Shaped to your stride.
The most overlooked upgrade in skating.
The shape of your blades dictates how you move on the ice. Our profiling experts assess your game and grind a profile that fits it — players and goalies alike.
THE PROFILING BENCHProfiling shouldn't be intimidating.
By far one of the most intimidating parts of skate fitting and sharpening is profiling. It can get complicated, and if you've never had it done, you may believe you don't even need it.
The thing is, profiling should not be intimidating at all. Even professional players are constantly changing and testing new profiles — and most don't even play on their best one. Watch Elias Pettersson testing new profiles and reassessing his own.
WHAT WE ASSESSStock profiles aren't made for you.
You could skate perfectly fine on the manufacturer's profile — but those profiles are stock, not personalized to fit you.
Profiling considers several aspects of you and your play:
— Height, weight, and hollow (sharpening style)
— Position and skill level
— Ice hardness and your previous profile
— Skate brand, family, and holder size
— Foot position, leg shape, and arm length
— Your goals for improving your skating
— Balance, base position, maneuverability, and style (goalies too)
EXPERTS ON-SITEOverwhelmed? That's what we're for.
With a list like that, we get why it may seem overwhelming. There's a lot to deliberate over — which is exactly why the manufacturer very likely won't provide the best profile for you right out of the box.
The Hockey Shop always has your back. If you're unsure, stop by the shop or contact us, and one of our sharpening experts will assess your specs and style of play. The sections below cover the general idea of profiling, so you'll come in with a good picture of the process.
RADIUS OF PROFILERadius of Profile (ROP).
Look at your skates from a side view — the profile — and you'll notice the runners aren't straight, but rounded. Line up skates with the same curve and you could build a circle with them; the radius of that circle is the Radius of Profile, or ROP.
That's the simplified version — profiling isn't applied to about 40% of the blade (20% front, 20% back), and some skaters use multi-radius profiles. But the general idea holds, and profiles are measured in ROPs.
SHORT VS LONGShort for agility. Long for speed.
Shorter radii (7'–10') are better for agility: less blade touches the ice at one time, enabling quick transitions and movement. Longer radii (11'–17') help with glide and speed: more blade on the ice adds force and power to each stride and keeps your glide consistent.
These rules stretch across single and multi-radius profiles. Height and foot size also contribute to a profile's feel — shorter players may need a shorter radius even if they want more glide.
SINGLE RADIUSSingle radius profiles.
A single radius augments one aspect of your game: mobility, acceleration, speed, or stability. Most players skate on 11' or 13' — good all-around templates — and 11' is a great start for younger and beginner skaters getting a handle on technique. Stand-up-style goalies also perform well on a single radius (goalie radii run much larger: 25'–30').
Single radius is the perfect place to begin and closest to what manufacturers ship out of the box — but it's singular-focused, so it tends to lack outside its designated strength.
MULTI-RADIUSMulti-radius profiles.
Once you've got a good handle on your skate and play style and you're confident on your feet, you can trial multi-radius profiles — double, triple, and quad templates. The runner is divided into two, three, or four sections, each with different radii, eliminating the weaknesses single and stock profiles suffer from.
Triple and quad are typical for high-level players who know their skating well; with the pivot point moved back in the skate they generate more power, but they take getting used to. With quad, be prepared to change your hollow (ROH) for a more natural transition.
DOUBLE & TRIPLEDouble & triple radius.
Double radius combines two radii for good stability with good speed, and excels in backwards skating. It suits confident skaters wanting versatility — generally defensive players and butterfly-style or agile goalies. Common options include Combo 10'-13' and the Detroit series; Detroit 2 and Win 2 are common goalie profiles.
Triple radius is best for shifty, aggressive, mobile players — it maximizes ice contact with superior edge control and agility. Ideal for defensive defensemen, power forwards, and wingers who need tight edges in close spaces, plus hybrid-style goalies wanting versatility. The Zuperior series is the common style; Zuperior V and Goalie Sam are good goalie options.
QUAD & ELLIPSEQuad radius & the Ellipse.
Quad radius is Prosharp's "power profile" for players covering a lot of ice — centremen and offensive defensemen. It maximizes stride length, improves glide, speed, and control, and emphasizes skating on all angles with very few weaknesses. It requires full-body control, so it's best for advanced skaters. Goalies can use it for added mobility, but it's generally not ideal.
Ellipse is a relatively new Prosharp innovation focused on seamless transitions and a dynamic, different feel. Looking for a change in how your skates feel? Don't be afraid to try it.
Profiling can be complicated — we get it. Our experts are always on-site to answer questions and help assess your playstyle.
Find your perfect profile.
Bring your skates to the Langley store and let a sharpening expert assess your game — players and goalies alike.