Ice-quality and athletic gear are two of the most important elements regarding athletic
performance in winter sports.
With the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics just around the corner, efforts are underway
to ensure that athletes can shine most brightly at the event.
Meet some of the artisan craftsmen and technicians, and marvel at their masterpieces.
This is an office Nowon-gu, Seoul.
It looks like an ordinary office, but it is one of the only four ice skating blade manufacturing
companies around the globe.
The company owner Yang Kyeong-sun was an amateur ice hockey athlete during his younger days,
and he came into this business almost by accident.
(Korean) "I made and repaired skating blades for me
and my friends, and the response was pretty good.
That motivated me to produce blades for both professional athletes and junior athletes
in school, and it eventually became my profession."
In skating events, including ice hockey, skating boots and blades greatly affect athletes’
performances.
That’s why they are very sensitive about their gear.
Massive Tech offers custom-made blades to fit each athlete’s foot shape and performance
habits.
(Korean) "We have a variety of pre-made products.
But for those with specific requirements, we offer custom-made blades.
They can choose the radius of curvature, height, shape and many other things based on their
preferences."
What process do they go through to create their products?
Each pair goes through manufacturing processes at 6 different factories before completion.
In particular, the last procedure, coating, determines the accuracy and angles of athletes’
movements, and thus, it is the most important.
(Korean) "This part determines the hardness of the
blades.
When a blade is hard, it enables athletes to scrape the surface, which allows them to
move freely and feel stable on the ice."
The company also produced a new sled for Korea’s National Ice Sledge Hockey team competing
at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Using magnesium alloy, instead of aluminum, which is traditionally used in sled making,
the weight has been reduced by 34%, while the solidity has increased 2.5 times.
(Korean) "Since I’m designing blades for paraplegic
athletes, safety comes before anything.
Magnesium alloy is the perfect material as it’s very good for shock absorption."
These days, Yang is working on a new short track blade, and he will continue to do his
utmost to support all the ice sports athletes around the whole world.
Athletic gear was one part, and now let’s zoom in on ice rinks.
Ice conditions are extremely important in curling as they directly affect a stone’s
movement on an icy lane.
Therefore, ice technicians play a crucial role for athletes to display the very best
performances.
Park Seong-geun is in charge of the ice conditions at this rink.
He, too, was a curling athlete before becoming an ice technician.
(Korean) "I found out about this profession when I
was abroad training and competing as an ice-curling athlete.
I pursued my athletic career until 1999 and then left for Canada in 2000 to become an
ice technician."
The curling sheet and lines are marked on each sheet, and then water is sprayed onto
it to form a new layer.
The key is making the sheet as flat and level as possible.
The unique part is the spraying of water droplets onto the ice, which forms pebbles upon freezing.
The spraying is not as simple as it sounds; it involves specific conditions that must
be considered.
(Korean) "I’m mixing hot and cold water to get the
ideal temperature.
If the water is too hot or cold, it affects pebble formation and rate of freezing.
"
Park Seong-geun has been designated as an official ice technician for the 2018 Winter
Paralympics.
Accepting the responsibility on his shoulders, he’s determined to provide the best conditions
for the athletes to surpass their limits and create miraculous moments.
(Korean) "I’m going to continue to do my best to
create an ideal training environment for the athletes gearing up for the PyeongChang Paralympic
Games.
Personally, it’s a great honor as well.
"
Winter sports started garnering mainstream attention in Korea only recently.
Nonetheless, Korea has a bright future thanks to passionate athletes and technicians armed
with genuine sportsmanship.