Through ANY sharpening and regular skating your profile WILL change over time. In addition, any single sharpening has the potential to change your profile drastically if not performed properly. Excessive cross-grinding, pausing on an area of the blade, or excessive or uneven pressure are all culprits that may result in issues with your profile – these may be amplified by an under-qualified Skate Technician or an improperly calibrated skate sharpening machine. A properly trained and experienced Skate Technician can minimize the degree of change or damage to your profile.
A properly trained Skate Technician will know what the factory profile was on your blade, be able to compare that with the profile currently on your blade and be able to make any recommendations to your profile that will further benefit your game. Equipment managers and properly trained Skate Technicians know the game of hockey inside and out. They know not only the science behind skating and the body, but the technology behind the equipment they service and repair. They know how different profiles feel on the ice and how these contribute to various hockey positions, injury/rehabilitation and skating styles.
All players can benefit from Profiling. 80-90% of blade’s radius’s are mismatched from the manufacturer, so just simply matching the same radius and lie to the blades, the skater will achieve better performance. But wait, even more performance can also be achieved! We all know there are four aspects of skating; acceleration, stopping, gliding and turns. How your blades are shaped effects your performance in each one of those stages. Your “Body” and personal playing preferences will determine how the skate’s blades should be shaped
John Lake Debunks the Myths of Skate Contouring