Personal Narrative: My Skate

I’ve played hockey since I was 4 years old. That sounds weird coming from someone who’s lived in northern Louisiana their whole life, but it is true. With the 15 years of playing hockey, comes 15 years’ worth of gear and equipment. Each piece is necessary, all have a specific job or body part to protect. Over time, however, I have formed special bonds with some of their gear, and though it sounds cliché, that does not mean that it is any less true. My skates are not an exception that thought. Skates are what give a hockey player their identity; you cannot ice skate in tennis shoes. That is why through years of playing, a unique connection has formed between my skates and myself. My skates have seen better days. They are covered in scuff marks from shots blocked and scrapping against the boards and in the corners. The boot, constructed of lightweight carbon fiber, has spots of fraying and some of the stitching has shared the same fate. The blades are not of the sharpest and have been since the ending of last season. The laces are tattered and slightly torn, the results from the blades of the opposing team. Some of the ends of the laces are no longer enclosed with aglets, but are burned and pinched together to prevent fraying. The laces do not match. One is the …show more content…
At one time, my skates were some of the best money could buy. My skates were newly constructed with a fresh, unworn scent. Even so, contrary to their price tag, my skates were not of enormous value, at least not yet. The boot was stiff, and although they fit in size, my feet were not precisely nuzzled inside them. The blades, were quite literally the dullest they could be. My skates were baked, placed in a special oven to heat them up. Then they became softer and were immediately put on and laced up as tight as they could go. Only after baking and years of lacing up have they become the shape that they are now, an almost exact fit to my