TheRockerFund (skateraid)- Help our ST Skaters.

[Ruff]

Thanks Wildfire! They do wear helmets, don't they? Goggles and knee pads, too. What are we even worried about? These kids are gonna be just dandy.

Yeah, go ahead and put me down as a "maybe," Lori. I see kinks that still need to be worked out. For instance, if I'm gonna throw money at strangers they're at least gonna have to dance or something. There we go, come up with a "Stuff a Dollar!" option for donating and move me into the "definite" column!

[jennaceeta25]

I like your points, Ruff, I do! But some kids need help, like maybe not like kids in Africa. I'm sure these skaters wanna dream to look forward too and getting there is tough. Sometimes you can't do it alone. I'm kinda optimistic sort of person. But I like your thoughts! I would like to know who I'm giving the money too, that sort of thing. Just my

[aaosmts19]

I think I'm liken' the Rocker Fund above the referecnes to Aid. Aid speaks to me of the 80's on..."we are the world", Live Aid, Farm Aid, etc. (oh dears, my age is showing) And someone might feel embarrassed if awarded some funds by an 'aid' organization, like they were a charity case. I think the skaters would get a bigger kick with a more hip name...remember, these kids are in their teens....

I appreciate the fact that no one has suggested "Red Bandana Society".....

Now if someone could just post a picture of what a ROCKER looks like....
and anticipating all of you who are going to post pics of your favorite rock stars....VERY FUNNY!

[aaosmts19]

lori said:

aaosmts19 said:

Now if someone could just post a picture of what a ROCKER looks like....

Here ya' go... (it was in one of Apolostarr's more recent photo posts)

Here's a dumb question...does each skater have one of their own? Does a club have one that everyone shares?

[apolostarr]

I am going on a limb and saying that each skater has his or her own I know Apolo does lol

[jennaceeta25]

Well, it depends how much a ROCKER is. Anybody know here?

[aaosmts19]

Can someone who knows give us 'rocker 101' primer? What does it do? How often is it used (before every race, before a meet?)? looks like it has a vice grip on each end.

[aaosmts19]

lori said:

Oh, geez, BLONDE ALERT! That pic is a JIG, not a rocker (sorry if I confused y'all...)

A_HAAA!
I just did some googling about the rocker and found this information, and was just about to ask "are you sure that's not a jig?" THe jig holds the skates while they do the sharpening, adjust the rocker, etc.
The rocker is the curve in the blade...think the rocker on the bottom of the rocking chaire...

About the jig:
Jigs can only be purchased through speed skate retailers or purchased used from other skaters. Often, clubs have jigs for lending. Stones and honing oil can be purchased through these same retailers or through your local hardware store. Look for an 11 - 1/2 Norton (Brand) Combination stone. This is pretty standard. Burr stones are basically fine pocketknife sharpening stones about 1 x 2 x 3/16. These dimensions are not critical.



First, a warning: even dull skate edges can cut you. Be very careful because skate sharpening is kind of hazardous, especially de-burring and checking for a burr. You will probably cut yourself a few times as you learn. Supervise kids. Keep Band-Aids or some kind of disposable bandages on hand!



Lay the newspaper out on the floor and put the jig on it. Keep some paper towels handy. Before you start, you'll want to check the blades for bend, dents and flat spots in the rocker. Eyeball it from one end and look for these imperfections. Straighten out any kinks and bends if you can, and note any flat spots where uneven pressure during sharpening has flattened out the rocker. Use a blade-bender and a dial gauge or rocker-bar to check and correct the rocker and bend. Look for especially dull spots or areas where the edge has been stripped.

Next, check the skates for sharpness by lightly drawing the back of a fingernail down, moving perpendicular to the edge. If the edge is sharp, you'll see a tiny pile of fingernail shavings on the edge. If you don't, the edge is dull. You shouldn't have to press your fingernail hard against the blade as you draw it across (and it's not wise to do so, in case the edge is still very sharp). If it's sharp, the edge will want to shave and cut into your fingernail, shaving off a neat little pile. Be careful not to cut yourself! You'll probably notice that the inside edges and the left outside edge are dull, but that the right outside edge is still quite sharp. This is because in speed skating, we turn left a lot more than we turn right.

Place the skates in the jig. Make sure the blades are as vertical and parallel as possible. Push the ends of the blades the long way against the stop in the jig if it has one. Tighten the jig's thumbscrews so the clamps hold the blades tightly. Grab your big stone and VERY LIGHTLY draw one of its long edges (corner edges, not flat faces) perpendicularly across both edges to make a very fine scratch across the bottom of both blades. Look at the thin, flat surface of the upward facing blades and look for the tiny, lateral scratches you just made in each blade. If each scratch goes from one side (edge) of the bottom of the blade to the other edge, then the blades are ready to sharpen. Make a scratch at each end of the blades and one in the middle. If the scratches only go part way across the bottom of the blade, then you can save yourself some time by removing the blades from the jig and putting them in some other orientation. Try flipping the heels and toes around in the jig or switching left for right skates. Always have the toes of the skates pointing in the same direction as each other, though.



When you find a configuration where the test scratches make it all the way (or at least most of the way) across both edges, you are ready to start sharpening. After the first time you sharpen a pair of skates in a particular jig, you wont have to look for test scratches again in that jig, with that pair of skates. Each jig should set the same pair of blades up in approximately the same way. This is a good reason to always try to sharpen your skates in the same jig. It saves you time.

Drizzle some honing oil on the big stone or mist some water on a big diamond stone with a spray bottle. Place the stone flat on both blades so that the long axis of the stone is perpendicular to both blades. The long axis of the stone must always be perpendicular (90 degree angle) to the blades at all times during your stroke. Now, if you just go back and forth, you will eventually wear grooves in your stone or just wear out the middle of your diamond stone. This would not be groovy. For this reason, we grind diagonally instead of straight out and back.

Start with the stone at the end of the blades nearest you, and with the stone offset to the left or right so that it overhangs one of the blades by about an inch. Now push the stone away from you diagonally across the blades so that it winds up overhanging the other blade by only about an inch. Keep the stone perpendicular to the blades all through the stroke. It helps me to visualize that I'm sweeping out a parallelogram with my stone. Next, bring the stone back along the same path until you are back where you started.

It is very important that you only use the weight of the stone to sharpen the skates and not press down on the stone with your fingers. This is because at different parts of the stroke, you would push down with different amounts of force. The result would be that you would push harder at the beginning or middle of your stroke and you would flatten the rocker of your blades. It can cost about $50 to re-rocker blades so you don't want to wreck your rocker prematurely. All blades should be re-rockered after about four or six seasons of hard use. Some people feel that they can press down lightly on the stone as long as they sense the pressure with their fingers instead of with their arms and not wreck their rocker. Others say the stone doesn't cut significantly faster under greater pressure anyway. I haven't done the experiment.

Repeat this motion five or ten times and then start grinding along the opposite diagonal. When it feels like the oil or water is gone from the stone, pick up the stone, wipe off the dirty oil or water, apply new oil or water and keep grinding. Every once in a while, check to see how far the burr has formed along the edge of the blades. Do this by drawing the pointed end of a fingernail straight up along the side of the blade until your fingernail falls past the edge. If your fingernail hangs up briefly as it goes past the edge, then, congratulations! You've got a burr. That's good. It's a sign you've removed enough material at this point in the blade. If you check all along the blade, youll find that the ends will develop a burr before the middle, except for the right outside edge which will form a burr pretty quickly along its entire length. Continue until there is a burr all the way along all four edges. A small burr is all that it necessary. Don't waste a lot of time and energy developing a really big burr.



The last dozen or so strokes should be made with the fine side of the combination stone or a fine diamond stone. Make the very last few passes with the stone non-diagonally. This leaves the final micro-scratches in the blades running the long way, the same way the ice moves past the blade. Just a few passes this way probably won't put too much extra wear in the center of your stone. Polish the blades with a really fine stone or other blade-polishing device if you like.

Now it's time to remove the burr. Without removing the skates from the jig, take your burrstone and put it flat against side of the steel part of the blade. Never run the burr stone along the aluminum rail or steel tube of the blades frame. The burr stone must lie flat on the steel of the side of the blade and it should slightly overhang the edge. Run it back and forth along the length of the blade a few times while pressing with moderate force and you'll grind down the burr. You'll also be turning up the burr slightly. So get your big stone out again and make another few light, non-diagonal passes. Repeat the de-burring motion until you have 95% of the burr removed and then make the last, light passes with the big stone. This makes sure that you leave no up-burr. Now you can take the skates out of the jig. Check the edges for any remaining burrs and remove the last few with the burrstone. Finally, run the back of a fingernail perpendicular to the edge again, and see if you shave a little bit of fingernail easily. If the blade shaves or pulls nicely and the blade feels sharp all along the edge, then you're done!

Now put on the storage guards. Never store skates in the walking guards. They hold moisture next to the blade and cause rust. If you are going to store the blades over the summer, coat them with a light layer of light household oil like 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil or blade sharpening oil and store them in a dry closet, not in a moist garage or basement.

Finally, make sure to always use the walking guards while walking and not on the ice, and only step on the blades while they're on clean ice. Don't do hockey stops or snowplow stops unless it's an emergency. Do the "Ugly Speed Skater Stop" (basically a backward stroke) or learn to do a T-stop using only the right outside edge. (Stand on your right skate and twist sideways while releasing the right skates outside edge. You should skid sideways on that edge.) Keep a clean, spare rag in your skate bag and as soon as you get off the ice, dry your blades until they are bone-dry. Don't put the wet walking guards back on again and remember to remove the skates from your skate bag as soon as you get home.



Follow this formula and you'll have sharp blades that will hold their rocker longer, help you go as fast as possible, and have a good, long life. In the long and the short run (no pun intended), it will save you time and money; time you can spend on the ice and money you can spend on things other than re-rockering blades.

[breidy]

Michelle, Lori, Apolostarr, and all you wonderful other Ladies at GA, I’d like to add my two cents (and remember it is just two cents worth) to the posts today.

I noticed the original post had been edited but I would like to respond to what I believe I read early this morning. A donation was made at WC #6 but not to the athletes on the current team. The donation was made to benefit deserving skaters who are the future of short track.

I think your idea is wonderful. I have always been confused as to why our government, unlike other countries, does not support our Olympic hopefuls. Fortunately, some of these Olympians have been blessed with sponsorships that allow them to continue to compete without financial hardships. I think the idea of donating to those up and coming skaters is well worth your continued efforts as to how best to make this work.

I am sure that the wonderful group of ladies at GA contain the necessary resources to assist you in formulating and executing the goal you are trying to accomplish.

In my opinion, a non-profit organization would be the best route through which to funnel your donations. Any donation through a non-profit organization would be tax deductible. This may be an important consideration to those who do donate. You can earmark your donations and the non-profit could be held accountable for your donations.

I am sure there has been “jealousy,” “resentment,” or whatever you want to call it toward Apolo not only for his success on the ice but his financial gain because of his success. But because Apolo has been at this for many years, he has certainly earned the sponsorships he has been able to solicit. Those who do harbor such emotions should use Apolo as a resource to formulate their own goals as they pursue their financial backing through sponsorships to support their sport.

With that said, I think one of the things that concerns me the most is the fact that if this “idea” is set up so that people could donate to their favorite skater through a website you in essence have created another competition for these skaters. This could easily turn into a “popularity” contest. This could potentially cause friction between the skaters. They are after all competitors and even though they train together daily it does not mean that when the gun is fired they will not compete against each other. Do you really want to create this type of environment as these young men and women pursue their quest for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team and the medals they’ve trained so hard for?

I certainly think you are headed in the right direction with this. You’ve got a ways to go. I know you will take the time to work all the kinks and bugs out so that the skaters can have the benefit of the fruits of your labor.

Good name suggestions. It will be hard to chose.

[aaosmts19]

breidy said:

In my opinion, a non-profit organization would be the best route through which to funnel your donations. Any donation through a non-profit organization would be tax deductible. This may be an important consideration to those who do donate. You can earmark your donations and the non-profit could be held accountable for your donations.

Briedy, the idea of setting up a non-profit may have its merits. Do you know what's needed for this? I think you probably have to establish an id # of some kind from the IRS; what is required of a non-profit? I'm sure there's some sort of an end-of-year accounting process and forms that need to be filed with the government. Perhaps there are some guidelines for setting up a non-profit on line somewhere....

As a start, I found this....
nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/bb/beforenonprofit.htm

[breidy]

I'm certainly not suggesting you form a non-profit for this purpose. Perhaps you can find an existing non-profit that benefits speedskating that would allow you to earmark your donations. It would certainly give you a way to your means without anyone from GA having to be involved in forming a non-profit, soliciting donations, and disbursing the funds. I'm sure any non-profit would welcome continued support of their skaters from such a group of dedicated short track fans like those found at GA.

[apolostarr]

breidy said:

I'm certainly not suggesting you form a non-profit for this purpose. Perhaps you can find an existing non-profit that benefits speedskating that would allow you to earmark your donations. It would certainly give you a way to your means without anyone from GA having to be involved in forming a non-profit, soliciting donations, and disbursing the funds. I'm sure any non-profit would welcome continued support of their skaters from such a group of dedicated short track fans like those found at GA.

I agree with this suggestion by Breidy!

[wags]

OK...I going to wade in here with my 2 cents.
1) Ruff. Honey. Calm yourself. I'm afraid your going to throw an aneurysm or something. Or as they say in my part of the country...we didn't pee on your cornflakes. Although your "Stuff a Dollar" idea does have some serious merit. We'll keep our fingers crossed for that one.
2) My thought for the WC6 was to pool our money and become a sponsor for that particular event. When you're a sponsor you often have 'some' say as to how your money is spent. ie: water/snacks for the skaters, paying for special exercise/warm up equipment, etc... Also as a sponsor you can request a Meet & Greet with the skaters. (This is just a photo op, not a sleepover)
3) I know there are several skaters that don't have as much need for the donations as others. I would rather see my money go to some young talent over someone that's near the end of their skating career. As much as I truly admire what he does for that skinsuit, I don't think Apolo (or any current member of the national team for that matter) needs the money. I want to invest in the future of ST.
4) Perhaps the name of the site could reflect the desire to look toward the future of the sport. Something like Youngblades. I did have a great idea for an anagram for the Future of Short Track being FST (get it...fast) Then I realized that the Future of Long Track would be FLT (flat) Oh well...back to the drawing board for me.

[linmiste]

Wow! Lori, mntme, and others, I'm really impressed at your efforts here. I fully believe there are lots of needy athletes. Yes, winter sports do require money, and maybe some families start out with it, but some sacrifice a lot to help their kids pursue their dreams. I think about that a lot with our son, as I watch him grow and try to provide opportunities for him to experience different things. If he really does excel at something, like a sport or music or an academic field, I sometimes wonder how we'd come up with money to fully realize his potential. He's going to be working his way through a State college, I can tell you that! So, I think this is a great idea.

AAO, what is your job? You asked such fantastic, thoughtful questions. There are a lot of things to consider, and I have nothing to add. It does seems like possibly a daunting task. Breidy's idea of working through an existing non-profit, if you can locate one, sounds good. I understand the desire to give to specific skaters: it's more personal and real. But the concerns about jealousy and whether or not the skater acknowledges the gift are valid. Maybe you could still do the skater profiles, but not be specific about who is receiving the money or how much. A "Board" (Lori, mntme, others?) would make the decision a couple of times a year, perhaps. Or, maybe to start, you could post a profile here of an individual whom you know needs help, collect through paypal or checks, and give directly to the skater. Even if it's just one skater who is "adopted" by the site each year, it could be a wonderful experience for all.

I hope it all works out!

[susie]

Short track doesn't strike me as being the kind of sport to attract a high number of well-to-do kids and their families (I'm thinking skiing and figure skating, for instance, as examples of sports that are very hard for most parents to finance.) The ST parents whom I've met have been ordinary working people. And I'm thinking that most, if not all of the elite skaters (apart from Apolo) could probably use our help.

We need to remember that when they were training at the OTC, the skaters at least got their basic needs of food and shelter met. Now they are on their own. And I'm not going to kid myself that the stipend and their wages from Home Depot go very far at all.

And even if their basic needs get met, they would still need the extras, such as the help of trainers, massage therapists, etc., in order to help the athletes achieve at a high level.

I'd like to see the money go directly to the skaters, perhaps through Pay-Pal. There is no particular reason for the skaters to know how much one is getting over another unless they choose to divulge this information. Skaters at any level who are interested in getting help could sign up.

I think that I would like to see a name for this endeavor that is inspirational: perhaps something like, "Fund the Dream".