Tips and Tricks

So today I thought I'd round up some helpful tips and tricks I've found out or figured out over the years and share them with you!

1. Clear nail polish. Clear nail polish is the best way to quickly fix snag in a pair of tights to keep it from running. Just dab a bit of nail polish on the snag, allow it a few minutes to dry and BAM! No worries, your tights will have no runs or holes! This is also a handy trick for competitions. You can quickly remedy a snag if you don't have time to change your tights. Great money and time saver!

2. Tape. Using either masking tape or scotch tape you can fix your frayed skate laces. I know from first hand experience how frustrating it can be when the little aglets (yes that's what they're called!) fall off of the tips of the laces leaving them frayed. If you accidentally pull out your lace it can take decades to shove it back through the daunting little hole. A quick way to fix this is to wrap some tape around the tip of the lace. It will act as the plastic piece and keep everything compacted so you can re-lace with ease. Another option, if you're a bit of a daredevil is to burn the end of your skate lace. This will melt the fibers and have the same effect as tape.

3. Nail polish remover. If you tape your skates with sk8tape or your skates are just plain dirty this trick is a life saver. Tapes can often leave a sticky residue on the skate when taken off. The first time I taped my skates they were fairly white but I wanted them to look spectacular so I put shiny white Sk8tape on them. When I took the tape off after the competition my skates looked dirtier than they did before. I was disappointed because I knew now that I would have to tape my skates before every competition and polish was no longer an option. There was a sticky black residue all over my skates which got worse after I put them in my bag. My skate sharpener passed this little tip on to me, so now I'll return the favor and pass it on to you! Just dab a little nail polish remover onto a cotton swab, as if you're going to clean your fingernails and lightly rub it over the gooey areas. It will take the residue as well as any residual chipped polish or boot rot stains right off. Even if you don't tape your skates they're probably still dirty. My skates had reddish streaks on them due to boot rot of the leather soles. Nail polish remover took that right off as well.

4. Coca Cola. If your blades get rusty because you haven't skated in a while or you left your skates in your bag Coke is great way to remove the rust in a pinch. One of the girls on my synchro team had this problem before one of our competition official practices. I hadn't heard of this remedy until her mom bought a bottle of Coca Cola from the vending machine, poured some on a paper towel and wiped down her blades. It took the rust right off! Just make sure to douse blades with water afterwards to get any remaining Coke off. To keep skate blades from rusting it's best to take them out of the soakers after practice and let them sit in the open air. Additionally, make sure to dry the skates as well as possible and never leave them in the plastic guards. If Coca Cola can get rust off of metal, what is it doing to the inside of your body anyways?