Therma Blade

[Karly14 21]

did anyone else see sportscenter(tsn) tonight? They did a segment on a new product called therma blade. The therma blade endorser said its the bigest revolution in hockey equipment in the last 100 years. the blade of the skate is actually heated, this reduces friction up to 40% making for longer, smoother glides with less effort that results in more speed. Its endorsed by Gretz, he said that he the therma blade as being a part of the nhl in near future. A side note too, they had the blade on a pair of custom v12's with #99 on them, like they looked sweet....

[jigsaw 0]

yeah looks awsome, i wonder how much it will cost

[Dave 1]

The idea is basically pretty good. Easier heating is the idea behind t'blades (friction from gliding creates warmth, thus the blade heats up. t'blades heat up more easily because it's only a thin strip of metal on a "plastic" runner. Reg blades don't heat up as much because they are made of solid metal.)

I just wonder

- how much the technology to HEAT the blade will weigh?

- where do they plan to put the heating elements (towers I guess)?

- where do they want to put the batteries needed to "feed" the heating units (it will have to be massive batteries)?

So, the idea is appealing, but I wonder if it can be done.

[Dave 1]

Its endorsed by Gretz, he said that he the therma blade as being a part of the nhl in near future.

Isn't that a paradox?

NHL + near future = 0

[Accord 0]

I take it SportsCenter in Canada is different than in the USA :lol:. I've got DirecTV, anyone know if there's a way I can watch the TSN version of SportsCenter?

[jimmy 194]

Dave is right on the money, great concept but how will they power the thing and keep the weight at a resonable level. I also have to question how much power it will take to heat a blade to compensate for the conduction cold from 18 degree ice.

I've used electric sox with the 2 D batteries and still froze my toes off at cold temps. And they weighed quite a bit.

This new concept will be very interesting. I can see it now, hp/wattage ratings on skates!

[Lightning 0]

They have a website but it isnt active at this time, www.thermablade.com

Hopefully it will be up soon and these questions on the setup will be answered I would assume.

[Dave 1]

I also have to question how much power it will take to heat a blade to compensate for the conduction cold from 18 degree ice.

It will feature a power supply backback that you wear over your jersey with two car batteries (one for each skate)

Seriously now, the amount of power required to effectively heat a blade is huge. Even if they use cellphone-style high tech batteries they'd have to be massive to survive a 2 hour game.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I take it SportsCenter in Canada is different than in the USA :lol:. I've got DirecTV, anyone know if there's a way I can watch the TSN version of SportsCenter?

Yes, it's SportsCentre ;)

[Chadd 916]

Wouldn't a coating or alloy using a chemical that reacts to water make more sense than a battery operated unit? Perhaps a sodium or potassium type substance that heats up when it comes in contact with water.

[tokes 0]

Wouldn't a coating or alloy using a chemical that reacts to water make more sense than a battery operated unit? Perhaps a sodium or potassium type substance that heats up when it comes in contact with water.

But that would be so reactive that it would eat itself up just sitting there from the humidity in the air.

[Chadd 916]

Wouldn't a coating or alloy using a chemical that reacts to water make more sense than a battery operated unit? Perhaps a sodium or potassium type substance that heats up when it comes in contact with water.

But that would be so reactive that it would eat itself up just sitting there from the humidity in the air.

That's why it would take a smarter man than me to bring them to market.

[J-Shera 0]

It uses a lithium battery to heat the blades, and it isnt very big either. I didnt notice anything differnt on the skate either like no extra bulk.

[Gnorts 0]

T-blades heat up as well and give the same effect... I'm sorry I love new stuff more than most but, when you start putting batteries in stuff that is just wrong... So what happens when one battery wears down, do you skate in circles?

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Hmm, sounds pretty interesting. I'd be intersted in testing them out. I would imagine the heating device used would be pretty heavy though, and the word heavy doesn't mix into todays market well.

[Jackal3688 0]

However they make the battery or power source, it better be well protected too. I can just imagine taking a puck to the power source or whatever and having to pay like $50 or something to replace it. Sounds like an interesting idea, but we'll see if they can pull this one off. And I wonder what the price point of these would be? I'm thinking around $100-125, which i would never pay for holders.

[cobrAA 0]

look nice...but i think the t'blades as the same effect and they just copy t'blades...and whant to push more the idea of t'blades...(friction etc etc)

but i think there a limit...you can skate like a jet...there a limit...and i think with the skate we have in 2005 and with the innovative t'blade holder system...is O.K...but when your putting batteries in a hockey stuff..i think is too much...why not put a mini-motor???

And i'm really interesting in seeing it on ice...if it would really make you skate faster???!!!(and if it really does...now it would be not fair for player who don't put these terma-blade Vs. player who do!!!)

ANYWAYZ.....!!!!

[tokes 0]

I think it must have atleast some merit if Gretzky is into it, he's a smart man and isn't going to jump into anything that shows no promise. They're supposed to come onto the market in around 18 months, so we're gonna have to wait.

cobraAA: I wouldn't see it as being any more of an advantage than the kid who gets a OPS and nice new equiptment vs. the kid with a wood stick and 20 year old stuff. If they are so revolutionary and make you skate so much faster, demand will go up, supply goes up, price goes down. If they're so great, everybody will start putting them on their skates.

[SnakeEyes29 0]

However they make the battery or power source, it better be well protected too. I can just imagine taking a puck to the power source or whatever and having to pay like $50 or something to replace it. Sounds like an interesting idea, but we'll see if they can pull this one off. And I wonder what the price point of these would be? I'm thinking around $100-125, which i would never pay for holders.

I'm confused. The source is in the skate? And if it was huge, how could it be well protected?

[cobrAA 0]

I think it must have atleast some merit if Gretzky is into it, he's a smart man and isn't going to jump into anything that shows no promise. They're supposed to come onto the market in around 18 months, so we're gonna have to wait.

cobraAA: I wouldn't see it as being any more of an advantage than the kid who gets a OPS and nice new equiptment vs. the kid with a wood stick and 20 year old stuff. If they are so revolutionary and make you skate so much faster, demand will go up, supply goes up, price goes down. If they're so great, everybody will start putting them on their skates.

well....you must be right!!

but don't you find it ''too much'' to put battery in hockey equipement??

[Jackal3688 0]

However they make the battery or power source, it better be well protected too.  I can just imagine taking a puck to the power source or whatever and having to pay like $50 or something to replace it. Sounds like an interesting idea, but we'll see if they can pull this one off.  And I wonder what the price point of these would be? I'm thinking around $100-125, which i would never pay for holders.

I'm confused. The source is in the skate? And if it was huge, how could it be well protected?

Well the source would kinda have to be on or in the skates.. right? I mean where else would it be? You certainly cant plug it into the wall lol. And imagine if it had a recharging battery feature or something. You would not only have to sharpen your skates but you would have to charge them too . lol thatd be strange...

[leafsrule1 0]

damn i lost and edge need a sharpen

damn "left my skates on" need a charge

lol

[asdfa 0]

although i highly doubt it, he could be using a chemical reaction to heat up the blade, i remember in chemistry, we had a reaction of hydrochloric acid and magnesium, and it got pretty hot with only a little bit of magnesium and acid. maybe therma-tec has something like that

[tyler9 0]

The only thing though is with most exsothermic reaction the metal dissolves. And if somehow the metal doesn't dissolve would you have to be putting a chemical on your skateblade before every ice session ? A battery would make more sense to me.

[Chadd 916]

Doesn't magnesium ignite when exposed to oxygen or am I thinking of something else? It's not something that comes up much after high school or college for most of us.