Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the game, blade profiling will dramatically improve your on-ice performance and confidence. With this guide, we'll help you learn everything you need to know to pick the perfect profile for your game.

Ready to Dive Deep into Skate Profiling?

Continue reading below for a comprehensive guide, where we'll guide you through everything from choosing the right performance benefits to matching them with the right performance profile.

Performance profiling is the shaping of a skate's blade end-to-end to maximize nearly every aspect of on-ice performance.

Traditional single-profile blades, found on most skates and replacement runners, have been the standard for decades but come with performance trade-offs in acceleration, agility, speed, and stability. These single-profile blades typically feature a 9' or 10' radius, which represents a part of a circle. If you make a 10' radius more curved by going with a smaller radius like 7', you gain agility and explosiveness but greatly sacrifice speed and stability. The opposite is true too; if you make a 10' radius flatter by making it a 13' radius, you gain speed and stability while greatly sacrificing agility and explosiveness.

Performance skate profiles, however, are designed to maximize on-ice performance by combining multiple curves on a single blade for the best of both worlds: agile explosiveness and stable speed. For example, the front of the blade will feature a more aggressive, forward-leaning shape to improve acceleration and agility, while the back half is flatter to enhance top-end speed and stability. The result is improved performance in all aspects without sacrifice.

Selecting the perfect performance skate profile can dramatically enhance your on-ice performance. Still, with so many options available, deciding which one is right for you can be challenging.

The right profile for your game depends on your skating style and what aspects of your skating you are looking to improve. However, the professionals at Elite Blade Performance Technology have worked with thousands upon thousands of players from the NHL to the youth level to develop the very best profiles to choose from.

If you are brand new to performance profiling, the Polaris and the SCS.1 are the best place to start. Polaris is newer but rapidly growing in popularity, it is an excellent choice for the north-to-south power skater looking to prioritize speed and stability. SCS.1 is our other favorite option, especially for the east-to-west style of skaters who want the utmost acceleration and agility.

Whichever profile you choose, you'll be enhancing your game with a tailored performance edge. Take a deeper dive into all of the profiles below.

Elite Performance Technology Profiles are evaluated based on expert on-ice testing across four key attributes: acceleration, agility, speed, and stability. These rankings are then compared to a baseline profile: the 10’ single-profile. For instance, the Polaris profile significantly outperforms the 10’ mono, offering enhanced acceleration, greater agility, and a substantial increase in both speed and stability.

Features a light, agile toe with a very slight forward pitch, complemented by a flatter heel for stability. It offers a good mix of agility, power, and stability, ideal for versatile skating styles. This profile is excellent for those who need quick transitions and solid performance across different aspects of their game. Comparable to the Prosharp Zuperior.

• Triple.1 Profile Design:
  SM: (5'-10'-13')
  MD: (6'-12'-16')
  LG: (6'-12'-16')

Quad.1 - Fast, Agile and Effortless Smooth
It features a slight forward pitch and the lightest feel among the Quads, making it ideal for skaters who prioritize agility. This profile is a great balance of speed and stability, perfect for quick, agile movements on the ice. Comparable to the Prosharp Quad Zero.

• Quad.1 Profile Design:
  SM: (5’-8’-10’-12’)
  MD: (6’-9’-11’-13’)
  LG: (6’-9’-11’-13’)

Quad.2 - Balanced Power and Rock-Solid Stability
It has a slightly less agile feel compared to the Quad.1, making it suitable for those who value stability and control. This profile is perfect for skaters who need a dependable, balanced performance. Comparable to the Prosharp Quad 2.

• Quad.2 Profile Design:
  MD: (7’-10’-13’-16’)
  LG: (7’-10’-13’-16’)

The latest Quad profile in the lineup provides exceptional speed and stability with excellent agility and acceleration. It boasts extremely smooth transition zones and feels much more agile in the heel for better maneuverability. It has a slightly more forward pitch than other Quads for improved agility too.

SCS.1 - Maximum Agility and Explosive Power
This profile features four radius curves with a flatter center, providing powerful and smooth skating, high top-end speed, and powerful turns while maintaining agility. It’s the most agile of the SCS profiles, with a highly rockered heel and toe.

SCS.2 - Enhanced Power and Reliable Stability
With the same mid-foot flatter radius but with a less rockered heel and toe than the SCS.1, it focuses on more stability with slightly less acceleration and agility.

Double.1 (7'-13'): A versatile profile with strong glide and a slight forward pitch.

Double.2 (8'-12'): Similar to Double.1 but with a slightly reduced forward pitch.

Double.3 (9.5'-10.5'): Very similar to a stock blade with improvements in agility, speed and stability.

Single.1 (10'): A standard, out-of-the-box blade that offers basic agility and stability without performance enhancement.

Once you have settled on a specific profile, the last part is to select the correct profile size. The Elite Performance Profiles come in three sizes: Small (SM), Medium (MD) and Large (LG). Each one is tailored to the specific skate or blade size to ensure the best performance for players of all sizes.

What is hockey skate profiling, and why is it important?
Hockey skate profiling is the re-shaping of a skate's single curve blade into multiple curves in order to improve agility, acceleration, speed and stability without sacrifice.

How does skate profiling improve my on-ice performance?
Performance skate profiles with it's custom blade shape improves all aspects of the skating experience. From quicker starts, tighter turns, better top end speed to more confidence, everything is improved.

What are the different types of skate profiles available?
We currently offer triple, quad, Polaris, SCS (center glide), double and single profiles.

How do I choose the right skate profile for my playing style?
Choose a profile based on your skating style and your performance needs: agility, acceleration, speed, or stability.

Which skate profile offers the best acceleration and agility?
The SCS.1 profile provides exceptional agility and acceleration with a rockered toe and heel with a flat middle-foot profile, making it ideal for skaters looking for quick, agile movement and take-off.

Which skate profile offers the best balance of speed and stability?
The Polaris profile excels in stability and power with its unique quad-profile construction. Unlike most other quad profiles, it doesn't feel slow or sluggish getting up to speed.

How do I know which profile size (SM, MD, LG) is right for my skates (or blades)?
Select the profile size based on your skate size: SM for up to 5.0 (246mm), MD for 5.5-8.5 (254-272mm), and LG for 9.0-12.5 (280-304mm).

How often should I get my skates profiled?
We recommend having your skates profiled at the start of the season, halfway through the season and just before playoffs.

Are there specific profiles recommended for forwards versus defensemen?
Every skater is different but generally speaking, forwards tend to gravitate towards the agility and acceleration-focused profiles like the SCS.1 whereas defensemen tend to gravitate towards the power and stability profiles like Polaris.

How do I maintain my skates after getting them profiled?
We highly recommend only sharpening your skates on Elite automated sharpeners like the E-34 that IW is proud to use. The E-34 is the only machine that uniformly removes steel along the length of the blade to avoid distorting the profile. Other automated sharpeners will distort the profile over time but are better than traditional hand-sharpening.

What type of machines does Ice Warehouse use for profiling and sharpening?
We proudly use the Elite E-P3 profiler, known for its industry-leading precision and consistency down to 2/1000th of an inch. This machine is trusted by NHL, AHL, NCAA, and Major Junior teams.

What are the ProSharp profile equivalents in your Elite profiles?

Should I change my hollow if I get a profile?
To best evaluate the benefits of your new profile, we recommend initially using the same hollow you're currently using. Once you're comfortable with the profile, consider switching to a more shallow hollow. Your new profile creates better ice contact which requires less bite, therefore a more shallow hollow should feel similar but will give you better speed and glide.

Can I change my skate profile?
Yes, you can re-profile your skates to try a different profile that better suits your playing style and performance needs.

If I'm buying new skates or blades from Ice Warehouse, can I have them delivered profiled and sharpened?
Yes, IW Hockey offers Elite profiling and sharpenings for all of the ice hockey skates and replacement blades we offer at icewarehouse.com!

Can I have my ice hockey skates sharpened by mail?
Yes, you can! IW Hockey offers the best and fastest mail-in skate sharpening services in North America, we even offer mail-in skate custom profiling services too. For $20, you will receive UPS 2-Day Shipping both ways for up to three sets of steel. Mail-in Skate Sharpenings cost $8 and Mail-in Custom Profiling costs $58. To get started, call us at 800.366.3070 or send an email to info@icewarehouse.com. Please note we only accept the skate blades and not the physical skates.