- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
- Country
-
By: Pieter Kollen, skating director, Indiana/World Figure Skating Academy
MK and John Wilson Skates recently introduced the Parabolic Blade, a groundbreaking blade design that helps skaters be more centered on the blade for improved footwork, more accurate turns, faster take-offs on edge jumps, stronger spins and more precise landings than other skates.
Because the Parabolic Blade keeps the weight of the skater on the center of the blade, less of the blade surface is used. This not only improves stability, but also has benefits for blade sharpening and overall blade life.
Unique Parabolic Design
The Parabolic Blade has a unique tapered design, narrowing at its center and returning to full width at the blade's heel and toe. Like all standard blades, the inside center edge of the Parabolic will be the first area to dull from normal use.
Since the Parabolic Blade concentrates even more of the skater's weight on the very center of the blade, it relies less on the ends of the blades. Therefore, the heel and toe of the blade will typically see less wear than with standard blades.
Longer Blade Life
Fortunately, the unique Parabolic shape has no effect on standard sharpening procedure. In fact, the narrow center actually allows the blade to be sharpened in fewer passes. Since fewer passes are required, the life of the blade will be longer than that of standard blades in most cases.
As with any blade, correct alignment is crucial to proper sharpening. In addition, the stanchions must remain parallel and can be used to align the blade properly. For best results, blades should be sharpened by an authorized John Wilson or MK dealer.
After sharpening, it is important that blade edges are checked to ensure they are level.
For more information on proper blade maintenance, see www.johnwilsonskates.com or www.mkblades.com, or visit your local authorized dealer.
Visit www.parabolicblades.com for more information on the Parabolic.
MK and John Wilson Skates recently introduced the Parabolic Blade, a groundbreaking blade design that helps skaters be more centered on the blade for improved footwork, more accurate turns, faster take-offs on edge jumps, stronger spins and more precise landings than other skates.
Because the Parabolic Blade keeps the weight of the skater on the center of the blade, less of the blade surface is used. This not only improves stability, but also has benefits for blade sharpening and overall blade life.
Unique Parabolic Design
The Parabolic Blade has a unique tapered design, narrowing at its center and returning to full width at the blade's heel and toe. Like all standard blades, the inside center edge of the Parabolic will be the first area to dull from normal use.
Since the Parabolic Blade concentrates even more of the skater's weight on the very center of the blade, it relies less on the ends of the blades. Therefore, the heel and toe of the blade will typically see less wear than with standard blades.
Longer Blade Life
Fortunately, the unique Parabolic shape has no effect on standard sharpening procedure. In fact, the narrow center actually allows the blade to be sharpened in fewer passes. Since fewer passes are required, the life of the blade will be longer than that of standard blades in most cases.
As with any blade, correct alignment is crucial to proper sharpening. In addition, the stanchions must remain parallel and can be used to align the blade properly. For best results, blades should be sharpened by an authorized John Wilson or MK dealer.
After sharpening, it is important that blade edges are checked to ensure they are level.
For more information on proper blade maintenance, see www.johnwilsonskates.com or www.mkblades.com, or visit your local authorized dealer.
Visit www.parabolicblades.com for more information on the Parabolic.
No matter if the parabolic blade will work out in practice for the skaters, but it's good too see that there is some progress and research done with this. - I was always wondering, how much attention had been paid to the technical equipment of skiers and in some other sports, but nobody seemed to pay much attention to that in figure skating despite the boot/blade problems so many people seemed/seem to have. 
BTW, this comparison may sound strange, but the concept of that blade reminds me somewhat of carving skies. 
