Trail Talk
Well-known member
This seemed like a good day to start the 2025 edition of BLITZEN's winter travels. The truck wasn't involved but we were practicing "wild skating" for our next outing in a few weeks.
I've been wanting to try ice blades for years but the steep price scared me off. Having stumbled upon a great sale, I grabbed a pair. At the first opportunity we headed for a local river front park that annually floods the bike paths to create an iceway.
Mrs Blitzen was suspicious of my new-fangled blades and preferred to stick with her Canadian Baby Shoes aka hockey skates. For those not familiar, nordic ice blades were designed by Scandinavians for their miles of frozen lakes and canals and excel over wavy and rough natural ice. To use, you simply snap them into your cross-country ski boots and bindings.
I found them very familiar and easy to get used to. The appropriate technique is to mimic nordic skate skiing, you can even use poles. For someone not familiar with skate skiing, it would take getting used to having free heels and longer blades.
This trial run was a success, the Mrs even cast an envious eye by the end of the day, so I might be shopping for another set! Next month we visit what Guinness World Records calls the world's longest ice skating trail. Will report back then.
I've been wanting to try ice blades for years but the steep price scared me off. Having stumbled upon a great sale, I grabbed a pair. At the first opportunity we headed for a local river front park that annually floods the bike paths to create an iceway.
Mrs Blitzen was suspicious of my new-fangled blades and preferred to stick with her Canadian Baby Shoes aka hockey skates. For those not familiar, nordic ice blades were designed by Scandinavians for their miles of frozen lakes and canals and excel over wavy and rough natural ice. To use, you simply snap them into your cross-country ski boots and bindings.
I found them very familiar and easy to get used to. The appropriate technique is to mimic nordic skate skiing, you can even use poles. For someone not familiar with skate skiing, it would take getting used to having free heels and longer blades.
This trial run was a success, the Mrs even cast an envious eye by the end of the day, so I might be shopping for another set! Next month we visit what Guinness World Records calls the world's longest ice skating trail. Will report back then.
