Among the very meager memories from early childhood, for some reason I clearly remember my first skates, given to me by Santa Claus. These were the famous two-runner “Snow Maidens”. Like me, these were the first skates for millions of Soviet children.
These skates were produced in the USSR for many decades and, I’m more than sure, so many of them have been preserved on the mezzanines of many apartments that they are still finding their new owners. During the entire period of its production, this model was practically not affected by design changes. The same sliding blades (designed for fast-growing children's legs), the same ropes or straps that attached these blades to felt boots. 
The “Snow Maidens” coped with the task assigned to them: they taught me to stand and even skate a little on the ice. But, most importantly, they instilled in me a sympathy for this activity...
My memory takes me back to my childhood years. My next skates turned out to be the no less famous and widespread in the vastness of the Union “eider”. The skates in which I was accepted into the CSKA hockey school. It was September 1972...
Anyone who is at least superficially familiar with the history of Soviet hockey understands what kind of September it was. The greatest super series of the USSR is CANADA. The first head-to-head match between our team and the best Canadian professionals. An epoch-making event that influenced the further development of not only Soviet, but also the entire world of hockey as a whole. Until now, watching those matches again and again, you experience inner excitement.
But I return to the main theme of my story. My eiders. There is an opinion that “eiders” are racing skates. Let me state a fact - this is a very common misconception. It is very easy to distinguish one from the other. For running “knives” the blades are noticeably longer than the shoe, for “gags” they are either equal to the length of the shoe, or slightly longer. “Eiders” are more like a cross between running and hockey skates.
These were budget universal Soviet skates. Skates for all occasions. Skates produced since pre-war times. As someone accurately noted: “for everything on ice.”
Post-war years. The first national championships in ice hockey or, as they wrote in the newspapers of those times, “Canadian hockey.” With the advent of this game in the USSR, new items appeared: “Canadian” and “half-Canadian” skates. It was very easy to distinguish one model from another: the first had a high boot and a heel, the second did not have a heel, and the boot ended at the bone. The blades did not have a straight, but an oval profile. Many people ground the blades of their “eiders” on the front and back and received “Canadians”.
Accordingly, agility improved, but sprint speed suffered. For ice hockey, blades of this geometry were perfect. “Canadians” did not take root in “Russian hockey”. In bandy, a player covers a decent amount of mileage during a match. The straight profile made it possible to do this as if “rolling forward”, faster and easier. It is for this reason that the blades of players in “Russian” and “Canadian” hockey are different. If we look at the blades of modern “bandy” skates, it is noticeably obvious: in terms of the shape of the blades, these are still the same “eiders”.
The time has come, and my “gags” were replaced by “half-Canadian” ones, which my father got somewhere for the occasion. Beautiful, red and black, and, most importantly, new! And it doesn’t matter that they turned out to be five sizes too big and the felt boots sewn inside, although with the tops cut off, made them too heavy to lift. It doesn’t even matter that for two seasons I rode in diving galoshes. You can always find your advantages. And in my case they were also present. In winter, training often took place in an open box, at the CSKA stadium, in the Peschanaya Square area. Naturally, I was not at all cold in my felt boots. And when, after a few seasons, I took off these “shackles” and began skating on normal skates, it felt like I was flying at the speed of a rocket.
As the years passed, I continued to train with the army team. In the 1979 season we started playing for the Moscow championship. My parents no longer have the annual problem of buying equipment. CSKA started giving it to me. Among other things, naturally, and skates. The boots are the same “Canadian” ones with steel “game-workshop” blades. New season - new couple. This went on for several years. Alas, Soviet industry could not offer anything else.
And the world's hockey uniform manufacturers did not stand still. Skate boots kept getting better and lighter. The blades also gained weight due to the fact that they became plastic. I remember with what admiration and envy I looked at the owners of such “horses.” How often have I dreamed about them? It seemed that owning such skates was a pipe dream...
As they say, dreams come true. In the early eighties, when plastic blades from the Visti factory began to be produced in our country, I was among the first lucky ones to try them.
In terms of the quality of plastic and steel, they were inferior to their foreign counterparts. But it was the treasured plastic! Even the fact that the boots remained the same “Canadian” ones was not very upsetting. Confidence has appeared - and they are living out their last seasons.
The confidence turned out to be justified. Pupils of the CSKA hockey school began to be issued Salvo skates. Plastic boots after the “Canadian” ones, which quickly lost their shape and rigidity, were for my generation like a man’s flight to Mars - also something unrealistically cool!
The weak points of these skates began to reveal themselves during use. The plastic of the boots was bursting. And not only in the cold. The inserts of the felt boots were quickly worn through to holes. Eyelets tore and broke. But, my friends, it was a technological breakthrough. Skate manufacturers in the Soviet Union reached a new level and continued to please us pleasantly. In the second half of the 80s, following the “Salvo” on replaceable plastic blades, new products appeared in the country: solid “Salvo” and “Dynamo”. I didn’t have a chance to play them, but I saw them on my opponents quite often.
In the late 80s, on Salvo skates, my relationship with Soviet skates ended. It became possible to play on “Bauers” and “Grafs”. But that, as they say, is a completely different story...
Oleg Levkov (player and coach of the Agroholding Moskovsky team, coach of the Absolute team)
You can find out more details about the history of hockey skates (and not only) by visiting the Ice Arena Museum at Moscow, Belyaevo metro station, st. Profsoyuznaya, building 93, daily from 10.00 to 21.00.
Skates according to their purpose, they were divided into three groups: educational (“Snegurochka” (“Snegurochka”, “Snow Maidens”) single- and double-skating and designs by engineer Polikarpov), for free skating (“Nurmis” and “Sport”) and special (for speed running, for playing hockey, for figure skating).
The skates consisted of a runner (blade) and a support platform, which was also intended for attaching the skates to the shoes. The steel skid, hardened or case-hardened, had a length, thickness and configuration (straight, curved, cut at a certain angle, with or without serrations in front) depending on the type. The sharpening of the runner could be transverse, longitudinal or grooved; longitudinal - provided better sliding, groove - eliminated lateral sliding of the runner. The support platform consisted of a sole and a heel.
The shape of the support area of the skates differs: for the right and for the left foot. The distance between the extreme points of the heel and sole determined the size of the skate, which corresponded to the numbering of leather shoes. To protect against corrosion, the skates were nickel-plated, chrome-plated, and cadmium-plated.
Skates "Snow Maiden"
Skates "Snow Maiden" are intended for beginners. Two types were produced: single-nose and double-nose. Single runners had a relatively thick (4 mm) and strongly curved runner with a height of 37 mm. The runner had a transverse sharpening. The relatively thick and low runner provides high stability, which was of great importance for beginners. The nature of the fastening is removable. They were attached to the shoes using a heel holder (rod with an oval head) on the heel and two cheeks on the sole, moved with a special key. The skates were equipped with two diamond-shaped heel plates, eight countersunk screws (for attaching the plate to the heel of the shoe) and a key. The sole, heel, cheeks and plates for the heels of the shoes were made of thin sheet steel with a thickness of 1.8 mm (for cheeks 2.5 mm). The sole and heel were connected to the runner by electric welding or by riveting the protrusions in the windows of the sole and heel. The numbers were 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 39. Each number was suitable for adjacent shoe sizes, for example number 29 was suitable for size 29 and 30 boots.
Children's skates with two runners
Double-rods were intended for preschool children. The presence of two runners increased stability compared to single-runner "Snow Maiden" skates. The runner was a two-line bent stamped runner, made of sheet steel 1.5-1.7 mm thick, had a transverse sharpening; the sole and heel are made of thin sheet steel with a thickness of 1.0-1.2 mm. The sole was connected by electric welding to a cup, which was riveted to the runner. The heel with the runner was connected by means of a screw, which allowed longitudinal movement of the heel, which made it possible to use skates for shoes of four adjacent sizes: 26, 27, 28 and 29. They were attached to the shoes using belts made of TRL braid 20 mm wide with galvanized steel - bathroom buckles with three teeth (each skate has two straps: front and rear, 400 mm long). This fastening made it possible to use skates with various shoes: boots, felt boots, boots, galoshes.
Skates designed by engineer Polikarpov
The skates designed by engineer Polikarpov had a strongly curved runner 3.5 mm thick. The runner had a transverse sharpening. Its height is 32 mm. The sole and runner were connected with rivets or electric welding. They had a heel counter that moved in the heel, which made it possible to use them for shoes of five sizes. They were attached to the shoes with two straps (heel straps 55 cm long and toe straps 60 cm long), passing through the lugs of the sole and secured with steel buckles. Three numbers were produced for shoe sizes: 28-32, 33-37 and 38-42.
Skates "Nurmis"
The “Nurmis” skates consisted of the same parts as the single-slide “Snegurochka” skates, but differed in the shape of the runner: the runner at the front was cut at an angle of 25°. This form of the runner made it possible to perform simple figure skating exercises. The thickness of the runner is 4 mm. They were attached to the shoes in the same way as the single-slide "Snow Maiden" skates. Five issues were published. Each number allowed the attachment of adjacent shoe numbers: 29-30, 31-32, 33-34, 35-36, 37-38
Skates "Sport"
“Sport” skates were characterized by a cut runner with a notch in the front part. The runner had a transverse sharpening. The main dimensions of the runner (in mm): thickness 3.0-3.5, height 34 (front pillar) and 32 (rear pillar). These skates were relatively stable on ice; the shape of the runner made it possible to use them for figure skating. The sole and heel were connected to the runner by means of electric welding, riveting the protrusions of the runner in the windows of the sole and heel, rivets or soldering with copper-zinc solder. They were attached to shoes with countersunk screws. Six holes were made on the sole for screws. Issued from numbers 29 to 39.
Cross-country skates
Racing skates were characterized by a long and thin runner, which increased their gliding qualities. The thickness of the runner is 1.2 mm, width is 18 mm. The toe was slightly turned up. The runner had a longitudinal sharpening, was attached to a tube (the outer diameter of the tube was 14.5 mm), and was connected by electric welding. The stand and cups were attached to the same tube, to which the sole and heel were in turn attached. The cups could be seamless or seam welded. For welded cups, the seam was made overlay and welded by spot welding, followed by soldering with tin-lead solder or electric seam welding without subsequent soldering. The height of the front cups is 33 mm, the rear ones are 48 mm. The front post and cup, as well as the rear cup, were electrically welded to the sole and heel. K. are attached to shoes using rivets. Produced from numbers 33 to 45.
Skates for playing bandy
Skates for playing bandy consisted of a runner fixed in a tube, two cups (front and back), a square supporting the sole in the front part, a sole and a heel. The thickness of the vine was at least 2.5 mm, width 18 mm, width of the toe 16.5 mm. The runner had teeth in the front part. The sharpening of the runner is longitudinal. This design ensured high maneuverability when skating. The tube, heel, square and sole were made from cold-rolled tape of low hardness, the front and back cups were made from soft tape. It was allowed to manufacture angles and cups from cold-rolled sheet steel. The method of making tubes, cups, connecting the tube with the runner, square and cups, attaching the sole and heel to the cups were the same as for racing skates. They were attached to the shoes with rivets. Issued from 29 to 45.
Ice hockey skates
Ice hockey skates were made from the same materials and design as bandy skates. They were distinguished by higher cups (3-4 mm higher than the corresponding cups of hockey skates), the absence of teeth on the toe of the runner and the shape of the runner. The sharpening of the runner is longitudinal. This design of the skates provided better maneuverability and higher running speed compared to skates for playing hockey with a ball. Issued from 33rd to 45th issue.
Figure skating skates
Skates for figure skating - the runner had a curved working surface in profile and trapezoidal in cross section. The thickness of the runner in the toe is from 2.9 to 4.4 mm (for skates of different sizes), a sole is attached, and a heel is attached to the back. There were teeth on the outside of the front pillar. Issued in nine numbers, each number could be used for two adjacent numbers: 27-28, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34, 35-36, 37-38, 39-40, 41-42, 43- 44.
Quality requirements: straight blades along the entire length; smooth, smooth side surfaces, without nicks, dents, nicks, waviness, lumpiness, cracks or rolled edges; the surface of the working part of the blade is flat, smooth, without scratches, dulling or rolled edges; strong, stable connection of all parts, soldering had to be without gaps or sagging, electric welding without gaps, burns, depressions, the tube was crimped along its entire length and had no dents, waviness or cracks; durable anti-corrosion coating, without peeling or skipping (the protective coating had to be removed at a height of 3 mm from the working surface of the runner); Thorough polishing of surfaces to a uniform shine without dull or dark spots.
Skates that fully met the requirements of GOST or TU were classified as 1st grade; if there are some finishing deficiencies, they are transferred to 2nd grade. The skates were produced in accordance with GOST 5429-50 (running), 5493-50 (Snow Maiden single-slide), 5425-50 (for playing bandy), according to TU of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports under the Council of Ministers of the USSR 1398 —51 (skates designed by engineer Polikarpov), 1135–50 (“Sport”), 1600–54 (for ice hockey), 277–50 (for figure skating), 25–56 (“Snow Maiden” double-slide) .
Marking: on the side surface of the runner, on the front post or on the lower surface of the sole, the brand of the manufacturer, the number of the skates and the grade were indicated with a stamp. The skates were coated with an easily removable grease that did not oxidize in air. Each pair of skates along with accessories (plates, keys, screws) was wrapped in thick paper and tied with twine or placed in a cardboard box.
Skates are one of the oldest inventions of mankind, extremely popular in the modern world. They take a significant part both in the world of professional sports and in the everyday life of millions of lovers of active pastime in the fresh frosty air. Today we decided to trace the evolution of skating and related sports from the very beginning to the present day.
(Total 19 photos)
Based on materials from the Moscow 24 channel
1. It is believed that the first happy owners of skates were the Cimmerians - nomadic tribes who lived 3200 years ago in the Northern Black Sea region. They tied animal bones to their feet. Many other peoples, including our ancestors, did the same for many, many centuries.
Photo: Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters
2. Since the 13th century, skates have served as a means of transportation for people on frozen rivers, lakes and canals in the northern countries. Even then, in Holland they began to make skates consisting of a wooden base into which metal strips were inserted. These skates were attached to the shoes with straps. (In the photo: skates of that time in a modern version.)
3. In the works of the Dutch painter Hendrik Averkamp, painted in the early 1600s, one can clearly see how people not only skate on ice, but also play some kind of game with sticks in their hands. This is exactly how Peter I saw Holland during his famous trip to Europe, from which, among other innovations, he brought skates to Russia, becoming imbued with the Dutch folk pastime.
4. And this is how modern Dutch people skate and play hockey on the frozen canals of Amsterdam, continuing the traditions of their distant ancestors. It’s as if 400 years have not passed since then!
5. Peter the Great would not have been a great reformer if he had simply borrowed a European invention. It is believed that it was he who made the first breakthrough in the evolution of skates, coming up with the idea of nailing skates to shoes.
By the way, the word “skates” itself comes, as you might guess, from the word horse. This is explained by the fact that Russian craftsmen often carved horse figures on the long curved noses that the first skates had.
6. After Peter, skates were forgotten in Russia for almost a hundred years. Interest in them returned when everything English was in fashion, and skates at that time became very popular in Great Britain. (View in the Regent's Park, London, 1838)
Photo: Pictures of England
7. By the way, this is how people skate in modern London.
8. The first ever world speed skating championship was held in January 1889 in Amsterdam, and the champion there was... Russian speed skater Alexander Panshin (pictured). It is believed that it was he who invented racing skates - he removed the interfering curl, lengthened the blade so that the speed was higher, and suggested using a tube into which the blade was soldered. Skates for running remained this way for many years to come.
9. And a month later, in February 1889, the first ice skating championship in Russia took place in Moscow on Petrovka. Of course, not without Panshin’s participation.
Photo: CP Photo/ COC/ Scott Grant
10. Only in the 90s of the 20th century the design of running skates was radically changed. Fundamentally new running skates with a “tear-off” heel appeared, which athletes nicknamed “flip-flops.” They were first used at the Olympic Games in Nagano.
Photo: Americas's Library
11. The evolution of figure skates was no less exciting. The first figure skating club appeared in Edinburgh in 1742. But the first to combine dancing and skating was the American Jackson Haynes - he was the first to skate in theatrical costumes and to music. And this happened in the middle of the 19th century. Haynes has been called the "father of figure skating."
12. In 1871, figure skating was officially recognized as a sport, and in 1908, figure skating became the first winter sport to be included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games in London. (Pictured: British figure skaters at the London Olympics, 1908)
13. In the 40s, a new type of figure skating was formed - ice dancing. They were included in the Olympics only in 1976. And USSR figure skaters Lyudmila Pakhomova and Alexander Gorshkov became the first Olympic champions in this discipline.
14. As for the skates themselves, at the beginning of the 20th century, figure skate boots became much shorter and acquired rivets. The heel, on the contrary, has grown, and the blade has teeth. They were proposed by Swedish figure skater Ulrich Salchow, the first Olympic champion in figure skating at the games in London in 1908 (pictured).
Photo: Moscow News
15. The next time skates changed only in the 50s, with the development of ice dancing. The blades of the “dancers” are much shorter so as not to touch each other, and the boots are much softer.
16. Ice hockey in our country officially appeared only in 1946, almost 60 years later than in many other countries. But “Russian hockey” was called bandy. Ice hockey is a Canadian invention; its rules were first formulated in Montreal in 1879. Hockey skates then were similar to running skates, but evolution did not bypass them either.
17. In the late 50s, hockey players called their skates “spotty skates.” They were more like curly ones due to the almost right angle of the blade. They were replaced by “eiders”, distinguished by a shortened blade. In the 60s, skates became harder, more stable and more maneuverable. A plastic fuse appeared at the tip of the blade, already made in the form of a tube. And in the early 70s, hockey skates acquired an almost modern look. However, due to the height of the skate, there was a gap between the blade and the boot, into which the puck would sometimes fly.
New modern technologies focus on comfort to ensure the best results - they allow skates to take the individual shape of the athlete's foot, subjected to special heat treatment. This process is called thermoforming.
Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
18. In addition to professional sports, skating as a way of spending leisure time is gaining more and more popularity every year throughout the world and in our country. Skating rinks are opening everywhere, bringing together lovers of fun and useful time in the fresh air. (Pictured: Muscovites skating in the park)
19. If you, too, can’t wait to join the ranks of figure skaters and hockey players, or just go to the skating rink with family and friends before winter ends, check out the stores Sportmaster, there you can choose the right skates for any sport, age and budget!
During the Soviet era, every teenager and young man dreamed of purchasing a Salvo. At that time, they were more valuable than an iPhone or iPad now. "Salvo" are still produced, and now everyone can afford them.
The history of skates in Russia began from the time of Peter I. This Russian Tsar brought equipment from Holland. It began to be used for sports hundreds of years later. In the USSR, hockey began to develop in 1972, after the famous series of games with Canada. Since then, various models of skates designed for hockey players have appeared in the country. The famous ones were “eiders” and “Canadians”. They were replaced by Salvo sports equipment, produced in the USSR in Estonia. The new model was a breakthrough in the development of ice sports. Unlike its predecessors, the base of the shoe is plastic, which is fixed to the blade.
The first series of sports equipment was issued to CSKA players. For ordinary people, they seemed like a luxury, comparable to purchasing a VAZ 2106 car. After the 80s, the skate manufacturer Salvo developed new one-piece shoes. It continues to appear on the shelves of sporting goods stores today.
Advantages
Skates have been produced for 45 years. There are still a lot of reviews about them on the forums. Among the main advantages, consumers highlight:
- Nostalgia. For ordinary consumers, sports equipment is a pleasant memory from childhood, something they dreamed of and could not afford. For athletes and fans, they serve as a symbol of the most famous games of the USSR.
- Quality. "Salvo" is several times stronger and more reliable than modern sports shoes. Their main advantage is durability.
- Convenience. The lace-up boot secures the foot tightly, which provides the hockey player with comfort during training.
- Availability. Now inventory is not a luxury; they appear on store shelves in a large assortment of all sizes.
The cast ones are very light. The athlete does not feel heaviness in his limbs, which allows him to create complex tricks. Salvo skates are popular among hockey players, figure skaters and ice skating enthusiasts.
Flaws
The shortcomings of Estonian sports shoe models were identified after the first time on the ice. The plastic could not withstand sub-zero temperatures and burst instantly. But in Soviet times there was nothing to compare them with, so this minus seemed insignificant. There are several other disadvantages:
- Price. In the 21st century, Salvo skates are available to all consumers, but not every person is ready to spend over 3,000 rubles on their purchase.
- They cause indignation among technical workers, since the blade severely damages the surface of the ice.
- A large number of negative reviews are found about riveted models. Some athletes claim that this method of fastening does not allow them to securely fix the foot in the desired area.
- Consumers also don’t like design that seems boring and ordinary.
Important! Disadvantages are a secondary factor that does not affect their quality at all.
Bottom line
Salvo skates are a unique product on the sports goods market that are more suitable for professional athletes than for ice skating enthusiasts. They cost more than other models, but they will last longer, so it makes sense to buy only for those who regularly train.
Salvo is not just a company that produces. It has become a global brand that produces the highest quality equipment for professional athletes.
This post was planned long and hard (and I still needed to brush up on my visio skills!)
The diagram does not claim absolute accuracy and fidelity. also - the main goal was not to understand the intricacies of professional skates, but to find out what kind of amateur skates existed in the USSR, and how to distinguish them from each other :) there are few photos on the Internet, and besides, many have already forgotten what is what - from this there is a lot of confusion in the slang names of these very Soviet skates.
but fear no more, my dear reader! voila:
the diagram is clickable and increases
I won’t dwell on professional skates, their features and differences - this is a modern topic, finding anything on it on the Internet is not a problem. The main difference between professional skates and ordinary ones is the price:) their price tag usually consists of at least 5 digits in Russian currency.
But I’ll dwell on Soviet skates in more detail.
There were two types of “snow maidens”: blades that were screwed to boots, and blades that were tied with a clothesline to ordinary shoes (most often felt boots). I didn’t catch their era (being from 1985).
But there were quite a few “snowball” skates in my childhood - and it is very likely that they are still lying around on the mezzanine of my parents, packed, as expected, in wax paper. and before that lubricated with special oil. they were of only one type: extendable (to accommodate a child’s rapidly growing leg) and tied to felt boots with a clothesline. There were different companies, the appearance was slightly different, but the design was the same.
In the “Canadians”, “half-Canadians” and even in the “Gagas” in the USSR, people had the misfortune of playing hockey (the skates, to put it mildly, are not the most comfortable), and not only street hockey, but also professional hockey. For a long time, there were simply no high-quality professional hockey skates in the country of Soviets.
“Eiders” - contrary to a very widespread misconception that has survived to this day - are not racing skates. it’s kind of in the middle between hockey and speed running skates - these were budget universal Soviet skates, “for everything on the ice.” due to the fact that they developed speed much better than the same “snow maidens”, they began to be used for yard hockey.
It is quite simple to distinguish “Canadian” from “half-Canadian”: the former have a high boot (above the bone) and have a heel, while the latter do not have a heel, and the boot ends exactly under the underwire.
“eiders” (aka “hagen” - on behalf of the inventor) from “knives” (aka “begas”, “norwegs” and “Norwegians” - I think the etiology of the names is clear :)) is also quite easy to distinguish: for “knives” the blades are noticeably longer than the boot, while the blades of the “gags” are either equal to the length of the boot, or a little longer.
also very often they confuse “eiders” and “Canadians”/“half-Canadians” - the latter are recklessly called “eiders”. but now you know how they differ ;)
I am the proud owner of a vintage “eider” with a unique “author’s” modification: the previous owner put small notches on the front of the blade - unlike the teeth of figure skates, they won’t catch on the ice and won’t kill you at speed, and at the same time they help to brake beautifully and maneuver :) usually there were no such notches on the “eiders”.
who is interested in further study of the topic - you can gather bit by bit on the forums information on the manufacturers of Soviet skates (separately boots, separately blades) - among them there were elite, better quality, and “mass” ones, worse. I skimmed this information and took note that my “eiders” and “Canadians” (by the way, I’m selling the Canadians - size 39, unisex, brown-red - incredibly beautiful vintage skates in perfect condition for their age; photos on request;) ) are not made by the most elite, but not the worst factories, and I calmed down :)
I skated a lot of hours on the “eiders” this winter - contrary to expectations (rough leather Soviet boots and so on) - the skates are very human and comfortable! and what speed can you develop on them, mmm! my recreational figure skates never even dreamed of. The main difficulty with eiders is the complete lack of shin support, i.e. At first, the ankle muscles hurt like hell, but they quickly develop, the pain goes away and the thrill of skating begins. Now I dream of finding terrible Soviet “knife” racing skates, with even longer blades - and as a result, with the possibility of even more O higher speeds. I bought the “eiders” from an old lady at the Uralmash dealership (Baku commissars - victories) for 150 rubles. (!!)
in general, having become the owner of several pairs of different skates, I pretty soon learned a lot of new things about the technologies for sharpening them :) for example, if recreational hockey and figure skates are standardly given a “groove” at the blade (this is when the two edges of the blade are sharply sharpened, and between them there is a small depression), then it is not done for cross-country skates and professional hockey skates, because The groove gives additional stability on ice (remember physics), but at the same time takes away a little speed. I had a cheerful chat with a gray-haired and surprised mechanic who sharpened skates at the stadium-skating rink in Ozyorsk:) (to put it mildly, he did not expect a) to see “eiders” in the 21st century, and in perfect condition at that; and b) hear from the blonde that it is wrong to make a groove in them, and why exactly it is wrong).
and finally:
the history of the origin and development of skates is well given