Can I use guards after getting off ice? | Golden Skate

Can I use guards after getting off ice?

Rozeamide

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
This may be a very stupid question but I am curious to what to do for it. While skating and I get off the ice. Do I dry the blades first before putting the guards on or leave the blades with ice? Because I don’t want to damage the blades.
 

g8rsara

Rinkside
Joined
May 17, 2018
What I do, and seemingly most people at rinks around me, is put on the hard guards as they leave the ice and walk to your stuff. I take off my skates. Then I remove the guards and shake them out, then wiped down my blades and skates with a microfiber cloth and when I can tell the blade and bottom of the skate are dry, I put on soakers. Then I shake out the hard guards to get out as much water as I can and and wipe them down. Then everything goes in my bag. I’ve seen younger skaters go without hard guards at the rink, since the floor is spongey, and just wipe down and put soakers on after skating. Coaches all seem to wear hard guards off the ice and wipe down once they remove their skates. Hopefully I’ve been doing it right!
 

DanseMacabre

Final Flight
Joined
May 27, 2018
Country
Iceland
You should wipe off the snow/ice before putting the guards on if you can. The hard guards are really just for walking around the rink to protect your blades. When it's time for you to take off your skates and put everything away, you'll want to remove the hard guards and use a cloth to dry the blades/boots completely. To protect the blades when you're not wearing your skates (when they're in your bag or at home), you should use soakers (those soft blade covers that feel like towels). They'll help prevent the blade from rusting which is why you don't want to store the skates with the hard guards on the blades. Hope that helps!
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
You put the guards on as you get off the ice, and walk in your guards to the bench or wherever you have your stuff. Then you wipe down the blades and boots until they are dry, and you put soakers on the blades before you put them away. Leaving wet blades in hard guards is a recipe for rust.
 

Rozeamide

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Thank you for the replies! I have a question for example if I’m going to eat or walk outside of the rink after skating since our skating rinks are only inside malls,do I as much as possible dry my blades first before putting on hard guards? Or is it also okay to put hard guards immediately after skating and the blade is icey and wet?
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Thank you for the replies! I have a question for example if I’m going to eat or walk outside of the rink after skating since our skating rinks are only inside malls,do I as much as possible dry my blades first before putting on hard guards? Or is it also okay to put hard guards immediately after skating and the blade is icey and wet?

You should at least wipe the ice off with your fingers; I'd generally say if you're going to be in the guards for any longer than 10-15 minutes you should probably wipe them off properly.
 

Vanshilar

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
You should at least wipe the ice off with your fingers; I'd generally say if you're going to be in the guards for any longer than 10-15 minutes you should probably wipe them off properly.

I should note that it's relatively easy to learn to wipe the ice off with your guards as well; just hold the raised L part flush against one side of the blade, swipe it down, then repeat on the other side of the blade, then put your guard on. You'll get rid of most of the ice that way and it's pretty quick. There'll be some residual ice on the guards but the important thing is that they'll be on the outside part of the guards, not inside.
 

VegMom

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
There are two main things you are protecting your blades from:
- rust
- nicks and scratches

The soakers protect against rust.
The hard guards (like Rockerz) protect against nicks and scratches.

Ideally, your blades are as dry as possible before using either.

But practically speaking, the hard guards are often used immediately after getting off the ice without wiping the blades dry first. Depending on your circumstances (and climate) you may want to be extra careful about drying the blades before putting on hard guards.

My general rule for my skater is if he's off ice for more than 15 minutes then the skates come off and everything gets totally dried. If it's just a quick break then skates can stay on. But he doesn't keep them on for a 30 min snack break.
 

treesprite

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
I wouldn't walk around in hard guards for more than is absolutely necessary. Walking in skates is not good for the boots, and walking in the guards dulls the blades. My guess is that after walking in your skates to take a snack break, you will end up needing to re-tie them anyway, so you may as well take them off to go on a break.
 

loopy

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
You need to take your skates off and not walk around in them to eat or walk in them to get to the car. One of the coaches explained it to us parents.... when you walk, tiny rocks and grit can get in the top of the hard guard and nick your blades as they fall to the bottom of the guard and you walk on it. Hard guards are for you to get to the benck or your bag - that is it. Get there, sit, take your guards off, dry your skates and put them in soakers. Knock the water out of your guards, dry them and put them away.

You can see the grit, etc if you look in the grooves of your guards.
 

Arwen17

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
When I plan to walk to my bag to take off my skates, I tend to wipe the ice off with my fingers before putting on the guards. That's just so when I get to my bag and wipe the blades off with my towel, I don't have a pile of snow melting underneath me since I already removed most of the ice with my fingers.
If I'm just going to the bathroom or something, I just stick the guards on and pull them off again when I return to the ice.

If I'm going to be waiting around for longer than 15min or so, (like on test day or something), I will wipe my blades down and put the soft soakers on while I sit to keep the blades from rusting, But I have to remember to put the hard guards back on again if I want to go walk somewhere.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Put your hard guards on when you are getting off the ice, after wiping them with your hand (carefully so you don't cut yourself), then walk to wherever you are going (don't keep your skates on for longer than about 10-15 since it's not good for them or your feet), and then sit and take your boots off, remove the hard guards and completely dry your blades and the soles of your boots with a towel or chamois and then place soakers on your blades. Smack the water out of your hard guards on the floor of the rink, dry them if possible (different towel so you don't get junk from the rink floor on your blades next time you dry them and in turn scratching them), and then you are good to go.
 
Top