1. To care for your rental speed skates properly, you will need to have an old towel or rag, a set of soft blade covers, a set of skate (walking) guards, and Allen keys and/or wrenches that fit the bolts of your skates.  The soft blade covers can be made by cutting a slit in an old pair of socks or by sewing a set of covers from some stretchy material (fleece,etc).  The guards must be long enough to completely cover the blade of the skate.

2. The boots should be treated with water repellent, leather preservative at the start of each season so that the leather remains soft and supple.  If the side of the boot is being worn away by leaning over too far on the corners, a piece of tape should be used to protect the spot.

3. You should never walk on your speed skate blades on any surface without having a set of skate guards on them. Speed skating blades are not as tough as hockey or figure skate blades and will lose their edge or be further damaged if you walk on the rubber mats in the dressing room or halls (the dirt on them from shoes is enough to dull the blades), use them on any other floor or if you kick the boards or supports on the seats in the benches. You should always put your guards on before tieing on your skates. Walk to the edge of the rink and only take them off when you are ready to go on the ice. You should put your guards on as soon as you leave the ice. You may see the older skaters walking around on the tips of their skates just before they go on the ice to keep their blades off the ground all the way onto the ice - they have strong ankles and can do this. You should not try to walk from the ice to the dressing room on the tips of your skates.  Make sure you mark your guards so that you know they are yours.

4. When you take off your skates, you should dry off the boots and the blades with the old towel that you keep in your bag. This is important to prevent rust. Then, you should put the soft blade covers on your skates. DO NOT store your skates in plastic or leather skate guards.  If rust does develop on the blades, put some oil on the blade and rub the spot with a burr stone.  Rost acts like a cancer on the steel, eating at the surface and weakening the blade, so it is best to get rid of rust as soon as it develops.

5. When you get home, you should open your skate bag and let your skates and equipment dry out properly during practices.

6. Make sure that your laces are always in good condition. Replace them if necessary.

7. Before every practice, you should check that your blades are still on tight. Try to wiggle or move them - if they shift, check with one of the coaches to make sure the position is correct or return them to the correct position yourself and tighten the bolts.  Do not over-tighten the bolts or you will strip them.

8. Depending on how you treat your skates, how much you weigh, and how often you skate, your skates will need to be sharpened between every couple of practices and every couple of months. You should check your skates regularly or have your coach check them if you are not sure.  Your coach can help teach you how to tell if your skates are in good shape and if they need to be sharpened.

9. Speed skates cannot be sharpened the same way as hockey skates and must be sharpened in a special speed skating jig.  All the skaters in the competitive program are responsible for sharpening their own skates.  Skaters in the development program for more than a year are expected to start learning how to sharpen their skates and may borrow a Club jig to sharpen their skates.  Alternatively, many skaters in the competitive program will sharpen skates for a small charge (usually $5).  Please see the section on sharpening skates for more details.

10. DO NOT leave your skates sitting near a hot radiator or inthe sunny window of a car as the heat can cause the shape of the skates to change or even result in damage to the boot.

11. All rental skates must be returned at the end of the year so that we have an opportunity to check them over.  PLEASE DO NOT KEEP YOUR SKATES UNTIL NEXT YEAR  "IN CASE THEY FIT".

12. When storing skates for the summer, make sure they are clean and dry.  Coat the blades with a little petroleum jelly to prevent any corrosion caused by damp conditions.  Make sure there is no weight acting upon the blades which might bend them during a summer in storage.

13.  Offset of your blades and rocker are very important.  Please see the sections on rocker and offset for more detailed information.

14. Any separating leather or other parts of the skate that are breaking down should be repaired immediately to prevent further damage and extend the life of the skates. 

If you have any questions, please see the equipment manager.