Expert skate sharpening in the Portland Maine area?

[bladesofgorey]

Hi all,
it looks like I may be moving to the Southern Maine area soon, which as far as I can tell means a huge reduction in my ability to find any freestyle sessions on weekends or before work (bah) but my larger concern will be trying to find an expert sharpener for my blades- I wear standard phantoms and have had two pairs ruined by shops that supposedly specialize in sharpening them (and was charged $50-$60 for the honor). Short of mailing them back to NJ when they need to be sharpened again, is there anyone on the board who knows of reputable sharpeners in this area (or even in Boston if they are easily accessible from public transport since I wouldn't be driving there)?

 

[Debbie S]

Ashley Wagner and Mirai Nagasu have referenced The Sharper Edge on their IGs, and I've seen some other Boston area elite skaters tag them in posts, too. Although I don't know where they're located and if they're near public transit.

 

[Aceon6]

Sharper Edge is in Peabody. It’s accessible via transit, but it’s a haul.

 

[Clarice]

My daughter moved to southern Maine about a year and a half ago. She says The Sharper Edge is where the hardcore skaters go. In Portland, she uses Back Bay Skate - so far, so good.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

So, are you saying you'll have a car, but just won't drive in the city of Boston? If that's the case, then the Sharper Edge may work well for you. It's a suburb of Boston, and it's on the northern side of Mass., so that could help somewhat in terms of getting there from southern Maine.

Where will you be in Maine? If Massachusetts is commutable for you, at least on weekends, there are rinks down there that may have freestyle sessions that may perhaps work for you, depending on what you think is reasonable (I drive from NY to NJ for skating, and used to go to a rink that was 1.5 hours from my home, so YMMV) Or maybe there are rinks in NH that may be an option?

 

[bladesofgorey]

So, are you saying you'll have a car, but just won't drive in the city of Boston? If that's the case, then the Sharper Edge may work well for you. It's a suburb of Boston, and it's on the northern side of Mass., so that could help somewhat in terms of getting there from southern Maine.

Where will you be in Maine? If Massachusetts is commutable for you, at least on weekends, there are rinks down there that may have freestyle sessions that may perhaps work for you, depending on what you think is reasonable (I drive from NY to NJ for skating, and used to go to a rink that was 1.5 hours from my home, so YMMV) Or maybe there are rinks in NH that may be an option?

I am trying to avoid long drives to places I can get to by public transit- there is a train stop near UNH and Dover NH, but I haven't been able to find any listed freestyle sessions anywhere in the coastal NH region. Sharper Edge sounds like where I should go- since I might not have to deal with Boston traffic (I hated driving in Boston) given they are not in Boston proper. I'll be in the Biddeford/Saco area not far from the transit station there.

 

[Aceon6]

It might be worth enrolling in a class or two, just to have access to university ice.

 

[bladesofgorey]

It might be worth enrolling in a class or two, just to have access to university ice.

That is a great idea I hadn't thought of!