Why cant I do a snow plough stop now I've had my ice skates sharpened??

Question

I've just recently had my ice skates sharpened for the first time since when I brought them. After I had them sharpened I went to my lesson and was quite shocked to find that I was unable to do a snowplough stop. Is this normal? I kinda expected to be able to skate better and with more control with sharp blades but to be honest I think I was better when they were more blunt? Will it get easier as they wear down? I hope so as I dont have much confidence skating knowing that I have to glide to a stop ratehr than snow plough. Roughly how long does it take for the blades to wear down?? Any help and advice much appreciated. Thank you :)

Answer 1

it usually takes two sessions to get the hang of newly sharpened blades. dont worry.

Answer 2

skates normally do that but you should still be able to stop. youve probably let them get too dull and youve gotten used to them that way, so now that theyre sharp, it is a shock to you. you should be able to stop next practice. also, dont just mentally think to yourself, i cant stop so i wont try! remember our sport is very mental. stand still and stop without moving then try stopping while skating.  thats why when i have a competition or test day coming up, i get mine sharpened about a week before(i skate about six days a week though so if you skate less leave about say 5 practice days)  

hope this helps.

Answer 3

Because you've had your blades sharpened, they have more of an edge to them.  Don't worry -- newly sharpened blades catch us all off guard from time to time.  They take a little bit of time to get used to, but it doesn't take long....maybe a few hours on the ice.  You probably feel like they're "sticking" to the ice more.  Maybe do a few slow, easy snow plows to get the feel for them and wear them down a little.  Usually if you're just extra conscious about when they'll cause you problems....edge stops, sliding, etc.....you can do most of your other skating without even noticing.  Typically, it is suggested that you get your blades sharpened approximately every 20 hours you spend on the ice, but each skater is different about how they like their blades.  Keep doing what you're doing.  Eventually the edges will wear down and it'll be time to get them sharpened again!!  :)

Answer 4

Freshly sharpened blades definitely give you more edge to grip the ice - but possibly more than you want or are used to!

You don't have to wait for them to wear down.  

Here is an exercise I was taught . . . it will wear your blades down a bit for you as well as work out your muscles needed for stopping/skating.    

Get on the ice, and get in front of the rails.  Hold on to the rails with your hands, and then put your feet together.  Bend your knees and push your blades (the whole blade) out to the sides.  It might be hard at first . . . if you can't do both feet at the same time, do them one at a time - kind of like a one footed snow plough stop.  But be sure to work on both sides.  This will strengthen your leg muscles, as well as make your blades less sharp . . . it should also help you with sinking into the ice and showing you what you should feel in a stop.  Just doing that right after getting them sharpened allowed me to skate "normal again" (for the most part) on the same session - depends on how long and hard you skate.      

(On a side note - a challenge later will be do this exercise without holding on to the rails).  

Do you know that you can ask for a lighter sharpening?  I personally liked dull blades . . . and as I got more and more into skating, that's what suited "me" best.  I only let this one sharpener do my skates . . . he knew I wanted light sharpenings.  Some like deep sharpenings - not me.  If they were too deep I had troubles with stops, some turns, even spins.    

Anyway, hope that helps!!

Answer 5

they are always like that, when you get better and better it will be easier for you to control newly sharpened skates. they improve tons of your skating especially spins.

they can wear down in 1-2 days or even less. before you get on the ice next time, take your bladeguards off and rub your blades on the rubber surface around the ice rink (do you know what im talking about) not the plastic, just the soft rubbery stuff. dont do this more than once. but you'll find your blades to be a little duller and easier to control.

Answer 6

yea its normal. dont worry about it. when you get them sharpened you usually do better in edge jumps and spinning gets better. You will be surprised that skating across the ice takes less effort too. and for your snow plough stop, just drag your blades while skating to dull them up a bit. I personally like em sharp! ;D