Hockey Skates vs. Figure Skates, Which One Produces the Most Speed?

Voiceover

Presenter(s)(s)

Rose Sangchompuphen

Abstract or Description

From their creation hundreds of years ago, ice skates have evolved into two main classes, figure skates and hockey skates.  Figure skates feature a serrated toe pick and longer blade, while hockey skates incorporate a smooth, shorter blade. Although to an untrained individual these differences might seem unimportant, they lead to staggering results when it comes to creating speed on ice.   

In this experiment, multiple trials with both hockey and figure skates were timed in order to determine which class produces the most speed.   

I was timed skating across the entire length of an ice rink, both forwards and backwards, wearing figure skates, then hockey skates. I did these trials, in order to moderate sources of error and acquire the most accurate results. 

Throughout five trials with each type of ice skate, it was found that on average, hockey skates were over 9% quicker than figure skates going forwards, and over 4% quicker going backwards.  Overall, hockey skates are the way to go when it comes to raw speed on ice. 

Due to these findings, if an individual would like to go ice skating, but simply wants to achieve the maximum speed possible, hockey skates would be their best option.