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Geometry 

Standard Player geometries:

Pikatec Nanoblade 4.5 2WL 

This geometry is significantly faster and more agile than regular blades. The edges of all Pikatec Nanoblade geometries have the same sharpness. The blade is about 4 mm higher than conventional blades, and the sharp edges allow a greater incline in turns. The surfaces of the grooves are widened from 3 mm to almost 4.5 mm, thus changing the physical mechanisms of skating. We recommend this geometry for all hockey players as the first geometry for a transition to blades with a nano-groove. Hockey players generally get used to these blades very quickly!

For whom is this geometry suitable:

Especially hockey players transitioning from regular blades to blades with a nano-groove.

What to keep in mind and watch out for:

  • Their intial feelings are further described in the article below "Graph and stages of adaptation to blades with a nano-groove"
  • When you first step onto the ice, you will feel as if the blades were dull. The blades will immediately start to glide, and if they are aligned perpendicular to the ice, they will begin to slide laterally. This is how it should be! But as soon as you push off from the edge, you will feel the acceleration, you will find that you don't need as much effort, and in turns on an incline, you will feel that the edge holds you up perfectly. Keep trying, and soon you'll realize that you can do much more in turns and in stops than with a standard groove. Notice how you can glide through turns silently, without grinding and flying ice. Then you can start "playing" with lateral gliding.
  • Turns, even repeated turns one after the other, must be entered with correct skating technique, with pressure on the toes (like carving)! For this purpose, the skates need to be loose at the angle in the front (leave one to two lace holes open). If you enter a turn incorrectly ("on your heels"), the geometry will carry you into a slightly larger arc.
  • It takes some skaters time to get used to the higher blade; it may especially bother them a bit when doing crossovers in turns. But this feeling generally subsides after the first training.
  • Get used to the speed; you approach obstacles much faster than you've been used to so far! You can stop very quickly before the boards, and you can quickly and effortlessly change direction (even on one leg), but you have to get used to it. Many skaters have confirmed that they "spaced out", suddenly finding themselves near the goal. On the other hand, improved agility and the stability of the edge make the blades safer than blades with conventional sharpening.
  • Time it takes beginners to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 3 - 20 minutes, Seniors 10-120 minutes
  • Time it takes advanced players to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 0 minutes, seniors 0 minutes  

Pikatec Nanoblade 4.5 2ML 

This geometry is even faster than the WL geometry. The edges of all Pikatec Nanoblade geometries have the same sharpness. The blade is about 4 mm higher than conventional blades, and the sharp edges allow a greater incline in turns. The surfaces of the grooves are widened from 3 mm to almost 4.5 mm, thus changing the physical mechanisms of skating. We recommend this geometry for all hockey players as the next geometry to move on to after gaining experience with the nano-groove and WL geometry. Hockey players should already be experienced in skating with a nano-groove, otherwise it will take a few training sessions to get used to. At first use, the blades may seem a bit less agile, but skaters need to learn to skate in turns and get used to them.

For whom is this geometry suitable:

Especially hockey players who have experience with skating with a nano-groove.

What to keep in mind and watch out for:

  • Their intial feelings are further described in the article below "Graph and stages of adaptation to blades with a nano-groove".
  • If you have no experience with a nano-groove, when you first step onto the ice you will feel as if the blades were dull. The blades will immediately start to glide, and if they are aligned perpendicular to the ice, they will begin to slide laterally. This is how it should be! But as soon as you push off from the edge, you will feel the acceleration, you will find that you don't need as much effort, and if you turn on an incline, you will feel that the edge holds you up perfectly. Keep trying, and soon you'll realize that you can do much more in turns and in stops than with a standard groove. Notice how you can glide through turns silently, without grinding and flying ice. Then you can start "playing" with lateral gliding.
  • Turns, even repeated turns one after the other, must be entered with correct skating technique, with pressure on the toes (like carving)! For this purpose, the skates need to be loose at the angle in the front (leave one to two lace holes open). If you enter the turn incorrectly ("on your heels"), the geometry will carry you into a slightly larger arc.
  • It takes some skaters time to get used to the higher blade; it may especially bother them a bit when doing crossovers in turns. But this feeling generally completely subsides after the first training.
  • As mentioned above, skaters will initially feel that the blades are less agile, and they must learn to turn with them. It just takes some getting used to, and you will be rewarded with increased speed on ice.
  • Get used to the speed; you approach obstacles much faster than you've been used to so far! You can stop very quickly before the boards, and you can quickly and effortlessly change direction (even on one leg), but you have to get used to it. Many skaters have confirmed that they "spaced out", suddenly finding themselves near the goal. On the other hand, improved agility and the stability of the edge make the blades safer than blades with conventional sharpening.
  • Time it takes beginners to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 60 - 180 minutes, Seniors 90 - 240 minutes
  • Time it takes advanced players to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 20 - 90 minutes, seniors 60-180 minutes  

Extreme Player geometry:

Pikatec Nanoblade 5.0 L7WL (Light) 

Great things can be done with this geometry, but it is most true for this geometry that the skater should already have experience with nano-groove blades, otherwise they will not suit him at first. The edges of all Pikatec Nanoblade geometries have the same sharpness. The blade is about 10 mm higher than conventional blades, and the sharp edges allow a greater incline in turns. The holes in the high blades (Light) make them significantly lighter, increasing the skater's agility. These high blades are just as heavy as lower blades that are not lightened. The surfaces of the grooves are widened from 3 mm to almost 5 mm, thus changing the physical mechanisms of skating. We recommend this geometry for all hockey players as the next geometry to move on to after gaining experience with the nano-groove and the S, W or WL geometry, and preferably ML. The hockey player should already have experience with skating with a nano-groove, because there are plenty of changes in this case that the skater must get used to. At first use, the blades may seem a bit less agile and very high in crossovers, but the skater needs to learn to skate in turns and do crossovers.

For whom is this geometry suitable:

Especially hockey players who have experience with skating with a nano-groove; the goal here was not for skaters to get used to blades other than standard blades, but to allow hockey players to perform great maneuvers on the ice. That requires time and getting used to.

What to keep in mind and watch out for:

  • Their intial feelings are further described in the article below "Graph and stages of adaptation to blades with a nano-groove".
  • If you have no experience with a nano-groove, when you first step onto the ice you will feel as if the blades were dull. The blades will immediately start to glide, and if they are aligned perpendicular to the ice, they will begin to slide laterally. This is how it should be! But as soon as you push off from the edge, you will feel the acceleration, you will find that you don't need as much effort, and if you turn on an incline, you will feel that the edge holds you up perfectly. Keep trying, and soon you'll realize that you can do much more in turns and in stops than with a standard groove. Notice how you can glide through turns silently, without grinding and flying ice. Then you can start "playing" with lateral gliding.
  • Turns, even repeated turns one after the other, must be entered with correct skating technique, with pressure on the toes (like carving)! For this purpose, the skates need to be loose at the angle in the front (leave one to two lace holes open). If you enter the turn incorrectly ("on your heels"), the geometry will carry you into a slightly larger arc.
  • At first, all skaters need to get used to the extremely raised blade, which may especially bother them when doing crossovers in turns. This may take several hours.
  • As mentioned above, the skater will initially feel that the blades are less agile; the first impression may be strange. It just takes some getting used to, and once you do, you will be rewarded with increased speed and agility on ice.
  • Get used to the speed; you approach obstacles much faster than you've been used to so far! You can stop very quickly before the boards, and you can quickly and effortlessly change direction (even on one leg), but you have to get used to it. Many skaters have confirmed that they "spaced out", suddenly finding themselves near the goal. On the other hand, improved agility and the stability of the edge make the blades safer than blades with conventional sharpening.
  • Time it takes beginners to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 180 - 300 minutes, Seniors 240-480 minutes
  • Time it takes advanced players to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 60 - 120 minutes, Seniors 120 - 300 minutes  

Standard Goal Keeper geometry:

Pikatec Nanoblade 4.5 GK6

Goalkeeper geometries GK have excellent agility and speed properties. Goalkeepers usually "fight" with two characteristics: they need quick lateral movement, but the edge of the blades prevents them from doing so. Some goalkeepers even dull the edges to allow them to move quicker. The Pikatec nano-groove allows the combination of both properties: very sharp edges and excellent lateral movement properties. So far, all goalkeepers have praised the nano-groove for not straining their groin as much. The height of the blade, which is about 10 mm higher than standard blades, allows them to do wide splits, and when the blades are aligned perpendicular to the ice, the skates move from side to side with no effort. When the goalkeeper needs to stop, all he needs to do is tilt the edge slightly to the side and the blade will immediately stop him. Goal keepers generally get used  to this geometry right away.

What to keep in mind and watch out for:

  • Their intial feelings are further described in the article below "Graph and stages of adaptation to blades with a nano-groove".
  • If you have no experience with a nano-groove, when you first step onto the ice you will feel as if the blades were dull. The blades will immediately start to glide, and if they are aligned perpendicular to the ice, they will begin to slide laterally. That's how it should be, that's what you need! But as soon as you push off from the edge, you will feel the acceleration, you will find that you don't need as much effort, and if you turn on an incline, you will feel that the edge holds you up perfectly.
  • Try out different maneuvers and splits to find out what the blades will let you do.
  • You will be much faster when you need to come out of the goal, for example.
  • Dozens of goalkeepers of different ages and weights tested the blades, and unlike some skaters, none of them complained of initially unpleasant properties.
  • Time it takes beginners to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 3 - 20 minutes, Seniors 10 - 120 minutes
  • Time it takes advanced players to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 0 minutes, seniors 0 minutes  

Extreme Goal Keeper geometry:

Pikatec Nanoblade 5.0 GK10 (Light)

Goalkeeper geometries GK10 have excellent agility and speed properties. Goalkeepers usually "fight" with two characteristics: they need quick lateral movement, but the edge of the blades prevents them from doing so. Some goalkeepers even dull the edges to allow them to move quicker. The Pikatec nano-groove allows the combination of both properties: very sharp edges and excellent lateral movement properties. So far, all goalkeepers have praised the nano-groove for not straining their groin as much. The holes in the high blades (Light) make them significantly lighter, increasing the skater's agility. These high blades are just as heavy as lower blades that are not lightened.

The height of the blade, which is about 10 mm higher than standard blades, allows them to do wide splits, and when the blades are aligned perpendicular to the ice, the skates move from side to side with no effort. When the goalkeeper needs to stop, all he needs to do is tilt the edge slightly to the side and the blade will immediately stop him.

For whom is this geometry suitable:

Exclusively for goal keepers who have experience with skating with a nano-groove. It takes goal keepers a while to get used to this geometry. The blades are high and allow the goalkeeper better knee bends, but a sensitive  goal keeper needs time to adapt. On the other hand the blades enable goalies to perform extreme manoevers.

What to keep in mind and watch out for:

  • Their intial feelings are further described in the article below "Graph and stages of adaptation to blades with a nano-groove".
  • If you have no experience with a nano-groove, when you first step onto the ice you will feel as if the blades were dull. The blades will immediately start to glide, and if they are aligned perpendicular to the ice, they will begin to slide laterally. That's how it should be, that's what you need! But as soon as you push off from the edge, you will feel the acceleration, you will find that you don't need as much effort, and if you turn on an incline, you will feel that the edge holds you up perfectly.
  • Try out different maneuvers and splits to find out what the blades will let you do.
  • You will be much faster when you need to come out of the goal, for example.
  • The blades were tested  by dozens of goal keepers of various  ages and weights, and some needed at least 3-5 training sessions to say they have 100%adapted to the blades.
  • Time it takes beginners to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 180 - 240 minutes, Seniors 240 - 480  minutes
  • Time it takes advanced players to adapt to Nanoblade: Juniors 60 - 120 minutes, seniors 120 - 240  minutes  

Graph and stages od adaptation to blades with a nano-groove

We monitored 3 stages of adaptation during testing and the feelings of hockey players. These are the following stages shown in the graph. We should note that adaptation means the transition from standard blades and sharpening to standard Nanoblade blades with a nano-groove, which are in the extreme compared to standard blades. Extreme nanoblade geometries are intended for skaters experienced with standard Nanoblade geometries, or for very patient and convinced skaters who realize that this change will take a bit longer.

  • 1st Stage – this is the shortest stage (it usually lasts a few seconds or minutes, but for some even dozens of minutes) and also the worst. When the skater steps onto the ice for the first time, he will have a false feeling that the blades are dull (as we mentioned before); the blades begin to slide in all directions in a stance perpendicular to the ice, and the skater doesn't trust the edges; he must make sure that the edges will hold him perfectly. It's best to go to a safe zone away from the side boards (e.g. to the centre of the ice rink) and start slowly circling the centre and crossover skating, slowly accelerating to find out that the edge is truly stable. The second feeling is the height of the blade. Many skaters skate on sharpened blades, so they can easily be 4mm or more lower than new regular blades. The standard geometries of Pikatec Nanoblade are about 4 mm higher than conventional new blades, so the difference compared to regular blades can be 8 or more mm! Skaters especially need to get used to this in crossovers.The third feeling, especially for older skaters, is that they are used to having a very curved geometry profile, known as a "cradle". In normal sharpening, this geometry is more agile than the standard geometry from manufacturers, and some skaters have it rounded even more by blade sharpeners. With this geometry, skaters are less stable on the heels and slower, but they get accustomed to it over the years. Pikatec blades have straighter heels for stability in the transverse direction, and skaters need to get used to this.The last feeling that partially blends into stage 2 is a reduced response from the blades on the ice. In other words, the blades glide silently on the ice without "grinding" as you've been used to before. This may bother you at first, but it is one of the main benefits of Pikatec Nanoblade blades. Once you overcome this stage, you can start skating normally and, most importantly, you won't want to go back to conventional blades.This indicates that for some, especially older, skaters with years of experience, there may be many changes overall, and whether they will be able or willing to overcome them mostly depends on their patience.

 

  • 2nd Stage – this is the stage when you get used to skating, learn to skate in bends with bent knees, brake, accelerate, make sharp turns and learn to trust the blades. You will use the agility of the blades in transverse skating, and you will learn to use the tilting of the blade edges for sharper or smoother braking. You will learn to control this as needed. You will take advantage of the speed and other possibilities the blades offer. You will now be at about 80% satisfaction. This stage is a bit longer than stage 1.

 

  • 3rd Stage – this is the last stage of getting accustomed to Nanoblade blades. This stage is the longest for sensitive skaters. By using the blades, you are already subconsciously getting accustomed to all the other properties of the blades. You will skate "quietly" in turns, without the grinding on the ice, and you will enjoy and take advantage of the new possibilities.

 

As we mentioned before, the process of adapting to the blades varies from one skater to another. For most junior skaters, these stages merge into one short stage. It's pretty normal for them from the start. It was only later that they said they began to perceive skating differently than before, and that they didn't think about the details before.

It's all about your mindset and your willingness to learn new things, and Pikatec wishes you much patience and success.

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