoms and then got Phantom special which is also thin-line. I felt like if the Phantom special was much faster than the Phantom. But I can't compare with dance blades because I haven't had them yet.
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Phantom Specials are dove tailed, they're not thin-line.
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Aren't Mk Dance 7 foot rocker and Coronation Ace 8.5 foot rocker (or is it coronation comet that's 8.5)? That's another difference.
I mean, we'd need to do a full factorial analysis with rocker, thinness, ROH, bite angle, and ice temperature to find out which if any of these factors is dominant.
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Coronation Comet is the 8.5' rocker - only know that because I own a pair and love them for stroking. Aces are a 7' rocker - only know that because I was hoping they were an 8 but I'm not going to transition to a 7' rocker - I gotta enough issues on ice!
In theory a blade with the maximum amount of edge (to a point) on the ice should be faster because you can get much more power in the push (think speed skating). But that's in theory - as we all know, things that happen on the ice are so particular to the individual and the actual speed potential difference between one figure skating blade and another may be miniscule.
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Phantom Specials are dove tailed, they're not thin-line.
whatever they are, they are slimmer than normal skating blade at the bottom.
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I have skates with both Coronation Ace and MK Dance blades(slimline)- both of which are 7 ft radius blades. I indeed find that the Mk Dance blades run faster and easier than the Coronation Ace. But my health is not the best (age + diabetes) and I don't have the leg strength and energy levels that I used to have so I notice the difference more easily. A person with good leg strength and energy levels would probably be less likely to feel the difference. The Radius of hollow (ROH) of the blade can also affect how easy the blades run.