A variety of safety equipment is required for speed skating to protect skaters from injury during falls and collisions. These requirements are in place to ensure a safe environment for all participants, from beginners to elite athletes. While specific gear may vary slightly depending on the program level, certain items are universally mandatory.
Essential safety gear includes a hard-shell helmet, a cut-resistant neck guard, and cut-resistant gloves to protect the head, neck, and hands from impact and skate blades. Additionally, shatter-resistant eye protection, knee pads, and shin guards are necessary to shield the eyes and lower body. All skaters must also wear clothing that provides full body coverage, with many opting for cut-resistant ankle protectors for added safety around the feet and Achilles tendon.
The skates themselves are a critical piece of equipment. Short track speed skates have a distinct design: the blades are much longer and thinner than hockey or figure skates. They are mounted off-center on a low-cut boot, which allows skaters to lean deeper into turns without the boot touching the ice. The blades are also rockered (curved) and pre-bent to the left, which is crucial for maneuvering around the tight counter-clockwise turns of the track.