Minnesota is, among other things, The State of Hockey, right? So it only makes sense that one Minnesota ice skate company is in the spotlight at the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Reidell Skates in Red Wing has been in business in Minnesota for over 70 years now, making figure skates for some pretty well-known Olympic names, according to this Fox-47 story.

If you're a figure skating fan, you'll know names like Johnny Weir (currently quite the skating commentator for NBC) plus Michelle Kwan, and Jeremy Abbott. As it turns out, they all wore Reidell Skates while competing in their respective Winter Olympic Games.

So what does it take to make a pair of ice skates for Olympic-caliber skaters? A lot. The story says that there are roughly 125 different steps involved in making those top-of-the-line skates. Skates for us regular folk take about half that.

"The process of making a skate can take seven to ten days, and accuracy is key," the story noted. "Every skate must have a foot form called a 'last.' Workers take leather material that is cut to a specific size and form it to be attached to the last. From that point, skates are steamed, nailed down, and cooled in a freezer," the story said.

It's pretty cool to think that out of ALL the figure skates out there, skates from a company from right here in Minnesota is the one several skaters have chosen to wear!

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5 

 

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