How Olympic Ice Skates Are Designed for Speed, Spins, and Swerves

Watching the world-class ice athletes of the Winter Olympics, whether it’s in speed skating, figure skating or hockey, is a jaw-dropping affair. The speed, control, and dexterity they exhibit while somehow balancing on a metal blade is simply amazing. But what exactly is going on with those blades? Smarter Every Day’s Destin Sandlin shows us the fascinating physics and engineering that goes into every pair of Olympic skates.

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The Crazy Physics Behind Figure Skating

We already know that figure skaters’ bodies undergo quite a bit of stress during their routines—and we have the pics to prove it. Even so, it’s hard to fathom just how insane these physical forces actually are.

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