The SnowSkate - Dynamicweb NA

The SnowSkate
Historical review of snow skates with proposal for new design,
sustainable materials and demands for good and flexible
performance - based on the original lace tie technique
© Snowskate Ltd.
Mr.Kari Thomsen arch.MAA, CEO
Sigmundargota 10 - FO100 Torshavn – Faroe Islands
Ph. +298 311319 / 223703
E-mail. kt@olivant.fo www.snowskate.dk
january 2014
Content
The origin of the snow skate
2.
Antique skates, Holland
Metal snow skates, Dutton´s Shell Groove Skates, Holland 1865
3.
Wodden snow skates, Germany 1935
Wooden snow skates, Falcon Buddy Snow Skate, USA, 1935
4.
Metal snow skates, Handy Things Co., USA 1930
Metal snow skates, Hudora, Germany 1950
5.
Skandinavian countries
6.
Wooden snow skates, Denmark 1930
Wooden snow skates, Faroe Islands 1930
Today snow skates and boards
8.
Avatar snow skate, Canada 2004
Footski snow skate, Premier Snow Skate Inc.(US),
Sled Dogs snow skate, Norway
Outline on skates era
9.
Outline on type of skates, materials, dimensions and characters
Summary of characterization
New design
10.
Snowskate, Faroe Islands 2013
Performance of the snow skate
Snow skate domension
Boot size and skate dimension
The lace tie technique
Photos may only be published with permission from:
Snowskatesmuseum.com - Lokalhistorisk Museum, Hvidovre - Snowskate Ltd.
11.
The Snowskate
The origin of the Snowskate
The snow skate has its origin as ancient homemade skate made in wood, and have been used where
heavy snow and freezing temperatures have not been as dominant. The snowskate has propably
been used for short trips on flat terrain and hillsides. The snowskate might have relations to early
known iceskates from around 1500 in the Netherlands where some documentary tells about skating
on the frozen canals. Women and children were often seen running snowskates in wintertime for
play and leisure activities.
Antique skates, Holland
The first knowledge of skates from 1568 in Holland where the drainage canals were used as
frozen waterways for quick transport and also in battles and fights with regional enemies.
The skates have been a combination of wood mounted with an iron rail, and bound to the boots or
shoes with leather cords.
Old skates from around 1850
Holland, Volendam, at app. 1890 illustrate a
combination of snow and iceskates. An expression of a common use of skates in wintertime.
2.
Metal snow skates, Holland 1865
2. Dutton´s Shell Groove Skates
In1865 some special iron made skates are seen in Holland called Dutton´s Shell Groove Skates (2).
The skates had an hollow profile and shell shaped hull. The skates might not have been so perfect
for ice and are probable designed for soft or hard snow.
Wodden snow skates, Germany 1935
3. Wodden snow skates, Germany, 1935
Older wooden snow skates are from Germany app. 1935. These
skates are quite sure regular snowskates mounted with an 28mm
wide metal strip runner (3). The binding to boots is made with
leather cords. To improve the base for good stay on the skate, the
linear design has been widened in the mid.
3.
Wooden snow skates, USA 1935
4. Falcon Buddy Snow Skate, USA, 1935
From the USA wooden snow skates are manufactured in 1935 as Falcon Buddy Snow Skate (4).
The skate has got foot wide base with profiled rubber layer for maybe improving the stay on the
skate. The leather lace in front is app. 1,75m in length, and for the heel two holes are useable for
the small or the big feet and leather cords with two holes for the heel strap.The design is a bit
different with its high winding front. The runner is a hollow bent metal strip 22 mm wide.
Metal snow skates, USA 1930
5. Handy Things Snow Skate, USA, 1930
The full metal manufactured skate from Handy Things Co. Ludington (Mich.)(5) from 1930 have a
clamping system for fastening by actuating just one handle. The runner is 19 mm wide and the
skates are quite heavy and sturdy and might not have been conveniant.
4.
Metal snow skates, Germany 1950
6. Hudora snow skate, Germany 1950
Other metal snow skates were manufactured in Germany around
1950 by the well-known factory Hudora, which also produced metal
ice-skates. The skate length is adjustable by the rear part, and it was
fasten to boots with leather straps. The runner is 45mm wide with a
special cross strip at the front bottom acting as a kind of brake,
which seems rather peculiar.
Another German metal snow skates had both an adjustable front as a rear part, and was similar to
the Hudora product. The metal runner is 45mm wide.
5.
Skandinavian countries
From Skandinavian countries Denmark (7-8) and Faroe Islands (9-10) wooden snow skates with
metal runners have been used around 1930 and 1940. The skates were not manufactured as
industrial products, but home made designe and construction intended for play and leiseure. In
Faroe Islands the scates were seen untill around 1970 where the snowskating wasnished gradually.
It is expected the TV and cumputer era had some impact on the outdoord wintertime activities.
Wooden snow skates, Denmark 1930
7.
Wooden snow skates, Denmark 1930
The Danish wooden snow skates are from 1930
and made by a jointer at Bjergagervej in
Hvidovre, close to Copenhagen. It is told the
jointer made a lot of skates for the children at a
cost at only 1. DKR a piece. The skates were
used for play on the road in the neighborhood,
but are also told to by practised on hillsides in
8.
the famous Animalgarden north of Copenhagen. Size and dimensions are not known to
these skates, but the design with metal runners
17mm – 19 mm wide, is similar to the older
wooden skates.
The danish snow skates are seen at the
historical museum of Hvidovre.
Wooden snow skates, Faroe Islands 1930
In the Faroe Islands the wooden snow skates
have been in practice from around 1930 and
slowely disapeared in mid of the 1970. A man
called Harald Hansen Holm from the village
Tvøroyri on Faroe Islands had at his youth and
study in Copenhagen made a lot of wooden
snow skates for use on the frozen city-lakes, and
was then generally called “Skating Halla”.
When Harald H. Holm returned to Tvøroyri he
made skates to the locals and children, and is
expected to be the first to introduce wooden
snow skates on Faroe Islands.
6.
9. Snow skate, Faroe Islands 1960
The Faroese skates have the general front bending design with metal runners app. 20 mm wide and
mounted with nails in both ends. The laces were in hemp with the heel string and the app. 2 m long
front lace.
The skates were practices on the plain as quite
steep roads which often vere locked for cars and
arranged as skating tracks. In evenings a great
group of children and youngsters met for the
skate tracks and had a great fun. The speed on
the steep tracks cold reach 30 to 50 km/hour for
trained practitioners.
The skates have not had any special design other
than practical and good skateing improvement,
and for traditional footwear, especially ruber
boots. Some experiments were made with a base
mounted on the skate to obtain better support for
the boot. A recurring problem was that the footwear was not ideal, as the shoe lace could hurt
when bound as it aught to – to achieve the best
skating practice.
10. snow skate around 1990
Common for most of the old and traditional snow skates, mentioned here, are the dimensions and
width of the metal runners between 19 mm and 28 mm. The German metal skates though have a
bigger width. The binding technique of the wooden skates has been different and seemingly
as the Falcon Buddy Snow Skate and the Danish and Faroese snow skates with use of long
leather laces or hemp strings for the front. The heel seems in general to have a ring tied strap or
leather cord with a clasp.
When the television and computer area occured around 1970 the outdoor laisure activities changed
on Faroe Islands – and the wintertime snow skating actually disappeared among the children.
7.
Today snow skates and boards
Other laisure activities have shown up past years and among these special designed boots as
boards mounted with wheels, and also special designed boards for snow skating. With focus on
snowskating a few products aught to be mentioned.
Avatar snow skate, Canada 2004
One is the Avatar Snowskate manufactured in
2004 by company of same name situated in
British Columbia, Canada.The skate is more
like a small snowboard mounted with a metal
frame and two cords with claps for the boots –
which can be traditional winter boots.
The meassures for the Avatar Snowskates are
not known, but the runner is a board a bit wider
than the shoe and comparable to the width of a
traditional ski. The front end and the rear end
are slightly bent upwards.
11. Awatar snowskate
Footski snow skate
Another product is from the company Premier
Snow Skate Inc.(US) called the Footski Snow
Skate. This skate is also more like a skateboard
for snow, as the Avatar product. The length is
similar to the booth and is fastened to the
bottom of any ski boots. The skate is made in
fiberglass composite materials with a steel
insert, and is bent a bit upwards in the front.
12. Footski snow skate
Sled Dogs snow skate, Norway
Finally are the Sled Dogs snow skates
maufactured by the Norwegian company with
same name. The skate was invented by Hanes
Jacob from Switzerland. The skate is told to be
an integratedbase/ski with steel edges to get a
maksimum control. Special boots similar to
skiboots are required and fixed to the base.
Different models have been made and the
newest K-9 model was told to be more
maneuverable and useable for different snow
conditions. By test the remowable base turned
out to be a major problem in a quality skating
control.
13. Sled Dogs snow skate
Common to hese three new snow skates are the similarity to small snowboards. The length is
appoximate the size of the shoe and the widt is similar to a traditional ski or a snowboard.
However the Awatar snowskate has the opportunity for use by ordinary winter boots.
8.
Outline on skates era
Outline on type of skates, materials, dimensions and characters
year ice snow wood metal composit weight
Antique, Holland
Old skates, Holland
Dutton´s skates, Holland
Wooden skates, Germany
Falcon Buddy, USA
Handy Things, USA
Hodura, Germany
Snow skate, Denmark
Snow skate, Faroe Isl.
Avatar, Canada
Footski, USA
Sled Dogs, Norway
SnowSkate, Faroe Isl.
1568 x
1850 x
1865
1935
1935
1930
1950
1930
1930
2004
1999
2000
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
2013
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
?
?
270g
515g
200g
565g
430g
450g
350g
?
?
?
475g
runner
character
spec.boots
3mm
3mm
60mm
28mm
22mm
19mm
45mm
19mm
20mm
150mm
100mm
100mm
iceskate
iceskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowskate
snowboard
mini-ski
mini-ski
no
”
”
”
”
”
”
”
”
”
yes
”
14mm snowskate
no
Summary of characterization
Based on the overview of skates from their true origin – the
ice skates in wood from the Netherlands and the contemporary advanced composite metrialer, locking mechanisms
and special boots, - the snow skates are seen around 1930 in
several countries including USA, Germany, Denmark and
the Faroe Islands . Especially 5 skates stand out from the
others when looking at the width of the steel rail and skate
purpose: to sledg on firm or hard snow and at different
terain. These skates have not the same tie tech-nique, but
even so a common use of a heel band and a longer cord to
the front.
Based on the rail width there can be sown doubts about the
new snow skates in composite materials, special boots and a
rail width as a ski, but not larger than the foot, are realy
snow skates. These can remind of a mini snowboard, a mini
-ski , or footski, as the one product from the USA is called.
The new design of the Faroese wooden skates have the same
basic principles with a low skate fitted with steel rail in
widths of 14mm to 28mm.
Tying technique varies between wood and metal skates , but
are believed to be quite similar for wooden skates.
With several similarities it can be proposed that the 5
mentioned wooden snow skates, and the new design of the
Faroe Islands, keep their original principles.
SnowSkate, Faroe Islands 2013
9.
New design
Wooden snow skate, Faroe Islands 2013
Snow skate, Faroe Islands 2013
Design and construction of the new Faroese snow skate is based on experiences from the older
version from the 1930s, and has now been optimized for its functional performance and fit to a
standard and general boot and sole profile with heel. The emphasis is on optimizing skate width
and height, each specific to meet the best use. The foot base shall ensure that the skate does not
infringe the boot, and also the height counteract heel and bumping into snow.
The skate is designed with a slight bend in front which is sufficient for a smooth skating.
The decisive factor is that the rail is not too wide, to optimize the management, and not too narrow
to avoid sinking through solid or hard snow. The metal runner is 14mm wide in stainless steel and
is fitted with recessed screws.
Performance of the snow skate
The skate can be applied to solid and hard snow and in all kinds of terrain - from pavements,
streets, grassy areas with soft snow and on steep slopes. With the minimum metal runner width and
sharp edges the skate is very effective to control and turns easily on sharp curves. Braking power is
achieved by putting one heel in the snow, and the trained can use a quick perpendicular turnaround
to reach a full stop on very short distances.
The skate can be used in same performances as an ice skate - backwards, quick turns and with
good acceleration.
10.
Snow skate dimension
The skate is produced in three sizes and thus matches all boots. The material is mahogany with the
runner in stainless steel. The laces can be in 5mm nylon or same dimension in a quality hemp.
The snow skates reach high speed on slopes, and is therefore a request for use of a helmet. Also
children must not skate on roads or parking lots without a full protection from other traffic.
Boot size and skate dimension
boot size
Large
Medium
Small
38 – 44
33 – 37
27 – 32
weight
(one pair)
600g
475g
350g
dimension
l x h x w (mm)
316x35x35
277x33x33
235x32x30
runner
hxw
2,5x14mm
”
”
lace length
(mm)
2200
2000
1750
The lace tie technique
In order to have the skate to be seated properly to the boot,
it is necessary to use a specific binding or tie technique. The
most useful boot is a solid leather or fabric boot, while
traditional rubber boots may be too soft and might cause a
nuisance through the tight lacing.
Example here is traditional leather boots – very suitable.
11.
Boot and heel sizes may vary and it is here possible to adjust the size of the heel lace. The front or
instep lace varies in length but is 175 cm to 220 cm long. Braided nylon is very practical for
lacing, but a good natural hemp string is also suitable.
The special tying technique is shown here in 4 photos.
1.
2.
Tie a knot at the instep and pull the laces
under the heel strap.
Pull the lace and tie a knot above the
ankle, and next pull the lace under the
laces on both sides of the boot.
3.
4.
Here tighten the laces - and it feels
obvious how the skate is strapped to the
boot - next cros the laces and tie with a
knot abov the ankle – and finish the
laces with a tie around the boot and with
a final knot.
Ready