Begin Short Track Speed Skating
Introduction to Short Track Speed Skating
If you've been inspired to try short track speed skating after watching races this seasons, you don't have to shell out lots of dough to get started.
Do you fantasize about flying over thirty miles an hour around the center of an ice rink? If so, you might just be a short track speed skater at heart. If passing on a sharp turn doesn’t scare you, you probably have the thrill issues necessary to actually race short track. With some borrowed equipment and a basic understanding of the sport, you can begin speeding around the ice like the pros.
What’s the difference between long track and short track speed skating – besides the obvious length of the ice surface? Simply put, a long track skater vies for the quickest times alongside one other athlete. Short track skaters battle to become the first one of four to six people across the finish line. Both sports require balance, speed and agility, but short track adds the feel of a 1970s roller derby.
Ok, we’ll admit that jabbing an elbow into the gut of your opponent before you trip him or her is a disqualifying offense. But short track skaters do have the distinction of conducting good sportsmanship while holding their own in a frenzied, yet ever-strategic, fight for first place. A great posted time is the cherry on top of a good race, but it’s definitely secondary to winning the race against the other competitors. Interestingly, numerous records have been set in semi-final rounds that did not determine a medal winner.
Short track speed skating is fairly new to the Olympics – officially debuting in 1992 – but not to the rest of the world. In fact, short track speed skating first became popular in the 19th century in Europe before catching on as a new sports craze in North America around the turn of the century. It began at the Olympic Winter Games as a combination event with long track. The same athletes competed in both events until they realized that both races required unique strategies and abilities. Nowadays, athletes usually have to specialize in one sport or the other in order to succeed. A handful of headliners are exceptions to this rule, such as American Shani Davis who dominates in both fields.
Men can skate in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and the 5000m. Women race in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m. Competitors must place first or second in each heat to make it to the next round. Obviously, these athletes must be in great shape in order to maintain speed and balance, but the game is more mental than anything else. The object is to out skate and outwit one’s opponent, so strategy is a short track speed skater’s greatest weapon. The podium at the event’s conclusion, after all, will not hold the 32 people who begin the competition.
Winning relays takes effort by the whole team. Over a two-day period, skaters race in semi-final and (hopefully) final rounds. The event usually begins with eight teams divided into two heats. The top two teams in semi-finals advance to the finals, but these are not necessarily the fastest teams at the meet. In one heat, teams one, two and three might have skated faster than the first and second teams in another heat, but only the top two in each advance to finals.
Short track speed skaters use specific equipment, but you don’t need to spend a fortune to try out the sport. Most obvious are the hard plastic helmets and heavy skates that lace up high on the ankle to help stabilize the skater around tight corners. Blades are, of course, kept very sharp. They are mounted off center so the boots don’t contact the ice surface in turns. Blades are also arched counter-clockwise in the same direction the skaters turn. If you’re just trying out the sport, your local club might offer short track speed skates you can rent or borrow. A bicycle or hockey helmet is more than sufficient to keep your noodle in tact should you decide to bounce off the ice or barriers.
The groovy skin suits do more than show off muscular, athletic buns. The tight, aerodynamic material reduces wind resistance and helps keep the skaters’ muscles warm and protected from injuries. Guards for the knees, shins and neck are preferred to keep racers safe from potentially deadly blade cuts from the people in front of them. Gloves also protect hands from blades but also from blade burn as competitors touch down for stabilization around corners.
There are a few more things you should know if you want to enjoy watching or try out this sport. First, the track is tight, and seven markers define each corner. If you cross over to the inside of these markers, you will be disqualified. The plastic markers are “shifted” at the conclusion of every race so the ice can be smoothed; otherwise the ice can become grooved where they were placed. This is one reason passing on the inside of the other opponents is discouraged – although it is allowed as long as you don’t contact any of the other competitors or go out of bounds. It’s so risky that most passing is done on the outside of the pack. The leader tries to hug the inside line, which is also the shortest line, to avoid being overtaken by another competitor.
In relays, the next teammate begins skating on the inner zone of the track before the previous skater touches him or her from behind. Teams spend hours practicing and perfecting timing for this event. It is optional how many laps are completed by each athlete, so this change-up can happen at any point on the track. Usually, teammates are tagged at the same time they are pushed from behind to capitalize on acceleration out of a curve.
For more information on the sport, contact your local speed skating club. You can also peruse www.isu.org for listed national organizations.
