Why should I rocker my son's skates

happyhab*

Guest
I just bought my son new skates he's 8, he is a really good skater but when I tried his new skates on him, he couldn't skate at all looked really wierd out there. Then someone suggested I get them Rockered. I'm not sure what or how to do that any advice on how that will make him feel more comfortable. Thannks
 

Eleven

Solid As The Sun
Sep 22, 2009
950
0
Ohio
If he skated well before these skates, and has issues now just compare the blades to each other. I bet the new ones have a more distinct curve to them.

Being so young, and so small I would think that he needs to have more blade touching the ice, so a larger 'radius' could be needed.

If it looks like he is actually rocking his feet to stay balanced, this could be due to the blades needing adjusted.

Check this link for info.

Good luck!
 

DJnet65

Registered User
Aug 29, 2005
105
1
San Jose, CA
It probably has more to do with the pitch of the skates than the profile. I would just give him some time to adjust to the new skates. Once he gets used to them he should be fine.

Also make sure he is still using the same hollow as before.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
How old are the skates? Did you buy them new, or used? Repeated sharpening can really change the profile of the skate over time to something that is pretty undesirable. As Elevener said, compare the profile of the new skates to the ones he was using before, if he can't seem to get used to the new skates, you could always get them profiled to match his old ones.
 

Gino 14

Registered User
Aug 23, 2006
812
0
Did you get the skates sharpened when you bought them?
Did you get them sharpened by a reputable shop?
Are the skates the same type as his old ones?
And, check the profiles. Trace the blade contours on paper, don't just eyeball them.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,152
10,132
not to distract from the very valid blade-talk in this thread...


but

1)is it an ankle sort of 'broken-in' issue?

2)perfect fit, or 'something to grow into'?

3)adjusting to the length of the blade issue?

4)hollow issue?
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
I went from Bauers (neutral pitch and 9' radius) to Grafs (forward pitch and 11' radius). I had a lot of trouble on turns and crossovers until I got them profiled like my Bauers. Since then everything's felt much better.
 

Headcoach

Registered User
Mar 29, 2006
747
1
Scottsdale, AZ
www.passthepuck.net
I just bought my son new skates he's 8, he is a really good skater but when I tried his new skates on him, he couldn't skate at all looked really wierd out there. Then someone suggested I get them Rockered. I'm not sure what or how to do that any advice on how that will make him feel more comfortable. Thannks

Well, I like a lot of the comments above, but we need to remember...he's 8 years old!
The odds are really good that...
1.) if there were sharpened, then it will take about 20 mins or so to adjust to the stopping thing with a sharp edge.

2. if there were not sharpened, he's riding on a flat blade. The easiest way to check is to place your thumb nail on the edge. If there are sharp, there will be a bite to your thumb nail. If you nail, glides off with ease, they are not sharp.

3.) Now, the hollow is important at his age. Depending on his skill level will determine the depth of the hollow. If he's just starting out, place a 5/8" hollow on those blades. If he has a skill level where he need to skate backwards faster, then I recommend going just under a half. As he gets older, you can increase the hollow to 3/8" We use 3/8 as a standard for sharpening (Adult) skates here at the rink.

Yes, this is just my opinion, if you want to start him off lighter or deeper, it your choice.

Head Coach
 

HockeyGuy1975

Registered User
May 22, 2009
732
5
Another thought... did he go from a soft boot to a stiff boot? If so, that is another possibility. At his age, he isn't strong enough to skate in a stiff boot. Some of the skates today are too stiff for kids. Does he look more up-right than normally? Does he not lean into turns anymore? These are signs that the ankles are too locked because of a stiff boot.
 

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