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Best Boots and Blades Awards of 2004 - Page 5

© Dr. Marie Miczak

Others cited in the article agreed. Dr. Leisure Yu is an orthopedic surgeon and serves on the USFSA's Sports Sciences and Medicine Committee. He points to the locking of the ankle as what is done in most traditional boots, as limiting the knee's ability to bend. "As a result, most of the transmission of the forces goes from the foot all the way up to the hip joints.", Yu says. When you begin to see really young skaters such as Tara Lipinski getting hip replacements and surgery you really have to think, who next is going to show up injured?

You need to be open minded and not be swayed by what used to be a symbol of status back in Sonje Henie's day (please don't ask "Who's that?"). Todd Eldredge has such an open mind. He switched from Harlick to Graf in 1998. "I made the switch to Graf and loved it", he tells IFS Magazine. Todd at age 29 is very busy as a professional skater and is not constantly sidelined with injuries or boot problems. He can't be as a professional skater! Peter Kollen who invented the K-Pick said in a recent interview with IFS magazine that when the blades with K-Pick first came out, they were sent to quite a few high level and elite skaters. The response? "They don't have time to try something different". Wow, I'd make time for something different than getting hurt! If you'd like to find out more check out the Volume 10, Issue 2 of the June 2004 issue of International Figure Skating who has a link at the Figure Skating guide under magazines.

Summary: If skating is to survive as a sport, we've got to take care of our young athletes. Having hinges on the boot is a major step forward. Deborah King who has followed Dr. Richard's research for years says, "If you put a hinge in the boot, it can still have ankle support but you can allow the skater to use the absorption of landing at little more forward on the blade and flexing of the ankle." Dr. Mahlon Bradley agrees. He is an orthopedic surgeon and former competitive figure skater. He feels hinged boots have the potential to change the sport but it won't be overnight. He then goes on to give an example of speed skating which really underwent a revolution with the introduction of clap skates. There is no reason not to try the new technology that the experts in both science and the sport say could lessen injuries. Bradley continues saying that at the big meeting with all the boot manufacturers of the U.S. and Canada that he couldn't get the boot manufacturers into the need for better boot technology. Thus far Graf was the first to answer that call with a hinged boot, the first on the market. So there you have it. A straight up critique from someone who has skated in all of these boots and blades.

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