Safety Equipment & Rules
Safety Equipment
Short track speed skating requires safety gear specifically designed and approved for speed skating. Skinsuit rental is included in your registration fees, but other equipment is not and must be purchased separately. Our club stocks and sells all required safety equipment at or below cost.
Some equipment, such as ankle guards, neck guards, and gloves wear out with use. They typically only last 1-2 seasons.
If you decide to buy your own equipment separately, don’t buy it on Amazon, Canadian Tire, Sports Chek, or other big-box retailers. Nothing they sell meets speed skating standards. Get it from a speed skating shop or another speed skating club.
Required safety equipment
Skinsuit
ASTM F1849 Helmet
Cut-proof gloves
Neck guard
Ankle guards
Shatter-proof safety glasses with cord
First & Fast Strides alternative safety equipment
Hockey helmet
Leather “cargo” gloves
Hockey neck guard
Bicycle, skateboard, and snowboard helmets are not allowed.
Helmets must not be past the expiry date.
If there’s no CSA or ASTM label or no label indicating the expiry date, it is not allowed.
Any safety equipment that is not specifically approved for speed skating is subject to acceptance by the club manager and the program coach.
Safety Rules
- No opening rink doors. Parents and skaters may not open the doors to the ice while other skaters are skating on the track. Parents should expect to have to wait for the in-progress activity to be completed before their child may enter or leave the ice.
- First & Fast Strides parents must stay for the lesson. Parents of children in our First & Fast Strides program must stay at the rink for the entire lesson, and be available to assist in case their child needs to leave the ice. Our coaches cannot leave the ice to take them to the bathroom, adjust their gear, or help them in any other way.
- Kids can’t be left alone to wait for pick-up. Parents must arrive on time after the lesson to pick up their children. For safety reasons, our coaches cannot leave the rink until all children in our program have been picked up. So when you’re late, we’re waiting for you too, and missing whatever we have going on.