Blades of glory show how figure skaters can save joints

A device made to measure the forces behind the physics of everything from triple axels to simple crossovers could change the sport of figure skating once boot designers have access to the information it will provide on joint stress.

"Questions have been raised about boot design and how it affects a skater's impact forces, potentially causing injuries," says study co-author Professor Deborah King, from Ithaca College. "However, very little is known about the actual impact forces on ice during jumping and other figure skating skills."