Datebook: July 7, 2008

In these few weeks prior to Lake Placid, we are captivated each night for two hours of prime time coverage by the summer Olympic trials and awake each morning to guttural grunts from the grass courts of Wimbledon.

It is amazing.

First of all, I am shocked at the technology that has raised the bar, so to speak, with these athletes. Seemingly, for swimmers, this new “onesy” swimsuit is shaving seconds off of world records. Don’t get me wrong, the great ones are still great—in fact they are now seconds “greater”—so, it makes you wonder how much time and effort goes into developing new ideas for athletic wear. Speedo and Nike are certainly leading the race in innovative results-based products. They have second skin swim suits, golf clubs with whatever metal du jour is hot right now, shoes that have allow one to jump higher, land softer, and run faster.

Why then, has there been no advancement in skating product lines?

In a sport that roughly captures several hundred thousand participants (recreational and competitive) in our country alone, we are still living in the dark ages metaphorically speaking.

When my daughter was nine she moved into the much-feared category of “custom skates.” Before this, I had heard this mythical process whispered around the rink as a journey that equated to the sixth level of Hell. Let’s be honest, ordering “stock” skates involved a process that can only be compared to selecting the local Motor Vehicle Administration as the destination for your next weekend getaway in that it is long, it is boring, and it is never worth the wait. When our coach uttered the words, “I think she’s going to need to get customs,” we all paled even a bit more than our normal five-hour-inside-sunless-ice-rink pallor.

We made the appointment. This was a bit like getting an audience with the Pope—or getting an appointment with a dermatologist in the summer. We were given a window of time for the next month that had an “r” in it, and at an hour that is typically used as the pivot point of horror films.

My daughter was given a stock boot that was roughly her size—6 ½. She put it on. The “pro fitter” asked a pro-guru-type question that translated to “How does that feel?” My daughter would clump around the room in this cement type boot and announce: “Good.”

The fitting genius would then have her sit on a chair and remove the boot. He would then bring out the tools of his trade: a magic marker and a sheet of paper. He then traced the outline of her foot with the accuracy of a blind 4-year-old.

He then brought in his prior knowledge and developed area of expertise. He had her stand up and he reviewed the foot corpse outline, making the marker lines a little bit darker in some areas.

The foot schematics were then shipped to the boot-maker and in a mere seven months the new boots arrived in a box oddly marked “6 ½.” We had a 50/50 average at that point if the boots actually fit and had toes pointing vaguely in the right general directions. Half of the time the boots “worked,” meaning they might have to have the ankles punched out (remember the custom measurements only took in the bottom of the foot!) or sent back for adjustments. Of course by the time you picked up the new boots you had to order a new pair for the following year.

The point is Nike and Speedo have not picked up on this goldmine of opportunity to develop a skating boot that actually fits AND promotes enhanced performance ability to the athlete. We are stalled at the Crayola stage of development in a world that has pushed past titanium and hybrid Fastskin and Flexskin material to create super athletes.

We need a cross-trainer skating boot that promotes edges and fast spins, we need a blade that both grips the ice during lifts yet allows the flexibility for great stoking and Ina Bauers.

We need compulsory dance material similar to the Racing Flexskin/Fastskins that offers the ability to stay on time and yet have memory to follow previous patterns.

I am sending a query letter to both Speedo (hoping they can launch a new line hyped as “Skateo”) and Nike (Just Do It Again!) asking their assistance in these matters.

I expect they will send representatives to Lake Placid. Hopefully Ann will give them a Goodie Bag and have nametags available.

In the meantime we must stand firm in our mission.

Just say “No” to not-so-magic markers.

Mombo