nMidway Equipment
LONG TRACK EQUIPMENT
In addition to your skates, long track skaters are expected to have and use the following equipment:
Midway Skin and Bibs
Warm Hat or Ear Band
Neck Warmer
Eye Glasses or Goggles
Warm Jacket and Warm Pants
Warm Gloves or Mittens
Warm Socks (several pairs, avoid cotton on cold days, best to layer)
Skate Guards
Athletic Bag
Water Bottle
Skate Sharpening Equipment
SHORT TRACK EQUIPMENT
In addition to your skates, short track skaters are expected to have and use the following equipment:
Midway Skin and Bibs
Approved Helmet
Gloves (winter or baseball batting gloves)
Long Sleeve Shirt or Sweatshirt and Long Pants
Knee Pads
Neck Guard
Skate Guards
Athletic Bag
Water Bottle
Skate Sharpening Equipment
Where can I purchase speedskates and speedskating equipment?
Check out what Midway Members have for sale on the Skate Exchange webpage.
Check our Resource Links page for stores selling skates and speedkskating equipment. Some of them ocaisionally offer used equipment as well.
Used speedskating equipment is available through many of the individual Speedskating Clubs. The US Speedskating listing of associations and clubs gives website addressess to search. One particular Club, Indy Speed, has a nice list of used equipment links.
Maintenance of speedskates and speedskating equipment.
- How to sharpen speedskates
- How to Mold Speedskating Boots (Bont)
- Method #1
- Put on boots and wear them for 5-10 minutes.
- Find and mark all hot spots on your foot
- Use a heat gun to heat up the hot spot areas and move them away from your foot using a C-clamp, the handle end of a screwdriver or hammer, etc.
- When all hot spots have been eliminated and the boot is comfortable, then you are ready to heat mold.
- Put boots in a paper bag and put in the Oven. See instructions from Bont. Some skaters prefer to take them out of the oven a little early.
- Some skaters mold without blades. Bont says to mount the blades before molding.
- Start out with the skater in skating position, laces pulled medium tight on the lower boot, but never very tight (i.e. loose) on the upper boot. Hold this position for about 10 minutes.
- Never use the buckle in this process (if your boots have one attached)
- Now you will need some assitance. Have your helper pinch the top of the boot at the back (pinch and hold for a few minutes)
- Also, have the helper grasp the boot in their hands and squeeze around the ankle. You are trying to get a good mold around the ankle bones (squeeze and hold for a few minutes)
- The skater should now sit down on a chair with their legs under the chair seat (Basically skating position with regards to the skaters feet in the boots.
- The skater should sit in that position for 20 - 30 minutes. This will let their boots cool and take on an early set.
- Carefully remove the boots and let them cool for 24 hours before skating on them.
- If the blades were not installed previously, install them now and/or make final alignment adjustments.
- Reminder that this is just one persons opinion. There are many other opinions.
- Method #2
- Method #3