Despite my reluctance to move away from the comfort of brake-equipped recreational skates, I knew the day would come to get my own pair of speed skates. Every time I went to TISC practice, it seemed another skater from the learn to race group arrived with shiny new speed skates. It was merely four months since I was first introduced to inline speed skating. Who knew if it would simply be a passing infatuation on my part?
In 2006, the inline industry was on the cusp of a big change in the market place. It would only be a year or two before one of the leading equipment company, Bont, opened their manufacturing facility in China and thus making entry level speed skates a lot more affordable. In those days when the opinion remained split about 90mm versus 100mm wheels for beginners, a pair of decent skates with wheels, bearings, and frames could easily cost over $500 USD. This would be a huge commitment to the sport especially when you compare the under $100 price tag of many recreational skates. Although finance was not a huge concern, it would certainly go a long way toward my next European vacation.
As I mentioned, more speed skates were showing up at practice. With each passing day, I felt like I was getting further and further behind the progress of the training group. The suggestive power of peer pressure certainly was at work! Although I was adamant with the speed cannot be bought philosophy, it was becoming clear that I needed an upgrade of equipment to properly learn speed skating technique. With my recreational skates, my motions were limited by the lack of ankle bend, frame position adjustment, and the extra bulk of the brake on my right skate. Oh and those bigger wheels! The promise of instant speed was tempting.
During one of my breaks at Montreal 24h relay, I stopped by a vendor booth to try on some boots. You would think with so much money on the line, I would research until I knew everything there was to know about skating equipment. That was not the case. Every new pair of speed skates around me in Toronto bore the unmistakable dimpled leather and shiny blue colour of Bont ZX-5. Girls were recommended to use the lighter 4x90mm wheels and frame set up while guys would go for 4x100mm. I blindly went along with the crowd. Choosing my boot size was another risky move. I tried on a size 36 and 37 at the booth. Neither fit particularly well so by process of elimination, I ought to fit a 36.5. It would be a special order but another skater at the race happened to own a pair of the same size in a different model. I tried on her skates. Nothing pinched and my feet were not swimming in the boots. It couldn’t be that different than buying a pair of shoes, right? As a girl, I certainly had plenty of shoe shopping experience. Talk about famous last words.
If ignorance is bliss, then it was safe to say that I blissfully placed the order for my first pair of speed skates.
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