Parabolic Blade Revolution in Sledge Hockey

Recently I acquired a new Sledge from Canwinsports ,which are now available with the same Light Parabolic Skate (LPS) technology available on high end AB hockey skates. The high quality steel of the blades actually allow them to arc as you load them into a turn and return some of the energy as you exit. Between the parabolic cut and the flexibility of the runner, it's like having a blade with a rocker that adjusts perfectly to your needs in real time. What this means is they are much more forgiving. As you carve a turn you don't have to pay as much attention to your centre of gravity vs. the arc of the turn to avoid scrubbing off speed (sliding and loosing energy), loosing control or skipping across the ice. It's like turning on a rail (I weigh over 200 lbs and you should see the depth of the groove left on a high speed turn). Of course if you already have a great deal of skill I'm sure you can get even more out of them. You can lean your sledge at radical new angles allowing much tighter turns, again without loosing much energy. This gives you the ability to pinch, loose, but still be able to re-engage quickly because you come out of turns at higher speed. Given the amount of lean you can utilize, you might want to consider raising your seat a little to avoid touching it on the ice and going for a slide. You'll definitely want to adjust your game style given the performance boost!
See http://www.canwinsports.com/. BTW that's Billy Bridges' and Bradley Bowden's new black sledges on the products pages (more about that later).

Sledge Hockey and Wikipedia

When it comes to political issues wikipedia can be a bit of a sticky wicket. At one point an editor of theirs removed the record of sledge hockey teams citing it as an indiscriminate list. However, another more enlightened (albeit visually challenged) editor quickly put them back. I believe the list is there to stay. If you have a team or club that is not listed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledge_hockey), and are web challenged, leave a comment with its name and web address (if there is one) and I'll be happy to put it up for you. Or mail me at webmaster@canwinsports.com.

Turning Drills

Backward skating is not very practical in sledge/sled hockey. Quick turning under power is very important for challenging for the puck and effective defensive play.
Try skating around the face off circles on one blade. Try pumping with both hands. Try pumping with one hand. Try not letting your gloves touch the ice. Try different hand positions on the stick shafts, both symmetric and asymmetric (in a game you may not have your choice of hand positions). Pay attention to the sound of your blades. Try to avoid side slipping as much as possible. Generally, the quieter you keep your blades the less energy your wasting. How far your leaning forward or back can make all the difference. Don't forget to practice in both directions.

Another more advanced exercise is to perform figure eights around 2 small pylons. As you make your left turn, plant the picks of your left stick into the ice, carve your turn and as you complete the turn use the planted picks to push off. Repeat around the other pylon making a right turn and using your right stick. Once you start to become more accomplished, move the pylons closer and closer together until you are continuously planting one stick and then the other turning alternately left to right and back again.

Try these exercises in warm up before a practice or game!