EGC Skates

April was a difficult month for me.  A major project at work, cool temperatures, technical difficulties with my pc, a busy boot casting schedule, coaching and the passing of my father.

[Photo] My work for the next two months!

Explorations and Discoveries:
EGC is about exploration.  It’s also a journey into athletics, engineering, arts and craftsmanship.  Craftsmanship takes time, meticulous attention to detail and the desire to get things right.  My desire to get things right means that each of you that requested a pair of EGC’s will receive a boot that surpasses the norm.  This will take time.  About two months, give or take a few weeks.

There are not a lot of “custom” boot makers in the world.  I have almost all of them listed in my links. One of the things that is starting to bother me about the word “custom” is that it no longer means what it’s supposed to.  Miriam-Webster defines “custom” as “made or performed according to personal order.” Is a custom boot truly a “custom” boot these days?

If something is custom it is made to personal requirements.  How many of you know what the requirements are for an inline skating boot?  How about a short track skating boot?  How about the difference between a track specific boot and road specific boot?  Is there even a difference?

“Custom” suggests that the client has a personal requirement, not just requiring personalization.  There’s a difference.  If a skater has been skating for a number of years and understands some of the variables in a skating boot, they will be able to articulate how they want the boot made. The boot maker, with an intimate knowledge of the art, can provide guidance and provide designs based on skating experience and the client requirement.

“Custom” therefore, is a balance between the engineering knowledge of the boot maker AND the experience and skills of the skater.  This implies that the skater and boot maker must work together to achieve the fit and performance of the boot.

Now that we have an understanding of the jargon, when was the last time you spoke to the person that is making your boot?  The big skating companies are moving further and further away from their skaters.  When that happens, the fit and performance of the skate is compromised.  Now it’s all about who can produce the most, and make the most money.

I recently experienced a custom boot from a big name in speed boots.  From what I could see, and from the feedback I got from the skaters, the boot design was clearly flawed.  It looked like a cheap imitation of a design made by other true custom boot makers.  When the skater laced up the boots, they were unable to bend the ankles and get the knees forward.  If you’re even a beginner speed skater, you know that it’s critical, to have the knees forward and the ankles bent.  When a boot severly limits your ability to do this (and even causes pain in the tendons on the top of the instep) there’s something wrong with the boot.

This is one example where the customers can not truly get a custom boot.  Sure they get molds of their feet done by “experts” and they even get to pick the boot and lace colour, but ask for anything else like reducing the stiffness, lowering the height and adjusting the angle of the topline and you’ll get nothing.  Sure they listen to you - even take your order, but once it’s at the factory, it’s up to the person making your boot to apply these requests.  If that person doesn’t even speak english, then you’re SOL.  Sorry.  I’ve seen it in action.

“Custom” in this case means the only difference between a stock boot and a custom-built model, is the last that is used.  Nothing else appears to change.   How very unfortunate.

On Boot Making:
As I said elsewhere, I’m not a professional boot maker nor do I want to be.  These words are merely my observations on what I see with my eyes and examine with my hands.  I’ve used all kinds of boots from many different boot makers over the past 16 years of skating.

You get to talk to the boot maker. He assembles each pair, meticulously by hand, ensuring every detail is attended to. You tell him what you want, and he’ll build it precisely.

Occasionally, I hear about craftsmen that build skates in their garages. Like Bruce Kohen and Vytas Jasinskas.  Skaters and coaches that are unhappy with boots made by the big names in our sport.  They take matters into their own hands and produce a boot so comfortable, so precise, so well engineered and so very custom, that they can only make a small quantity of them each year.

If any of you have ever comissioned a boot from Vytas - you’ll know what I’m talking about.  You get to talk to the boot maker.  He assembles each pair, meticulously by hand, ensuring every detail is attended to.  You tell him what you want, and he’ll build it precisely.  Unfortunately, he has retired from boot making.

Project Updates:
My goals have alway been the same.  To make a boot FOR REAL SKATERS. Who are they?  People that are passionate about their sport.  Those who spend countless hours perfecting their technique.  They are the enthusiasts and they know exactly what they want in a high performance skate.

The boot should fit extremely well, look great and made to personal order. It should allow the skater to perform without pain and worry that his/her boot will hurt them.  This is no easy task for a new boot maker, but if I don’t set that goal, I’ll never be able to make the ultimate skating machine.

This past week has been horrible.  At one point the temperature dropped to zero celcius!  It’s very difficult to work in a garage if the temperature is not at least 8 or 9 degrees outside.  Since about the second or third week in April I’ve been casting skaters at our local club.  I still have a few more to do but, I’ve got ten on the table and ready to have the lasts poured.

For the larger casts, I’ll need more than two boxes of plaster, for the rest, two boxes is enough for one pair.  I will be making them in batches of five.  Today, the plan is to brush on a release agent inside the casts of the first five, then pour the lasts if I have time.  For tomorrow and Wednesday, I will continue pouring lasts and start the shaping process.  Then it’s off to the oven for drying and final shaping.

I’ll be working in batches of five or six at a time.  This means that the first batch of boots will be completed about 1 to 2 weeks sooner than the next.

Anyway - that’s the update for today, thanks for reading.